​​Each year, Northshore Council PTSA requests a list of district families that have opted-in to receive communications from the Northshore School District. Council is happy to share this information with the local PTA’s that request it from us for the purposes of PTA/PTSA communications.

Requests for the Directory can be made by completing the Directory Request Form - and must come from the local PTA president only. Along with your directory list, we will send a copy of our 2022 Communications Guidelines for Student Directory regarding the responsible use of this information. The directory will be emailed to the PTA President once it is available. ​​*Please allow for up to 2 weeks to process your request. 


Questions? Please contact Council's Secretary, Claudine Miller. 

The Special Education Committee has scheduled Sunday, November 20, 2022, for its next Community Support meeting followed by a Special Education PTA/PTSA Representatives meeting. 

Sunday, November 20, 2022
11/17/22 UPDATE
Community Support Meeting Topic: Discuss Dyslexia and Literacy in NSD with Aileen Aylward Hammar
Location: Zoom 
2PM - Special Education Community Support Meeting
3PM - Special Education PTA/PTSA Representatives Meeting

For more information and Zoom meeting link, email specialed@northshorecouncilptsa.org.

Every PTA must file an information return with the IRS. WSPTA sample IRS instructions, login information, and schedules can be found in the password-protected Leadership Guides page of the website under the category Nonprofit Compliance Resources, IRS Information. Tuesday, November 15 ​is the deadline to file your applicable IRS 990 form. 
 
Which form do we file? 

• IRS Form 990-N (e-postcard) – if your PTA “normally” has gross receipts of less than $50,000 
• IRS Form 990-EZ – if your PTA’s gross receipts “normally” exceed $50,000, but less than $200,000 
• IRS Form 990 – if your PTA’s gross receipts are over $200,000 

The IRS will revoke the status of organizations that have failed to file a 990-series return for three consecutive years; these PTAs will automatically lose their tax-exempt status. Additionally, a PTA that fails to file a required return is subject to an IRS penalty of $20 per day for each day the failure continues. 

What if we need an extension? 

• There is no extension for the 990-N. 
• Requests for an extension for 990-EZ or 990 must be made by November 15 of the current year. File IRS Form 8868 (can file online) giving you until February 15 of the current year. You can request a further extension until May 15 of the current year, but it is not automatic (use same form to apply). 

How do we file?
You may use software offered by the exempt organization Modernized e-File providers listed on the IRS website at [irs.gov/2020eoefileproviders]irs.gov/2020eoefileproviders. For more information about your filing requirement, visit www.irs.gov/eoannualfiling.
 
Form 990-N
You must sign into the IRS modernized authentication platform using either the active IRS username or create an account with ID.me, the current IRS credential service provider.
Additional information regarding the annual filing requirements and the Form 990-N submission page can be found here.
Form 990-N filers have three options:

1. Sign in with their active IRS username: Users with an active IRS username have the option to access the Form 990-N submission page using their existing IRS credentials or they can choose to create a new account with ID.me.
2. Sign in with their existing ID.me account: Users that have an ID.me account to access other IRS online services or from a state or federal agency can sign in using their existing ID.me account.
3. Create a new ID.me account: Users that don’t have an active IRS username credential must register and sign in with ID.me.

ID.me account creation requires an email address and multifactor authentication. Form 990-N filers who have an existing IRS username and register for an ID.me account must use the same email address.

Note: The person filing needs to be an authorized individual of the PTA (any officer of the PTA) and she or he must have the authorization to act on behalf of the PTA.

Source: WSPTA Leadership News 11/3/22

​​We would like to thank our guest speaker, Shelby Reynolds, for her engaging presentation.  Shelby serves as both NSD’s Assistant Director of Instructional Technology & Library Services and Washington State PTA's Family & Community Engagement Director. Shelby presented PTA’s updated National Standards for Family-School Partnerships. PTA’s National Standards for Family-School Partnerships sets the bar for how schools and parent organizations work together to support student success. Shelby also gave an overview of the Leader Actions Rubric for school leaders to utilize when assessing their leadership actions toward cultivating a school culture that prioritizes strong family-school partnerships. The rubric is both a reflection tool and a roadmap for school leaders that identifies specific actions leaders can take to create a school culture of partnership with families.

National PTA is hosting a virtual Town Hall event on November 17 at 7pm EST where you can hear more about the latest updates to the National Standards for Family-School Partnerships, and discover the newest resources.

​Attendees at the event participated in two engaging activities and had time at the end to share their ideas. Download the Program & Activities Worksheets and do this activity with your board when planning your PTA programs.

A common question is: "Why join the PTA?"

PTA means different things to different people. One great way of showing the value of becoming a member of PTA is by sharing the reason why you support the PTA. Knowing WHY those leading your PTA serve is a great way to inspire other families to support your PTA by joining or donating.

Check out all the reasons that inspire your Northshore Council Leaders to PTA below!
​
Interested in making your own "Why I PTA" slides, but need help? Contact Council's Co-VP of Membership, Kim Ortiz.

​Northshore Council PTSA is proud to announce the recipient of our first round of Educational Speakers & Community Events Grants for 2022-2023!
​​​
Woodin Elementary PTA 
Adult English Language Learner (ELL) Series
Registration information coming soon! 

Local PTAs/PTSAs interested in partnering with Northshore Council PTSA to host speakers or events are invited to apply for a Northshore Council PTSA Educational Speakers and Community Events Grant. 2022-2023 grants are offered on a first-come, first-serve basis and applications are reviewed by the Northshore Council PTSA. The submission deadline for the next round of Educational Speakers & Community Events Grants is November 25, 2022. 

For more information about the grants program, visit our Educational Speakers and Community Events Grant Program page.

Kindness has been defined as actions intended to benefit others. It may also be defined as "having or showing a friendly, generous, and considerate nature, and as encompassing gentleness, respect, amiability, and concern" (Johnstone, 2010).

As adults, we know that kindness is more than just being nice.  Being nice is simply being pleasant and agreeable according to how other people see you.  Being kind is intentional, sincere, and voluntary.  Kindness is based on your values and ethics.  It is grace and love, and can cause a ripple effect that impacts a whole community, even the world!  
Think about it - would you rather be considered “nice” or “kind”?  

Benefits of Kindness in School
Kindness, from teachers and other students, is essential to positive growth and learning because it promotes healthy relationships and helps us develop lifelong skills that can lead to future success and fulfillment. 
When students feel cared for and respected, they are more likely to engage in learning. If students don’t feel valued, they’re unlikely to pay attention or do their best in class. 

Kindness also fosters a sense of community. When everyone treats each other with respect, there’s a strong sense of camaraderie and belonging. This sense of community can lead to students being more engaged in their school and motivated to perform well. In addition, students feel safer and more supported in a close-knit community.

Kindness can help reduce bullying and other forms of aggression. When students see their classmates being treated kindly, they are less likely to engage in bullying themselves. In addition, a culture of kindness at school can make it easier for students to speak up when they witness bullying or other mistreatment.

Finally, kindness is simply the right thing to do. Everyone deserves to be treated with respect, and no one deserves to be the target of aggression or bullying. By fostering a culture of kindness, we can ensure that everyone in our schools feels valued and supported.

How do we help our kids learn kindness?
First of all, we need to be kind to ourselves.  Our kids learn the most by watching their parents and caregivers.  We need to be good models and demonstrate our own self-kindness and show kindness to those around us.  

Second, we need to practice it often.  Say kind things to strangers in the grocery store, give compliments often, hold the door for others, volunteer, and give to charities that mean something to you.  
​
Lastly, give positive reinforcement.  If you notice your child doing something kind, tell them that you notice those moments and how much it means to you (or those on the receiving end).  

Some believe that there is less kindness in today’s world.  I don’t believe that!  I see kindness everywhere!  Look for it and you will find it.  Practice it and you will spread kindness and happiness around you.  

Be kind.

This article was brought to you by Northshore Council PTSA's Mental Health Committee.
​
For past articles and more resources, please visit our Mental Health Awareness page. 

​Remember to review coverage with your board before paying the premium.
Please note that premium payments are due before the end of November.

WSPTA Recommendations for Insurance include:

• General liability (covers your PTA),
• Officers’ liability (covers the board of directors, who make the decisions),
• Property if you own anything (short-term coverage is available for cookie dough or other physical items PTA holds during sales), and
• Fidelity bond to cover the PTA assets for loss due to fraud and embezzlement.

You may also want to consider social media insurance if you have active social media accounts.

Also be sure to add Northshore School District as an additional insured and request the endorsement from AIM when you renew - they do not automatically send that each year. NSD requires an updated copy of the form each year by December. If your PTA does not submit the updated endorsement, you risk cancellation of existing facility reservations and will be unable to make new requests until they have updated insurance paperwork.

You are invited to join
Council's 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.

Date: Tuesday, November 15
Time: 11:00 AM to 12:00 PM
Join Zoom Meeting: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/86751448881?
Meeting ID: 867 5144 8881
 Passcode: *Available upon request*

At the 44th Annual Legislative Assembly members from across the state came together to learn, debate, and vote on the new legislative priorities WSPTA will focus on for the next two years. In addition to the issues the delegates ranked as the top five, an additional eight issues were added to the "also supported" list. ​

Jennifer Drury, Cherry Holmes, and Kim Ortiz represented Council as voting delegates. In addition to Council delegates, there were PTA leaders from across Northshore schools that attended either in-person or remotely as delegates for their PTAs.