Legislative session is upon us and starting Monday, January 17th, it's
WSPTA's Focus on Advocacy Week!!
Here's a brief run-down on what you can expect out of this week long event and how you can get involved!
When is Focus on Advocacy Week? This week long event runs Monday, January 17th through Friday, January 21st Who should participate? Anyone who wants to advocate for students, teachers, or their school community! Advocacy is for everyone and now is the perfect time to get involved. Where does this take place? This year, Focus on Advocacy Week is virtual! That means anyone wanting to participate can do so from their phone or computer. What is the Legislative Session? The Legislative session is the time when our senators and representatives work on bills. They will be debating, reading emails, and holding meetings about current bills for the session. What is Focus on Advocacy Week? Focus on Advocacy Week is the week where we as PTA members focus on calling, writing, and having meetings with our legislators. We do this to get our Legislative Priorities into the hearts and minds of our elected officials and to educate them on what our members need and want. Why does Focus on Advocacy Week matter? This is the best time to get our priorities heard by our representatives. Washington State PTA members voted and approved our top 5 issues that we believe lawmakers should work on. Now is the time that we bring these issues to the forefront of their work. See below for a list of our Top 5 Issues as well as how PTA plans to put equity at the center of everything we do with our 2020-2022 Legislative Priorities. How can someone participate? 1. Sign up for the WSPTA's Action Network Group to get timely alerts. 2. Find your Washington State Legislature Representatives. 3. Fill out this Focus Day Interest Google Form to schedule meetings with legislators 3. Set aside time during Focus on Advocacy Week to call and email. WSPTA has designated each day next week to a different focus topic: ◘ Monday, January 17 – Call to Action: Focus on dismantling racism ◘ Tuesday, January 18 – Call to Action: Focus on equity ◘ Wednesday, January 19 – Call to Action: Focus on mental health and wellness ◘ Thursday, January 20 – Call to Action: Focus on preserving and flexing funding ◘ Friday, January 21 – Call to Action: Focus on safety and emergency preparedness 4. Join Marie Sullivan, Washington State PTA’s legislative consultant, on January 11th from 7-8pm over Zoom as she presents Preparing for the 2022 Legislative Session - Your Questions Answered. 5. Check out the awesome videos and one page issue documents available on Washington State PTA’s Advocacy page about each of the priorities. 6. Spread the word! Invite others from your PTA community to join you in connecting with state legislative leaders. Use the hashtag #WSPTAOneVoice to share about Focus on Advocacy Week through your PTA's, and even your own, social media accounts. Remember to share updates via your PTA's other channels such as website or emails.
Check out the image below from WSPTA to see how PTA is putting Equity at the Center of Everything We Do with our 2020-2022 Legislative Priorities. Click here for a printable version.
You are invited to join Council's next 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. In this meeting we share and obtain updates from the NSD Safety team and discuss opportunities where the PTA can provide support to our schools in the areas of emergency preparedness, safety, and security. Date: Tuesday, February 1st Time: 11:00 AM to Noon, Pacific Time (US and Canada) Zoom Link & Passcode: Available upon request If you would like the zoom link and passcode in order to attend this meeting, or have questions concerning Emergency Preparedness, please email Council's E-Prep Co-Chairs, Tracy Jokisch & Robin McKenzie. We look forward to seeing you! You are invited to an upcoming FREE Parent Education event, "Laying the Groundwork for a More Supportive and Aware Community Around Gender Diversity"
These sessions are intended for families, caregivers, educators, and community members. Students are welcome to attend, however content (and terminology used) may be more suited for middle & high school students. Registration is required to attend. Deadline to register is Wednesday, February 2nd at 4pm. There is NO requirement to attend both sessions, however only Session 1 will be recorded and shared. Information Regarding Session 1: Join gender education specialist Aidan Key with Gender Diversity in examining the topic of gender diversity in children and teens, the challenges faced by these children youth and their families, exploring current research and identifying the best approaches for creating inclusive, supportive environments for these children. In our TWO PART WEBINAR, Aidan Key will address several key objectives (as well as several more):
Information Regarding Session 2: Kids have questions. Adults have questions. We can get them answered in Session 2! NOW IS THE TIME to get clarity from a reliable source. Questions may arise like these:
If you already have questions, please include them in your registration so the presenters can prepare in advance. This event is co-hosted by Arrowhead Elementary PTA, Canyon Creek Elementary PTA, Canyon Park Middle School PTSA, Cottage Lake Elementary PTA, Hollywood Hill Elementary PTA, Kenmore Elementary PTA, Lockwood Elementary PTA, Northshore Council PTSA, Northshore Middle School PTSA, PACE @ Lockwood Elementary, PACE @ Wellington Elementary, Ruby Bridges Elementary PTSA, Shelton View Elementary PTA, Skyview Middle School PTSA, Sunrise Elementary PTA, Wellington Elementary PTA, Westhill Elementary PTSA, and Woodin Elementary PTA. ![]()
Northshore Council PTSA is looking to fill our vacant Special Education Representative Chair position. ![]() If you are interested in serving on Council in this role, know someone who is, or have additional questions about this role, please contact Council President, Jane Chiodo. Council SpEd Rep Details
Please join us for our third general membership meeting of the year on Thursday, January 20, 2022 via Zoom! In addition to our regular business items, we’ll also be holding elections for our 2021-2022 Nominating Committee (See First Notice of Election post). Additionally, Council's Board of Directors would like to put forward the issue of supporting the bond and levies that are on the February ballot. During this meeting we will present both the pro and con positions on the issue before calling for a motion to determine our PTSA’s support of or opposition to the bond and levies.
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. Don’t Wait - Applications are now being accepted for Council's Educational Speakers and Community Events Grant Program! ![]() The Northshore Council PTSA’s Educational Speakers and Community Events Grant Program is designed to help support local 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. Next deadline is January 21, 2022! Not sure what to apply for? Check out some of the programs supported through this grant program on our past recipients page. Learn more about our grants program by clicking here. Download & Print the 2021-2022 Grants Application Form. Questions? Email us! ![]() Due to public meeting limitations, Northshore Council PTSA's 2021-2022 Nominating Committee elections will be taking place electronically. As we did not receive nominations before our November 15th General Membership Meeting, Council did not hold elections at that meeting as previously planned, and are therefore re-opening our self-nomination process. We are currently accepting self-nominations for the three (3) Nominating Committee positions. Interested candidates can self-nominate by emailing Jane Chiodo by Friday, January 7th. Please note: You do not need to be a Northshore Council PTSA Officer to be on the Nominating Committee. We encourage any interested and qualified Northshore PTA/PTSA member to volunteer for this vital role that will help shape the future of Northshore Council PTSA! If there are only three candidates, the election will be held at the January 20th, 2022 General Membership Meeting via Zoom. If there are more than three candidates, the election will be conducted by electronic ballot and detailed information will be available within the second notice of election on January 10th, 2022. To learn more about serving on the Nominating Committee, eligibility requirements, or for more information on what makes an effective NomCom Candidate, click here. Last month Council held their 2nd 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:
Council Business: The minutes from the September 2021 meeting were approved as written. Council's AIM insurance for the year was renewed and paid for in October. The mid year financial review committee was appointed while the election for the Nominating Committee was postponed until the next membership meeting. Guest Speakers:
Council Reports:
We hope you will join us for our next General Membership Meeting on January 20th, 2022 @ 7pm. For a full list of our upcoming meetings and events, check out our Calendar. ![]() WA State PTA's 100% Staff Membership Award is presented to local PTAs that enroll at least as many school staff members as there are full-time certificated employees at the school. This award recognizes the value of teachers and school staff as stakeholders advocating for all children through PTA membership. PTAs must be in good standing and submit a completed application form by March 15, 2022 to be eligible for this award. Recipients of the 100% Staff Membership Award will be recognized at the WSPTA convention in the spring. Check out the below flyer put together by Washington State PTA to help determine if you are eligible for this award! Click here to download or print the flyer.
💡 Membership Tip: To show appreciation for teachers & staff when they join, consider printing a certificate to give them to highlight their special recognition in your PTA. You can even ask them to display this certificate in their classroom/office - a perfect way to help promote joining your PTA to others! Click here to download, save, and customize the certificate shown below.
![]() As the Thanksgiving holiday approaches, Council would like to take time to give thanks and we hope that you will as well. We also would like to recognize that November is Native American Heritage Month and as part of PTA's mission of inclusivity, we honor and stand with our Native American neighbors. We hope that as you spend time with friends and family this holiday weekend giving thanks, that you will also take time to support Indigenous American communities.
Resources to learn more about Native American Heritage Month and Supporting Indigenous Peoples
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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.