November 2015 Agenda Notes (PTD)

Posted on by

REMINDERS

Donation Ask (Outreach): please bring diapers and infant formula for the Issaquah Food Bank to the meeting.

?Voting Delegate Form due. Form Link.

McCleary Letters can be found HERE

2015-16 WSPTA Deadline Dates can be found HERE in one handy document!

 

ADVOCACY

The “Paramount Duty Resolution, “ whose purpose is to raise awareness of the need for Washington State to fund basic education, and to call upon our elected officials to swiftly fulfill the paramount duty.

This resolution was crafted by the Network for Excellence in Washington Schools (NEWS) and has been adopted by a number of school boards, PTAs (including the Issaquah Council Board of Directors) and other organizations. If you’d like to read more about it, here’s a link to their website: http://waschoolexcellence.org/?s=resolution
We would really like to see our local Issaquah PTA/PTSAs get behind this and flood our legislature with the message that fully funding education should be a top priority. To engage your PTA and our elected officials, here are the steps to take:

 1. Have your PTA/PTSA Adopt the Resolution

Present the resolution at a General Membership meeting, discuss the importance of the resolution and fully funding education, and vote to adopt it.

 2. Have PTA Leadership sign the Resolution.

 3. Share and Send

Share with your PTA members that the PTA adopted the resolution by including an article in your PTA newsletter.

Send a letter with a copy of the resolution to State Elected officials:

Governor Inslee

McCleary Workgroup members (appointed by Gov. Inslee)

Senate & House Education Committee members

Your school’s legislators (2 representative and one Senator)

On the Council Website, find the letters and resolution for each school here. Each .zip has a copy of the resolution along with letters to Gov. Inslee and each of the eight members of the Governor’s McCleary Workgroup.

 Find your PTA’s legislators: http://app.leg.wa.gov/districtfinder.

Here is a link to the list of House Education Committee Members.http://leg.wa.gov/House/Committees/ED/Pages/MembersStaff.aspx

All letters can be sent to: P.O. Box 40600, Olympia, WA 98504

 Here is a link to the Senate Early Learning and k_12 Education Committee:http://leg.wa.gov/senate/committees/edu/pages/membersStaff.aspx

All letters can be sent to P.O. Box 40466, Olympia, WA 98504

And please, tell Issaquah PTSA Council what you have done.
E-mail advocacy@issaquahptsa.org

ART IN THE SCHOOLS
  • Art Docent Coordinator Meeting
    • 4 schools represented
    • Web site – group would like a central location for:
      • information
      • lessons
      • registration
      • payments
      • blog
      • photos
      • email capturing
      • replace Facebook & Signup Genius
    • Curriculum
      • Standardized within schools
      • More direction for docents
      • Integrated with state & federal standards
  • Art Docent Conference
    • 100+ attended
    • Great evaluation (attached)
    • Lots of different classes
    • Teachers were great
    • Need more volunteers to run event next year
      • Planning team – procure teachers, Food, student volunteer coor.
      • Event team 3 – 4 people to set up, register, run opening event, direct traffic, check in with teachers, take photos, get evaluations and reimbursement forms
  • Trainings
    • October training
    • 19 attended
    • 3 missed – names and schools attached for $10 fee
    • November glazing class is full
    • Winter/Spring classes coming soon
  • Issaquah Arts Commission Grant
    • Applied for IAC grant for program next year $4600
    • Reimbursement grant
      • How do we make that work with our current budget?
    • Budget attached
  • Long Term Funding Plan – topic for next month?
    • Devise a plan
    • Grants?
    • More from schools?
    • Charge for certain events?
    • Sell products?
    • Others?

BEST PRACTICES MOMENT

PTA Monthly Checklist – July-October 2015   &  Full Year

AIM Insurance must be renewed and paid by November 10th.

HEALTHY YOUTH

Members and invited guests of the Issaquah Schools Foundation’s Healthy Youth Initiative have a wonderful opportunity to help shape local outcomes for the voter-approved Best Starts for Kids levy and the King County Youth Action Plan.

Issaquah Schools Foundation Healthy Youth Initiative Community Forum
Monday, November 16, 2015
6:30 to 8:00 p.m.
Gibson Hall, 105 Newport Way SW, Issaquah

On-street parking is available on Newport Way and Sunset Way.

This event is free but seating is limited and registration is required:  https://www.signupforms.com/registrations/6196

Sheila Capestany, King County Strategic Advisor for Children and Youth, will be our featured speaker. Following Ms. Capestany’s presentation, attendees will participate in guided discussions about how the greater Issaquah community can best deploy King County levy funding to achieve mutual goals for com-munity children and youth.

Please join us for this very important and timely discussion.

ISSAQUAH SCHOOLS FOUNDATION (ISF)

Nourish Every Mind date changes:
*Luncheon: Thursday, April 28, 2016
*Breakfast: Wednesday, May 4, 2016

MEMBERSHIP

 

OUTREACH / F.A.C.E.

How You Can Help

  1. Issaquah Food & Clothing Bank TURKEY TROT  NOV 26, 2015  8:00 AM – 12:00 Come join us for a great community 5K fun run/walk. This is a great way to kick off your Thanksgiving holiday, plus make a little more room for that second slice of pie! All proceeds benefit the Issaquah food and Clothing Bank.   https://www.issaquahfoodbank.org/calendar/turkey-trot/
  1. Friends of Youth  Rise and Thrive Breakfast – Please join us and support our community as we raise funds to increase mental health and substance abuse counseling in the Issaquah School District. Wednesday, December 2, 2015  7:30am-8:30am at Pickering Barn, Issaquah. Our programs include parenting education and support, mental health and substance abuse counseling at the high schools, prevention services for middle school students at risk of academic failure, and counseling services available at school. To learn more, visit www.friendsofyouth.org.
  1. Lunch For The Break is a community effort to provide food to children who rely on the free & reduced lunch program in the Issaquah School District. As we slowly expand, we are currently serving seven ISD schools for school breaks: Clark, Issaquah Valley, Sunset, Maple Hills, Apollo and Briarwood Elementary Schools and Issaquah Middle School. All the donated food boxes will have the same contents, so please download and follow the shopping list at our website if you are donating.  Donation Drop-Off will be Dec 16, 2pm-7pm at 3 locations.   Details at www.LunchForTheBreak.com  or  https://www.issaquahfoodbank.org/calendar/lunch-for-the-break-donor-drop-off/
  1. Issaquah Food & Clothing Bank Holiday Gift Barn  The goal of this program is to help all families with holiday cheer through the giving and sharing of gifts for children birth-18 years old.  https://www.issaquahfoodbank.org/calendar/holiday-gift-barnk-donors/
  1. YWCA Family Village Issaquah is looking for adult or high school volunteers to help with tutoring and programs at their after-school program which started Sept 1.  Hours would be 2:30-5pm (perhaps 6pm).  For more information and signing up, please contact Sondi Lind,425.270.6800
  1. YWCA Family Village Issaquah is looking for donations of non-perishable snacks for their after-school program.    Items can include granola bars, packaged fruits or any other healthy packaged snacks.  Items can be brought to PTSA Council meetings, or directly to YWCA Village at 930 NE High St., Suite 101, Issaquah, 98029.

Current Programs

  1. ENGLISH FOR WORK – AN ESL PROGRAM.  Learn English. Prepare for Work. Free classes start September 14, 2015. Call to register. Locations: Kirkland, Shoreline, Bellevue and Redmond  Contact Marci Williams at 425-250-3007 or marciw@hope-link.org.  Flyer posted to Council Outreach website.
  2. College Transition Tips for Students with Disabilities   Issaquah Library  Saturday, November 14, 2015  1:00 PM – 3:00 PM    Learn about the important differences between the accommodation process in high school and college. Do you know how your rights and responsibilities change as a college student? Find out the best way to prepare for a successful transition between these two very different environments. Choose a school and program that meets your needs. Help your support network (including parents) understand how they can best help you. Get ready to put yourself in the driver’s seat of your education.   Location: Meeting Room
  3. Join our Office of Sustainability to see “The Starfish Throwers” — what The Huffington Post calls “the most heartwarming film of 2014” — at 6 p.m. Nov. 12, 2015, at Cinebarre, 1490 11th Ave. N.W.    Is hunger too big of a problem for one person to be able to make a difference?   The showing is free and a panel discussion follows the film.  http://www.ci.issaquah.wa.us/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=1845
  4. Child Care resources:  http://childcare.org/family-services/
  5. Homeless Youth Services:  Friends of Youth
    1. Ages 15-22 in need of housing, referrals, food, case management, or shelter can go to 16225 NE 87th St, Ste A-1  Redmond, WA  98052.  Drop-In Center   call for hours at 425.298.4846
    2. Short Term Shelter, guys & girls ages 11-17 – call 24-hours 206.236.437
    3. Overnight Shelter with food, showers, laundry, ages 18-24, open 7 days/week Line up: 8:30-8:45pm    16225 NE 87th St., Ste, A-1 Redmond.  Bus Routes Metro 542 and 545
    4. For the nearest SAFE PLACE location, text the word SAFE and your current location to 69866
  6. Lunch for the Break Winter 2015 is here! We will provide each school age child in a family with an extra box of food during Winter Break.  As we slowly expand our program, we are serving families who have children in the following schools: Clark, IVE, Maple Hills, Apollo, Briarwood, Sunset, Issaquah Middle.  All school age children in the family are eligable, but you must have at least one child in a school on the list.  Box pick ups are on Dec. 17 from 2-7pm and you may choose one of two pick up locations: Our Savior Lutheran Church (745 Front St S)  or  Renton location TBD  https://www.issaquahfoodbank.org/calendar/lunch-for-the-break-food-pick-up/ Or  www.LunchForTheBreak.com
  1. Issaquah Food & Clothing Bank Holiday Gift Barn  The goal of this program is to help all families with holiday cheer through the giving and sharing of gifts for children birth-18 years old.
    Family registration begins Nov 1.
  2. Study Zone at our libraries !  Issaquah, Newcastle, Renton Highlands, and Sammamish libraries offer drop-in for free homework help from trained volunteer tutors during the week !  Check out the KCLS website for days/times at your library, and all other locations. http://kcls.org/calendar/calendar.cfm?view=calendar&ag=Teens&et=&lib=46,%2032,%2049,%2016&kw=&startdate=&enddate=&nd=90
  3. Life After High School Programs offered through KCLS   SAT/ACT Math Preparation Tips, The World as Your Classroom, Secrets of College Admissions, Gap Year Study Abroad, College Success for Students with Disabilities, Get a job! The Intelligent Job Search, Your College Planning Checklist    http://www.kcls.org/teens/lifeafterhighschool/
  4. Find out if you qualify for a computers and/or free internet access: http://washingtonaccessfund.org/free-and-low-cost-computers/
  5. Issaquah School District students with financial hardship may be eligible for a free computer.  Please contact your school office to learn how to apply.

 

PARENT EDUCATION

Grading Practices: Thomas Guskey, author of “On Your Mark” among other publications, will be speaking to parents of the Issaquah School District about grading practices on 1/6/16 at 6:30-8:00pm at Skyline HS Theater.  The Issaquah School District administration has brought him for 2 days to speak to our educators, and he will stay for an evening to speak to parents as well.  Peruse a copy of his book and come hear new ideas about assessing student learning!  Relevant for parents of any aged student in our district.

VOLUNTEERS FOR ISSAQUAH SCHOOLS (VIS)
On Oct. 28, 2015, the School Board approved the $533,500,000 school bond ballot resolution to be put before the voters on April 26,2016. On Nov. 5, 2015, the Issaquah Council Board voted to endorse this school bond. The Board will be presenting this item to the General Issaquah Council for an endorsement vote on Nov. 12, 2015.
A sample endorsement format for your own PTA endorsement, an endorsement sheet, and Bond discussion points will be available for you at the meeting and can be found on the VIS and Council website. Individuals can personally endorse via the VIS website here: http://www.visvote.org/endorsements-2016/   or on a paper endorsement sheet that is returned to us in person or by mail.
The VIS Speaker series will be in full force starting in January. We’re asking if speakers can be present at any of your GM mtgs between Jan-Mar. We can be there to present prior to an endorsement vote or simply to present information and answer questions for your community about this bond. We’ll be asking to confirm your mtg dates with us on Thurs.
Save the Date: January 6, 2016 7PM at KCLS Service Center, for the VIS School Bond Community Kick-off event.
Remember that if your PTA website is linked on your school’s website that any call to action items must be two clicks away from the District. So a click to your PTA homepage from your school’s homepage is one click, so no “call to action” “vote yes” should be on your front homepage. You can have general information about the April bond with a “click for more info…” on your homepage. Once people click for more info, that is the 2nd click away and you can have whatever call to action language you want, as long as your PTA membership has approved the endorsement.
If you have ANY questions about the April 2016 school bond please let Dawn or Alicia know and they’ll be able to help. We can even tell you who your school building Bond Committee Rep was and they can help you too.
If you have a VIS donation line item in your PTA budget and you haven’t sent that in yet, we’d be happy to accept those checks at any Council meeting. We appreciate the tremendous support and donations PTA’s give to VIS. Teachers and District staff are also regular financial supporters to the VIS campaigns.
Contacts:
Dawn Peschek dawn@visvote.org  or Alicia Veevaert  alicia@visvote.org
Website: http://www.visvote.org/

WEBSITE & DIRECTORY

Directory – Proofs are going out now. If you, as president, have not received a proof for your unit, please email Cindy at webmaster@issaquahptsa.org. Please review the positions and contact information as well as your school principal and bell times and confirm or indicate corrections.

Surveys – It’s important to survey your membership periodically. It’s also a component of awards and Best Practices.  When you are ready to do your survey, let Cindy know. You’ll need to have your survey questions and applicable answer choices as well as the time frame you’d like it opened and closed. The turnaround on these is pretty quick unless I’m away.

PTA & THE LAW / TRAININGS