 If you have ever asked someone to support your PTA by becoming a member, volunteering at an event, or attending a meeting, then you’ve probably been asked this one simple question: “Why?” And likely you’ve responded with a list of events your PTA hosts or the different ways your PTA provides funding for your school. Both are great things to share, but there is one aspect that is often overlooked: the value being part of PTA has given to you as a volunteer. PTA is rewarding for those involved and it’s great to highlight this to your members. It not only demonstrates another way your PTA brings value, but also showcases that additional value, which can inspire other families to support your PTA. Looking for an idea of how to do this? Look no further! Northshore Council PTSA recently held our annual Presidents and Principals Luncheon and used this opportunity to highlight why different Council board members have gotten involved in PTA and what they have gained along the way. As this year’s P&P event was road trip themed, we framed our answers as a “PTA Journey” – showing where we started, what we gathered at pit stops along the way, and sharing our favorite PTA road trip memories. You can view Council’s PTA Journey in the video and slides below. Bonus Tip: Having members of your board create something similar to showcase their PTA Journey not only shows the value of your PTA, but also helps to introduce your board members to the community! If you are interested in making your own slides/video and would like help, reach out to Council President, Rachel Fitzgerald, by emailing president@northshorecouncilptsa.org. 
View Council's Video on Northshore Council's YouTube channel!
 Our first presentation included a short video by North Creek High School student Blue G. about the Period Peeps project which started in the summer of 2020. This project was initiated by Blue, her older sister Syndey, and their mom Susan Griner. High school students from across the district volunteered to collect supplies and make period kits for those with limited resources. Council VP of Events, Melissa Bennett shared the project's history and its future plans. The Period Peeps project is a great example of community collaboration. What started out as an idea from one Northshore family soon became a much needed resource for those experiencing period poverty with the support of student volunteers & district leadership, flexibility of school administration, and communications & grants from PTSAs. Period Peeps hopes to see this project continue to grow and be able to provide even more period kits by expanding to middle school participation as well. If you are interested in finding out how you can help, email susan@grinerweb.net.
The room was beautifully decorated to kickstart the journey, with road maps placed at each table and markers of inspiration.  Council President, Rachel Fitzgerald shared a sample of student projects across Northshore schools including the Ruby Bridges Elementary's Peer Program, Canyon Creek Elementary's S.O.A.R. (Students Organized Against Racism), Northshore Middle's Watch D.O.G.S., North Creek High /Skyview Middle Food Pantry, and Woodinville High's Latinos Unidos. Rachel also shared about the Northshore School District’s new Family Engagement and Resource Center and the Art Docent Program. If you have a PTA program, you would like to share with Council, please give a shout-out by completing this form: https://bit.ly/PTAProud2023. We want to hear what you are doing and celebrate it.
Attendees at the event engaged in an interactive activity throughout the event and had time to share their ideas. Council members, Holly Muenchow and Allison Torgesen, facilitated the sharing portion of our event (and gave out lots of treats while doing so!). You can download the Activities Worksheets and use them when planning your PTA programs with your board.
 Once the ideas were flowing amongst guests, Council Vice President, Grace Jurado presented about the Northshore Council PTSA Educational Speakers and Community Events Grant Program available to PTAs to obtain assistance in funding their projects. This program is a great way for Northshore PTAs to collaborate with each other and our Council in order to bring programming to the local community. The next grant cycle closes on Friday, December 08. Visit our website to learn more and submit your application. Many thanks to the PTA leaders, Northshore School District staff, and School Board for attending. We hope you found the event inspiring and relevant to your work in our schools. We also want to thank Council VP of Events, Melissa Bennett who chaired the event and our Presidents and Principals committee members, Angela Dawson, Rachel Fitzgerald, Anna Jensen, Mary Khouzam, and Jenn Snyder. It was a day filled with inspiration and collaboration! Your Feedback is Important to Us!
We want to continue to improve this annual event and make sure it's both accessible and meaningful to those who attend. We kindly request a few moments of your time to complete this survey. Your responses will remain anonymous. Your input, whether you attended or not, will aid us in shaping future events. Please complete the survey by Friday, November 10th. 
Click to complete survey
Click to play Council Members' PTA Journey.  Connect with Council and other PTA leaders during the next virtual Office Hours. This time is designed to support our local PTA/PTSA leaders as you navigate membership, programs, and managing your organization. We hope you will join us! Council will be holding virtual Office Hours on: Thursday, October 12, 2023 12:30PM to 1:30PM. and Tuesday, October 24, 2023 6:30pm - 7:30pm Register for Zoom link: https://bit.ly/FallOfficeHours2023 The Zoom link you receive will be unique to your registration. Please have each person attending register for a Zoom link. Thank you. This is the perfect time to connect with Council, ask questions, or even just stop in to say hello! Come to one or both sessions. There is no formal agenda. Stay as long or as little as your schedule permits. If you have questions and need to connect with Council before this, please visit our Contact Page for a list of Council Officers and their emails. *Please see calendar for future Office Hours dates and times.
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!
Questions? Email Council President, Rachel Fitzgerald at president@northshorecouncilptsa.org. Save the Date - View calendar of future meeting dates.
Election Information:
Since the position of Secretary was not contested, the election will be by voice vote at the next General Meeting on Monday, September 18, 2023, at 7 PM. Questions? Email Council President Rachel Fitzgerald. Notice: Self Nominations for Secretary OpenDo you like to keep records and take notes? Do you have good attention to detail? Consider joining Council's 2023-2024 Executive Board! Self Nominate by Thursday, September 7, 2023. Election for Secretary will be held at the General Membership Meeting on Monday, September 18.  Brief Description 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. Learn more about the secretary role. Full job description here. Complete Self Nomination Form by midnight on Thursday, September 7, 2023. Election will be held at our General Membership Meeting on Monday, September 18, 2023. Qualification Requirements Per the 2022-2023 Council Standing Rules:
Election Information:
If there is a contested position at the close of the self-nomination period on September 7, 2023, 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, September 18, 2023.
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!
Questions? Email Council President, Rachel Fitzgerald at president@northshorecouncilptsa.org. Save the Date - View calendar of future meeting dates.  The 2022-2023 school year is underway and Northshore Council PTSA leaders are looking forward to another amazing year or PTA! We would like to start this year off by introducing you to Council’s President: Rachel Fitzgerald.  A little bit about me: My name is Rachel Fitzgerald. I've got 3 kiddos; a 7th grader at Leota Middle School, a 9th grader at Innovation Lab High School, and my oldest who graduated in 2022 from Woodinville High School. I have been an active volunteer at my local schools since my oldest started Kindergarten and this will be my 7th year serving in a leadership role on a PTA. I am honored to be returning for my 2nd year as Council President. Previously, I have served as Council’s VP of Communications as well as president for both my local elementary, middle school, and even the high school music boosters. I am excited and look forward to continuing to support our local leaders and serving the NSD community this year! Council leaders know first-hand how many curveballs were thrown our way – as community leaders and as parents – over the last few years. And we have continually been amazed at our local leaders for overcoming obstacles, creating community, supporting students and schools, and showing everyone exactly what it means to be #PTAFlexible. We know this year will continue to show growth among our PTA membership and the programs and supports Northshore PTAs provide for their communities. We also know that it’s not always easy to do it alone. Which is why we want to let you know that Council is always here for you. Our mission as your Northshore PTSA Council is to support the work you do at the local PTA level. We have many resources that can help you navigate the day-to-day PTA work, as well as the unexpected, including: • Many position specific Facebook groups for Northshore PTA leaders to make connections and ask questions; • Office Hours & Roundtables so that we can share and learn from one another; • A bi-weekly newsletter, website, Facebook, and Instagram to help keep you informed; • Trainings so you can learn how to run your non-profit and become a stronger PTA leader; • Meetings to share information and connect you with district and community leaders; • Grants to support your PTA’s next educational speaker or community event; and, of course; • Personalized, one-on-one support - we’re just an email or zoom meeting away! Our 2023-2024 Council team is ready to help you continue to do amazing things for our students, families, schools, and communities.  Wishing you a fantastic school year!
Rachel Fitzgerald President, Northshore Council PTSA 6.10 president@northshorecouncilptsa.org Open To All PTA Leaders From Preschool Through High School! Connect | Ask Questions | Share Ideas
Come meet your Council VPs of Support. Ask questions, meet other local PTA leaders, share ideas, and more. Bring a friend or make a new one! Contact Information: VP Elementary Support: Diana Christiansen VP Secondary Support: Jennifer Drury Click flyer to download.   On Monday, May 15th, Council held their last general membership meeting of the 2022-2023 school year. Council members were joined by local leaders, community members, and parents from across the district.
Continue reading below for a recap of the meeting. Parent Education Presentation
The evening started with a presentation from Lake Washington Institute of Technology and Cascadia College titled “Community & Technical College: Preparing Students for Their Future”. This parent education event was organized by Brenae Brix, Council’s VP of Secondary Support, and included a Q&A session. For anyone wanting more information or to bring this presentation to their school community, email Brenae at vpsupportsec@northshorecouncilptsa.org. Council Business Following the presentation, Council business was accomplished. We approved the March 20,2023 General Membership Meeting Minutes, presented the April 2023 Treasurer’s Report, reported that our Annual Corporate Renewal was completed, and updated our membership that we had sent in a donation to the Washington State PTA College Scholarship Fund in accordance with our budget. We also held an election for Council’s 2023-2024 Office of VP of Events. We are excited to announce that Melissa Bennett was elected to this role! We are still looking to elect a Secretary as no nominations were submitted. To find out more about this position and other volunteer opportunities for next year’s Council, visit: http://www.northshorecouncilptsa.org/council-blog/council-volunteer-opportunities-for-2023-2024. Council Co-President, Rachel Fitzgerald, then gave the following updates and reminders to the membership:
The next part of our meeting was our Council Committee Reports. Spring Recognition Celebration: Updates from Mary Khouzam. This event will be held on June 6th from 10:30-12:30 at Brightwater Community Center. Updates included reminding local PTAs to contact their President in order to RSVP and to submit their award recipients for recognition at the Council level. https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSekeNRBGfw7qzuQNA1alhcZq4DZkQirh3Ht8vJSgpWIkFVSQw/viewform Special Education Chairs: Laura Staneff reported on their recent meeting with Assistant Superintendent Obadiah Dunham discussing supports for neurodiverse students and gave an update on where they were at in the process of forming of a new Special Education PTSA in NSD. Membership: Kim Ortiz announced that Membership across Northshore PTAs is at 101% of last year with a total of 5521 members! There were special shoutouts to Shelton View PTA, Bothell High School PTSA, and Frank Love PTA for having the highest percent increase of members. We also gave a reminder to local PTAs to utilize the end of the year database checklist provided by WSPTA: https://www.wastatepta.org/pta-leaders/leader-resources/leadership-guides/ Advocacy: Jennifer Drury reported on her recent meeting with fellow Council board member Melissa Kline and School Board Directors Amy Cast and Sandy Hayes where they discussed overcrowding and communication between city and county councils and the school district. There were updates about the upcoming school board elections including working with the incoming Co-VPs of Advocacy on hosting a candidate forum. Jen also let us know that Washington State PTAs Legislative Session Scorecard is available to see what passed and what didn’t and that a draft of the conclusions of the Student Wellness and Safety Task Force from Northshore Schools is available to view. Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion (DEI) Chair: Cherry Holmes gave a recap of our parent ed event “Northshore Panel Discussion: Beyond Black and White” in partnership with RARE. Feedback from attendees was that they really appreciated the event. We ended the meeting with some timely calendar reminders.
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 2023-2024 school year. |
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