 A retreat is more than just a regular meeting; it is an opportunity to:
There are many things to consider when planning for your retreat. While board retreats can take place in person, many PTAs may find it best to plan a virtual retreat, which adds a few more items to that list.
 Great retreats also include a few key social elements that serve as ways to allow board members to connect, bond, and get to know each other, all of which work to help build a more cohesive team:
The extended nature of a retreat means that a board can have time for conversations and discussions with more breadth and depth. Consider some of the following discussion areas and questions as you build your board retreat agenda:
Finally, remember that some of the most important work will happen after the retreat ends as ideas are put into action. Take time through the year to reflect and check-in with one another regarding discussions, action items, and progress toward goals.  Additional Resources:
As always, Council is here to help your PTA have a successful year! If you ever have questions, you can reach out to us anytime via email. Find a list of Council Contacts here.  This summer, Council will be holding Office Hours on Wednesday, July 13th, from 12:00PM (noon) to 1:00PM. This is the perfect time to connect with Council, ask questions about the upcoming year, or even just stop in to say hello!
This time is designed to support our local PTA/PTSA leaders as you begin to navigate membership, programs, and managing your organization for the upcoming year. We hope you will join us! Join Zoom Meeting https://us06web.zoom.us/j/86598668645 Meeting ID: 865 9866 8645 Passcode: *available upon request* If you have questions and need to connect with Council prior to this, please visit our Contact Page for a list Council Officers and their emails.
Council Business: The meeting kicked off with an approval of minutes from our March 21st general meeting, before moving on to hear the Treasurer’s Report for the month of April from Council Treasurer, Serena Xu. Next on the agenda were updates from Council President, Jane Chiodo, which included:
Our VP of Communications, Rachel Fitzgerald, then shared with everyone the importance of updating the contact information for positions being filled for next year in your PTA. If you are an officer next year, please update your contact information before July 1st, 2022. This information will be used to contact you by council board members that want to support your PTA. It is also how you will be on the list to receive communications from council, including the council newsletter, that will keep you updated on events and happenings in our district. Remember to update officers in memberplanet as well!  The Council business portion of our meeting ended with a farewell for Dr. Michelle Reid who will be leaving Northshore School District at the end of June to serve as the Superintendent of the Fairfax County Public Schools in Virginia. Jane Chiodo read a letter with messages of appreciation from Council leaders for all that Dr. Reid has done for our district over the years. Click here to read the thank-you letter. District and Community Reports:
After the updates were given by the community partners there was a reminder to the local PTA attendees to please remember to fill out the end of year survey from Council. This survey lets us know how we can better serve your PTA with your valuable feedback. We will be taking survey responses up until midnight on Friday, June 17th.  Last, but certainly not least, the evening ended with our 2021-2022 Spring Recognition Event! This event was hosted by First Vice President and Awards Committee Chair, Mary Khouzam. The event included performances from the Woodinville High School String Quartet and the Canyon Park Middle School Advanced Drama Class. Two of Northshore's Reflections artists were also able to showcase their submissions which received awards from National PTA! The highlight of the event was celebrating all the achievements of our local PTAs/PTSAs that make us #PTAProud. Council would also like to celebrate the local award winners in a future blog. To include your local recipients, please complete this form. During our Spring Recognition, Council was also honored to present this year's Council Recognition Awards. Congratulations to the following eleven (11) individuals: 🌟 Golden Acorn: Diana Christiansen 🌟 Golden Acorn: Jennifer Drury 🌟 Golden Acorn: Rachel Fitzgerald 🌟 Outstanding Educator: Steven Hopkins 🌟 Outstanding Educator: Peter Schurke 🌟 Outstanding Advocate: Clark Combs 🌟 Outstanding Student Advocate: Esther Kim 🌟 Outstanding Service: Jane Chiodo 🌟 Outstanding Service: Melissa Kline 🌟 Outstanding Service: Pauline Wray 🌟 Honorary Life Membership: Tracy Jokisch Click here to learn more about each of our 2021-2022 Council Award Recipients. Special thanks to Council Members Jane Chiodo, Jennifer Drury, Rachel Fitzgerald, Mary Khouzam, and Claudine Miller for their work to make this event a success! Many volunteer hours were spent reviewing nominations, selecting recipients, organizing the slideshow, arranging for student entertainment, and surprising the award winners - all to make our 2022 Spring Recognition Event a memorable one!!  We want to thank all the volunteers, district employees, and community members who attended this meeting and all the previous meetings held this year. We hope you will continue to join us for our General Membership Meetings in the 2022-2023 school year.
For a full list of our upcoming meetings and events, check out our Calendar.  This past weekend, PTA leaders from across Northshore joined alongside those from across the state at the 109th Washington State PTA Annual Convention - three full days of education, networking, inspiration, and fun. Some of the highlights included the keynote presentations. The first featured Northshore students from The Root of Us/Root of Youth founded by longtime Northshore PE teacher, Fernell Miller. In the second keynote, Teacher of the Year, Jerad Koepp, shared his experiences developing a rich Native American education program and support system for North Thurston students. PTA leaders from Northshore taught and attended classes in mental health, diversity, equity and inclusion, family and community engagement, and much more. The knowledge leaders gained over this weekend will help strengthen our goal of "Making Every Child’s Potential a Reality". During the convention, WA State PTA also commended all the amazing work done by dedicated volunteers, many of who are parents and community members here in Northshore. Council, along with several of our local PTAs & PTSAs, received awards in both membership growth and standards of excellence! Visit our awards page to learn more about these. To learn more about this year's convention, visit the WSPTA Convention information page. Save the date for the 110th Annual WSPTA Convention which will be held April 14, 2023 - April 16, 2023 in Bellevue, WA.  Council Leaders at the 109th Annual WSPTA Convention It's Time to Update Officers & Committee Chairs for the 2022-2023 School Year!  Please have each member of your 2022-2023 PTA/PTSA complete this form https://forms.gle/nqa7PGFYeT8iWsYx8 before July 1st to ensure no missed communications from Council.
This includes positions such as the executive committee (aka: elected positions), board members, committee chairs, etc. Council gathers this information in order to support all Northshore Local PTA/PTSA Leaders. Contact information is used to connect with leaders including receiving our twice a month eNews, sending invites to Council events, relaying important and timely information about program specific areas (such as Advocacy or Reflections), and more! Questions? Contact our VP of Communications at communicationsvp@northshorecouncilptsa.org. Remember to update officers into memberplanet as well!
Guest Presentation by Northshore School District Ethnic Studies Framework: NSD Assistant Director of Equity and Pedagogy, Melissa Riley, and Northshore students shared a presentation on ethnic studies in the Northshore School District. This presentation answered the questions "What is ethnic studies, why is it important, and what will it look like for kids?" The curriculum will be for grades Pre K-12 and more information can be found here: https://bit.ly/pesbccdei.
Council Business: Approval of the January 20th, 2022 Meeting Minutes which were accepted with minor changes. Approval of the preliminary budget for the 2022-2023 school year. Election of our 2022-2023 officers: Thank you to our hardworking Nominating Committee, Diana Christiansen, Cherry Holmes, and Jasmine Lee Fry, for putting together the slate of candidates! Diana Christiansen read the Nominating Report. The self-nomination period was held in accordance with our e-voting policy with no others submitting their names for nomination. The election script was followed with a reading from the WSPTA bylaws. A motion was cast to accept the slate as presented, seconded, and approved by a voice vote. Congratulations to our incoming 2022-2023 officers!!
*Please be advised that by the time the self-nomination period closed, no candidate had come forth for either Secretary or VP of Events. Council will continue to seek volunteers for these positions with the goal of holding elections for them at a future General Membership Meeting. If interested in serving in either of these roles on an interim basis, please contact us at president@northshorecouncilptsa.org. District Updates:
Council Reports:
We hope you will join us for our next General Membership Meeting on May 16th, 2022 @ 7pm. This meeting will also include our annual Spring Recognition Event! For a full list of our upcoming meetings and events, check out our Calendar. Northshore Council PTSA will be holding online elections for eight (8) of the positions on its 2022-23 Executive Committee on Monday, March 21, 2022. Slate of Candidates In the 2022 Nominating Committee Report, the following slate of candidates were put forward for 2022-2023:
The period for self-declared nominations for these positions closed on Friday, March 11, 2022. Qualification Requirements Per the 2021-2022 Council Standing Rules: All Candidates:
Candidates for the office of President and First Vice President shall also:
Candidates for the offices of VP of Elementary Support and VP of Secondary Support shall also:
Each of the slated candidates meets all qualification requirements. Election Information:
As there is only one candidate per position, the election will be conducted via voice vote at the next General Membership Meeting, on Monday, March 21, 2022. For positions that are listed as "OPEN", no candidate has come forth. Council will continue to seek volunteers for these positions with the goal of holding elections for them at a future General Membership Meeting. Topic: Northshore Council PTSA General Meeting Time: Mar 21, 2022 06:30 PM Pacific Time (US and Canada) Join Zoom Meeting https://us06web.zoom.us/j/87831033263 Meeting ID: 878 3103 3263 Passcode: *Available upon request. One tap mobile +12532158782,,87831033263#,,,,*369032# US (Tacoma) +17207072699,,87831033263#,,,,*369032# US (Denver) Dial by your location +1 253 215 8782 US (Tacoma) +1 720 707 2699 US (Denver) +1 346 248 7799 US (Houston) +1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago) +1 646 558 8656 US (New York) +1 301 715 8592 US (Washington DC) Meeting ID: 878 3103 3263 Find your local number: https://us06web.zoom.us/u/kbQXYLjPbb Information about Northshore Council PTSA online elections procedures is available in its Electronic Voting (E-Voting) Policy. Questions? Please contact Northshore Council PTSA President Jane Chiodo. *A meeting password is required to join. It will be sent to local leaders via email. You can also request the password by emailing Council PTSA VP of Communications, Rachel Fitzgerald.
Anyone who would like to nominate themselves for an elected position on Northshore Council PTSA for 2022-2023 can do so at: https://forms.gle/TKFuhcGcpbxahYqx8 Deadline for submission is Friday, March 11th, 2022 Election Information: At the close of the self-nomination period, if there is any contested position we will send out an electronic voting method to Northshore PTA/PTSA presidents and vice-presidents. If no position is contested, we will hold the election by voice vote during our next General Meeting, on Monday, March 21st, 2022. Click here for meeting information. Slate of Candidates: In the 2022 Nominating Committee Report, the following slate of candidates were put forward for 2022-2023:
Anyone self declaring for a 2022-2023 Northshore Council Elected Board Position must meet the following qualification requirements. Qualification Requirements Per the 2021-2022 Council Standing Rules: All Candidates:
Candidates for the office of President and First Vice President shall also:
Candidates for the offices of VP of Elementary Support and VP of Secondary Support shall also:
Below is a brief job descriptions of Council positions. For a more detailed job description, click here. President: The President has many important jobs including serving as the official contact, communicator and representative of Council. They oversee and coordinate the work of the executive board, preside over meetings, are ex-officio members of all committees (except Nominating Committee) and are designated as an authorized signer for checks, contracts and authorizations for payment. But, most importantly, they work to connect PTAs which in turn helps them support families, schools and the community to work towards overall student success. 1st VP: Must be familiar with the Council president’s duties and responsibilities. Act as an aide to the president and perform the duties of the president in his or her absence. Is in charge of advertising and organizing the Council Grant Program and yearly Awards. Treasurer: Is the authorized custodian of the funds of the association and receives and disburses all monies in accordance with the budget as approved by the membership. Secretary: Keeps an accurate record of meetings, which become part of the permanent history of the PTA. Also responsible for taking attendance and monitoring quorum at meetings. VP of Events: Plans and coordinates Councils yearly events including Presidents and Principals Brunch, Reflections Celebration and Spring Recognition Event. VP of Communications: Works to facilitate Northshore Council PTSA communications in order to inform, engage, educate and inspire local PTAs and beyond. VP of Advocacy: Help to educate local PTA's and disseminate information about current WSPTA and National PTA legislative priorities. VP of Elementary Support: Act as a conduit of information for local elementary PTAs. Helps to answer questions local PTA's may have and works to recognize and celebrate local PTA's. VP of Secondary Support: Act as a conduit of information for local secondary (high school and middle school) PTAs. Helps to answer questions local PTA's may have and works to recognize and celebrate local PTA's. Questions about Self Declaring or Virtual Elections? Contact Council President, Jane Chiodo.  Below, please find the report from the Northshore Council PTSA Nominating Committee which lists the nominees for each of the officer positions for the 2022-2023 Executive Committee. The election will take place during the Northshore Council PTSA Membership Meeting on Monday, March 21, 2022. WSPTA Bylaws permit the nomination of candidates from the floor* at the meeting before the vote takes place. *Since meetings are currently held virtually, "nominations from the floor" will be done using an online submission form prior to the meeting. See our post on Self Declaring for 2022-2023 Elected Board Positions for more information.  Please join us for our fourth general membership meeting of the year on Monday, March 21, 2022 via Zoom! In addition to our regular business items, we’ll be pre-approving our budget for the 2022-2023 year. Additionally, during this meeting we will be holding elections for our 2022-2023 Council Officers. To learn more about this, visit our other blogs: *UPDATE* Guest Speaker: We are excited to have Melissa Riley, NSD Assistant Director of Equity Pedagogy, joining us to give an update on the progress that has been made on an Ethnic Studies framework for our district. We'll learn what it is, who is involved, what has been done and what still needs to be done to get this off the ground. Melissa will also be joined by a few NSD students who have been actively involved in this work. To learn more about the Ethnic Studies Work Team, you can visit this link.
Council meetings will build your PTA knowledge, give you the opportunity to network with other PTA, school district and community leaders, and they can be a lot of fun, too. Each PTA may send up to 4 voting representatives - but we encourage ALL who are interested to attend. We look forward to seeing you there!
*A meeting passcode is required to join. It will be sent to local leaders via email. You can also request the passcode by emailing Council PTSA Communications VP, Rachel Fitzgerald. |
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