 This year's International ShakeOut Day is October 20, when millions of people worldwide will participate in earthquake drills at work, school, or home! At 10:20 am (local time) on 10/20, you can join millions of people across the world practicing earthquake safety. While we encourage you to participate with everyone, you can register your ShakeOut drill for any day of the year, and drill at a time of your choice. More information is available at shakeout.org. Washington State now has an Earthquake Early warning application you can put on your phone. The MyShake App sends a warning to mobile phone users that shaking is about to occur. The system uses ground-motion sensors to detect earthquakes that have already started and estimates their size, location, and impact. When it detects a significant magnitude, the system issues a ShakeAlert® Message, providing a warning a few seconds before shaking begins. NOTE: The MyShake App will be sending a test alert at 10:20 a.m., Oct. 20. The test alert should include test audio telling people that this is a system test, and no action is required. More information about the app is available at https://mil.wa.gov/alerts#shakealert. Resources in Multiple Languages: Earthquake Country Alliance (ECA), an organization in California, has pertinent earthquake safety informational resources available to download in multiple languages. These resources are useful in any area prone to earthquakes, including Washington. Download resources in multiple languages. Visit our E-Prep webpage or contact Council's Emergency Preparedness & Safety (E-Prep) Chair, Robin McKenzie for more information about the E-Prep committee.
Scam Emails Some scams may spoof the email of another officer to help make the request look legitimate. But there are things to check for before you reply:
Common Scams
Protecting Your PTA There are a few things you and your board should be doing in order to protect your PTA:
Money Handling Policy
Need some help putting your money handling policies together or updating them? Council's money handling policies is available for you to use as a sample. Still have questions? Contact Council Treasurer, Serena Xu. More Online Safety Tips & How to Report Internet Fraud US.gov Online Safety Remember: There is nothing more urgent for your PTA than to follow best practices and policies to ensure you don't get caught in a scam!  Phew! We’ve made it through another year! Oh, how we all could use time to recharge our bodies and minds. Our kids have gone through the wringer this year, with changing Covid protocols, school shootings, and other unpredictable events. These things quickly add up and take their toll on our mental health. School is almost out, making this a good time to focus on recharging our bodies and minds. These upcoming summer months are a great time to revisit some mindfulness and self-care practices. Mindfulness practice is an excellent (and simple!) way to ground ourselves in a busy world, to stay fresh, and to simplify our lives. Who couldn’t use that? When you focus on right now, this very moment and not the past or what is coming up tomorrow (or even in the fall), you can be more open-minded, intentional, have gratitude and grace.  One way to practice mindfulness is to start your day with a purpose. When you set an intention, it is more likely that your actions, words, and responses, especially during tough moments, will be more mindful and compassionate. This practice is best done first thing in the morning, before turning on screens or checking social media. Here are some additional mindfulness exercises to try:
Remember: the purpose of these mindful exercises is to be intentional and focus on one thing at a time. By doing so, you will see improved balance and happiness in your daily lives.
Summer is the perfect time to slow down and smell the roses, as the saying goes. Play that extra board game with your kids before bed. Jump on the trampoline with them after lunch. Take a walk with your partner at sunset. Notice the little things that bring you joy. By being intentional and focusing on one thing at a time, you will see improved balance and happiness in your daily lives. Be mindful. You, your family, and your mental health deserve it.
This article was brought to you by Northshore Council's Mental Health Committee.
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!!
*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 [email protected]. District Updates:
Council Reports:
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.  It's April, and with only 2½ months of school left this year, it may be surreal to think that we are nearing the end of our 3rd school year affected by the pandemic. We may have lost things and we may gave gained things, but life is starting to emerge as something somewhat familiar. Some of us may feel abuzz with possibility. Some of us may feel trepidatious or overwhelmed. How do we slow down, collect ourselves, and progress with more purpose and less stress after such a wild ride? By practicing self-care. By definition, self-care means doing what is best for us, like increasing our emotional and physical stamina, improving our self-esteem, and building resilience towards stressors that we can’t eliminate. Basically, the term describes a conscious act we take in order to promote our own physical, mental, and emotional health in order to be better equipped to live our best lives. Self-care isn't just about finding ways to relax. It's about taking care of yourself:
 Carve out time each day to deliberately focus on self-care. At first, this may seem like a luxury or selfish. However, proper self-care is something we all need AND deserve. It is never selfish to make your mental health and well-being a priority. Remember, you have to be okay before you can help others be okay!
This article was brought to you by Northshore Council's Mental Health Committee.
Following the film will be a pre-recorded panel session addressing frequently asked questions and common discussion topics from the film.
Register for a viewing link here: https://forms.gle/QPTrFZbXaf6FcnKY9 Deadline to register is Friday, April 1st. This event is co-sponsored by Kenmore Middle School PTSA and Northshore Council PTSA. For questions, email Abby Polasko at [email protected]. |
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Northshore Council PTSA is a welcoming organization that works to support our local PTAs and serve the children and youth of our community through advocacy, collaboration, education, engagement, leadership, and mentorship.