Northshore Council PTSA 6.10
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3/15 General Membership Meeting Recap

4/15/2021

 
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Thank you to all that attended our fourth membership meeting of the school year! Each general meeting provides us with an opportunity to connect with our wonderful local PTA leaders and community partners and learn more about the great things happening across our district.

A little bit of fun:
We started off our meeting with a 30 minute “social” time. We invited all to join us to chat with Council and other local PTA leaders. We had great conversations and learned that “Flight” was the most desired superhero power in our fun poll!

Guest Speaker:
Our guest speaker this month was Superintendent Dr. Michelle Reid who graciously answered questions regarding the upcoming shift to hybrid learning in NSD. A great range of questions were asked including but not limited to: how PTAs can support the return to classrooms, the thinking behind the hybrid model, vaccination progress for teachers, when the learning model will be decided for Fall, what hybrid will look like for those 100% remote, and the latest updates on SBAC testing. We thank Dr. Reid for taking the time to join us during such a busy and stressful time.

Council Business:
After approving our minutes from our January general meeting, we moved on to hearing the Treasurer Report for the month of February. We then moved on to learning about our 2021-2022 preliminary budget. Our budget committee worked along with our Treasurer, Liz Nord, to evaluate what our needs would be for next year taking into consideration the decrease in memberships that we had experienced in 2020-2021 possibly continuing next year. A few changes were recommended, such as lowering our income expectations and cutting costs where we could (obtaining a smaller PO Box, lowering line items such as hospitality, grants, office supplies, etc.). We also added line items for our new DEI (Diversity, Equity & Inclusion) position and our new Mental Health committee. The preliminary 2021-2022 budget was approved by a unanimous voice vote.

Next up on the agenda was electing our 2021-2022 officers! Thank you to our hardworking Nominating Committee, Grace Jurado and Liz Nord, for putting together a rocking slate for next year! Liz Nord read the Nominating Report. The self-nomination period was held 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 unanimously approved by a voice vote.

Congratulations to our incoming 2021-2022 officers!!
  • For the Office of President: Jane Chiodo
  • For the Office of First Vice President: Mary Khouzam
  • For the Office of Co-Secretary: Pauline Wray
  • For the Office of Co-Secretary: Cheri Hardin
  • For the Office of Treasurer: Serena Xu
  • For the Office of VP of Events: Karrie Palis
  • For the Office of Co-VP of Advocacy: Diana Christiansen
  • For the Office of Co-VP of Advocacy: Jennifer Drury
  • For the Office of VP of Communications: Rachel Fitzgerald
  • For the Office of VP of Elementary Support: Grace Jurado
  • For the Office of VP of Secondary Support: Brenae Brix

Council Reports:
Tracy Jokisch, our Emergency Prep and Safety Co-Chair, gave us an update regarding the bulk purchase of Stop the Bleed kits for district schools. There will most likely be over 500 kits ordered in total, which will include 2 kits per school contributed by Council. In conjunction with the Stop the Bleed effort, Clark Combs, district Eprep specialist on the district Safety and Security team, has been offering virtual ACT training to staff.

Diana Christiansen, our Council Vice President of Advocacy, gave us an update regarding the exceptional attendance by WA State PTA members at this years National PTA Legislative Conference. It was great to see big representation especially at “Hill Day” when attendees met directly with legislators and their staffers. Check out our NPTA LegCon recap here!

We got an update on the Reflections program. 55 pieces were forwarded to the state competition and we were waiting to hear results. (Results now in - check them out here!) The Council Reflections Celebration website was a big hit allowing many families – as well as family and friends around the country! - to experience all the works of art from artists all over the district. Next year’s theme was announced as, “I Will Change the World By…”.

Diana Christiansen and Karrie Palis announced that our Council Recognition Awards Nominations were open. They are looking for nominations for the following awards: Outstanding Educator, Outstanding Advocate, Outstanding Student Advocate, Outstanding Service, Golden Acorn, Honorary Life Membership. They are also looking for members to join their committee to review nominations and select winners.

Melissa Kline gave an update regarding membership. Three (3) PTAs had reached 100% staff membership and, in total, we have reached 4,826 members which is 62% of last year’s number. Melissa also gave an update about the newly formed Mental Health Committee. The committee had their first meeting recently, at which they discussed goals and things they would like to work on which included communicating about mental health awareness programs.

Lauren Lewis, our Council F.A.C.E. (Family and Community Engagement) Chair, talked about the Equity Inventory Committee, which was established to assess where our Council stood in regards to equity and diversity. The goal of the committee was to look at all facets of our operation through a DEI lens and then to make suggestions on areas that we could improve on. Lauren was also working on finding a presentation about how to navigate the US high school system that could be offered to families in our district that speak other languages or who have moved here from other countries. Natalie Campbell, the District Partnerships and Volunteer Coordinator, said that we could partner with her and Elizabeth Meza to bring something like this to the district. It was also noted that through the Council Educational Speaker and Community Events Grants program, Woodin Elementary was offering "Guide to Helping Your Children Succeed in Elementary and Beyond", presented by Sistema Escolar, USA, to district parents.

District and Community Reports:
School Board Director David Cogan presented an update in regards to Northshore School District that included, but was not limited to:
  • NSD would be live streaming athletic games so all could watch from home
  • The lock update project at all schools was complete
  • A district Math program was adopted
  • The Capital Bonds Planning Task Force is underway

Natalie Campbell, NSD Partnerships and Volunteer Coordinator, reported the following:
  • Following up on the Mental Health Committee Update, Natalie said that the district was drafting a mental health webpage that was more robust and easier to navigate
  • She had been working on childcare options for families during hybrid learning
  • She reminded us to check out the Safety Protocol document as well as the English/Spanish videos on the district website
  • As of right now, volunteers are not allowed on school campuses

Carmin Dalziel of the Northshore Schools Foundation gave updates regarding her organization and their work to support NSD:
  • Each school in the district has a “Care Team” to help families that have helped at least 261 families since October
  • Because kids will be returning to school, backpacks will start to be provided for those that need them
  • NSF and volunteers have found homes for some 18,000 donated books!
  • NSF was partnering with all district middle school PTA’s to bring a Career Day to all middle schools
  • The Foundation’s “All In For Kids” fundraising event was be moving forward as a virtual event

Our last guest was Patsy Treece of the Citizens for Northshore Schools group to talk about Bond and Levy support. Her group’s purpose is to give citizens information about the bond and levies on the ballot and to urge them to vote. Bond and levy votes only happen every four years. Bonds need 60% to pass and levies need 50%. She was looking for volunteers to serve the group and was particularly interested in adding diversity so that all voices could be heard. She also asked if PTAs could add a line item to their budgets to help support the Citizens group. Learn more about Citizens for Northshore School here.

Our next membership meeting will be held on Monday, June 7th. We hope to see you there!

Send A Message of Appreciation to NSD Staff

4/12/2021

 
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Council is gathering gratitudes to share with the many Northshore School District Administrators and Staff who work behind the scenes every week to make NSD the great district that it is!


Fill out this form to leave a message to let NSD Staff know how much you appreciate them and all that they do for our district. Messages will be shared by Council PTSA with NSD Staff. Please make sure to submit your messages no later than Thursday, April 22nd.

Letter of Support to NSD

3/4/2021

 
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In response to the horrific attack on one of our Northshore School District teachers, the Northshore Council PTSA Board of Directors sent the following letter of support to District Admin earlier today.

View the letter below or click here to print a copy.

Public Comment on Mental Health

2/16/2021

 
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On February 4th, 2021, Northshore Council sent a letter to the school board for Public Comment. This letter was read by Northshore School District Board Member, David Cogan, during the February 8th, 2021 meeting. The letter speaks to addressing the mental health needs of children and youth and asked that the district continue to make mental health a priority in our schools.

See below for a full copy of the letter. Click here to download or print.

Resources Linked in Letter
National PTA: Resolution on Mental Health Programs and Services (pta.org)
Washington State PTA: Advocacy (wastatepta.org)

Career Day Volunteers Needed

2/7/2021

 
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This year all of our Northshore School District Middle Schools will have a virtual Career Day together! In order to make this happen, many volunteer speakers are needed.

Career Day Information
The NSD Middle School PTSAs, along with the Northshore Schools Foundation, have joined forces to make sure our students can participate in an online Career Day. This year’s online program will take place on Wednesday, March 17, 2021. 

Career Day offers NSD middle school students insight into many different career fields. It gives our students an opportunity to learn what is needed to be successful in different fields/industries. We want our students to understand that no career path is ever a straight line and within any career there are lots of different avenues they can follow.
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Volunteers Needed
We are looking for Presenters from ALL career fields and paths, including professional, trade, service industry, stay at home parents – you name it, we welcome it! More importantly, our past surveys show that students are eager hear about every type of job, not just those in the STEM fields.

​There are TWO (2) ways you can volunteer to help with Career Day this year! You can be a Presenter or a Moderator.

​
As a Presenter, you will:
  • participate using the Zoom platform.
  • present alone or may be assigned with one other presenter. Please approach this as a casual conversation. Slides or presentation materials are not necessary.
  • meet with 4 rotations of students. Each rotation will last 20 minutes. The last 5 minutes of each rotation should allow for students’ questions. 
  • during each of the 4 rotations, you will share information about:
    • Your career journey – the path you took to get to where you are today.
    • Your field / profession – what is it?!
    • Your actual job – what YOU DO (this is the meat of what students want to hear about).
​​
As a Moderator, you will:
  • assist the teacher in moderating the chat window in each virtual classroom.

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Sign up to be a Career Day 2021 Volunteer!

To be a Presenter:
  • ​Please send an email to careerday2021@outlook.com with include the following:
    • ​​Field of Work*
    • Title*
    • Employer*
    • Brief Bio* (Just a couple of sentences, including your degree, first job (either as a teen or after training/education), a fun fact (what did you want to be when you were a kid, what is your favorite hobby, who inspired you, etc.)) 
*This information will be included in a directory and will help students identify the professions they want to learn more about. 

To be a Moderator:
  • Please send an email to careerday2021@outlook.com stating that you want to be a moderator.
  • You must also complete district “level 1“ background check. Become a Volunteer - Northshore School District (nsd.org) Click on School and District Volunteer and complete steps 1-3 (background check level 1). 

Goal is to have all 90 presenters and 45 event volunteers secured by the end of February.
If you know of someone that you feel would be an asset to our students, please feel free share this information!

Questions? Contact the District Career Day Committee at careerday2021@outlook.com.

Stop the Bleed Kits

2/4/2021

 
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Northshore School District Bulk Purchase of Stop The Bleed Kits
Council PTSA E-Prep committee will be reaching out to each PTA/PTSA in the district to ask if they would like to participate in a one time buy to add additional Stop the Bleed Kits to their school. The recommended coverage is 1 per every classroom, but each PTA/PTSA could fund more or less than that amount. cost is $45.00/kit.
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Stop the Bleed Kits are designed to help stop traumatic, life-threatening bleeding. To save a life, kits are important to have during the first 2 to 5 minutes before first responders arrive.

Each kit contains the following:
  • High-quality C-A-T Tourniquet
  • 1 x 6-inch Responder Emergency Trauma Dressing
  • Two (2) packages of Compressed Gauze 
  • Two (2) pairs of Nitrile Bear Claw Gloves
  • Trauma Shears
  • Survival Blanket
  • One (1) small Permanent Marker
  • Instructions for using the kit

Each kit comes vacuum sealed for long life and no maintenance. For more information, visit this link.

Northshore Council PTSA is contributing $3500.00 to provide 2 of these kits per school to be located at the AEDs ensuring every school has a Stop the Bleed Kit. 

​In addition, Northshore School District (NSD), in partnership with Northshore Council PTSA E-Prep chairs, is offering a one-time bulk purchase of Stop the Bleed Kits to all PTAs/PTSAs. Each local PTA/PTSA can grant funds to their school by March 30th so that NSD can place orders for kits by April 30th. The E-Prep Committee is also requesting staff at each school attend a 1-hour A.C.T. Save a Life Training.

For more information, contact Robin McKenzie & Tracy Jokisch, Council Emergency Preparedness Co-Chairs.

1/21 General Membership Meeting Recap

1/28/2021

 
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Thank you to all that attended our 3rd membership meeting of the school year and our first meeting in 2021!
Each meeting provides us with an opportunity to connect with our wonderful local PTA leaders.

Council Business and Reports
Our meeting started off with an update from one of our Emergency Prep Co-Chairs, Tracy Jokisch. We learned that NSD is monitoring zooms for welfare checks. They are working on protocols regarding locations of students because many are traveling with family while attending classes. Reminder that if you see something strange going in the background during a classroom zoom to call 911. If you see a problem, call or email NSD Safety and Security.

The PTSA E-Prep committee has been meeting with district rep, Clarke Combs, about various E-Prep items. From those discussions it was decided that there is a need for each school to have at least 2 Stop the Bleed kits on campus. Click here to learn more about Stop the Bleed Kits. A motion was passed to add funds to the E-Prep budget to cover the purchase of 2 Stop the Bleed kits per school. With support from local PTAs/PTSAs, this is a great start to reach the goal of having a kit at each school’s AED, rather than only at the nurse’s office.

After approving the minutes from the November membership meeting, we moved on to the Treasurer’s reports for November and December. Our Treasurer, Liz Nord, reported that we were receiving council program fees as well as additional membership fees via memberplanet. Liz concluded her report by sharing that the virtual mid-year financial review had been completed and detailed suggestions provided by the financial review team.

Next on the agenda was a report from our VP of Advocacy, Diana Christiansen. Diana shared with everyone that WSPTA Advocacy Week began on 1/18 and will conclude on 1/22. Each day had a different advocacy topic and Diana urged local leaders to visit the Northshore Council Blog for more information regarding Focus on Advocacy Week.

Then Grace Jurado and Liz Nord from our Nominating Committee reported that they have been in talks with current council leaders regarding who will be interested in staying on in their positions next year. They also put out a request for nominations and reminded everyone that there is a link in both the newsletter and the website for those interested in nominating. Learn more here.

Our Reflections Chair, Rachel Northquist, shared the exciting news that 55 submissions will be moving on to State! She is also currently working on a method to share and display the submissions and will keep council updated with the plan.

Melissa Kline, Membership Chair, reported that we currently have 4485 members and that we are at 77% of last years membership. She also reminded local leaders to think of your PTA as a brand and to share the good work that your PTA has been doing for your school and community.

Next on the agenda was a Family and Community Engagement (F.A.C.E.) report from Lauren Lewis. She offered some important reminders with regards to planning events for your community including attempt to reach everyone – not just your members. (School directories are available. Please send requests to our Council Secretary, Kimberly Ortiz.) Lauren also shared the importance of consulting the NPTA Multicultural Calendar when planning meetings or events.  Lauren is working on applications for the WSPTA FACE Awards and would also love to hear from anyone regarding how they think that Northshore Council is succeeding in Family and Community Engagement. You can email her directly at familyengagement@northshorecouncilptsa.org.

Jane Chiodo gave an update on the Educational Speakers & Community Events Grants Program. She stated that the round 3
applications were due January 22nd . These funds are available for local PTA’s to apply for if they would like to host parent education events.

Concluding the council business and reports agenda was a reminder from Grace Jurado regarding WSPTA Awards. Grace shared that awards applications are due March 15th but you can contact them now in order to receive a dropbox link so your PTA can start collecting items for submission. She also reminded leaders that awards can often help with branding your PTA as well. If you have never applied for an award before she suggested that the Standards of Excellence award is the most general award but that there are also different categories choose to from. One recommendation was the F.A.C.E. award as it
doesn’t seem to receive as many applications as the others do. There was also a brief discussion regarding equity of the awards and the membership agreed that there may be a need to vocalize more prominently that awards are available for everyone to apply for as they are about your PTAs/PTSAs personal achievements, not comparing them to other PTAs (multiple PTAs can win the same award). Learn more about WSPTA Awards here.

District and Community Reports
School Board Director, David Cogan, presented an update regarding Northshore School District that included but was not limited to:
  • Playgrounds now being open to the community
  • New guidelines regarding vaccine schedules that will allow school employees and teachers to be immunized more quickly
  • King County has  determined that March 1st is the date for opening of athletic fields
  • NSD was recognized by GFOA and the district budget was awarded the distinguished budget presentation
  • Dr. Reid was named WA State Superintendent of the Year
  • ELA pilots in place in K-8 and the district is working hard to ensure that reading metrics are working for all students learning to read
  • Due to campus closures, the district has been able to expedite the modern lock, fencing and camera upgrades
  • Inglemoor Concert Hall is making great progress and has a lot of the steel up.

NSD Partnerships and Volunteer Coordinator, Natalie Campbell, reported the following:
  • Applications for Innovation Lab High School are currently open
  • There is a new Chinese language program at Sunrise Elementary
  • Wall of Honor applications are open
  • The Community Resource pages are continually being updated
  • NSD has continued its partnership with 6 Crickets which provides a fee-based database of afterschool programs
  • Volunteer applications are now available and can be submitted online

Carmin Dalziel, representing the Northshore School Foundation, shared that each school has scholarship money set aside in Care Teams. If someone needs a scholarship individually send them to a Care Team. It was also noted that the Basic Needs Fund is for a crisis, a one-time event that a family needs help with. Carmin also reminded us that there are many Northshore Gives campaigns that need donations. If there are any PTAs/PTSAs that would like to donate, please contact NSF. Lastly, the All in For Kids Virtual Fundraiser Event will be held 4/8/2021 and she encouraged people to enroll in groups.

Guest Speaker
Cherry Holmes, Region 6 DEI Chair, WSPTA FACE Committee and WSPTA DEI Chair, presented on and discussed WSPTA DEI resources that local leaders can use within their own units. By advancing diversity, equity and inclusion there will be better outcomes for families and students. The DEI presentation shared that diversity is the representation and respect for people from different backgrounds and identities. Equity provides fairness in resources, opportunities, and outcomes. Inclusion is actions and social norms that ensure ALL PEOPLE feel that they are safe, welcomed, and that they belong. The presentation asked PTAs/PTSAs to take a deeper look at what is happening in their local unit - that they may be colorblind or on autopilot with business as usual. It’s important to build membership and leadership from diverse backgrounds and experiences. Improvements for PTAs/PTSAs requires measurements. Know your school’s demographics and statistics; this info can be found on the OSPI school report card site. Know your school and community – does it represent your PTA/PTSA? Identify barriers in your community, including culture, socio economic, policies, and relevancy. Cherry’s DEI presentation will be shared in the meeting Dropbox so members can have access to the slide presentation to take back to discuss with their PTAs/PTSAs.

Our next membership meeting will be held on Monday, March 15th. We hope to see you there!

11/16 General Membership Meeting Recap

11/23/2020

 
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It was great to see so many local PTA leaders in attendance for our 2nd meeting of the 20-21 school year!

The meeting kicked off with a Q and A led by our Superintendent, Dr. Michelle Reid.  In addition to mentioning that the current plan with online schooling is to stay the course, she also answered many questions regarding topics such as homework, updates on the NSD curriculum resource web page, communication strategies for teachers and parents and building access for PTA’s.  There was also a discussion regarding ideas for the district to provide some morale boosting activities for students and families to help with community building while we are still isolating at home for online learning. Dr. Reid welcomed ideas from the group and will investigate how to best provide some community building activities in the district.  


During the Council Business portion of the meeting, the membership elected Grace Jurado, Liz Nord and Jane Chiodo as the 20-21 Nominating Committee.  Next on the agenda was a financial report given by Council Treasurer, Liz Nord.  Her report included the Treasurer’s Reports for both September and October, presentation of the newly adopted money handling policy and an update regarding the fulfillment of the Standards of Affiliation.  Liz noted that any PTA that needs to create or update their current money handling policy is welcome to use the council’s as a template found here.  
Lastly, there was an update regarding council goals which involved renaming the goal previously called Leading and Developing our Northshore PTAs and Leaders to Communicating with our Northshore Local PTAs and Leaders.  Grace Jurado, Nancy Chamberlain and Melissa Kline worked together to create a new title and verbiage surrounding the elements of the action items in effort to create goals that are concrete and attainable.   The membership unanimously voted to update the proposed changes to the council goals as presented.

During this meeting we also heard from Northshore Nourishing Network (NNN) Director Sue Freeman.  She shared information and tips for PTAs looking to start a successful food drive for their local units.  Sue noted that the Northshore Senior Center needs canned vegetables, tuna and chicken for those looking to donate. It was suggested by a member that coordination for a food drive combined with school supply pick up days or porch pick up to gather food donations.  Sue also shared that she has created helpful documents for suggested items to donate as well as how to start a free pantry.  Learn more about NNN here.

We then heard from community leaders including School Board Director Jacqueline McGourty, NSD Partnerships and Volunteer Coordinator Natalie Campbell and the Northshore Schools Foundation Executive Director Carmin Dalziel.

  • Director McGourty reported that the school board just finished up the last round of ongoing discussions with our legislators, presenting them with their list of priorities.  The most prominent priority right now is digital equity.  She also shared that the board has started the refresh of their five year strategic plan.  Director McGourty mentioned that the board has also resumed school visits and that being able to see what is happening the classroom as well as with the principals and admins has been refreshing!  
  • Natalie Campbell spoke about the decision to pilot the Peach Jar flyer distribution program for one year.  As well as mentioning that there is continued support for the Art Docent program.  She noted that NSD is finishing their pilot with 6 Crickets and they are looking for input based on if they should continue the program, retool it or decide its not needed.  Natalie is continuing to work on an update to the PTA Resource Guide.  The guide will include reminders with regards to communications, what can be published on the website, accessibility standards, resources for translation and more. This will be especially helpful to those new PTA leaders in our district.
  • Carmin Dalziel reported that the Northshore Schools Foundation’s classroom grant process is now open.  PTA leaders are welcome to request grants for their schools. They will be sending out postcards to teachers.  Right now there is a big focus on high school seniors.  NSF is currently offering classes on things like financial aid among other things for seniors and their families to take advantage of. Carmin shared that all though last year when COVID hit they gifted $200 gift cards for families from their Basic Needs Aid program.  Now that COVID is more of a normal situation the Basic Needs Aid fund will be reserved for emergencies.  NSF is working with the district to make sure that there is a CARE team at each school for students and families in need.  In total they have donated $94K towards the success of this program. For more frequent NSF updates please refer the NSF blog.

​Lastly on the agenda was Council updates on Advocacy, Membership and F.A.C.E. as well as an update from our First Vice President, Jane Chiodo, regarding the WSPTA awards and the Speaker and Events Grants.
  • VP of Advocacy, Diana Christiansen shared the top five legislative priorities and the WSPTA supported issues for 20-21.  Diana also wanted to share thanks for the candidates that participated in the candidates forum.  She also shared a PDF for how to share a pitch with legislators.  Reminder that Focus Day is January 18th, and that week will be Focus on Advocacy Week.  Check out our Advocacy page for more legislative updates including a link to sign up for the WSPTA Action Network.
  • Membership Chair, Melissa Kline, shared that as a whole our district is at 52% for membership. There are 5 PTAs that have 75% of last years membership! She also explained how the 100% Staff Membership award is calculated and how to apply for it.  Melissa reminded members that personal connection is the best way to gain members.  More tips and suggestions are posted on our Membership webpage in the Membership Facebook group.
  • F.A.C.E. Chair, Lauren Lewis, encouraged all to join the new F.A.C.E. and DEI Facebook group.  The group is for F.A.C.E. (Family and Community Engagement) & DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) Chairs or anyone interested about learning and sharing more on these topics.  Lauren is working on putting together at least on event that is open for all PTAs to attend.  The biggest asks have been surrounding mental health and internet safety.  It was also highlighted that NSD has a strategic plan for inclusion – there is an inventory for all parent groups for a self-assessment.  The district spent time putting together these documents and there are clear takeaways.
  • First VP Jane Chiodo shared that the next Educational Speakers and Community Events Grant application deadline is November 27th.  The final deadline will be January 22nd, 2021.  For more information click here.  Lastly, Jane spoke about the WSPTA Awards of Excellence program.  PTAs are encouraged to check out the different categories to look at the criteria for the award and which ones your PTA might be interested in.  Some examples of awards include the Standards of Excellence, Communications, Significant Actions, Newsletter and Outstanding Website.  Applications for awards are due by March 15, 2021.

​Council meetings are a great way to reach other PTA leaders and learn about what is happening in the district and PTA. We hope you will join us for our next general membership meeting on Thursday, January 21st!

Emergency Preparedness Wrap-up, 2019-20

6/22/2020

 
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The following is a summary of 2019/2020 Emergency Preparedness (E-Prep) activities.

We want to recognize and thank the following individuals for contributions to Emergency Preparedness, the Northshore School District, and our students:
Julie Beard (East Ridge PTA)  
  • E-Prep Advocate: Supported our meetings with Northshore School District Superintendent Dr. Reid ensuring an  E-Prep focus and she worked to bring attention to preventing child abuse and neglect; our community cares deeply about children and we know that school districts are one of our most important partners in keeping children safe. In 2019 she was a key participant in the Safe Schools Advisory Committee. Read the report.

Jennifer Blasi PTSA  (Moorlands PTA)
  • E-Prep Advocate: Organized parents and lead regular meetings with district Superintendent Dr. Reid to ensure the focus on E-Prep including funding for food and water supplies, continued staff focused support, and mental health of our students.

Robyn Sims (Bear Creek PTA & Timbercrest PTSA)
  • E-Prep Leadership: Worked with PTA E-Prep chairs. Established feeder pattern working groups to share issues and resources to help each other. Helped identify common issues across feeder groups to focus efforts.
Graphic featuring awards certificates for each of the E-prep award recipients, incluindg Julie Beard, 2019-20 Emergency Preparedness Advocate; Jennifer Blasi, 2019-2020 Emergency Preparedness Advocate; and Robyn Sims, 2019-2020 Emergency Preparedness Leadership
Many thanks to our NSD team that has supported every Emergency-Preparedness (E-Prep) monthly meeting with updates and for giving PTSA parents a forum to vocalize both suggestions and concerns. We would like to specifically thank Clark Combs E-Prep TOSA, Bill Brooks, Security, and Henry Simon, Director Safety and Security, for their continued focus on the safety of our students and staff, security, and preparedness. Here are a few of the key things achieved this school year:
  • Tuff Shed for E-Prep supplies storage at Ruby Bridges elementary school will improve the storage environment for supplies.
  • Plastic bins have been delivered to every school for use in e-prep containers to store supplies and keep them safe.
  • 20% of the food and water emergency supplies has been delivered to each school. A five-year plan has been established to rotate the food and water supplies in the E-prep containers.
  • Medical Emergency Trauma Kits went out to 21 sites, Pre-K to grade 5. All NSD sites have updated kits.
  • Fernwood Elementary held a reunification drill with students and parents.  A large reunification with parents at an off-site location scheduled for the end of March had to be postponed due to COVID-19, hopefully it can be rescheduled for next year. 
  • Each school now has a NSD-provided reunification kit that is customized by each school to fit their population needs.
  • E-Prep items delivered to schools included:  hard hats, vests, safety glasses, gloves, solar chargers, bleed kits, large backpacks, headlamps, crowbars, knee pads, bull horns, and radios.
  • Woodinville High School is offering a Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) elective course starting next year which will give our students training in disaster preparedness, leadership, teamwork, safety, first aid, CPR/AED, search and rescue, fire suppression, psychology and team organization.
  • Replaced existing mortise classroom locks with more secure functionality; installation of thumb turn locks with indicators in every classroom, is nearly complete.
  • Five visitor management pilot systems were obtained and NSD legal is working to ensure security of personal information.
  • Continuation of the NSD E-Prep TOSA position in 2020-21.
  • ACT (Antidote, CPR/AED, Tourniquet) to save a life training was provided to our PTSA e-prep group. ACT To Save a Life is a one hour first aid class that focuses on three skills you can use to save a life in the first few minutes of an emergency: Antidote for suspected opiate overdoses, CPR and AED training for cardiac arrest, tourniquet for severe bleeding control. Clark Combs is now prepared to do on-line or live training for our teachers in August before start of school.
  • During our COVID-19 event, NSD donated face masks, gloves, and gowns from school E-prep containers to a local hospital.  
  • Northshore Council PTSA has donated funds towards 40 face shields for all NSD school nurses to use next year.
The Northshore Council PTSA E-Prep team is looking forward to next year’s opportunities to continue to help improve each school’s emergency preparedness and we will also be focusing on our family preparedness for emergencies and disasters. Next year you will also see an improved NS Council PTSA E-Prep webpage, on-line E-Prep meetings, meeting recordings and on-line training. One example is online CERT (Community Emergency Response Training), which will provide access to those who may have had trouble getting it and allow volunteers to acquire the CERT credential at their own pace. CLICK HERE for more info.
Have a wonderful and safe summer,

Robin McKenzie and Tracy Jokisch
Emergency Preparedness Co-chairs
Northshore Council PTSA 6.10
A Culture of Preparedness in our Community

School Pick-up/Drop-off Survey

10/6/2019

 
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The Northshore Council PTSA has been asked by Northshore School District Superintendent Dr. Reid to gather feedback on pick up and drop off issues at our schools. The survey may be taken more than once to give feedback for more than one school.

Council will present the anonymous results to the school district as they seek solutions that make our transportation system more efficient. Please share this survey with your school community - and take the survey too!
Click the link below to take the survey:
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/3LV2P62
Survey Deadline is Friday, October 18, 2019.
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