![]() In our area of the Pacific Northwest, many of us suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). Often when the seasons change to fall and winter and the days get shorter and darker, we might feel sad and not ourselves. We may have trouble sleeping, overeating, and have low motivation. Not only is SAD common in people with depressive disorders, but also those with anxiety, panic, or eating disorders, and those with ADHD. SAD affects mostly women, and generally the onset is between ages 20-30 years of age. This means it may not affect our children as much as us caregivers. We need to take care of ourselves so that we can take care of our loved ones. While it is not fully known what causes SAD, research shows that low levels of the brain chemical serotonin plays a large role, as well as high levels of melatonin. Both of these help maintain daily body rhythms, along with sufficient levels of vitamin D. Traditional treatments include light therapy, vitamin D, talking to a therapist, and possibly some medications. Additionally, with the holidays approaching, even more of us may suffer the Holiday Blues. This time of year can bring more anxiety, depression, stress, loneliness, unrealistic expectations, and even memories of the past that can lead to sadness. It might be helpful to remember that the Holiday Blues are short term, however, the effects can still feel all-consuming and should be taken seriously. Here are a few ideas for Avoiding the Holiday Blues and SAD: Get plenty of sleep Keep routines Exercise, even a little Sit by a sunny window Keep things simple Eat a well-balanced diet Set reasonable expectations and boundaries Do things that make you happy Take time for yourself to recharge Don’t overschedule If these coping strategies do not help, consider talking to your doctor or your mental health professional. Check out these links for more information:
Tips for Managing the Holiday Blues | NAMI: National Alliance on Mental Illness Seasonal Affective Disorder (nih.gov) Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) | Mental Health America (mhanational.org) This article was brought to you by Northshore Council's Mental Health Committee. Visit our Mental Health Awareness Resources page to learn more about this committee and the other resources they have provided. ![]() Each year, Northshore Council PTSA requests a list of district families that have opted in to receiving 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 should be made to our Council Secretaries - Cheri Hardin and Pauline Wray - and must come from the local PTA president only. Along with your directory list, we will send a copy of our 2021 Communications Guidelines for Student Directory regarding responsible use of this information. Please allow up to 1 week for your directory request to be processed. ![]() What happens if you have a vacant officer position? If your nominating committee has had no luck finding a candidate to fill a position, if you have started the year with an empty officer position, or if one of your officers resigns from their position mid-year, here is the WSPTA recommended procedure that you should follow. NOTE: You do not have to create a nominating committee to find someone for this empty position! A nominating committee is only formed to find qualified nominees for the election that happens in the Spring for your next school year. Your executive committee can appoint a person to fill the vacant office. The appointed officer acts in an "interim" capacity until you can find a person that wants to step into the position in an official capacity and you can elect them OR until the appointed interim officer can be officially elected into their position at the next membership meeting. An interim officer at a local PTA/PTSA has no limitations on what they can/cannot do. An interim officer assumes all the rights and duties of that position. From the WSPTA Uniform Bylaws: If a vacancy occurs in a local PTA or council office, the executive committee may appoint a member to fill the vacancy until the next membership meeting. At the next membership meeting, nominations shall be made from the floor with the consent of the nominee. The election shall be by ballot vote. A majority vote is necessary to elect. The election may be by voice vote if only one candidate is nominated for an office. The newly elected officer shall immediately assume the duties of the office. To learn more about nominating committee, elections, and officer resignations or removals see:
If you are still have questions or are in need of guidance, please reach out to Council - we are here to help! Northshore Council PTSA is proud to announce the recipient of our 1st round of Educational Speakers & Community Events Grants for 2021-2022!
Local PTAs/PTSAs interested in partnering with Northshore Council PTSA to host speakers or events were able to apply for a Northshore Council PTSA Educational Speakers and Community Events Grant. 2021-2022 grants are offered on a first-come, first-serve basis and applications will be reviewed by the Northshore Council PTSA until the Council Programs budget is used in its entirety. The submission deadline for the next round of Educational Speakers & Community Events Grants is November 26, 2021. For more information about the grants program, visit our Educational Speakers and Community Events Grant Program page.
We hope you find these resources helpful as you continue to navigate these often stressful and strange pandemic times. Always remember: Mental Health matters and reaching out for help if you are struggling is as important as going to the doctor if you feel physically unwell. “Are you thinking about suicide?” This could be one of the most important questions you ever ask. ![]() September is Suicide Awareness month. Many of us are unaware that suicide is the 2nd leading cause of death among individuals between the ages of 10 and 34 and was the 10th leading cause of death overall in the United States in 2019. Among high school students, 1 in 5 has seriously thought about suicide, and nearly 9% have attempted. Four out of five teens who attempted suicide have given clear warning signs. These statistics are scary, but there is hope! We can prevent this tragedy by identifying and supporting young people who are struggling with mental health symptoms, including thinking about suicide. Some individuals and communities are more at risk than others, including people of color, indigenous peoples, and the LGBTQ+ community. Creating a caring community lets those in need know that they are not alone and that there is hope. Remember, silence hurts us all. ![]() It has been proven that asking the tough question, "Are you thinking of hurting yourself?" does NOT lead to suicidal tendencies. In fact, it can reduce ideations and attempts. We should encourage everyone to become comfortable talking about suicide and make sure to check on friends and loved ones. The more we talk about it and provide support and understanding, the more lives we can save. If you suspect someone is struggling, ask them or tell someone who is in a position to help. Don't be afraid to reach out to the parents of your child's friends or the student’s school counselor about their struggles or warning signs you see. This could save a child’s life! Kids need to learn how to spot signs in their friends, too, and feel impowered to speak up when necessary. If your student needs advice or assistance, their school counselor is always a good place to start. ![]() Signs to Look For & Steps to Take There are quite a few things that have been associated with increased risk for suicide. It is important to be aware of these signs: • Prior suicide attempts • Family history of suicide • History of mental health conditions • Substance misuse • Impulsivity or aggressiveness • Serious family problems • Breakups or other major relationship losses • Access to means for self-harm • Social isolation • History of traumatic experiences There are also several things that might indicate that the person’s thoughts of suicide are escalating or that there is more acute risk, including: • Talking, joking, or posting online about dying or life not being worth living • Feelings of hopelessness, shame or of being a burden to others • Extreme sadness, anger, or irritability • Planning or researching ways to die • Withdrawal from others, saying or posting “goodbye” messages, giving away possessions • Erratic or disorganized behavior • Seeking means to self-harm If you have observed any of these signs or risk factors, and are concerned about someone, here's 5 steps you can take: ► Start by offering compassion (not advice), avoid judgment, acknowledge their suffering, and just listen. ► After that, ask them if they are thinking of suicide. Be calm and direct. Asking will NOT put the idea into their mind. ► If you are confident that they are not in immediate danger, and they have a mental health treatment provider, contact them for next steps. If they do not have a mental health provider, contact the person's primary doctor or pediatrician. ► If you feel their life, or someone else’s life is in danger, then take away all objects that could pose a danger (medications, firearms, knives, ropes, chemicals). ► Next, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline or any other resource listed. Call 9-1-1 in an emergency or last resort. Let the operator know that this is a mental health crisis. Additional Resources & Helpful Websites
This article was brought to you by Northshore Council PTSA's Mental Health Committee.
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. ![]()
![]() The 2021-2022 school year is upon us and the PTA year is about to get into full swing! By now your PTA has held its summer board retreat and has begun planning a membership campaign. So what's next? Now it's time to plan your first general membership meeting of the year! While some PTAs may be planning for in person meetings, many will plan for their meeting to be held virtually, which may require a little additional preparation. If you are new to hosting virtual meetings, get to know your virtual meeting tool’s online support – there should be tips for setup for all the features, including screen sharing, enabling closed captioning, and login requirements. TIP: Host one or more practice meetings with a few board members ahead of time to get accustomed to the online meeting tools and platform you'll be using. Whether the PTA meets virtually or in person, the same items of business must be done.
Bonus Tip: Plan on having something additional to offer your members once the business is complete. The first meeting is a great opportunity for your principal to give an update on the start of the year – there are lots of things about this school year that are different! Plan ahead with your principal and make sure you know what format for taking questions they are comfortable with. During the meeting, act as the moderator by setting ground rules and expectations for how members will participate and ask their questions. Questions about planning your 1st general membership meeting of the year? Contact Council - We are here to help! Information provided in this blog was originally posted by WSPTA in a 2020 article. Click here to read that article. ![]() PTAs are often the target of scammers. It's important for PTA officers to know the red flags to look out for to help keep your PTA safe. 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 Does your PTA have a money handling policy? Has your PTA updated their policy to include online banking? Money handling policies are important to have so that it is very clear how your members and board are handling the funds of the PTA. Having these policies written out, communicated, and followed helps safeguard your PTA from scammers, and mishandled money. They should include how you handle your cash, checks, deposits, withdrawals, any online money access, and more. Need some help putting your money handling policies together or updating them? Council recently updated their own money handling policies, and it is available for you to use as a sample. Still have questions? Contact Council Treasurer, Serena Xu. 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! Applications* are now being accepted for Northshore Council PTSA's 2021-2022 Educational Speakers and Community Events Grant Program!
This program is designed to help support Northshore PTAs in hosting relevant and timely speakers for our district families and to encourage them to create engaging events for our community. ALL local PTAs, within the Northshore School District and in good standing, may apply for a grant through a simple application process. Learn more about our grants program by clicking here. Download & Print the 2021-2022 Grants Application Form *2021-2022 grants are offered on a first-come, first-serve basis where applications will be reviewed by the Northshore Council PTSA or until the Council Programs budget is used in its entirety. Submission Deadlines for Applications September 24, 2021 (Review by Council on Oct. 4th) November 26, 2021 (Review by Council on Dec. 6th) January 21, 2022 (Review by Council on Feb. 1st) Looking for a speaker or event to bring to your community? Check out our past Grant Recipients and our Community Resource Page for inspiration. Questions? Email 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.