Northshore Council PTSA 6.10
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3/21/22 General Membership Meeting Recap

4/25/2022

 

​​Last month Council held their 4th 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.
Recap: 3/21/22 General Membership Meeting
Guest Presentation by Northshore School District Ethnic Studies Framework:  NSD Assistant Director of Equity and Pedagogy, Melissa Riley, and Northshore students shared a presentation on ethnic studies in the Northshore School District. This presentation answered the questions "What is ethnic studies, why is it important, and what will it look like for kids?" The curriculum will be for grades Pre K-12 and more information can be found here: https://bit.ly/pesbccdei.

Council Business: 
Approval of the January 20th, 2022 Meeting Minutes which were accepted with minor changes. Approval of the preliminary budget for the 2022-2023 school year.

Election of our 2022-2023 officers:
Thank you to our hardworking Nominating Committee, Diana Christiansen, Cherry Holmes, and Jasmine Lee Fry, for putting together the slate of candidates! Diana Christiansen read the Nominating Report. The self-nomination period was held in accordance with our e-voting policy 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 approved by a voice vote.

Congratulations to our incoming 2022-2023 officers!!
  • For the Office of Co President: Rachel Fitzgerald and Mary Khouzam
  • For the Office of First Vice President: Grace Jurado
  • For the Office of Secretary: Open*
  • For the Office of Treasurer: Serena Xu
  • For the Office of VP of Events: Open*
  • For the Office of VP of Advocacy: Jennifer Drury
  • For the Office of VP of Communications: Jennifer Snyder
  • For the Office of VP of Elementary Support: Diana Christiansen
  • For the Office of VP of Secondary Support: Brenae Brix

*Please be advised that by the time the self-nomination period closed, no candidate had come forth for either Secretary or VP of Events. Council will continue to seek volunteers for these positions with the goal of holding elections for them at a future General Membership Meeting. If interested in serving in either of these roles on an interim basis, please contact us at president@northshorecouncilptsa.org.

District Updates:
  • NSD Partnerships & Volunteer Coordinator Marco Garcia informed us that everything related to becoming a Northshore volunteer or being a campus visitor can now be completed on the Safe Visitor website for volunteers. He also let us know that the vaccine requirement has not been lifted. Finally, Community Serve Day will be August 21st 2022 with more information to come. Learn more about becoming a NSD volunteer.
 
  • NSD School Board Updates: Director Amy Cast reviewed the technology parameters with us, reviewed strategic goals and indicators of progress as it has been five years, and reviewed the use of the Levy money including safety grants, work towards more school mental health professionals, nurses, as well as fewer portables etc. Learn more about NSD's School Board.
 
  • Northshore School's Foundation: Hanisha Bakshani/NSF Ambassador North Creek High School let us know that the NSF All in For Kids event is March 31st, 2022 at 4pm at the Evergreen Church. Learn more about the Northshore School's Foundation.

Council Reports: 
  • Staff Appreciation: Rachel Fitzgerald informed us that we will have a virtual staff appreciation for district staff. Currently collecting thank you notes from the community to put together for the staff. There will be a different piece for the council to do as well. The deadline to collect notes  and gather all the information is April 22nd. Learn more...
 
  • Council Recognition Awards: Mary Khouzam updated us on Council recognition awards. This year we have an online form for nominations again which can be found here. If you would like to help with the awards recognition, please contact Mary at awards@northshorecouncilptsa.org.
 
  • Speaker and Events Grants Program: Mary Khouzam let us know that grant program has closed for this year. Click here for Round 3 Recipients.
 
  • Reflections: Jasmine Lee Fry updated us that we had 267 entries that were submitted to the council. 59 submissions were forwarded to the state. 4 entries won awards at the state level. Click here for judging results from both Council & WSPTA as well as a link to our Virtual Art Showcase. 
 
  • Special Education: Laura Staneff let us know that Council will hold a series of 4 webinars scheduled for free through PAVE. The first one was about IEPS and took place on March 22nd. There will be three other webinars in April, May and June. Learn more...
 
  • Mental Health Committee: Melissa Kline & Pauline Wray updated that the Mental Health Committee's Digital Safety Event with Jo Langford happened on March 14th and was well attended. Currently the committee is working on getting Mental Health resource posters up in secondary schools. Finally, an anti-bullying article is currently up on our website and ask that you please share it with your communities. 
 
  • Membership: Hanisha Bakshani & Melissa Kline updated us that 21 PTAs are over their membership numbers from last year and we have a total of 5,337 members to date.   

We hope you will join us for our next General Membership Meeting on May 16th, 2022 @ 7pm. This meeting will also include our annual Spring Recognition Event!

​For a full list of our upcoming meetings and events, check out our Calendar.

General Meeting & Spring Recognition Event - May 16, 2022

4/7/2022

 
General Membership Meeting & Spring Recognition Event • May 16, 2022 • 7pm • Online
Please join us for our 5th and final general membership meeting of the school year on Monday, May 16, 2022 via Zoom.

In addition to our regular business items, during this meeting we will be holding our annual Spring Recognition Event. At this event we will celebrate the contributions and achievements made by our amazing Northshore PTAs/PTSAs this past year and the dedicated volunteers who made it all possible. We will also be announcing Council PTSA’s award recipients during this event. 

**Council is looking for what makes you #PTAProud of your PTA. Please take a few minutes to share with us via this online form an event, program, story about your PTA. There's nothing too small or too big to share! Response is needed by Friday, May 6th. Email springrecognition@northshorecouncilptsa.org if you have questions.**
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Topic: Northshore Council PTSA General Meeting & Spring Recognition Event
Time: May 16, 2022 06:30 PM Pacific Time (US and Canada)

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/81846202596

Meeting ID:  818 4620 2596
Passcode: *Available upon request.
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Meeting ID: 818 4620 2596
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Join us before the meeting to chat with Council
and other local PTA Leaders!
Come say hi, ask questions, or just hang out
for social time before the meeting.
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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!
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*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 Recognition Awards 2022

3/11/2022

 
Council Recognition Awards 2022
We all know people within our community who give a little extra, work a little harder, and who are always volunteering!

Now you can help us recognize these people by nominating them for a Northshore Council PTSA Recognition Award!

To Nominate someone, please complete our
2022 Northshore Council PTSA Awards Nomination Form.

Nominations are due by Friday, April 22, 2022!

Every year, we look for nominations for the following awards:
  1. Outstanding Educator – Honors individuals who go beyond the normal expectations of their jobs to make the learning environment fun, beneficial and challenging. An educator is not limited to a teacher and may be defined as a teacher, assistant, specialist, support staff, administrator, or community member.
  2. Outstanding Advocate – Honors individuals for their continued and dedicated service to ALL children demonstrating a commitment to speaking up for children in the areas relating to health, welfare, safety, and education of children and youth.
  3. Outstanding Service - This is the highest volunteer award given by the Washington State PTA.   It is awarded to someone who has gone beyond his or her own school community, job, or PTA in order to give dedicated volunteer service to children. Note: This award may only be given by a council. Local PTA members are encouraged to nominate deserving volunteers to the council for this recognition.
  4. Honorary Life Membership – Recognizes an individual who has contributed significantly to a PTA at the local unit, council, or state level. This special award can be given by a PTA unit, council, or region.
  5. Outstanding Student Advocate Award - Recognizes students who have made significant contributions through leadership and service in their school and community.
  6. Golden Acorn – A Golden Acorn Award is presented by a local PTA or council to a school or community volunteer in recognition of her or his dedication and service to children and youth.

Nominations Now Open
Fill out an online nomination form TODAY! 

Nominations are due by Friday, April 22, 2022!

Multiple submissions can be completed for multiple nominees!
Awards will be presented during our Spring Recognition Event.

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Learn more about Council Awards or view our previous award recipients. Questions? Contact Council Awards Committee.

Join Our Spring Committees!

3/7/2022

 
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Be a part of Northshore Council's spring committees! We are searching for members to be a part of two committees this spring; one for our Spring Recognition Event and the other for our Council Recognition Awards. Read more about each of these committees below and find out how you can get involved!
Spring Recognition Event Committee
Spring Recognition
Do you like celebrating? Do you like making people smile? Are you creative? If you answered yes to any of these questions, then you should join our Spring Recognition Event Committee!

We are looking for a few volunteers to help out on our Spring Recognition Event committee. This committee would be responsible for coming up with an idea on how to celebrate the accomplishments and contributions made by our incredible PTSA/PTA volunteers as well as recognizing our Council awards recipients. If you are interested in helping, email Jane Chiodo at president@northshorecouncilptsa.org.
Council Recognition Awards Committee
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We are looking for a few volunteers to join our Recognition Awards Committee. This committee would be responsible for gathering and viewing all nominations for Northshore Council PTSA 2021-2022 Recognition Awards. They would then decide which lucky volunteers would receive each award. The awards committee would coordinate with the Spring Recognition Event Committee to invite our award winners to the year end celebratory event. If you are interested in helping, please email Mary Khouzam at vp@northshorecouncilptsa.org.
Both of these committees play an important role in celebrating the accomplishments and dedication of our local PTAs and PTA Leaders. Volunteers are able to serve on both committees if interested!
Our Spring Recognition Event is scheduled to take place in June.

6/7 General Membership Meeting Recap

6/9/2021

 
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Thank you to everyone that attended our fifth and final membership meeting of the school year!  This meeting was especially impactful as there were over 55 attendees from our local PTA’s and community partners in attendance. 

Council Business:
The meeting kicked off with an approval of minutes from our March general meeting, before moving on to hear the Treasurer’s Report for the month of May from the Council Treasurer, Liz Nord. May’s report reflected income from membership service fees, as well as expenses related to the Spring Recognition Event, Moneyminder software renewal, WSPTA scholarship funds, WSPTA convention registration fees and awards.

Next on the agenda was an update to the Northshore Council PTSA Standing Rules. Changes recommended were: 
  1. Add Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion (DEI) as a Standing Committee and to the Board of Directors.
  2. Add the Mental Health Committee as an ad hoc committee.
  3. Remove Presidents and Principals Lunch and Spring Recognition Breakfast from the ad hoc committees as these items now fall under the VP of Events responsibilities.
All items were approved by a unanimous voice vote.

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, 2021. 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 into memberplanet as well!
2021-2022 PTA Officers - Click here to update Contact Information with Council
​District and Community Reports:
School Board Director David Cogan shared an update in regards to Northshore School District that included, but was not limited to:
  • For the 2021-2022 school year, all Northshore students, K-12 will have two options for attending school:
    • In person, full time, 5 days a week – This will include mask wearing, social distancing, hand washing, increased ventilation, extra facility cleaning and Covid batch testing for those giving consent.
    • Northshore Virtual Program – daily 70% synchronous instruction from Northshore teachers with Northshore curriculum, 30% asynchronous learning.  The virtual program will not be offering IB classes. 
  • NSD is improving inclusive education:
    • North Region schools received a 2019/2020 grant to increase the percentage of students educated in the least restrictive environment.
    • Ruby Bridges and Kokanee Elementary Schools were recognized as Washington State Inclusive Education Demonstration Sites and are consulting with the UW Haring Center for Inclusive Education.
    • This funding was extended for the next 2 years.
  • Melissa Reily, NSD Director of Equity and Pedagogy, won the Gallagher Howard M. Coble Scholarship for under-represented educational leaders.
  • NSD filed with OSPI their Academic and Student Well Being Recovery Plan
    • To address student needs resulting from school building closures and extended time in remote learning due to COVID-19 pandemic.
    • This is used to distribute the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund.
  • Working on the framework for the next NSD 5 year Strategic Plan to begin around June 22.
  • Meetings with State Legislators to discuss changes that COVID 19 has had for students, families and districts.
  • Happy to report that approximately 1000 students have been vaccinated through vaccine clinics offered through NSD partnerships.
 
 Lauren Lewis, acting NSD Partnerships and Volunteer Coordinator, reported the following:
  • Lauren Lewis will be filling in for Natalie Campbell until the Fall.
  • Bothell High School vaccine clinic is happening on 6/12, looking for 12 more volunteers.
  • Community Serve Day will be on 8/22 this year:
    • All elementary and middle schools are participating for outdoor work, not high schools.
    • Things may change with some opportunities to work within buildings at some point but for now just keep an eye out for any communications regarding updates from the district.
  • Conversations with the Board was held earlier tonight. Those events are now starting to return in person so continue to watch for in person events.
  • Currently working with the district with the calendar.
  • Graduations are being held June 14, 15 and 16! As a district we are looking forward to supporting everyone in a safe way.
Carmin Dalziel, representing the Northshore Schools Foundation, gave an update that included but was not limited to:
  • They have three main causes:
    • Inspire learning
    • Remove barriers
    • Build skills for life
  • Working on starting a Facebook page for jobs for Northshore teens, for real companies to post opportunities for kids.
  • Excited and hopeful that they will partner with the middle schools for career day again next year.
  • There are classroom grants available for the Fall. 
  • The Northshore Gives Platform has also been a great resource for Senior class projects and raising money for smaller projects at schools or classrooms within the district.
  • Continuing to support ethnic studies.
  • Removing barriers is what NSF is known for. This year they allocated a CARE team opportunity budget for each school. In total, $105,000 was given out to families in need this year. For more information, please reach out to Heather Erickson.
  • Basic Needs Aid still goes on this year. This fund is designated for families facing a hardship or crisis that are in need.
  • Still supporting Threads and Treads with a monetary donation.
  • There will be a donation drive for school supplies again.
  • Just had a fun gala and there will be a wine walk in October.

​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 25th.

Our Council President, Jane Chiodo, then shared a personal message of thanks to the council as well as the local leaders and community partners. Click here to read that message.
Click Here to Complete the End of the Year Feedback Survey for Council
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​Last, but certainly not least, the evening ended with our 2020-2021 Spring Recognition Event! This event was hosted by our Co-VP of Events, Mary Khouzam and Karrie Palis. The theme was "Thank You for Making Lemonade". This was such a fitting theme since all of our local PTA’s did exactly that this year, when handed lemons, they made some lemonade!

The event included performances from Skyview Middle School's symphonic band, orchestra, and choir as well as a performance from the Bothell High School Bel Canto Choir. 

The highlight of the event was celebrating all the achievements of our local PTAs/PTSAs as well as the recipients of their Recognition Awards. Council was also honored to present this year's Council Recognition Awards. Congratulations to:
   

    🌟 Outstanding Educator: Natalie Campbell
    🌟 Outstanding Advocate: Cathi Davis
    🌟 Outstanding Student Advocate: Diya Gupta   
    🌟 Outstanding Service: Melissa Kline
    🌟 Golden Acorn: Lauren Lewis
    🌟 Golden Acorn: Liz Nord
    🌟 Honorary Life Membership: Nancy Chamberlain


Click here to learn more about each of our 2020-2021 Council Award Recipients.

Thank you to our Council Awards Committee Members Diana Christiansen, Rachel Fitzgerald, and Karrie Palis for the beautiful awards presentation and speeches given during the event!

​Thank you to all that attended this fun evening!  It was a fun night with lots to celebrate for making it through this unprecedented school year!  Looking forward to our next membership meeting in the fall.  Have a wonderful summer and enjoy this much deserved time to relax with your families.

Congratulations to our 2020-2021 Award Recipients!

6/8/2021

 
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​Each year, Northshore Council PTSA recognizes a few special people who have gone above and beyond in service to our community and who promote the well-being and education of children in our district and beyond. During our Annual Spring Recognition Event on June 7th, Northshore Council was proud to recognize seven amazing individuals. Learn more about them and why they were deserving of these achievements in the videos and stories below:


​Outstanding Educator - Natalie Campbell
Natalie Campbell has been described as an outstanding champion, kind, knowledgeable, passionate, and solution oriented.  Her colleagues have also said she has a heart of gold and she tirelessly goes to bat for the community she supports with unwavering dedication and passion. Although Natalie is not a classroom teacher, she has had a deep impact on the students of Northshore.  
Dave Wellington, West Region Assistant Superintendent, when asked about Natalie had this to say, “Spend any time in any elementary and you will see Natalie’s work. Everywhere. In the happy faces of students participating in before and after-school programs. In the thousands of volunteer hours on a host of activities from Fall Prep to Reading Buddies. And in the beautiful student artwork, created under the guidance of Art Docents, that brighten classrooms and hallways. In every classroom you will see Natalie’s impact on an entire community.” 
 
Natalie is not only a leader and educator who has made an impact in our NSD community, but a superhero too. Another colleague of Natalie had this to say, “Besides being friendly and caring, she’s a one-woman show of dedication, inspiration, and creativity. She has a passion for our District and [goes above and beyond] to implement new programs and events to better our school community. Her work over the past year has been nothing short of heroic!” ​

Outstanding Advocate - Cathi Davis
As someone who has been an educator for the last 19 years, her enthusiasm, dedication, and passion for students and her community is evident. Cathi Davis has been a part of our NSD community for the last 9 years, previously serving as principal at Kokanee Elementary and now as principal at Ruby Bridges Elementary. Cathi believes that the role educators and schools play in providing a space for inclusive learning and experiencing belonging is an essential component of what matters in changing our world for the better. 
Cathi often quotes American Philosopher, Dr. Cornel West, who says “Justice is what love looks like in public,”. Cathi lives up to this quote every day when she wakes up determined to ensure that her work as a principal and leader is a manifestation of that commitment to create more just communities of learning as an act of love for her students and families.

More so than ever in our current state, advocating for our students and their needs is crucial. Cathi has made it her mission every day to do so and looks at the bigger picture in how to best support our students and families. One staff member at RBE said, “that even through this pandemic, Cathi has led the team with grace, humility, vulnerability, and above all a vision for inclusivity and belonging.” Because of her passion, this staff member looks forward to walking beside her in continuing to make this world a more equitable place for all the River Otters (Ruby Bridges’ students). From the beginning, Cathi has always made all students and families in the Ruby Bridges Community feel welcomed and championed for their voices to be heard. Our district is blessed to have a principal and leader who not only leads with a strong passion, but one with a big heart too!

Outstanding Student Advocate - Diya Gupta
Diya is a Junior at North Creek High School. She is an incredible student who 2 years ago began a Science Olympiad program at Fernwood Elementary with the support of the Fernwood PTSA. By spring of 2019, Diya came up with the idea to make this an equitable opportunity for ALL students across the district by hosting the Science Olympiad competition at a district level. She planned the entire event for the 2019-2020 school year, but, due to the pandemic, it could not be held as originally imagined. 
With this unforeseen challenge, Diya started to rethink about how to still make this program happen. This school year, she presented a virtual idea to district leaders. She hosted information sessions, workshops, recruited student volunteers, created how to videos, and answered countless questions. Due to her advocacy efforts, more than 60 elementary students from across the district were able to participate.

The pandemic may have changed many everyday activities, but Diya got creative and still made this program possible. A parent whose child participated in the program had this to say about Diya, “One quality I'd particularly like to recognize is [Diya’s] dedication to inclusivity. My son is a unique learner, and from the very beginning, [she] embraced his needs and made him feel welcome in the competition. [Diya] sought answers when needed from [my son’s] local school and NSD staff.  [Diya] paved the way to making sure his IEP supports were extended to the test-taking component of the competition. I remember one day when [she] wrote an email that said something like, ‘I want to learn how Olympiad organizers can better meet the needs of all IEP students in the future.’  WOW!  Even amid all the other details of running this Olympiad, [Diya] took the time to make sure learners like my son were able to participate equitably. And [she] looked ahead and started blazing that trail for others to follow.”

Diya has a proactive attitude and is forward thinking. She is an inspiration to how the future can be better by the actions and voices of the next generation!

Outstanding Service - Melissa Kline
Melissa has shown her deep commitment and passion for helping. Melissa is the one often asking the difficult questions, finding solutions, and making ideas come to fruition, all while making space for all voices to be heard. She stepped up this year encouraging membership and advocating during the state legislative session. She has been instrumental at forming a food pantry and Totes to Go for Skyview PTSA. 
​Additionally, she has spent her time this year, reaching out to other organizations to help make people aware of mental health resources in our communities and as well as helping to form Northshore Council's Mental Health Committee.  Melissa has a positive, generous spirit and is one of those leaders that often leads from behind, making sure each need is met and each person is supported.

A fellow PTSA volunteer, when asked about Melissa, had this to say, “I can’t think of anyone more deserving of the Outstanding Service award than her! Throughout this whole year, Melissa has kept the well-being of the students in our district, especially those who are most vulnerable, at the forefront of her volunteer work. She is always striving to help others whenever needed. Her passion is what I admire most about her.”

​Melissa’s commitment and dedication to the students and families of Northshore are always shown through her actions, and we are fortunate to have her in our NSD community!

Golden Acorn - Lauren Lewis
A wonderful summation of why Lauren Lewis is deserving of a Golden acorn award is that Lauren is the voice we all need to hear. She is powerful and direct with her passion of ensuring equity and inclusion to all.  Lauren has been described as caring, timely, untiring, helpful, selfless, and resourceful.
Lauren’s fellow PTSA volunteers say that, “Having her lens on many issues has helped bring our community together in understanding and growth."
"​Her heart is truly with all of our kids. Grateful for her leadership!” and “She is always ready to step up and give a helping hand whether it's to the parents getting info from the school, providing the accurate resource when needed to our NSD families, or helping to deliver food bags by the district meal program and many more.” 

Lauren served as Council’s Family and Community Engagement (FACE) Chair this year as well as president of North Creek High School PTSA.  She has hosted FACE roundtables and spearheaded an equity inventory for council.  Because of her volunteer work, families were connected to services they might not have otherwise known about, and PTA leaders were challenged to grapple with topics like racism and ableism. Lauren has helped move our community one step closer to being equitable!

Golden Acorn - Liz Nord
From the people who have volunteered with Liz, they say she is kind, caring, thoughtful, passionate, and understanding. One person said “Having Liz in my corner makes me feel more confident, and I love hearing about the new journeys and things she learns. She is approachable, hilarious, and always growing. I want to be like Liz when I grow up - authentically me, deeply connected, and full of knowledge.” 
Another person said, “I can honestly say I wouldn’t have chosen to be as involved as I have without her influence.  She is an amazing mentor and advocate who is always willing to answer questions and share her expertise with new volunteer - no matter how many times she is asked.  She truly wants to see our local PTA and all of its volunteers succeed.”

Liz has served at Lockwood PTA and has been strongly involved with the PACE program. She has been a dedicated Treasurer for Council this year while also serving on the Region 6 Service Delivery team as the financial specialist. She has also mentored and guided new PTA’s in their development as a recognized organization. Her commitment to her local PTA, our council, and region 6 PTAs is evident through all her contributions and involvement.

Liz is always making sure everyone feels welcomed and that no question is too silly or too small. Council is excited to have Liz serving next year as Area A Vice President for Washington State PTA where we are sure she will continue to shine!​


​Honorary Lifetime Membership -
Nancy Chamberlain
The sentiments of Nancy's fellow volunteers and friends who nominated her for this special award can be summed up in one word “inspirational”. Council President, Jane Chiodo, had this anecdote to tell that perfectly describes why Nancy is more than deserving of this award:
“For as long as I have been involved in PTA there has been this person named 'Nancy'. At first, this "Nancy" person was just a PTA leader who knew everything and was active everywhere. If you had a question, you were directed to ask "Nancy". She was a local PTA superhero who everyone looked up to as a role model and mentor. Rumor had it that she was incredibly knowledgeable regarding all things education and PTA and passionate about advocating for children and families across our district and state.

"As time went on, I actually got to meet this 'Nancy'. All of the things I heard about her were true. But, I also learned that she lived up to the hype and more. Yes, Nancy is a tireless advocate, but she also volunteers time to assist our local PTAs, mentors up and coming advocates, helps to moderate discussion groups, fights against misinformation and for equity and transparency, is approachable, friendly, and caring and lots of fun. She is all that and a bag of chips.”

Nancy's dedication and leadership are nothing short of admirable. We have been lucky to have Nancy here in our district and are excited to have her serving as our next Washington State PTA President!

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General Meeting & Spring Recognition Event - June 7, 2021

4/30/2021

 
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Please join us for our 5th and final general membership meeting of the school year on Monday, June 7, 2021 via Zoom.

In addition to our regular business items, during this meeting we will be holding our annual Spring Recognition Event. At this event we will celebrate the contributions and achievements made by Northshore PTA/PTSA’s best and most accomplished volunteers and supporters. We will also be announcing Council PTSA’s award recipients during this event. 

**Attention Presidents: Please check your emails for additional information on the Spring Recognition Event. Response is needed by Friday, May 7th. Email vpevents@northshorecouncilptsa.org if you have questions.**
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Topic: Northshore Council PTSA General Meeting & Spring Recognition Event
Time: Jun 7, 2021 07:00 PM Pacific Time (US and Canada)

Join Zoom Meeting
https://zoom.us/j/99271305434

Meeting ID: 992 7130 5434
Passcode: *Available upon request.
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Meeting ID: 992 7130 5434
Find your local number: https://zoom.us/u/aeb1CmC8Rv
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Join us before the meeting to chat with Council
and other local PTA Leaders!
Come say hi, ask questions, or just hang out
for social time before the meeting.
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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.

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!

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