 We invite you to join us on Thursday, January 16, 2020, for a special FREE screening of the documentary “Angst: Raising Awareness Around Anxiety” at the North Creek High School Theater at 7:00 p.m. The event will feature a viewing of the film (presented in English with Spanish subtitles), followed by a moderated discussion. The film is 55 minutes long and appropriate for ages 10 and up. "Angst" producers, Scilla Andreen and Karin Gornick, have one goal: to start a global conversation and raise awareness around anxiety. Through candid interviews, they utilize the power of film to tell the stories of many kids and teens who discuss their anxiety and its impacts on their lives and relationships, as well as how they’ve found solutions and hope. The film also includes a special interview with Michael Phelps, a mental health advocate and one of the greatest athletes of all-time. In addition, the documentary provides discussions with mental health experts about the causes of anxiety and its sociological effects, along with the help, resources and tools available to address the condition. Tickets are not required, but they help us plan and guarantee entry. Reserve your ticket at: This event is co-sponsored by North Creek High School PTSA, Skyview Middle School PTSA and Northshore Council PTSA.  Please consider sharing this event with your PTA/PTSA community!
 Inspired by Community Serve Day, an annual event held in August, the Frank Love PTA decided to take it to a new level in their community. Born was the idea of Love 4 Frank which would work to bring the community together to beautify Frank Love Elementary four times a year. The first event was held in November. Over 25 adults and kids came out and worked together to accomplish tasks across campus. They fixed the drainage of a leaky faucet, repainted the faucet, prepared a flower bed for the students to plant 700 tulips bulbs in the next few weeks, and they raked and removed 10 huge garden bags of dead leaves from the exterior walk way/parking lot. The coolest project though was the “cupping project.” PTA members worked together to install 42 feet of of fence cups along the entrance to their lovely school to spell out the school name. The project cost $500 but the end result was an eye-catching and colorful welcome when you drive up to the school. Frank Love PTA also hopes the project helped make a better connection with their immediate neighbors and the sign shows pride! If you have questions, reach out to the fabulous Frank Love PTA co-Presidents, Holly Batstone and Kelli Galloway.  BEFORE: This photograph shows the perimeter fence around Frank Love Elementary before the "cupping project."  AFTER: The chain-link fence at the front of Frank Love Elementary now features an eye-catching cup mural. The following Northshore PTAs have already surpassed their total membership from the last school year. Great job!
Keep up the amazing work!!! Remember that membership is year-round and growth goals are ongoing. If your PTA has already met its initial goal-- keep the momentum going and set your next goal. And if your PTA isn't there yet-- keep at it and continue building awareness because every member counts! If you have questions about membership, whether it's about memberplanet or finding inspiration for your next campaign, Council is here to help! Contact Council Membership Chair Amber Rosenquist with your questions.
 At its annual Presidents & Principals Luncheon on October 29, 2019, Northshore Council PTSA brought together PTA leaders, school principals, and district administrators from across Northshore.  Student advocate Julia Gonzalez was the keynote speaker at this year's luncheon. After enjoying a lunch catered by Lombardi's (Mill Creek), keynote speaker Julia Gonzalez (now a freshman at Inglemoor High School) shared her story about developing the "ME Space" program at Northshore Middle School. "ME" stands for "Mental Emotional" or "Mind Escape" and the space is a dedicated room for students struggling with anxiety or overwhelming emotions to visit during the day when they need a mental health break. The program, started in 2018, continues to serve 25-30 students every week, providing them with a safe space to reset and recharge so that they are are able to re-focus on learning. Julia's presentation and the success of her student-centered program inspired some wonderful discussion around opportunities for school-PTA partnerships and collaboration in supporting Social-Emotional Learning (SEL). Many thanks to all who were able to attend as well as to event organizers Grace Jurado, Stacey Meyer and Carrie McKenzie. Gratitude to Evergreen Church for sharing their beautiful space with us for the event as well as to Lombardi's Mill Creek for providing a tasty lunch. A few photos from the event:  Northshore Council PTSA is proud to announce the recipients in our first round of Speaker & Event Grants for 2019-2020!
Each of these six events will be open to the Northshore community. Be on the lookout for announcements with detailed event information in the coming months! Local PTAs/PTSAs interested in partnering with Northshore Council PTSA to host speakers or events may apply for a Northshore Council PTSA Educational Speakers and Events Grant. 2019-2020 grants are offered on a first-come, first-serve basis and applications will be reviewed by the Northshore Council PTSA until the Council Programs budget is used in its entirety. The submission deadline for the next round of Speaker & Event Grants is December 6, 2019. For more information about the program and to download the application, visit our Educational Speaker & Events Grants Program page.
 Core to every PTA's mission is the overarching vision to make every child's potential a reality. Every child has needs that extend beyond the classroom and sometimes families might need additional supports in order to meet those needs. Helping to connect families with resources available in their community can be a wonderful way for local PTAs to offer their support.  Crystal Springs PTA printed a brochure titled, "Emergency Food & Housing Resources," and made it available in their school's main office. Crystal Springs PTA has taken this idea to heart and developed a great tool for their families. It is a brochure titled, "Emergency Food & Housing Resources." They have compiled a listing of community resources that families can reference in times of need and have put it all together in a handy brochure. Included are food stability resources, emergency housing options, and more, with details and contact information for each. Crystal Springs PTA printed the brochure and then partnered with their school office to ensure that the brochures are available and can be shared with interested families. The brochure they have created is available for download below. In addition, Crystal Springs PTA has shared the original MS Publisher file. It is editable so that your PTA can easily customize it for use in your community.
This is a wonderful way to help families who may be in need! Crystal Springs PTA's thoughtful approach to serving their community and their sharing spirit are great examples of what makes us #PTAProud!
 Cottage Lake Elementary PTA and Northshore Council PTSA are thrilled to present "SCREENAGERS: Growing Up in the Digital Age." When: Friday, November 15, 2019 at 6:30pm Where: Cottage Lake Elementary Gym Cost: FREE RSVP*: www.eventcombo.com/e/screenagers-film-presented-by-cottage-lake-elementary-pta-36674 SCREENAGERS addresses the most pervasive parenting issue of our time head on—depicting teen struggles over social media, video games and internet addiction. The film empowers kids to best navigate the digital world and provides practical resources to help them do it. Are you watching kids scroll through life, with their rapid-fire thumbs and a six-second attention span? Physician and filmmaker Delaney Ruston saw that happening with her own kids and began a quest to uncover how it might impact their development. As with her other two award-winning documentaries on mental health, Ruston takes a deeply personal approach as she probes into the vulnerable corners of family life, including her own, to explore struggles over social media, video games, academics and internet addiction. Through poignant, and unexpectedly funny stories, along with surprising insights from authors, psychologists, and brain scientists, SCREENAGERS reveals how tech time impacts kids’ development and also offers solutions on how adults can empower their kids to best navigate the digital world to find balance. SCREENAGERS is recommended for ages 10 and older. Parent discretion is advised if bringing younger children. Children who can sit and watch a movie quietly are welcome. No drop offs & no childcare.  Download and share the event flyer: 
 Over the past few years, Moorlands Elementary PTA has been working on campus beautification, beginning with the installation of a bottle cap mural and culminating in the completion of a garden surround. The years of effort have resulted in a school entrance that is both beautiful and welcoming. Two elements of the beautification project Bottle cap art mural – The bottle-cap mural which serves as a colorful backdrop to the new garden was originally completed in 2016. This collaborative project was an experience of tremendous support and community-building and so many positive lessons for Moorlands students. The process has done so much more than just teach students about the environment and using recycled materials to make something beautiful. The lessons that it has taught them in pulling together resources, goal-setting, project process and hard work and perseverance has been invaluable in their educational experience. They all have such pride and ownership of their work now that the see the mural up on campus. They will never look at another bottle cap the same-- and many have expressed interest in making their own bottle cap art project, so this experience really doesn’t end here. The Garden: In the spring of 2018 a garden committee was created. The support within the Moorlands community was overwhelming to move forward with finishing the beautification project since everyone was so proud of the mural. The garden was built to be used-- for families and visitors to walk the path, sit on the bench, smell the flowers and admire the beloved mural. Garden Chair Janna Snider elaborated, "My hope for the garden is that staff will use the space for meetings on sunny days, for class volunteers to take small groups outdoors to read and discuss literature, a place to calm a child down who is struggling, and for parents to take their child’s picture on the first day of Kindergarten. It is truly a community space for all to enjoy." Congratulations to Moorlands PTA and to the Moorlands Elementary community on completion of this amazing collaborative project! #PTAProud 25 volunteers, 5 work parties, 15 yards of dirt removed, 14 new yards added, and 175 plants! The bench, paid for by the PTA and made out of recycled milk bottles, was custom made for Moorlands and measures about 19’ long. Thank you to Janna Snider, Garden Chair, Moorlands PTA, for sharing her before and after project photos!
 Threads & Treads provides Northshore families free, quality donated clothing for school age youth, teens, young adults and parents. Clothing items include: school-appropriate clothing for the school day and special events, sportswear, shoes, and accessories. All NSD families in need of clothing assistance are welcome to shop each month for 3 outfits and school event attire. They are open weekly each Wednesday afternoon from 3-6pm. **NEW in 2019-2020** Starting Saturday, October 5th, Threads & Treads will also be open one Saturday a month from 9-12pm. Please consider helping to spread the word about this Northshore community resource via your PTA communication channels! Download a poster or suggested write-ups that you can share via social media and/or your website. Or consider printing a poster that you can hang at your school (check with your office administration regarding poster guidelines at your school).
 Threads & Treads Needs Donations!
Threads & Treads Needs Volunteers! Visit this link to sign-up today: https://cpptsa.org/ways-to-help/volunteer-sign-ups/
Threads & Treads donation wishes:
If you have any questions or would like information to provide to your school, please feel free to contact Kelly Hennessey. Thank you for your help in supporting this vital community resource! THIS PROGRAM IS COORDINATED AND SUPPORTED BY CANYON PARK MIDDLE SCHOOL PTSA.
 Northshore Council PTSA held its first general meeting of the 2019-2020 on Monday, September 16, 2019 at the NSD Administration Building. Co-Presidents Grace Jurado and Stacey Meyer called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. and took a few moments to introduce this year's Council board members before diving into the agenda. Council business included a review of the minutes from the May meeting, updating Council's Standing Rules for 2019-2020 (link available soon!) and a review of the end-of-year financial report for 2018-2019 as well as financial reports from July and August. Vice-President Jane Chiodo encouraged local PTAs to apply for an Educational Speaker and Event Grant (the first application deadline is coming up on October 11th!). Cindy Jensen, our Council Reflections Chair, then spoke briefly about the Reflections program and the value of sharing this opportunity in our local PTAs that encourages students to express themselves creatively through this national arts recognition program. Co-VP of Advocacy, Nancy Chamberlain, took some time to promote the upcoming WSPTA Legislative Assembly, taking place October 26-27 at Bellevue College. Then the floor was opened for nominations for the Council Treasurer position, but there were no takers. We are grateful to Tricia Woods for continuing to serve in the role as we work to find a new Treasurer (contact Grace Jurado and Stacey Meyer if you are interested in learning more). We also heard from district leaders, including School Board Director Jackie McGourty and NSD Partnerships Coordinator Natalie Campbell, each of whom shared information, updates and answered questions about recent projects and current initiatives. The last part of the meeting was focused on outreach and advocacy. Kelly Hennessey is the Coordinator of Threads & Treads, a clothing resource for Northshore families that is operated by Canyon Park Middle School PTSA. She came forward to share information about the work they are doing to serve the community and asked for the support of Northshore PTAs as they work to expand their outreach to include Saturday hours. An exciting moment came as Northshore Schools Foundation (NSDF) Executive Director Carmin Dalziel committed the foundation's financial support to help ensure those Saturday hours through the end of the school year! Thank you NSDF!!! Finally, the membership of Northshore Council PTSA voted to adopt a Furniture Tip-Over Prevention Resolution. The idea to make this a PTA resolution came from Moorlands PTA member (and librarian) Crystal Ellis. Crystal lost her two-year old son to a tragic accident involving an unsafe dresser. She has turned her grief into action, founding Parents Against Tip-Overs and advocating with members of Congress for legislation that would lead to safer furniture. Northshore Council PTSA will now submit the Furniture Tip-Over Prevention Resolution for adoption at the National PTA Convention in 2020. The meeting closed with some fun door prize drawings followed by Fall Training classes on a variety of topics, including Treasurer Basics, How to Be a Membership Chair, Volunteers: Find Them and Keep Them, as well as Secretary: More than Just Minutes. Council meetings are a great way to network with other PTA leaders and learn about what is happening in the district and PTA. We hope you'll join us at our next general membership meeting on Monday, November 18th!
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