The Northshore Council PTSA board is proposing the following change to its standing rules (to be voted on by membership on 3/30/2020): Should be nested under Section 5 - Meetings, Quorums & Voting If the president determines that a formidable challenge will prevent a scheduled membership meeting to happen in person, ballot voting, including the election of officers or nominating committee, may take place via electronic transmission. If ballot voting takes place by electronic transmission, the Northshore Council PTSA electronic voting policy and procedure will be followed. The new rule references an electronic voting policy. The draft policy is available for download below: DRAFT Electronic Voting (E-Voting) Policy:
Frequently Asked Questions: Q: What is an election policy and procedure? A: Think of it as a how-to document. It should explain what the plan is (policy) and how it is going to be accomplished (procedure). So, in this case, the plan is to allow electronic voting in certain situations and have a clear procedure of how it is going to work. Having a written policy works to ensure clarity and transparency in the process for all involved. Q: Why is there not something my PTA can just copy and paste for this? A: Every PTA and every community is different-- so there isn't any one 'right' way to do it. Northshore Council is sharing its proposed standing rule and policy in part so it can serve as a sort of template for local PTAs who are considering adding electronic voting. Local PTAs are encouraged to use it and adapt it to fit their needs. Q: Does the policy have to be completed prior to voting? A: No. You don't need to have the policy ready at the time of the Standing Rules change. Q: Does the policy have to be voted on by membership? A: No. Membership does not need to vote on policy itself-- policy is within the purview of the board. Q: Does the policy need to be completed before electronic voting takes place? A: Yes. If policy is referenced in the standing rules, then it definitely be in place prior to any electronic voting. In essence: you gotta have a plan-- and it should be documented for both transparency and clarity. Remember: Council is here to help! If you have questions or want some additional guidance, contact your Northshore Council PTSA VP: Elementary Support (Cindy Jensen) or VP: Secondary Support (Melissa Kline). References: Here is a list of the key references Council used in formulating its proposed policy:
**Password protected resource. Find the login information in the latest issue of WSPTA Leadership News or by contacting your Northshore Council PTSA VP: Elementary Support or VP: Secondary Support.
Use this list as a starting point and if you are in need, try to call providers ahead of time to check.
 This is a time of uncertainty for the Northshore community as we navigate the COVID-19 outbreak. While government and public health agencies are not recommending full quarantine at this time, it leaves it up to your PTA board to determine what the best course of action is for your PTA with regards to events, services and communications. There is no one right answer-- but we have put together a list of resources, information and considerations to help your board as you work together to make decisions about how to best serve your community and goals. Public health Agency Recommendations: (as of 3/11/2020): Washington State Governor issues
Public Health - Seattle & King County: (3/13/2020)
Snohomish Health District recommendation: https://www.snohd.org/498/COVID-19-Info-for-Community-Organization
WA Department of Health: Recommendations for Events and Public Gatherings (3/4/2020)
Considerations: Beyond recommendations from public health agencies, you may also want to consider:
Additional Resources: Northshore School District COVID-19 Coronovirus – updates and resources page Washington State PTA Guidance: Local City Government Pages: Washington Nonprofit Institute:
REAL TALK: COVID-19 & 2020 Fundraising (3/13/2020) - Webinar for non-profits presented by Ariel Glassman & Talia Silveri Wright (Seattle-based consultants who specialize events and strategic fundraising):
If you have questions, please reach out to Council leaders and ask questions. Council is here to help!
We are fortunate to live in a community with many resources available to help families in need of assistance. Below is a resource list for local free meals and food stability options. Hopefully this list will be a help both for people in need as well as those who may be interested in giving back to the community during this holiday season.
Community Meals in North King/South Snohomish Counties:
Food Stability Resources & Food Banks in North King/South Snohomish Counties:
(ID and proof of residence required at all locations)
Northshore Nourishing Networks offers regularly updated printable lists for community meals and food stability resources (food banks) on their website: www.nourishingnetworks.net/networks/northshore/.
 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!
 Preparedness for emergencies and disasters, as well as the prevention of accidents is a serious concern of those who care for children in the home, at school, and in the community. Activities to promote safety/injury prevention can be incorporated in all PTSA/PTA interests. To help inform our communities about the value and importance of emergency preparedness (e-prep), Northshore Council PTSA E-Prep co-Chairs Robin McKenzie and Tracy Jokisch have compiled some sample blurbs that local PTA/PTSAs can customize and include in their communications. See some examples below (scroll all the way to the bottom for an easy, downloadable version!). Be Prepared, Not Scared Did you feel our 4.6 earthquake near Monroe in July? Are you prepared at home for an emergency or a disaster? Here are 12 ways you can get ready (click on the picture):  The Great Washington Shake Out: October 17th On October 17, at 10:17am, [school name] will be participating in the Great Washington Shake Out, an earthquake preparedness drill. Participating is a great way for your family or organization to be prepared to survive and recover quickly from big earthquakes– wherever you live, work, or travel. Remember to drop, cover and hold during an earthquake! Stay where you are for several minutes afterward, bracing for possible aftershocks. Click on the picture for more information.  Northshore School District Emergency Reunification The Northshore School District has created a standard Emergency Reunification process for all schools and conducted a drill in May 2019. For information on the process (Click Here) . [School Name] Family Reunification Do you know what to do in the case of an emergency or crisis during school hours? Do not rush to school to pick up your child. Our school is in an area where the additional traffic may impede needed emergency vehicles or personnel from arriving. If a school evacuation is ordered, your presence at the site could delay evacuation and reunification. When the situation is under control, students and parents will be reunited in a safe, orderly, and timely manner.
Please take this opportunity to update the emergency contacts in ParentVueOpens a New Window. and consider including trusted neighbors or others that can respond to the reunification sites in case your response is delayed by other emergencies happening in our region. How Can you Help? Please remind your emergency contacts that when picking up a student during an emergency, everyone must have picture identification. These additional contacts will be critical if you cannot pick up your student.
Emergency Supplies Did you know…. that the supplies used in an emergency by the students and staff of [School Name] are funded by the [school name] PTSA (Parent Teacher Student Association)! Parents thank you for your donations to our PTSA! [insert Picture of School E-Prep Container] Download them in Word format (.docx) so that they are easy to edit and copy and paste as needed: 
How do you share information about e-prep in your community? What ideas do you have about building e-prep awareness? We'd love to hear from you! Email Robin and Tracy with your ideas.
 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.
This amazing community resource is available to our community thanks to Canyon Park Middle School PTSA in partnership with the school district and Bothell United Methodist Church. It is a huge responsibility to operate a resource like this and it is a testament to the dedication of CPMS PTSA and the many caring volunteers who make the time to operate this resource for Northshore families. At Northshore Council PTSA's general meeting on September 16, 2019, Threads & Treads Coordinator Kelly Hennessey briefly spoke to the work that they do and the families they serve and invited Northshore PTAs to contribute their support either by budgeting an annual financial donation or by volunteering. She also shared that at the during this year's NSD Back to School Fair, they provided outfits to more than 100 people, and in just the first few weeks of school, they have been averaging 50 people a week who visit and take home clothing. And they are working to help broaden their impact by offering Saturday shopping hours once a month. The importance and relevance of Threads & Treads in our Northshore community cannot be understated. And CPMS PTSA and the Threads & Treads volunteer leaders are working hard to make that known! Through email campaigns, social media, and by sharing their story with local PTAs and community leaders at our Northshore Council general meeting, they are already seeing successes and gaining additional support. Seeing the work CPMS PTSA and their dedicated volunteers are doing to not only operate Threads & Treads-- but also to help it grow and become an even stronger resource in our Northshore community-- makes us PTA Proud!  Visit the Threads & Treads website for more information about donating, volunteering, making financial contributions, or arranging a clothing drive. If your PTA is interested in learning more about out how it can offer support, please contact Threads & Treads Coordinator Kelly Hennessey.
 The Washington State PTA Standards of Affiliation Agreement Checklist 2019-2020 is now available! If you are looking for it from the home page, navigation is as follows: This checklist is a tool to help your PTA keep up with its legal requirements, both as a non-profit and as a PTA. The requirements come from the IRS, the State of Washington, your insurance company, and WSPTA. What your PTA needs to do:
New this year on the Standards of Affiliation Checklist is to update IRS Form 8822-B. The IRS added this requirement in 2018 for security reasons. Form 8822-B should be filed when the PTA’s mailing address changes or the identity of the “responsible party” as listed on the IRS Form 990 changes. The "responsible party" for a PTA should be a principal officer (usually the president or treasurer). There is no penalty for late filing, but it is important that records with the IRS are up to date. Do it as soon as you can! Because this form requires that the responsible party include his/her Social Security Number, the suggested best practice is that the outgoing responsible party should make sure that this form is filled out by an incoming responsible party during transition, to ensure their personal information is not left on this account. This video from WSPTA offers a great overview of SOA and what it means for your PTA: In addition, WSPTA offers a number of tools to help support your PTA in completing the SOA checklist, including: Remember that sharing the progress of your SOA with your members also lets others know about how your PTA operates and shows the work that goes on, often behind the scenes, to keep your PTA legal, safe and operating within the very best practices of our state. Questions? Council is here to help!
 Northshore Council PTSA's 2019-2020 calendar is now available: Be sure to save the date and mark your calendars for this year's Northshore Council PTSA General Membership Meetings:
All meetings start with a Meet & Greet beginning at 6:30pm followed by the official Call to Order at 7:00pm. Each PTA may send up to 4 voting representatives-- but we welcome ALL who are interested to attend. 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. We look forward to seeing you there! Some other 2019-2020 calendar planning tools: Northshore School District Calendar 2019-2020 OSPI Calendar of Common Religous and U.S. Public Holidays, 2019-20 Education-related recognition event dates, 2019-20:
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