Northshore Council PTSA 6.10
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Summer Board Retreat

6/22/2022

 
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Council recommends local PTA leaders do two important things this summer:
  1. Take time to rest and recharge. Check out our Practicing ​Mindfulness for Summer article for some tips & resources.
  2. Hold a Summer Board Retreat for your PTA. Read on to learn more!

A board retreat can be a powerful way to kick-start your PTA's new year. If fact, it can be such a powerful tool that Washington State PTA considers having one to be a PTA best practice
Why have a board retreat?
A retreat is more than just a regular meeting; it is an opportunity to:
  • Get to know the members of your board
  • Plan and strategize for the year
  • Set expectations and responsibilities
  • Energize and engage
  • Create a shared vision
  • Develop specific strategy or plans
  • Provide social support
  • Improve communication and cohesiveness
  • Build trust

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.
  • Set aside ample time. A minimum of a half-day (4 hours) is recommended; a full day (8 hours) including a group social activity is even better. You can split the retreat into more than one session, if needed. Virtually, be mindful that it's hard to keep everyone's attention when sitting in front of a screen for long periods of time. Stopping for even a 5 minute stretch break can help regain everyone's focus.
  • Get it on the calendar early. Summer plans can make it a challenge to find an effective date. Parents need time to arrange child care.
  • Find and/or reserve a location. Get away from the school! Consider adult comfort, potential interruptions, access to restrooms, internet access, and other necessities. Virtual meetings mean online with participants each connecting from their home or office. Consider a platform and the technology that is most accessible to everyone you are meeting with when you plan your retreat.
  • Trouble Shooting Technology. Many platforms offer a technical testing page to help resolve any issues before your meeting begins. If it's the first time using a particular online platform, test out the features you may want to use ahead of time, such as screen sharing, co-hosting, or closed captioning. Though many of us are familiar with online meetings these days, it can be helpful to have a step-by-step guide written out on how to join your meeting for anyone new to online meetings.
  • Make it as mandatory as you can. Every person plays a role in the group's dynamic; even one person missing makes  a difference.
  • Engage with other board members to set a purpose for the retreat. Have them answer the following questions ahead of developing the agenda:
    • This retreat will be successful for me if...
    • This retreat will be successful for our PTA if...
    • The 3 most important goals for this retreat should be...
    • Share ideas for possible agenda items that would help us to meet the goals above
  • Arrange for food and drinks. It doesn't need to be fancy, but keep folks fed and hydrated so that they can focus on the work. This can be part of your retreat budget. Ask about and accommodate dietary restrictions. Virtually you won't need to provide these items, but it's a great idea to remind your team to feel free to eat and drink so they can stay focused.
  • Have a set-up and clean-up team.
Team Building
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:
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  • ​Include at least one “getting to know you” activity.
  • Have name tags, if even one member of the group is new. For virtual meetings, ask that all participants use their correct name when signing into the meeting.
  • For a virtual retreat, get everyone chatting with a whimsical poll - such as "does pineapple belong on pizza" or "what superpower would you want". Menti.com is an easy tool to use for creating a live poll.
  • Include a group social activity, such as a potluck or bowling. There are activities you can do to energize your online meeting as well.

​​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:
  • What norms do we want for our board? Consider creating your own Standards of Conduct (example from Council).
  • Build your calendar (check both the Northshore School District Calendar and WA State PTA's Multicultural Calendar for conflicts)
  • Develop a communication plan for the year
  • Start planning your Membership Campaign
  • Brainstorm
  • Strengths of our PTA?
  • Challenges of our PTA?
  • Opportunities?
  • How can we connect, welcome, and inspire our community?
  • What do you want people to say about your PTA's achievements at the end of the year?
  • How will you work together?
  • What does success look like?
  • What resources, training, or other outside help do we need to succeed?


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.

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Additional Resources:
  • Summer Membership Planning Ideas - Check out our article from 2021 with ideas and tips from Council for planning your Membership Campaign.
  • Council's Summer Office Hours - Join Council members online on Wednesday, July 13th between 12pm-1pm to ask us questions and get support!
  • Online Meeting Hosting  - Learn about this service which will be returning in 2022-2023 for any local PTA/PTSA that wants Council to host a Zoom meeting for them. More details coming in Fall of 2022.
  • WSPTA Board Retreats Article 
  • WSPTA Leadership Guides - Handbooks for officers, running after school programs, advocacy, membership, FACE and more.
  • WSPTA pre-recorded training webinars - Trainings on transitions, effective meetings, secretary, treasurer basics and more. Login credentials can be found in the latest Leadership News email from WSPTA.
  • WSPTA Virtual Meetings - Virtually taking care of business while still using best practices.
  • Bellevue PTSA Council Summer Retreat Planning Tips
  • In-Person Icebreakers and Virtual Icebreakers - Articles from MindTools on designing an icebreaker activity specifically focused on meeting your objectives and appropriate to the group of people involved.
  • The Best Ice Breaker of All Time - An article that argues for the importance and value of ice breakers.

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.

July 13th, 2022 • Summer Office Hours

6/9/2022

 
Summer Office Hours • Wednesday, July 13th @ 12pm
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.

Celebrating Local PTA 2022 Awardees!

6/7/2022

 
2021-2022 Local PTA/PTSA Award Winners
Awards are a great way for PTAs to show their community how much they appreciate them and to celebrate the dedication of those who support your PTA's mission and goals!

Many PTA's do this through WSPTA's formal volunteer award recognition program which allows for local PTAs to award for outstanding educator, advocate, student advocate, and volunteer (Golden Acorn), as well as the honorary life membership award.

Because volunteers are at the heart of everything PTA, Council is excited to share in the celebration of our local Northshore PTA Award Winners!

Please note, we know this is a busy time of year and many PTAs have not yet had the chance to submit their award winners to us for recognition. If you would like to add to our list, email communications@northshorecouncilptsa.org.

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Canyon Creek Elementary PTA
  • Golden Acorn: Foram Shah
  • Golden Acorn: Nancy Tangen
  • ​Honorary Life Membership: Bruce Denton
  • Outstanding Advocate: Christy Deer
  • Outstanding Educator: Maddy Rodgers
  • Outstanding Educator: Deanna Roland

Canyon Park Middle School PTSA
  • Golden Acorn: Popcorn Friday Volunteers 
(Michelle Falsis, Nikki & Ray Gagner, Carmel Percy)
  • Outstanding Advocate: Julie Brock
  • Outstanding Educator: Cheryl Klemz
  • Outstanding Educator: Colin White

Leota Middle School PTSA
  • Golden Acorn: Carol Dillingham
  • Outstanding Advocate: Matthew Warhol
  • Outstanding Student Advocate: Liam Vanderkolk
  • Outstanding Educator: Tianna Flowers
  • Outstanding Educator: Tracy Westberg

Innovation Lab High School PTSA
  • Golden Acorn: Cathy Jones
  • Outstanding Educator: Dr. Stacey Hutchison
North Creek High School PTSA
  • Golden Acorn: Hanisha Bakshani
  • Outstanding Advocate: Dr. Gregory Cox
  • Outstanding Educator: Melanie Damson
  • Outstanding Educator: Christopher Estefani

Shelton View Elementary PTA
  • Golden Acorn: Allison Anderson
  • Golden Acorn: Cheryl Stanford
  • Golden Apple: Lynn Dunne
  • ​Golden Apple: Amber Purvis
​
Skyview Middle School PTSA
  • Golden Acorn: Bushra Yassir
  • Outstanding Advocate: Jennifer Celms
  • Outstanding Educator: Jeremiah Campbell
  • Outstanding Educator: Tanya Subcleff

Woodin Elementary PTA
  • Golden Acorn: Antonio Gordivas 
  • Golden Acorn: Victoria Kramer
  • Honorary Life Membership: Deb Murphy
  • Honorary Life Membership: Jenny Peterson
  • Outstanding Advocate: Jen Anderson
  • Outstanding Advocate: Danielle Lewis
  • Outstanding Educator: Nancy Hernandez
  • ​Outstanding Educator: Nancy McQueen
Congratulations!! 2021-2022 Local PTA Award Recipients

5/16/22 General Membership Meeting Recap

6/6/2022

 
Recap: 5/16/22 General Membership Meeting

​​​Last month Council held their 5th and final General Meeting of the 2021-2022 school year.

We appreciate all the local leaders from across the district as well as community and school partners who took the time to attend!


Continue reading below for a recap of this meeting.
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:
  • Information on Northshore School District's student-led Mental Health Awareness talk at North Creek High School on May 18, 2022 6-7:30pm in the NCHS Commons. Link to RSVP was available in the latest issue of Council's eNews.
  • Introduction of the incoming board members and thank you to all the outgoing board members. Click here to see the list of volunteers who were elected to Council for 2022-2023 during our previous membership meeting.
  • Reminders about our two open elected positions - Secretary & VP of Events. If you are interested in taking on either of these positions, please email president@northshorecoucilptsa.org. Our board of directors can appoint someone to the position temporarily. The election process will begin in the fall with the goal of holding the election at our first general membership meeting which will take place in September.
  • Submitting local award winners to Council for recognition. We would love to highlight local PTA award winners to our communities. Please fill out our google form & let us know who your recipients are.
  • Information on connecting with Council over the summer.
    1. Check our calendar and June eNews for summer office hours.
    2. Follow Council on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter for latest updates.
    3. Visit our Contact Us Page to email us any time with questions.

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!
2022-2023 PTA OFFICERS - CLICK HERE TO UPDATE CONTACT INFORMATION WITH COUNCIL
Thank You Dr. Reid!
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:
  • Marco Garcia, NSD Partnerships and Volunteer Coordinator, reminded us about the 2022 Community Serve Day taking place Sunday, August 21st and let us know about the CP & Dorothy Johnson awards ceremony which the district would be holding on Thursday, May 26th at 6p.m. He also let us know that the Connections newsletter would continue to have a dedicated section for district wide updates from PTA and to email him if there was anything we wanted included in future newsletters.
  • School Board President, Jackie McGourty, gave an update explaining the current state of the interim superintendent  search and that they planned to announce by June 1. She also talked about the School Board's refresh of the strategic plan.
  • Representing the Northshore Schools Foundation, Hanisha Bakshani, gave updates about the Skills4Life podcasts, their grant program, and encouraged anyone who might be interested to learn more about the foundation and become an ambassador for their school.

​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.
CLICK HERE TO COMPLETE THE END OF THE YEAR FEEDBACK SURVEY FOR COUNCIL
2021-2022 Council Award Recipients
​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!!
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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.

WSPTA Reflections Ribbons Have Arrived!

6/1/2022

 
Reflections Ribbons Pick Up
Council has received ribbons for all state qualifiers from Washington State PTA. These are for all participants who advanced from the Council level to the WSPTA level for judging.

If you are the Reflections Chair or President for your local PTA/PTSA, please contact Jasmine at reflections@northshorecouncilptsa.com to arrange for pick up.
Remember to check out our 2021-2022 Reflections Virtual Art Showcase featuring all 267 Northshore artists who qualified for Council!

To learn more about Reflections and how to promote the PTA program at your school, visit our Reflections page.

Congratulations to our 2021-2022 Award Winning Northshore PTAs!

5/24/2022

 
WSPTA Awards of Excellence - Congratulations to Northshore's 2021-2022 Award Winning PTAs!
Each year, Washington State PTA recognizes the work of individuals, PTAs and Councils across the state via a variety of awards, including Leadership Academy and the Awards of Excellence Program. Some of our amazing Northshore PTAs submitted applications and were recognized for their efforts at the 2022 WSPTA Annual Convention held May 20th-22nd.

Awards work to celebrate the efforts of local PTAs and Councils in a variety of different areas. The criteria reflect a strong knowledge and application of best practices and the submission process can be rigorous. These awards are truly reflective of the dedication and strength of these PTAs and the  powerful contributions they make in their communities.

This year's recipients included:
🏆 Standards of Excellence
  • Canyon Creek Elementary PTA - Gold
  • Northshore Council PTSA - Gold
​
🏆 Advocacy Awards of Excellence
  • Northshore Council PTSA - Gold
  • Maywood Hills Elementary PTSA - Bronze

🏆 Family and Community Engagement
  • Maywood Hills Elementary PTSA - Bronze​​

🏆 PTAs Taking Significant Action
  • Maywood Hills Elementary PTSA - Gold
🏆 Outstanding Communication Strategy
  • Canyon Creek Elementary PTA - Gold
  • ​Northshore Council PTSA - Gold​

🏆 
Outstanding Newsletter
  • Canyon Creek Elementary PTA - Gold
  • Northshore Council PTSA - Gold

🏆 Outstanding Website
  • Canyon Creek Elementary PTA - Gold
  • Northshore Council PTSA - Gold​
  • Maywood Hills Elementary PTSA - Bronze
Congratulations to our award-winning Northshore PTAs!

WSPTA Membership Awards • 2021-2022

5/23/2022

 
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PTA is a membership-driven association. Sustaining and growing membership builds PTA's power as advocates and change makers not only in your own school community, but also at district, state, and national levels. WSPTA recognizes PTAs for their work growing membership as well as for achievements in membership.
Congratulations to our Northshore PTA/PTSAs that have earned
WSPTA Membership Awards in 2021-2022!!

Membership Achievement Awards:
100% Staff Membership Award
The 100% Staff Membership Award is presented to local PTAs that enroll at least as many school staff members as there are full-time certificated employees at the school. This award recognizes the value of teachers and school staff as stakeholders advocating for all children through PTA.
  • Canyon Creek Elementary PTA
  • Innovation Lab High School PTSA
  • Kenmore Elementary PTA
  • Skyview Middle School PTSA
  • Wellington Elementary PTA
  • ​Woodmoor Elementary PTSA

100% PTA Membership Award
The 100% PTA Membership Award is presented to local PTAs that enroll at least as many members as there are full-time enrolled students at the school associated with that PTA. This is the ultimate achievement in PTA membership and recognizes that every child in the school community has a paid PTA member to be their voice. 
  • Innovation Lab High School PTSA

Membership Growth Awards:
To highlight the importance of membership growth, Washington State PTA recognizes local PTAs for enrolling more members than they did in the previous year. As PTAs achieve incremental increases in membership growth, they are recognized for each milestone they reach.
WSPTA Membership Growth Awards

Many thanks to all of our amazing Northshore PTAs/PTSAs for continually striving for membership growth, helping us to have an even more powerful voice for our children!

#PTAProud • 2022 Spring Recognition Event

5/18/2022

 
Spring Recognition  - PTA Proud

Check out the video below showcasing some of the AMAZING things our local PTAs & PTSAs have accomplished this year!

Emergency Preparedness Chair Meeting 6/7/2022

5/17/2022

 
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You are invited to join Council's next Emergency Preparedness (E-Prep) Chair meeting!
Anyone in PTA/PTSA is welcome to attend our meetings, and we encourage all local PTA/PTSA E-Prep chairs to attend as well as PTA/PTSA Presidents and/or Vice Presidents or delegates.

In this meeting we share and obtain updates from the NSD Safety team and discuss opportunities where the PTA can provide support to our schools in the areas of emergency preparedness, safety, and security.  

Date: Tuesday, June 7th
Time: 11:00 AM to Noon, Pacific Time (US and Canada)
Zoom Link & Passcode: Available upon request

If you would like the zoom link and passcode in order to attend this meeting, or have questions concerning Emergency Preparedness, please email Council's E-Prep Co-Chairs, Tracy Jokisch & Robin McKenzie. We look forward to seeing you!

Updating Contact Information for 2022-2023 PTA Leaders

5/12/2022

 
It's Time to Update Officers & Committee Chairs for the 2022-2023 School Year!
Time to Update 2022-2023 PTA/PTSA Officers
​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!

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