​Northshore Council PTSA will be holding online elections for the three (3) positions on its 2021-22 Nominating Committee on Thursday, January 20, 2022. 

The Nominating Committee is a special committee that holds the key to a successful PTSA. It is responsible for presenting the best qualified candidates to serve as the elected officers who will lead Northshore Council PTSA in 2022-23.

The slated candidates are as follows:​

• Diana Christiansen
• Cherry Holmes
• Jasmine Lee Fry

The period for self-declared nominations for these positions closed on Friday, January 7th, 2022.

Qualification Requirements:

• No person may serve on this committee for more than two consecutive one-year terms.
• A candidate for the local PTA nominating committee must be a member of the local PTA for at least 15 days preceding their election.
• For a council nominating committee, the candidate must be a member of a local PTA in the council for at least 15 days preceding their election.

Each of the slated candidates meets all qualification requirements.

Election Information:
As there are only three candidates, the election will be conducted via voice vote at the next General Membership Meeting, on Thursday, January 20, 2022:

1/20 General Meeting Zoom Information
Topic: Northshore Council PTSA General Meeting
Time: Jan 20, 2022 06:30 PM Pacific Time (US and Canada)

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/81657900888

Meeting ID: 816 5790 0888
Passcode: *Available upon request.

One tap mobile
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+13462487799,,81657900888#,,,,*462403# US (Houston)

Dial by your location
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Meeting ID: 816 5790 0888
Find your local number: https://us06web.zoom.us/u/kcX2YUWjGJ

Information about Northshore Council PTSA online elections procedures is available in its Electronic Voting (E-Voting) Policy.
Questions? Please contact Northshore Council PTSA President Jane Chiodo. 

*A meeting passcode is required to join. It will be sent to local leaders via email. You can also request the passcode by emailing Council PTSA Communications VP, Rachel Fitzgerald.

Legislative session is upon us and starting Monday, January 17th, ​it's
​WSPTA's Focus on Advocacy Week!!

Here's a brief run-down on what you can expect out of this week long event and how you can get involved!

When is Focus on Advocacy Week?
This week long event runs Monday, January 17th through Friday, January 21st

Who should participate?
Anyone who wants to advocate for students, teachers, or their school community! Advocacy is for everyone and now is the perfect time to get involved.

Where does this take place?
This year, Focus on Advocacy Week is virtual! That means anyone wanting to participate can do so from their phone or computer.

What is the Legislative Session?
The Legislative session is the time when our senators and representatives work on bills. They will be debating, reading emails, and holding meetings about current bills for the session.

What is Focus on Advocacy Week?
Focus on Advocacy Week is the week where we as PTA members focus on calling, writing, and having meetings with our
legislators. We do this to get our Legislative Priorities into the hearts and minds of our elected officials and to educate them on what our members need and want.

Why does Focus on Advocacy Week matter?
This is the best time to get our priorities heard by our representatives. Washington State PTA members voted and approved our top 5 issues that we believe lawmakers should work on. Now is the time that we bring these issues to the forefront of their work. See below for a list of our Top 5 Issues as well as how PTA plans to put equity at the center
of everything we do with our 2020-2022 Legislative Priorities.

How can someone participate?
1. Sign up for the WSPTA's Action Network Group to get timely alerts.
2. Find your Washington State Legislature Representatives.
3. Fill out this Focus Day Interest Google Form to schedule meetings with legislators
3. Set aside time during Focus on Advocacy Week to call and email. WSPTA has designated each day next week to a different focus topic:
   ◘ Monday, January 17 – Call to Action: Focus on dismantling racism
   ◘ Tuesday, January 18 – Call to Action: Focus on equity
   ◘ Wednesday, January 19 – Call to Action: Focus on mental health and wellness
   ◘ Thursday, January 20 – Call to Action: Focus on preserving and flexing funding
   ◘ Friday, January 21 – Call to Action: Focus on safety and emergency preparedness
4. Join Marie Sullivan, Washington State PTA’s legislative consultant, on January 11th from 7-8pm over Zoom as she presents Preparing for the 2022 Legislative Session - Your Questions Answered.
5. Check out the awesome videos and one page issue documents available on Washington State PTA’s Advocacy page about each of the priorities.
6. Spread the word! Invite others from your PTA community to join you in connecting with state legislative leaders. Use the hashtag #WSPTAOneVoice to share about Focus on Advocacy Week through your PTA's, and even your own, social media accounts. Remember to share updates via your PTA's other channels such as website or emails.

Check out the image below from WSPTA to see how PTA is putting Equity at the Center of Everything We Do with our 2020-2022 Legislative Priorities. Click here for a printable version.

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, February 1st
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!

​These sessions are intended for families, caregivers, educators, and community members. Students are welcome to attend, however content (and terminology used) may be more suited for middle & high school students.

Registration is required to attend. Deadline to register is Wednesday, February 2nd at 4pm. There is NO requirement to attend both sessions, however only Session 1 will be recorded and shared.

Information Regarding Session 1:
Join gender education specialist Aidan Key with Gender Diversity in examining the topic of gender diversity in children and teens, the challenges faced by these children youth and their families, exploring current research and identifying the best approaches for creating inclusive, supportive environments for these children. 

In our TWO PART WEBINAR, Aidan Key will address several key objectives (as well as several more):

• Increasing familiarity with terminology and concepts related to gender diversity, specifically transgender, gender diverse, and non-binary youth by establishing a framework of gender and core gender terminology.
• A comprehensive delineation of gender identity and gender expression as it relates to, and is distinctive from, biological sex and sexual orientation.
• Overview of gender diverse children in today’s society as well as past perspectives.
• Barriers to understanding and myths associated with gender diverse populations.
• Understanding the experiences of gender diverse youth and their families.
• Increased confidence and tools for having age-appropriate conversations about gender diversity with children of all ages.
• How to best support gender diverse students and their families.

Information Regarding Session 2:
Kids have questions. Adults have questions. We can get them answered in Session 2! NOW IS THE TIME to get clarity from a reliable source.

Questions may arise like these:

• How can a child be transgender or gender diverse?
  
• Aren’t they too young to know? 
  
• Shouldn't they wait until puberty? 
  
• What if this is a phase? They seem pretty confused. Are they just trying to get attention?
  
• Is it alright to talk with children about this and what is age-appropriate? 
  
• How is this different from being gay?  
  
• I hardly know what it means to be transgender, what do they mean by genderqueer, pansexual, asexual, non-binary, and gender fluid? 
  
• What about bathrooms, locker rooms, overnight trips, sports and other gender-segregated spaces?
  
• How do I handle teasing or bullying?

If you already have questions, please include them in your registration so the presenters can prepare in advance.

Please join us for our third general membership meeting of the year on Thursday, January 20, 2022 via Zoom!
In addition to our regular business items, we’ll also be holding elections for our 2021-2022 Nominating Committee (See First Notice of Election post).

Additionally, Council's Board of Directors would like to put forward the issue of supporting the bond and levies that are on the February ballot. During this meeting we will present both the pro and con positions on the issue before calling for a motion to determine our PTSA’s support of or opposition to the bond and levies.

Council meetings will build your PTA knowledge, give you the opportunity to network with other PTA, school district and community leaders, and they can be a lot of fun, too. Each PTA may send up to 4 voting representatives - but we encourage ALL who are interested to attend. We look forward to seeing you there!

*A meeting passcode is required to join. It will be sent to local leaders via email. You can also request the passcode by emailing Council PTSA Communications VP, Rachel Fitzgerald.

Northshore Council PTSA is hoping to hold online elections for the three (3) positions on its 2020-21 Nominating Committee on Monday, November 15, 2021 during our General Membership Meeting. 

As of this date, we have NO candidates that have self-declared themselves for nomination. We will continue to seek nominations until Friday, November 12th in the hopes that we will have a slate to present at the Nov. 15th meeting.

The Nominating Committee is a special committee that holds the key to a successful PTSA. It is responsible for presenting the best qualified candidates to serve as the elected officers who will lead Northshore Council PTSA in 2021-22.

Qualification Requirements:

• No person may serve on this committee for more than two consecutive one-year terms.
• A candidate for the local PTA nominating committee must be a member of the local PTA for at least 15 days preceding their election.
• For a council nominating committee, the candidate must be a member of a local PTA in the council for at least 15 days preceding their election.

Please note: You do not need to be a Northshore Council PTSA Officer to be on the Nominating Committee. We encourage any interested and qualified Northshore PTA/PTSA member to volunteer for this vital role that will help shape the future of Northshore Council PTSA!

Information about Northshore Council PTSA online elections procedures is available in its Electronic Voting (E-Voting) Policy.
Questions? Please contact Northshore Council PTSA President Jane Chiodo.

11/15 General Meeting Zoom Information
Topic: Northshore Council PTSA General Meeting
Time: Nov 15, 2021 06:30 PM Pacific Time (US and Canada)

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/88145329623
Meeting ID: 881 4532 9623
Passcode: *Available upon request.

One tap mobile
+12532158782,,88145329623#,,,,*479874# US (Tacoma)
+17207072699,,88145329623#,,,,*479874# US (Denver)

Dial by your location
        +1 253 215 8782 US (Tacoma)
        +1 720 707 2699 US (Denver)
        +1 346 248 7799 US (Houston)
        +1 301 715 8592 US (Washington DC)
        +1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago)
        +1 646 558 8656 US (New York)
Meeting ID: 881 4532 9623
Passcode: 479874
Find your local number: https://us06web.zoom.us/u/kcYfPTuLVH

*A meeting password is required to join. It will be sent to local leaders via email. You can also request the password by emailing Council PTSA Communications VP, Rachel Fitzgerald.

​You are invited to an upcoming FREE Parent Education event, "Guiding Teens on the Bumpy Road to Independence" a presentation by Kathy Slattengren of Priceless Parenting.

Date: Wednesday, November 17th
Time: 7:00-8:00PM
Registration: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/guiding-teens-on-the-bumpy-road-to-independence-tickets-201101719657
Zoom link will be emailed to those who have registered prior to the event.

Have you found yourself thinking how you can balance trying to keep your teen safe while also allowing them increasing freedom? Or maybe, what is the best way to deal with teen attitude? During this presentation Kathy will discuss, and give some take-aways, on how to help teens to grow into adults who can thrive on their own.

This event is free and open to the public. Registration is required.

This event is co-hosted by Canyon Park Middle School PTSA and Northshore Council PTSA.

Council invites you to join our upcoming FREE Parent Education event: Identifying and Addressing Youth Anxiety

Date: Wednesday, November 17th
Time: 1:00PM
Presenter: Kendra Read, PHD
Registration: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZMof-qsrj4sEtAo99u6WIpQ_dOQG5MqDX98 
​Zoom link will be emailed to those who have registered prior to the event.

Anxiety is one of the most common mental health concerns youth face. While it is a normal emotional experience, it can grow to become incredibly distressing and interfering, particularly during a global pandemic. When anxiety is present, caregivers (parents, educators, family members) have an important role in helping youth identify anxiety, and encouraging and reinforcing brave vs. anxious behavior. Kendra Read, PhD, a clinical psychologist and assistant professor in the UW School of Medicine’s Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, will discuss how to identify, understand and begin to intervene in cases of problematic anxiety for the youth in your lives.

BIO: Kendra Read, PhD is a clinical psychologist, the Director of the Mood & Anxiety Program and Director of Anxiety Programs at Seattle Children’s. She received her PhD in clinical psychology from Temple University in Philadelphia, PA under the mentorship of Philip Kendall, Ph.D., and completed her postdoctoral fellowship at the Stanford University School of Medicine in the Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences Department. Dr. Read specializes in the treatment of youth with anxiety disorders and OCD from a cognitive behavioral therapy perspective. Her research interests include understanding factors that contribute to treatment outcome, and the dissemination and implementation of CBT for anxiety disorders.

This event is brought to you by the Northshore Council Mental Health Committee.
For questions, please email mentalhealth@northshorecouncilptsa.org.

Please Note: If you were trying to register recently and received an error message or a notice that the registration was full, please try again. There is still space available. If you are still having trouble registering, please contact Council at communications@northshorecouncilptsa.org.

Please join us for our second general membership meeting of the year on Monday, November 15, 2021 via Zoom!
In addition to our regular business items, we’ll also be holding elections for our 2021-2022 Nominating Committee (See First Notice of Election post).

*UPDATED* Additionally, we will have THREE (3) special guest speakers during this meeting:

1. Dr. Michelle Reid, Superintendent for Northshore School District, will be joining us to present information on the upcoming Bond and Levies.
2. Darin Hanson, VP of Maywood Hills Elementary PTA, will be sharing their new and successful approach to membership this year.
3. Sue Freeman will be coming to speak to PTAs about Northshore Nourishing Networks​, a one-stop, go-to resource for local food bank, little free pantry, and community meal information.

Council meetings will build your PTA knowledge, give you the opportunity to network with other PTA, school district and community leaders, and they can be a lot of fun, too. Each PTA may send up to 4 voting representatives - but we encourage ALL who are interested to attend. We look forward to seeing you there!

*A meeting passcode is required to join. It will be sent to local leaders via email. You can also request the passcode by emailing Council PTSA Communications VP, Rachel Fitzgerald.

Northshore Council PTSA will be holding Office Hours on Thursday, November 4th from 12:30PM to 1:30PM. This is the perfect time to connect with Council leaders to ask questions, brainstorm ideas, or even just to say hello. So grab your lunch or a latte and come hang out with Council!

This time is designed to support our local PTA/PTSA leaders as you continue to navigate membership, programs, and managing your organization for the 2021-2022 school year. We hope you will join us!

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/82348386289
Meeting ID: 823 4838 6289
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.