![]() The number one reason to join PTA is to benefit your child. The best part about being a PTA member is that you can make a difference in your child's education and well-being as well as an impact in your school community. Being a part of your school's PTA is a great way to get involved so that you become part of the solution to help make positive changes for your student as well as others. Many people believe that PTA is just about fundraising and volunteering. However, it is much more than that. PTA is the oldest and largest child advocacy organization in the country. This means that being a member of your local PTA is also about having a voice in our children's education all the way up to the state and national level. When PTA representatives advocate for our children year round, they are there solely for the best interests of our children. PTA Advocacy work is made even more powerful with the full weight of local PTA members behind them. Click here to learn more about PTA Advocacy work. Even if you don't have the time to volunteer, you can still make an impact by joining your local PTA. Every membership increases the impact PTA has in regards to advocacy work. Even just being a member makes a difference! To join PTA and become a member today, visit our Northshore PTAs/PTSAs page to find a link to your local chapter. Last week Council held their 1st 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 for a recap of this meeting.
General Updates from President Jane Chiodo:
Open Council Positions: Council is still looking for a VP of Events. If you know anyone who would be a good fit, please contact us! In October, Northshore Council will start to look for three people to be on the Nominating Committee. Tip for Local PTAs: Discuss the Nominating Committee at your next PTA/PTSA meeting in order to start the process early. Upcoming Trainings and Opportunities: Legislative Assembly will be virtual and is scheduled for October 23th and 24th. Training will be available beginning in October. Upcoming training courses are listed on Council's Training Opportunities page. Council Business: In our meeting we reviewed the Year End Financial Review, our Mission and Goals, and our Standing Rules. These updated documents can be viewed in the About Us section of our website. NSD School Board Update: Director Dave Cogan shared updates from the Northshore School Board updates.
Northshore Schools Foundation Update: Carmin Dalziel gave updates on the Northshore Schools Foundation and how they continue to work to give money to schools. She shared that classroom grants now have deadlines every other month. They also provide basic needs aid (crisis funds) now. Crisis funds are $200 per family that is sent to help buy gas, groceries and get people back on their feet. Each school has a staff care team lead available. Northshore Foundation are always looking for ambassadors at each school. The Bond and Levy committee will be available to come to general meetings, if needed. If you are at Kenmore School, the school foundation just received approval to do a cash disbursement for families in extreme need. Schools access these funds through the care team lead. The business and updates part of our meeting adjourned allowing for time for breakout rooms. We were thrilled that so many local leaders participated in these rooms in order to share ideas, ask questions, and support each other! We hope you will join us for our next General Membership Meeting on November 15th, 2021 @ 7pm. For a full list of our upcoming meetings and events, check out our Calendar. ![]() Every year PTAs start their membership campaign and every year families ask the same question: "Why join the PTA?" After over a year of being at home, many families may feel discounted and be asking why they should support PTA. It can be hard to communicate your PTA's value with programs being offered virtually when families are used to attending PTA events in person or seeing the support your PTA does in the classroom. That's why it's more important than ever to answer the question "Why PTA?" One great way of doing that is sharing with your families 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, Melissa Kline. ![]() Does your PTA have a display board? Now's the perfect time to create one as it can be used all year long! Why make a display board? It's a great tool to use to easily identify your PTA, connect with members of your school community, and highlight your PTA's value! ![]() A display board is a great tool to have at your membership table at events. It helps volunteers easily answer the question we often hear - “Why should I join PTA?” You could also ask to put the display board in your school office in the fall so staff and families can see what PTA contributes to your community. Recently, Northshore Council PTSA leaders attended the NSD Back-to-School Fair to highlight all Northshore PTAs and ask families to join their local PTA. We had a display board at our table to highlight what programs and activities are run through PTA. Check out Council's display board below for inspiration! Some ideas to highlight when creating your display board:
Start the school year off right by being sure to check these important tasks off your PTA To-Do list! This is a busy time of year for PTA Leaders with so many things to get done in order to run your PTA, plan programming for students, and provide support to your school community. Here at Council we want to make sure a few key "to-do" items don't get overlooked so we've created the checklist below. We've included links and resources for these items, but remember, Council is always here to help and support our local Northshore PTA Leaders! Visit our Contact Page to connect with a Council officer. ![]()
Council is helping to promote PTA Membership across our district!
Last week, Council's Co-Chairs of Membership, Hanisha Bakshani & Melissa Kline, traveled to all corners of our district placing "PTA for Your Child - Join PTA" yard signs. These signs were placed at all Northshore Schools and the District Admin Building. The QR code on these signs directs families to our list of Northshore PTAs/PTSAs* on our website. This list includes links to your website, Facebook, and online join link so families can connect with your PTA and sign up for membership. Check out the photo gallery below for pics of all the yard signs! To find out more about why online join is key, check out last week's Membership Monday article on Planning Your Campaign. *Need to update or add a link for your PTA to our list? We can do that! Just send us an email. Please join us for our first general membership meeting of the year on Monday, September 20, 2021 via Zoom! In addition to our regular business items, we’ll also be voting on updated standing rules, goals and budget, and hearing updates from community leaders. *Update* We'll also be offering breakout rooms for networking and Q&A with Council members. The breakout rooms offered will be (1) elementary level PTAs, (2) secondary level PTAs, and (3) general questions regarding running your PTA.
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. All great Membership Campaigns start the same way: with a plan! ![]() As you begin to coordinate your 2021-2022 membership plans, think about the reasons why families and staff should join.
This year it's more important than ever to kick off your campaign and start entering those memberships because Washington State PTA has a **new** requirement. This year, in order to remain in good standing, your PTA/PTSA must have at LEAST 25 members entered into memberplanet by October 31, 2021 AND must enter any memberships received into memberplanet no more than 30 days after someone joins. Why is it important to remain in good standing? If you want to attend convention, send in reflections submissions, apply for awards, or apply for grants you must be in good standing. (Click here for all SOA requirements.) One way to increase your membership this year is to make sure it is EASY to join online. We have compiled a list of all our local PTAs/PTSAs with a link directly to your site to join online, so make sure your links are up to date. This makes each PTA/PTSA more accessible to members of our community, school board, and even district admin who might be looking to join. Please know you can contact us anytime with questions or to help you brainstorm ideas for your membership campaign. Reminder: Council will be hosting a Northshore PTAs Connect Roundtable this Thursday, August 26th @ 7PM. This Roundtable will focus on membership. Membership is everyone's job, so all officers are welcome to join! Additionally, please email your membership chair name(s) and contact information to us ASAP so they can be added to all communications about membership. Melissa Kline and Hanisha Bakshani Northshore Council PTSA Membership Chairs [email protected] When it comes to joining your PTA, make it EASY for families to sign up online! ![]() Joining online will be key for families this year. Your join link should be clear and on the front page of your website. If you have questions or want help setting up a way for your families to sign up online, contact our Membership Co-Chairs, Hanisha Bakshani & Melissa Kline. BONUS: Council is also helping with easy access by including all of your online join links on our website here! We'll be promoting online join for all Northshore PTAs/PTSAs at the upcoming August 28th NSD Back to School Fair. So please take a few minutes to check the links for your school. Need to update a link? Email [email protected]. Looking for help with using memberplanet? Attend Northshore Council's upcoming training!
Date: September 9, 2021 Time: 7:00PM Location: Online via Zoom Presenter: Amanda Cabana, WSPTA Membership Director Register: zoom.us/meeting/register/tJ0tdemgqDsvH9UAZzVDvhbpvGFvlGoqd7HU This training is intended to teach Northshore PTA Leaders how to navigate memberplanet, update PTA officers, enter memberships, and more! Registration is required. Once registered, participants will be emailed a link to join the Zoom on September 9th. Questions? Contact us! |
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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.