 Due to our extraordinary circumstances, the 2020 Reflections program is going Virtual!
Even though parts of the Reflections Program will feel a little different this year, there are many aspects of the program that have not changed - especially the parts that are student facing. Students will still fill out their entry form, write their artists statement, choose a category and create their work of art using the theme "I Matter Because..."! New for 2020! Online Submissions:
Below are some resources to help support your Reflections program:
Still have questions? Please contact Council's Reflections Chair, Rachel Northquist, at reflections@northshorecouncilptsa.org or call/text (425) 319-0016.  Find out what is important to your members before your delegates vote at the 2020 Legislative Assembly! WA State PTA has made it easy for PTA leaders to survey your members with this e-survey. Just send the link out to your members and WSPTA will send you the results for your school before legislative assembly starts to see your members’ responses. Your delegates can use these results to guide their votes along with the education and caucusing sessions available for all topics. This survey will provide great input to help your delegates represent your PTA. Looking for help on how to communicate this e-survey with your members? Check out the wording from WSPTA's Communication Kit for local PTAs below that includes longer messaging for articles and shorter messaging for social media posts. The e-survey closes on October 9th, so make sure to start sharing it today! Short Messaging to Promote the E-Survey What issues are most important to you? Hurry - the e-survey closes on 10/9! Your voice matters -- please take a few minutes and complete our [insert your PTA or council name) PTA e-survey. There’s a wide range of topics and we need your input when we vote at the upcoming Washington State PTA Legislative Assembly. The survey is just titles only, so take a few moments to review the WSPTA Voters’ Guide. But don’t delay, the e-survey closes on 10/9. Longer Messaging to Promote the E-Survey (Option A) What issues are most important to you? Hurry - the e-survey closes on 10/9! Your voice matters -- please take a few minutes and complete our [insert your PTA or council name) PTA e-survey. There’s a wide range of advocacy issues and we need your voice to help our PTA delegates vote on the Top 5 issues that are most important to us. The survey also includes other proposed positions that delegates will vote on to develop the WSPTA platform. The issues all support the health, education, and welfare of children and youth -- from increasing access to mental health to preventing gun violence and suicide to closing the digital divide. Resolutions range from access to recess and unstructured play to improving outcomes in special education to dismantling institutional and systemic racism. Plus, one new principle against racism, discrimination, and oppression. The survey is just titles only, so take a few moments to review the WSPTA Voters’ Guide. But don’t delay, the e-survey closes on October 10/9. Longer Messaging to Promote the E-Survey (Option B) What issues are most important to you? Hurry - the e-survey closes on 10/9! Member voice matters — please take a few minutes and complete our [insert your PTA name) PTA e-survey. There’s a wide range of advocacy issues and we need your voice to help our PTA delegates vote on the Top 5 issues that are most important to us. The survey also includes other proposed positions that delegates will vote on to develop the WSPTA platform. The issues all support the health, education, and welfare of children and youth but the proposed platform covers a wide spectrum of advocacy positions and legislative policies from increasing access to mental health to preventing gun violence and suicide to closing the digital divide. There are also eight resolutions with topics ranging from access to recess and unstructured play to improving outcomes in special education to dismantling institutional and systemic racism. Plus one new principle against racism, discrimination, and oppression. Take the e-survey and let us know what’s important to you. There’s also a WSPTA Voters’ Guide to give you more information on all the issues as the survey just has the titles. Take a few moments to review that information as you take the e-survey. Your replies will help guide our PTA’s delegates when they vote at the upcoming WSPTA Legislative Assembly in late October where the new 2020-2021 Platform will be set. Take a few moments to learn more about the proposed positions and share your priorities with us with the e-survey But don’t delay the e-survey closes on October 9.  Registration is now open for the 42nd Annual WSPTA Legislative Assembly!
PTA delegates from across the state will come together to update the WSPTA legislative platform. At legislative assembly, discover the power PTA has to advocate for the success of every child – the whole child. In PTA every member has an equal voice, and your input matters a great deal to the success of PTA's grassroots member-driven platform. PTA is needed more than ever right now, and you can help! Key Things to Note:
The Washington State PTA legislative platform is a two-year platform to mirror the Washington state legislative cycle. This year, as with every even-numbered year, the new platform will be voted on by members during the legislative assembly. Learn about WSPTA's current legislative priorities and other supported issues by clicking here. Be a part of the process and help direct the course for WSPTA advocacy by serving as a delegate for your PTA! If you are interested in attending Legislative Assembly as a delegate for your local PTA, contact your local PTA president. Check out the Legislative Assembly web page to learn more about this year's event.  The Washington State PTA Standards of Affiliation Agreement Checklist 2020-2021 is now available! 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:
There have been a few updates this year to make the SOA even better, including an introduction page that has clear instructions, calls out what’s new to the checklists in 2020-21, and offers a number of resources to answer questions and give more detail on all requirements. 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!
 This year's Reflections Theme is "I Matter Because..."
The Reflections Program is a National PTA and WSPTA cultural arts competition. The purpose is to provide an opportunity for students to use their creative talents by expressing themselves through their own original works for the theme of "I Matter Because...". Reflections is so much more than "just an art contest." It helps kids take risks, be inspired, think creatively, receive positive recognition and be celebrated for their works of art. It also allows our community to celebrate our students' creativity! Encourage art by offering Reflections at your PTA! Council is here to help make it easy! Check the Reflections page on for regular updates, join the Northsore Council PTSA Reflections and Art Docent Chairs Facebook group and be sure to sign up for our "almost weekly" Reflections communications. Dates to Note:
Questions? Contact Council's Reflections Chair, Rachel Northquist.  The Region 6 Fall Conference will be taking place during the week of August 24th-29th. The links and corresponding handouts will be coming soon for all of the classes that are being offered.
Click here to join the Facebook Event for Region 6 Fall Conference Visit this site to sign up for classes (tickets are free!) Please share the class schedule listed below with your PTA leaders now so they can start making plans to attend. Region 6 Fall Conference Monday 8/24
This year's recipient is Dr. Nancy Chamberlain. She currently serves not only on the WSPTA Board of Directors as Finance Officer, but also as Northshore Council PTSA's co-VP of Advocacy. She has dedicated many years to being a voice for all children, mentoring advocates and PTA leaders, and being all-around awesome. Heidi Baron Bennett, recipient of the 2019 Outstanding Advocate award, has graciously given permission to Northshore Council PTSA to share the speech she gave as she presented Nancy with the award at the 2020 WSPTA Convention. Washington State PTA Outstanding 2020 Advocate Award The Washington State PTA Outstanding Advocate award recognizes the individual who goes way beyond the call of duty at both the state and local level to advocate for the health, education and well-being for children and youth. Our Outstanding Advocate for 2020 is a remarkable individual with a rich history. This individual:
- Do you know who this is yet? Raise your hand if you do.
- Now, do you know who this is yet? Raise your hand if you do.
Please join me in recognizing our 2020 Washington State PTA Outstanding Advocate, a past Washington State PTA Advocacy Director and current Washington State PTA Finance Officer, Dr. Nancy Chamberlain. -- Heidi Baron Bennett May 16, 2020 WSPTA Convention We are so fortunate to have such a dedicated and tireless advocate working for our children in Northshore and beyond!
Congratulations to WSPTA's 2020 Outstanding Advocate, Nancy Chamberlain! 🎉🎉🎉
The submission process is now open!
Legislative issue submission title and short description due Friday, May 1, 2020. Resolution title and draft (for new and amended resolutions) due Friday, May 1, 2020. Completed proposal forms for issues, resolutions and legislative principles are due Monday, June 1, 2020. To assist you in the process, WSPTA has developed a series of four videos, "The Savvy Submitter's Guide to Issues, Resolutions, and Principles," to walk you through the required steps: The current legislative issue platform will be replaced at the 2020 Legislative Assembly in October 2020. Members will adopt a new Top 5 platform including the additional issues that will comprise the "also supported" list. Questions about submitting or about advocacy? Contact Northshore Council PTSA's co-VPs of Advocacy, Nancy Chamberlain and Charla Griffy Brown.
 CONGRATULATIONS!!! Congratulations again to our 67 Northshore students who qualified for state-level judging in this year's Reflections competition! The results from Washington State PTA are in and we have nine students who placed at the state level:  Washington State PTA finalists who receive an “Outstanding Interpretation” award will advance to the National PTA round. We want to offer special congratulations to Anthony Schmidt, whose photography entry, titled "Stuck in the Mud," will be continuing on to the National level! The 2019-2020 national winners will be announced May 1, 2020. Best of luck to our National qualifier!
The Reflections Program is a National PTA and WSPTA cultural arts competition. The purpose is to provide an opportunity for students to use their creative talents by expressing themselves through their own original works for the theme of "Look Within." Learn more about the program on our Reflections page.
Core to Washington State PTA's Mission is advocacy for children and youth. During Advocacy Week, February 24-28, 2020, WSPTA will be asking members to send prewritten emails each day on bills and issues related to our state legislative platform. You don't have to go to Olympia to be an advocate for kids!
We KNOW you care about kids – that’s why you are a PTA member! Imagine if legislators heard from all 128,000+ members about how much we care about kids! Learn more about the WSPTA legislative priorities: Every Child, One Voice! Questions about advocacy? Contact our Council co-VPs of Advocacy, Charla Griffy Brown and Nancy Chamberlain.
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