Category Archives: Presidents’ To-Do

May 2017 Agenda Notes

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May Agenda
April Draft Minutes
April Treasurer Report
Draft Budget 2017-2018

REMINDERS

LOCATION REMINDER:

Issaquah PTSA Council Transition Luncheon
Thursday, May 18th at Pickering Barn
9:30 – General Meeting (Current & Incoming Presidents)
11:30 – Luncheon (PTSA Council, Principals & District Guests)
 
We look forward to seeing you all at the Issaquah PTSA Council Transition Luncheon, celebrating another successful school year! 
Current* & Incoming Presidents arrive at 9:30 for the General Meeting. Principals & Issaquah District Guests join us for the 11:30 Luncheon.
 
*Current Presidents, please bring a *store-bought* salad to serve 10+ guests. (Pickering Barn policy requires that all food served be prepared in a commercial kitchen, refrigeration is available.) 
  

TREASURER

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AWARDS

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ADVOCACY

Contacts:
5th Leg. District
Sen. Mark Mullet – Mark.Mullet@leg.wa.gov
Rep. Paul Graves – PaulGraves@leg.wa.gov
Rep. Jay Rodne – JayRodne@leg.wa.gov
41st Leg. District
Sen. Lisa Wellman – Lisa.Wellman@leg.wa.gov
Rep. Judy Clibborn – JudyClibborn@leg.wa.gov
Rep. Tana Senn – Tana.Senn@leg.wa.gov
Thank you again for your dedication! 😊

ART IN THE SCHOOLS
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BEST PRACTICES

Best Practices Checklist

Council Transition Checklist

FACE/Family And Community Engagement

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HEALTHY YOUTH NETWORK

2017 ACTION FORUM FOR YOUTH
     JUNE 1, ISSAQUAH HOLIDAY INN, 7:00 TO 9:00 A.M.
     JUNE 6, SAMMAMISH X3 TEEN CENTER, 7:00 TO 9:00 A.M.
http://www.healthyyouthinitiative.org/action-forum-for-youth.html

 

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ISSAQUAH SCHOOLS FOUNDATION

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MEMBERSHIP

Washington State PTA Membership Leadership Guide

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OUTREACH

Outreach Notes – This page is kept current as needs or programs change.

Tools 4 School Class Packs link is now available through July 15th. Flyer. Donate.

FREE SAT practice exam at the Issaquah Library on May 20th. FLYER.

PARENTWISER (formerly Parent Education)
1. Thank you to those able to help during Jessica Lahey’s talks on April 25th!  Thanks to the many Presidents who stepped in, we ended up with sufficient volunteers making both day and evening events flow easily.   Thank you!!!
2. New Topics – Based on results from our March district-wide survey, we are currently planning speakers for next year.  The topics that emerged are:
1) Managing screen time
2) Managing academic/friendship stress
3) Parenting tweens & teens (grades 6-12)
4) Managing behavior challenges (in grades K-8)
5) Sibling Rivalry
Targeting these areas, we are considering a similar model to current year with 1 film documentary/panel discussion, and 3 additional speakers, including 1 national keynote speaker. Speakers and dates will be available in September.
3. Quarterly ParentWiser Committee Meeting will be via email this spring; please send any parent ed suggestions/comments for continual improvement to parentwiser@issaquahptsa.org.  Please keep a parent ed rep on your PTA/PTSA roster as the local voice for parent ed at your school, and encourage them to participate in ParentWiser events as volunteers and idea generators.  They can also contact us for local speaker suggestions to draw attendance to your General Membership Meetings.
4. Back-to-School PTSA Check-In.  When creating your online membership/registration for back-to-school check-in, please add the following question/field, and then send your list of emails accumulated to parentwiser@issaquahptsa.org :
“Add me to the monthly ParentWiser email distribution to learn about district-wide parent ed events                  (enter email here)               “
5.  ENEWS announcement for May/June.  (This was also sent directly to all parent ed reps and communication chairs.)
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(For ENEWS):
ParentWiser invites you to…
1.  Join us May 22 at 7pm for a Debrief Discussion on “The Gift of Failure” by Jessica Lahey to discuss key takeaways and implementing a cultural change in raising independent, resilient kids.
2.  Bookmark ParentWiser.org for the new speaker series coming 2017-18!
3.  Access online Parent Ed conferences over the summer.
…because parenting continues even when school ends.
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Thank you !
Heidi Fuhs & Debbie Steinberg Kuntz
Co-Chairs

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ParentWiser Logo.

REFLECTIONS
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STAR/SPECIAL EDUCATION
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VICE PRESIDENTS

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VOLUNTEERS FOR ISSAQUAH SCHOOLS (VIS)

ISD LEVY COMMITTEE UPDATE

The purpose of the ISD Levy Development Committee is to advise the Superintendent as he prepares a recommendation for the school board to approve levy issues for the 2018 ballot. The Committee is made up of 44 representatives from each of our Schools, Principals, Senior/Retired Community, PTSA Council, Certificated Staff Rep, Classified Staff Rep, and Community Members at Large. There are 3 proposed levies – Transportation, Capital Levy (Technology & Critical Repairs) and the M&O (Maintenance and Operations Levy).

Click here for Transportation Levy and May 3rd meeting details.
Click here to read the Capital Levy Priority 1 and Priority 2 proposals and May 17th meeting details.

The next meeting of the committee is May 31st.


WEBMASTER/DIRECTORY

There is still time to do a member survey.

Other

Next month’s training following the GMM will be”Managing Your Nonprofit PTA: The Financial Responsibilities of Board Members” and is applicable to all board members counting for your 2017-2018 training requirement. 

April 2017 – Agenda Notes

Posted on by

April Agenda

March Draft Minutes
March Treasurer Report

Election Slate – Revised
May Luncheon Invitation

REMINDERS

LOCATION REMINDER – This month we are in the Eagle Room at the Issaquah Police Station on Sunset.

Outreach Donation Ask for Council meeting:  Small monetary donation (see Outreach Notes below for more information).

TREASURER

Budget Reminder: This is the time to get your 2017-2018 budget committee together and work on your budget for next year. Survey your program chairs and officers to see if they need/want adjustments to their budgets. Council Dues and fees should likely stay the same.  Your interim budget must be approved by your General Membership before the end of the school year. Let Laila know if you need any help.

AWARDS

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ADVOCACY

Contacts:
5th Leg. District
Sen. Mark Mullet – Mark.Mullet@leg.wa.gov
Rep. Paul Graves – PaulGraves@leg.wa.gov
Rep. Jay Rodne – JayRodne@leg.wa.gov
41st Leg. District
Sen. Lisa Wellman – Lisa.Wellman@leg.wa.gov
Rep. Judy Clibborn – JudyClibborn@leg.wa.gov
Rep. Tana Senn – Tana.Senn@leg.wa.gov
Thank you again for your dedication! 😊

ART IN THE SCHOOLS
Kiln upkeep is NOT an action item, just an FYI.
Looking for a Conference Manager for next fall.

BEST PRACTICES

Best Practices Checklist

Council Transition Checklist

FACE/Family And Community Engagement

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HEALTHY YOUTH NETWORK

State of Mind Conferences. Flyers: JPG | PDF

 11:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

 

ISSAQUAH SCHOOLS FOUNDATION

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MEMBERSHIP

Washington State PTA Membership Leadership Guide

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OUTREACH

Outreach Notes – This page is kept current as needs or programs change.

This month’s Outreach Ask for Council meeting:    

Please consider a small monetary donation to support two schools who do not have PTAs/PTSAs to support their Staff Appreciation events.  Each year the Council provides a Staff Appreciation event for Echo Glen (the school at Youth Detention Facility in Snoqualmie) and the Academy for Community Transition (ISD program for 18-21 year-olds with qualifying disabilities).  It is incredibly difficult to collect food donations for this purpose across the district.  Funds collected will be used to supplement the small budget provided for these events.  Thank you!

 

FREE SAT practice exam at the Issaquah Library on May 20th. FLYER.

PARENTWISER (formerly Parent Education)

Presidents – the following communications for ParentWiser went out to your Parent Ed Reps and Communication Chairs on April 6th.

Please ensure these get updated in your school ENews, we are still seeing most schools running the March info, which is outdated.  Note the location change to the Debrief book Discussion from IMS Library to Swedish Issaquah’s Café 1910. Revised flyers are also attached.

2)      Still seeking volunteers to help at both 10am and 7pm events on April 25th.  Signup here!

 

For Enews:

ParentWiser asks…

What do YOU do when your child makes mistakes or fails?

How you answer this question can change your relationship with your child and your child’s motivation and resilience. Join us for an exciting series of events this April as we host the NY Times bestselling author Jessica Lahey and her book: The Gift Of Failure. What to do next:

 

1. Read the Book: Get your copy of The Gift of Failure ASAP so you can read it over spring break. Issaquah Barnes & Noble has copies waiting for you.

 

2. Don’t miss Jessica Lahey’s talk: REGISTER to join us at 10am or 7pm on April 25th to hear Ms. Lahey’s potentially life-changing message. You will not want to miss it! (ALMOST SOLD OUT .Walk-ins welcome if space available.)

 

3. Debrief Discussion: Join us on May 22nd  at 7pm in the IMS Library Swedish Issaquah Café 1910 to debrief your key takeaways from the book and/or her talk. See you then!

 

ParentWiser’s district-wide parent ed in an ongoing success this year!  Thank you for your continued support!

  1. For 2017-18, please continue your budget for at least $250 Council fees for ParentWiser/Parent Ed (same as current year).
  2. Keep a Parent Ed Rep on your committee reports.  The Parent Ed Rep is your liaison between your specific school community and ParentWiser.  We rely on the input and volunteer help of parent ed reps at each school to run our speaker program.

Here is our recommended job description for Parent Ed Rep at your local PTSA:

  • Advertize all parent ed offerings forwarded to you by Parentwiser (Issaquah PTSA Council) at your school via flyers, school ENews, PTSA news, and any social media accounts linked to your school and/or PTSA), approx monthly
  • Use FEDEX PTSA discount code for printed materials:  052 088 2103
  • Attend quarterly ParentWiser committee meetings to provide input/planning for future speakers/events.
  • Act as liaison between your local school community and ParentWiser at the district level
  • Volunteer to assist at least 1 ParentWiser event per year, SignupGenius for pre/post-event volunteer needs go out 1-2 weeks prior to each event.
  • Organize/host any additional local speaker(s) at your school community, if desired by your PTSA.
  1. If open to other parents in the district, please forward details at least 3 weeks prior to parentwiser@issaquahptsa.org
  2. For suggestions for local speakers/topics, contact parentwiser@issaquahptsa.org
  3. Turn-in receipts/expenses to your local PTSA unit for reimbursement
  • Encourage your school community to attend parent ed events or watch online at http://ParentWiser.org
  • ParentWiser parent education is FREE for Issaquah School District PTSA members only, non-members pay $. Encourage your PTSA membership with this tangible benefit!
  1. Below are the communications for March events.  This was sent to presidents, parent ed reps, and communications chairs on March 6th.  Please ensure they are advertized at your school.

 

For ENews:

ParentWiser presents…

 

April 25th The Gift of Failure: Fostering Intrinsic Motivation and Resilience in Kids by national keynote and author, Jessica Lahey, motivational talk and book signing at 10am or 7pm!  In today’s culture, do we coddle our kids enough?  Too much?  Jessica Lahey summarizes the current research on autonomy-supportive parenting and teaching, competence, rewards, praise, and failure, and gives us advice on how to allow students to succeed over the long term.  Join our community book read of Gift of Failure to prepare for a cultural change!  For parents of K-12. FLYER.

New – WATCH ONLINE!  Did you miss Amy Lang’s talk on Birds+Bees+Kids?  That event, plus 28 additional high caliber online parent ed talks from NextGenEd,  are now available on ParentWiser.org/watch-online! With a click, enjoy parent ed on a variety of current topics from the convenience of your home, anytime.  Audio downloads are included to listen on-the-go.  ParentWiser is thrilled to offer these FREE with your PTSA membership to any Issaquah district school.  Enjoy!

ParentWiser Logo.

REFLECTIONS
ICYMI:  State Winners

STAR/SPECIAL EDUCATION
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VICE PRESIDENTS

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VOLUNTEERS FOR ISSAQUAH SCHOOLS (VIS)

Call for Levy Committee Community Members 

Every four years, the Issaquah School District asks local voters to approve levies to pay for educational essentials that the state does not fund, including school buses, classroom technology, and about 20 percent of the operations budget. Because our current levies expire next year, the District is forming a community committee now to help plan the renewal levy measures. If you are interested in representing the community at large on the committee, please contact Lisa White (425-837-7024) for an application. Committee members will consider the overall need, proposed content, total cost, and tax impacts of the ballot measures and present a final recommendation to the Superintendent. The commitment is several Wednesday evening meetings in May and June. 

WEBMASTER/DIRECTORY

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Other

WSPTA Convention April 27-30, 2017 SeaTac Hilton

March 2017 – Agenda Notes

Posted on by

March Agenda
February Draft Minutes
February Treasurer Report
Golden Acorn Reception Invitation

REMINDERS

Outreach Donation Ask for Council meeting:  New or gently used books for Lunch for the Break.

 

 

TREASURER

This is the time to get your 2017-2018 budget committee together and work on your budget for next year. Survey your program chairs and officers to see if they need/want adjustments to their budgets. Council Dues and fees should likely stay the same.  Your interim budget must be approved by your General Membership before the end of the school year. Let Laila know if you need any help.

 

AWARDS

The Issaquah PTSA Council will be awarding the Council Golden Acorn and Outstanding Advocate Awards at this meeting. Congratulations to all the nominees and award winners for the 2016-2017 school year. What an outstanding bunch of volunteers we have here in Issaquah!  The PTSA Council district reception honoring all of the Award winners will be Tuesday, April 4th 6:30-7:30pm at Issaquah Middle School. Paper invitations will be handed out to PTA Presidents to distribute to their PTA Award winners and Principal.

 

ADVOCACY

Two major events happened in the legislature on March 8th! 

  1. SB 5023 was brought to the floor of the Senate (this is the Senate version of the bill that would delay the levy cliff, and companion bill to HB 1059). The Senate voted and passed the bill! It will be sent to the House for consideration tomorrow.
  2. The Senate passed a Para-educator Bill! This bill (SB 5070) will require standards for para-educators, professional development, a career ladder, a more accessible path to teacher certification, and training for teachers who supervise para-educators. This aligns with one of the Top 5 priorities on this year’s WSPTA legislative platform.

 

March Action Items:

Below are 3 action items for this month. Email addresses for your local legislators are listed at the bottom of this email. So many of you have already sent in emails and blue postcards. Please keep them coming! Thank you all so much for all you do!

1. Contact your Senator re: bringing House Bill 1059 (Levy Cliff Extension Bill) to a vote. 
The House passed the levy cliff delay bill nearly a month ago and the Senate has rejected two attempts to bring it to the floor for a vote. This is top priority for Issaquah!
Sample subject line: Urgent – Please Pass the Levy Cliff Extension bill HB 1059
Sample email: I urge you to support HB 1059. Students are counting on you to keep teachers in classrooms next year. Our schools are trying to devise an operating budget for next year before April 1st. They are faced with the stress of uncertainty, and the possibility of having to RIF teachers. Levy dollars are voter approved. We cannot afford to lose teachers or funding in our schools. Thank you for taking care of our students and voting to pass HB 1059. (Please give your name and address in the body of the email.)
 
2. Ask your Representatives to identify new progressive revenue sources to amply fund public education.
The House passed the Democrats’ Education Plan (HB 1843), but they have not yet announced how the state would pay for it.
3. Attend the Education Funding Forum for the 5th and 41st Legislative Districts! 
Join local legislators in a conversation about education funding.
Saturday, March 11, 2017
1:00-3:00pm
Tyee Middle School in Bellevue
Contacts:
5th Leg. District
Sen. Mark Mullet – Mark.Mullet@leg.wa.gov
Rep. Paul Graves – PaulGraves@leg.wa.gov
Rep. Jay Rodne – JayRodne@leg.wa.gov
41st Leg. District
Sen. Lisa Wellman – Lisa.Wellman@leg.wa.gov
Rep. Judy Clibborn – JudyClibborn@leg.wa.gov
Rep. Tana Senn – Tana.Senn@leg.wa.gov
Thank you again for your dedication! 😊
Portions of the above are from the Washington’s Paramount Duty website. 

ART IN THE SCHOOLS
  • March updates
    • Drawing the Face with Priyanka Misra March 3, 2017
    • Docents never having drawn a face before all succeeded!
  • Needed:
    • Coordinate facility rental, food, volunteers and marketing before event
    • Manage food, volunteers and registration day of event (mid October)
    • Work with Juliette Ripley-Dunkelberger
    • Contact Juliette at www.Juliette@isfdn.org
    • 2 to 4 people
    • Re-write and format collected art docent lessons
    • Paid position
    • Contact Juliette at www.Juliette@isfdn.org
    • Art Docent Conference Coordinator
    • Lesson Re-format/Writers
  • Upcoming events & Works in progress
    • Goal – to complete 20 lessons by end of school year
    • Have teachers assign GLE’s to them over summer
    • Have them available online by September 2017
    • Curriculum Development Project
    • Trainings funded by Schools Foundation Fine Arts Fund held at Art East

BEST PRACTICES

Best Practices Checklist

FACE/Family And Community Engagement

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HEALTHY YOUTH NETWORK

State of Mind Conferences. Flyers: JPG | PDF

  • Saturday, March 11, Liberty High School in Renton | PROGRAM
  • Saturday, April 29, Issaquah High School in Issaquah

All Events will be held from 11:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Influence the Choice Video Contest is up and running. Deadline to submit is March 10th at 5pm.

High School Flyer: JPG | PDF
Middle School Flyer: JPG | PDF

JUDGES NEEDED! Flyer
Judging for the Influence the Choice video contest will take place on Monday, April 3. Middle and high school students, parents and community members are eligible. Each judge reviews a set of inspiring student videos and then meets with other judges on April 3rd to make final award decisions.  To volunteer, contact John Carney at john@isfdn.org.

 

Hidden In Plain Sight

Influence the Choice, with the support of seven community organizations, is hosting the first “Hidden In Plain Sight” parents-only event on Tuesday, March 28, 6:30 p.m. at Liberty High School.  This event helps parents spot signs of at-risk behaviors using an interactive display of a teenager’s bedroom. After walking through the display, participants will learn more about adolescent development and common signs of substance use provided by professionals in treatment, law enforcement, substance abuse prevention and other parents.  Event Flyer

Suicide Prevention Forums

Healthy Youth Initiative, in partnership with Friends of Youth, will present a Youth Suicide Prevention Forum on Thursday, March 30, 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. at the Issaquah Police Station Eagle Room.  The event is free, and open to middle school and high school students, parents, school staff and community members.  A second forum will be held on Thursday, April 13, 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. at Beaver Lake Lodge in Sammamish.  Join us for a candid conversation about youth suicide, including warning signs, at-risk factors, prevention strategies, and tips on supporting teen healthy mental health development.  Event Flyer.

 

ISSAQUAH SCHOOLS FOUNDATION

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MEMBERSHIP

Washington State PTA Membership Leadership Guide

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OUTREACH

Outreach Notes – This page is kept current as needs or programs change.

This month’s Outreach Ask for Council meeting:    New or gently used books for Lunch for the Break. Thank you!

Lunch for the Break seeking donations and volunteers.

Congratulations to the Lunch for the Break crew, who delivered 415 boxes of food to Issaquah School District students in need for the mid-winter break.  As of this year, Lunch for the Break is serving every school in the district.  A special thanks goes to Rebecca Rayner, Issaquah Food and Clothing Bank, for her leadership.  The next, and final, Lunch for the Break collection and distribution dates are Wednesday, April 5 and Thursday, April 6.  Donations and volunteers are always welcome.  To learn more, go to https://www.lunchforthebreak.com/.

FREE SAT practice exam at the Issaquah Library on May 20th. FLYER.

PARENTWISER (formerly Parent Education)

ParentWiser’s district-wide parent ed in an ongoing success this year!  Thank you for your continued support!

  1. For 2017-18, please continue your budget for at least $250 Council fees for ParentWiser/Parent Ed (same as current year).
  2. Keep a Parent Ed Rep on your committee reports.  The Parent Ed Rep is your liaison between your specific school community and ParentWiser.  We rely on the input and volunteer help of parent ed reps at each school to run our speaker program.

Here is our recommended job description for Parent Ed Rep at your local PTSA:

  • Advertize all parent ed offerings forwarded to you by Parentwiser (Issaquah PTSA Council) at your school via flyers, school ENews, PTSA news, and any social media accounts linked to your school and/or PTSA), approx monthly
  • Use FEDEX PTSA discount code for printed materials:  052 088 2103
  • Attend quarterly ParentWiser committee meetings to provide input/planning for future speakers/events.
  • Act as liaison between your local school community and ParentWiser at the district level
  • Volunteer to assist at least 1 ParentWiser event per year, SignupGenius for pre/post-event volunteer needs go out 1-2 weeks prior to each event.
  • Organize/host any additional local speaker(s) at your school community, if desired by your PTSA.
  1. If open to other parents in the district, please forward details at least 3 weeks prior to parentwiser@issaquahptsa.org
  2. For suggestions for local speakers/topics, contact parentwiser@issaquahptsa.org
  3. Turn-in receipts/expenses to your local PTSA unit for reimbursement
  • Encourage your school community to attend parent ed events or watch online at http://ParentWiser.org
  • ParentWiser parent education is FREE for Issaquah School District PTSA members only, non-members pay $. Encourage your PTSA membership with this tangible benefit!
  1. Below are the communications for March events.  This was sent to presidents, parent ed reps, and communications chairs on March 6th.  Please ensure they are advertized at your school.

 

For ENews:

ParentWiser presents…

March 15th Disciplina Positiva para Padres (Positive Discipline, in Spanish), 6-8pm at Issaquah Valley Elementary.  A special invitation for our Spanish-speaking families, join parent educator Lupita Zamora for an informative 6-class series in positive discipline, in your native Spanish language.  This first session is FREE, where you can sign up for the 5 remaining classes at $40 per person. For parents of K-12, childcare provided if needed.

 

March 28th Hidden in Plain Sight, 6:30-8:30pm at Liberty High School Commons.   Come to a “Hidden in Plain Sight” exhibit of a youth bedroom, and learn what signs of substance use to look for, and what to do if you find something.  Includes expert Q&A forum, and a brief professional talk on communicating with youth about at-risk behavior.  This is a PARENT ONLY event.

 

April 25th The Gift of Failure: Fostering Intrinsic Motivation and Resilience in Kids by national keynote and author, Jessica Lahey, motivational talk and book signing at 10am or 7pm!  In today’s culture, do we coddle our kids enough?  Too much?  Jessica Lahey summarizes the current research on autonomy-supportive parenting and teaching, competence, rewards, praise, and failure, and gives us advice on how to allow students to succeed over the long term.  Join our community book read of Gift of Failure to prepare for a cultural change!  For parents of K-12. FLYER.

 

New – WATCH ONLINE!  Did you miss Amy Lang’s talk on Birds+Bees+Kids?  That event, plus 28 additional high caliber online parent ed talks from NextGenEd,  are now available on ParentWiser.org/watch-online! With a click, enjoy parent ed on a variety of current topics from the convenience of your home, anytime.  Audio downloads are included to listen on-the-go.  ParentWiser is thrilled to offer these FREE with your PTSA membership to any Issaquah district school.  Enjoy!

 

We value your input for ParentWiser!  Please take a moment before March 22nd to help select parent ed speakers or topics for next year that are relevant to your parenting needs. Thank you!

ParentWiser Logo.

REFLECTIONS

STAR/SPECIAL EDUCATION
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VICE PRESIDENTS

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VOLUNTEERS FOR ISSAQUAH SCHOOLS (VIS)
Dawn will be handing out letters to all Presidents explaining why it is important to keep the Volunteers for Issaquah Schools donation as a line item in your budget. You will also find your PTA’s past 3 years donation amount listed at the bottom of the letter. If you notice that you haven’t had a chance to mail a check for your donation this year, it is not too late. Please use this letter as your donation confirmation and we will also mail you a letter of receipt for your financial records. We are anticipating running a Levy Campaign for 2018, so now is the time that we are saving to finance the campaign. We are very grateful for all of our PTAs’ historic strong support of our Issaquah Bonds and Levies. Thank you very much for your continued support and donations!
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WEBMASTER/DIRECTORY

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Other

 The 2016-2017 district-wide PTA/PTSA Awards Reception:

April 4th
7-8:30pm
Issaquah Middle School Commons

This reception is to honor all Golden Acorn and Outstanding Advocate Award Winners from all of our schools in the Issaquah School District.

February 2017 – Agenda Notes

Posted on by

February Agenda
January Draft Minutes
January Treasurer Report
Council Awards Information
K12 Funding Side by Side Comparision
Local Levies – Frequently Asked Questions
VIS Levy Information Flyer
Membership Report (updated post-meeting, 2/9/17)

REMINDERS

Outreach Donation Ask for Council meeting:   Books for all ages, especially older kids to add to Lunch for the Break boxes. Thank you!

Council Award Nominations are being accepted now through February 15th: http://www.issaquahptsa.org/council-awards

 

TREASURER

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ADVOCACY

FOCUS DAY

WSPTA Focus Day had an amazing turnout – around 6,500 people came to Olympia to advocate for education! Issaquah was well-represented by parents, teachers and students, as well as Superintendent Thiele, School Board President Lisa Callan, and Director Anne Moore. We had the opportunity to meet privately with legislators to talk about priority issues for Issaquah students. THANK YOU to all who filled out about 250 blue postcards with comments to legislators! Please keep them coming! This legislative session is just beginning and Olympia needs to hear from us. No doubt, our legislators are feeling the weight of great responsibility during this session. They also appreciate hearing “thank you” for a job well done. 😊

HB 1059 – Delaying revisions to the school levy lid

This bill would allow a 12 month reprieve from the “levy cliff”. If it passes, this would give legislators another year to figure out how to fully fund education without relying on levies. In 2010, school districts were given authority to temporarily increase property tax levies by 4%. That allowance will expire at the beginning of 2018, in the middle of the next school year. That would mean a loss of about $7.5M to Issaquah schools next year. The good news is that the House has already voted to pass HB 1059. However, the Senate has not yet voted and there are some Senators that are expected to vote against this bill. They are listed below along with contact information. If you have friends or family in their districts, please urge them to contact these legislators!

Sample Letter:

I urge you to support HB 1059. Students are counting on you to keep teachers in classrooms next year. Our schools are trying to devise an operating budget for next year before April 1st. They are faced with the stress of uncertainty, and the possibility of having to RIF teachers. Levy dollars are voter approved. We cannot afford to lose teachers or funding in our schools. Thank you for taking care of our students by voting to pass HB 1059.

Email your Legislatures by on clicking your district:
41st District (link includes Lisa Wellman, Judy Clibborn, Tana Senn)

5th District (link includes Mark Mullet, Jay Rodne, Paul Graves)

 

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ART IN THE SCHOOLS

BEST PRACTICES

Best Practices Checklist

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FACE/Family And Community Engagement

Family partnership and Cultural Bridges are going to support the Kindergarten registration event at Apollo, Issaquah Valley Elementary School and Clark.  We will provide volunteers to translate flyers, help ELL families fill out the Kindergarten registration forms, answer questions.  We will make robo-calls to remind the families about the event and anything else the schools need to welcome the new families.     

We are also going to provide the same help for Issaquah Middle School at the transition event on March 6th.

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HEALTHY YOUTH NETWORK

State of Mind Conferences (remaining). Flyers: JPG | PDF

  • Saturday, March 11, Liberty High School in Renton
  • Saturday, April 29, Issaquah High School in Issaquah

All Events will be held from 11:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Influence the Choice Video Contest is up and running. Deadline to submit is March 10th at 5pm.

High School Flyer: JPG | PDF
Middle School Flyer: JPG | PDF
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ISSAQUAH SCHOOLS FOUNDATION

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MEMBERSHIP

Washington State PTA Membership Leadership Guide

Membership Report

OUTREACH

Outreach Notes -UPDATED.  Please click the link to read the Outreach page. 

This month’s Outreach Ask for Council meeting:  new or gently used books, especially for older students, to add to Lunch for the Break boxes.  Thank you!

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PARENTWISER (formerly Parent Education)

The following message was sent out to all parent ed reps, communication chairs, and copied to presidents on 1/31st.

Please ensure it is advertised in YOUR school ENews and PTSA news in February.

For ENews:

ParentWiser presents…

Feb 28th Creating a High Performing Mindset in our Kids by John O’Sullivan, 6:30pm  at Issaquah High School Theater.  Hear from the author of Changing the Game how to motivate kids to take ownership; to help, not hinder their performance by things parents say and do;  and how to give your child a healthy competitive edge.  For parents of K-12.  FLYERS: DOC | PDF

April 25th The Gift of Failure: Fostering Intrinsic Motivation and Resilience in Kids by national keynote and author, Jessica Lahey, 7pm at Issaquah High School Theater.  In today’s culture, do we coddle our kids enough?  Too much?  Jessica Lahey summarizes the current research on autonomy-supportive parenting and teaching, competence, rewards, praise, and failure, and gives us advice on how to allow students to succeed over the long term.  Join our community book read, and help bring about this cultural change! For parents of K-12. FLYERS: PDF 

Register for these and future events at http://ParentWiser.org.
These ParentWiser events are FREE for Issaquah school district PTSA members, donations requested for non-members at registration or at the door; sponsored by Issaquah PTSA Council, Issaquah Schools Foundation and Swedish Medical of Issaquah.

 

Quarterly ParentWiser Committee Meeting (attn Parent Ed Reps!)

Our next quarterly Parent Ed Rep committee meeting is  Thurs Feb 9th 6:30-7:30pm at the big Starbucks on Gilman Blvd (in QFC/Meadows Shopping Center).   We rely on your participation to continually improve to meet your school community needs.  Agenda for this meeting will be feedback/value of current offerings, and suggestions for next year. We also seek a few volunteers: Social Media, Marketing Communications, Grant Writer, and Events.  Please reply to parentwiser@issaquahptsa.org if you are interested.

ParentWiser Logo.

REFLECTIONS
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STAR/SPECIAL EDUCATION
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VICE PRESIDENTS

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VOLUNTEERS FOR ISSAQUAH SCHOOLS (VIS)
Here is an informational flyer which shares the basic information about levies – what is a levy, what is a levy rate, what is a levy cliff, etc. to share with your membership. Volunteers for Issaquah Schools will handout a paper copy of this flyer at the Council meeting on Thursday. FLYER
Want even MORE information about our Local Levies and Answers to Frequently Asked Questions? Please refer to this document that was put together by the League of Education Voters:  http://educationvoters.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/2017-Levy-FAQs.pdf
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WEBMASTER/DIRECTORY

SURVEYS – Surveys are great for many things, including collecting nominations for awards! Contact Cindy to set yours up.

Other

Council Awards

Every year the Issaquah PTSA Council awards those in the community that show extraordinary commitment to ensuring every student in our district gets an outstanding education.
Click HERE to submit your award nomination online. Award Nominations must be submitted by Wednesday, February 15th by Midnight. Entries will be submitted to the Awards Committee.
Award Guidelines and Award Rubric can be found HERE.

The 2016-2017 district-wide PTA/PTSA Awards Reception:

April 4th
7-8:30pm
Issaquah Middle School Commons

This reception is to honor all Golden Acorn and Outstanding Advocate Award Winners from all of our schools in the Issaquah School District.

Mid-Winter Conference Webinar Training:

Money Matters – Feb 11th: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/region-2-money-matters-webinar-tickets-30891767107

*There is a 100 participant limit statewide for each of the webinars.

ESSA CONSOLIDATED PLAN TO BE SUBMITTED IN SEPTEMBER

State Superintendent, Chris Reykdal, announced on January 10 that Washington State’s Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) Consolidated Plan will not be submitted to the Federal Department of Education until September 18, 2017.  Public comment on the plan can be submitted here; closes February 13.

Community Values Survey Presentation

Posted on by

Presentation of the Community Values Survey will be made to the ISD School Board, the Superintendent and other district administrators, and representatives from the Issaquah Education Association on:

Wednesday, February 15th
4:00pm
IMS Art Room

This is open to the public.

*If you haven’t had a chance to take the survey, it is open through February 6, 2017 at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/2017CommunityValues.

Community Values Survey Extended through February 6th.

Posted on by

Please take a moment to share your opinion!

This is your opportunity to provide feedback that will be provided to the ISD School Board, the Superintendent and other district administrators, and representatives from the Issaquah Education Association on Wednesday, February 15 at 4 pm at Issaquah Middle School in the Art Room.

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/2017CommunityValues

Community Values Survey – PLEASE DISTRIBUTE!

Posted on by

We need your help getting this info out to our ISD community!


Please share this survey link & information below with your school community…through your PTSA websites, Enews, School Enews, Facebook page…any way you can to get the word out. It is really important that we have as much input as possible to share with the Issaquah School District Administration.

This survey closes January 31st.

Thank you all so much for your help getting this information out, so that as many people as possible have the opportunity to contribute!
-Becky Gordon, PTSA Council President

 

COPY & PASTE for Communications:

Please take a moment to share your opinion!
2017 Community Values Survey
The Issaquah PTSA Council is conducting a Community Values Survey within the Issaquah School District attendance area.  We are seeking your perspective on five Value Statements based on your experience in the Issaquah School District.  All community members are encouraged to participate including parents, teachers, students, and community members who do not have students in the local schools.  This survey closes on January 31 and the results will be shared with the ISD Administration, the ISD School Board, and the Issaquah Education Association in a presentation open to the public in early February. https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/2017CommunityValues

 

TRANSLATION:

¡El PTSA Council de Issaquah necesita de tu ayuda! Ellos quieren saber sobre los temas de importa para ti, sobre nuestros maestros y escuelas. Si eres un padre familia, estudiante, maestro u otro miembro de la comunidad, se te invita a compartir tu experiencia en la Encuesta de Valores de la Comunidad(Community Values Survey) del 2017. Completa la encuesta antes del 31 de enero, sigue las preguntas de la liga https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/2017CommunityValues.
Los resultados se presentarán en una reunión pública a principios de febrero, en nombre de PTSA Council, ¡GRACIAS!

January 2017 – Agenda Notes

Posted on by

January Agenda
12/15/16 Draft Minutes
December Treasurer Report
Council Awards Information
Membership Report
Training Survey

REMINDERS

Outreach Donation Ask for Council meeting:   Flour and sugar. Thank you!

Council Award Nominations are being accepted now through February 15th: http://www.issaquahptsa.org/council-awards

Do not leave today’s meeting without your school’s Reflections artwork!

TREASURER

Reminder that if your PTA paid any subcontractors more than $600 in 2016 that you must issue them a 1099 by 1/31.  Subcontractors include after school program providers, accountants, etc.  Feel free to contact me if you have any questions.

Also, your Financial Review Committee should convene this month to do your mid year financial review (for July – December).  Results should be shared with your membership and included in your meeting minutes.  More information (including the review checklist) can be found on the WSPTA website in the Money Matters handbook.

ADVOCACY

In case you have not attended Focus Day in the past, we want you to have lots of information so you will know what to to expect! Focus Day draws WSPTA members to Olympia with the intent of giving them an in-person view of how the legislative process works, and how they can engage in it to advocate for their children. It also provides an opportunity for you to meet your local legislators and personally convey your priorities for your children. There will be focus on the “Top 5” WSPTA legislative priorities, which were decided by vote at the 2016 WSPTA Legislative Assembly. You can view details on each priority, as well as other supported issues and long-term resolutions at http://www.wastatepta.org/advocacy/index.html.

“TOP 5”

  • Social Emotional Learning
  • Amply Fund Basic Education
  • Closing the Opportunity Gap
  • Standards for Paraeducators
  • Breakfast after the Bell

On the agenda, Governor Inslee and new Superintendent of Public Instruction Chris Reykdal will be speaking to us in the rotunda. The superintendent will share his vision for public education, and his top priorities for his first 100 days in office. You can view the governor’s new budget and $3.9B proposals to resolve the “McCleary problem” here:

http://wsptagrassroots.blogspot.com/2016/12/governor-releases-education-budget-asks.html?utm_source=Real%20Magnet&utm_medium=INSERT_CHANNEL&utm_campaign=INSERT_LINK_ID

Several people from Region 2 are working on setting up face to face meetings with legislators from districts 5 and 41. So far, there is an appointment set to meet with Jay Rodne at 2:30pm. You are welcome to attend this meeting! I will forward additional information if we receive more responses.

Check out the WSPTA Focus Day webpage to see the full agenda, as well as other details about the day and helpful links.  The link to register for Focus Day is also on this page. Kids are encouraged to attend, and there will be activities just for them on-site! You can also purchase boxed lunches on the registration page, or you can bring your own. Nearby food options are scarce, and the capitol cafeteria line can be very long! Focus Day page: http://www.wastatepta.org/meetings/focus_day/index.html. **Focus Day Registration for the morning program in the Columbia Room has sold out, but there are still many events available for those who didn’t register.

Lake Washington PTSA Council has generously offered a FREE bus ride to Focus Day! Priority will be given to riders from the Lake Washington district. Extra seats will likely fill up fast, so sign up here ASAP to reserve your seat https://www.signupforms.com/registrations/9253. They will also be coordinating carpools for those who aren’t able to ride the bus. If you are planning to drive, allow plenty of time to find parking. 

PLEASE NOTE: The LWPTSA bus will depart Olympia at 2:00pm. This will be BEFORE the scheduled 2:30pm meeting with Rep. Jay Rodne.

Blue Postcards – Please fill them out and return them at the January 12th Council meeting! If you missed the last Council meeting, postcards were given Council members that could be filled out with comments to legislators. Each president received 30 postcards to pass out to others. If you did not receive yours or would like to print more, you can find them here http://www.issaquahptsa.org/leg-postcard-art-4up-revised. I can also drop off extras to you. Take blank postcards to your next board meeting, school/social event, or to your neighbors. It only takes a minute to fill one out, and it really makes a difference to our legislators. If you will not be at the January meeting, please let me know and I will arrange to pick them up. I will be turning them in to the appropriate legislators on Focus Day. The more postcards we bring in, the bigger the impact!

If you have questions, please contact Korista at any time. Thank you for your dedication and all you do to make a difference for our kids!

See you at Focus Day!

ART IN THE SCHOOLS
Please pick up your art before leaving the meeting today.

BEST PRACTICES

Best Practices Checklist

FACE/Family And Community Engagement

Family partnership and Cultural Bridges are going to support the Kindergarten registration event at Apollo, Issaquah Valley Elementary School and Clark.  We will provide volunteers to translate flyers, help ELL families fill out the Kindergarten registration forms, answer questions.  We will make robo-calls to remind the families about the event and anything else the schools need to welcome the new families.     

We are also going to provide the same help for Issaquah Middle School at the transition event on March 6th.

HEALTHY YOUTH NETWORK

State of Mind Conferences. Flyers: JPG | PDF

  • Saturday, February 4, Mary Queen of Peace Church in Sammamish PROGRAM
  • Saturday, March 11, Liberty High School in Renton
  • Saturday, April 29, Issaquah High School in Issaquah

All Events will be held from 11:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Influence the Choice Video Contest is up and running. Deadline to submit is March 10th at 5pm.

High School Flyer: JPG | PDF
Middle School Flyer: JPG | PDF

 

ISSAQUAH SCHOOLS FOUNDATION

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MEMBERSHIP

Washington State PTA Membership Leadership Guide

January Membership Report Details

OUTREACH

Outreach Notes – This page is kept current as needs or programs change.

This month’s Outreach Ask for Council meeting:  The Issaquah Food & Clothing Bank is asking for Flour & Sugar this month.  Thank you!

PARENTWISER (formerly Parent Education)

A ParentWiser representative will be attending your January or February General Membership Meeting in January or early February  to increase awareness of our new lecture series, and specifically engage parents in the Community Book Read for upcoming national keynote speaker, Jessica Lahey, author of “Gift of Failure – How the best parents learn to let go so their children can succeed” in Issaquah on April 25th.

Meantime, please post our monthly Enews blurbs (see 2 options below):

1)      Check out our new parent ed lecture series at http://ParentWiser.org.  Registrations open for Jan-April!
OR,
2)      Coming soon – ParentWiser presents…

Jan 12th  Birds & Bees Talks for the 21st Century: Raising Kids in the Age of Technology, by Amy Lang at 7-8:30pm at Cascade Ridge Elementary on how and when to talk about the birds and the bees and simple tips for handling all the yucky stuff tech can bring into kids’ lives.   For parents of grades K-5.  FLYERS:  DOC | PDF

Jan 17th Teen Kindness Advocate, Houston Kraft speaks to parents 6:30-7:30pm at Issaquah Middle School on what young people today NEED to be successful and kind.  For parents of grades 6-12.  FLYERS:  DOC | PDF

Feb 28th Changing the Game, by John O’Sullivan, author and keynote at 6:30pm at Issaquah High Theater on what athletics teaches us about life lessons, how to give our kids a competitive edge while allowing them to learn and grow through enjoyable, rewarding experiences.  FLYERS: DOC | PDF

Register for these and future events at http://ParentWiser.org.  Walk-ins are also welcome!

ParentWiser Logo.

REFLECTIONS
We will be returning he Reflections artwork, that does not move on to the next stage, to the Presidents on Thursday.
Please do not leave without taking your school’s artwork. 

STAR/SPECIAL EDUCATION
The Special Education Committee had its first meeting of the year with ISD Special Services Administrators on December 19, 2016 to begin talking about how we can work together. The next Parent Advisory Meeting will be in March during the monthly Special Services Staff Advisory Meeting. This committee is pushing to a survey to families with students receiving special services to gain a better understanding of what parents, guardians and students need in terms of resources, programming and advocacy. Please share the URL and blurb in your PTSA communications channels; it will be sent to Presidents and Communications chairs.

VICE PRESIDENTS

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VOLUNTEERS FOR ISSAQUAH SCHOOLS (VIS)
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WEBMASTER/DIRECTORY

Presidents – Directories were distributed last month. If you missed that meeting, please pick up your copy before leaving.

SURVEYS – Surveys are great for many things, including collecting nominations for awards! Contact Cindy to set yours up.

Other

Council Awards

Every year the Issaquah PTSA Council awards those in the community that show extraordinary commitment to ensuring every student in our district gets an outstanding education.
Click HERE to submit your award nomination online. Award Nominations must be submitted by Wednesday, February 15th by Midnight. Entries will be submitted to the Awards Committee.
Award Guidelines and Award Rubric can be found HERE.

The 2016-2017 district-wide PTA/PTSA Awards Reception:

April 4th
7-8:30pm
Issaquah Middle School Commons

This reception is to honor all Golden Acorn and Outstanding Advocate Award Winners from all of our schools in the Issaquah School District.

Mid-Winter Conference Webinar Trainings:

Nominating Committee – Feb 7th: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/region-2-nominating-committee-training-webinar-tickets-30891911539

Money Matters – Feb 11th: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/region-2-money-matters-webinar-tickets-30891767107

*There is a 100 participant limit statewide for each of the webinars.

Gibson Ek Student Showcase – Friday, January 13th, 6 -8 pm at Gibson Ek High School.

This Friday is an amazing opportunity to meet Gibson Ek students; tour our campus and innovation spaces; see and hear about student project work; learn about our programs and clubs; hear from students about cool internships; and watch Gibson Ek‘s first music performance! Eat dinner with us at Charlie’s food truck- gourmet burgers and sandwiches and enjoy an evening getting to know the fabulous students of Gibson Ek. 
Friends, family, community members and future Gibson Ek students are invited to join us.

ESSA CONSOLIDATED PLAN TO BE SUBMITTED IN SEPTEMBER

State Superintendent, Chris Reykdal, announced on January 10 that Washington State’s Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) Consolidated Plan will not be submitted to the Federal Department of Education until September 18, 2017.  Public comment on the plan can be submitted here; closes February 13.

December 2016 – Agenda Notes

Posted on by

December Agenda
11/10/16 Draft Minutes
November Treasurer Report
Making Gifts to the Issaquah School District

REMINDERS

Outreach Donation Ask for Council meeting:   New or gently used books to be distributed with the Lunch for the Break boxes. Thank you!

 

PRESIDENT

Running a Successful After School Enrichment Program Training Handout

 

TREASURER

Once you receive your new Certificate of Insurance, please a copy to Laila.
REMINDER: Without a current insurance certificate on file with ISD, you are unable to hold PTA activities in ISD buildings.

 

ADVOCACY

Register here for FOCUS DAY: http://www.wastatepta.org/meetings/focus_day/index.html

Download and print POSTCARDS!  

Find your district: http://app.leg.wa.gov/DistrictFinder/

Plan ahead to attend FOCUS DAY on January 16th, 9:00am-1:00pm in Olympia! This WSPTA event is an impactful day for advocates of education. You will be able to rally on the steps of the state capitol with other advocates, and will have a chance to greet your legislators face to face! Since January 16th is a “no school” day, it is also an opportunity to involve your children in speaking up for education. Our legislators love to hear from kids!

The Lake Washington school district will be chartering a bus to Focus Day, which will be open to all of Region 2. Information on registering to ride the bus will be emailed to Presidents and Advocacy Reps. when available, along with detailed information about what to expect on Focus Day.

ART IN THE SCHOOLS
  • November updates
    • 90 attendees to the October Art Docent Conference
      • Wonderfully successful
      • Lots of positive feedback from docents about feeling more confident about teaching in the classroom after attending the event
      • Art lessons taught at the conference are showing up on the walls of the schools
    • 35 signups for monthly classes this fall
      • Need to do more marketing to get the word out
      • How to solve the sign up and don’t show up problem?
    • NEW One Drive link (latest version) Please update any links you may have to our One Drive with the Art Docent Lessons.  Microsoft changed it again.
  • Upcoming events & Works in progress
    • Trainings funded by Schools Foundation Fine Arts Fund
    • Issaquah Schools Foundation Grant   
    • Art Docent Curriculum development project
      • Angie Warren, from Issaquah Valley Elementary is our project manager
        • She is finalizing the staff to write, edit, compile and reformat the lessons we are using
      • Liz St.Andre is our tech lead – she will be insuring that our lessons are formatted and saved in a way that will work with our Schools Foundation web site.  She and I met with Schools Foundation staff to make sure we are all on the same page.
      • Volunteers have met three times to sort through and assign lessons to their respective subjects & grades.  Those will be processed as we move forward.
      • Lessons that have been taught at our Docent Conference’s and/or paid for by Schools Foundation grants have been tagged. Most of those will find a home in our curriculum.
      • We will be asking for more lessons to fill holes we will have in the New Year.
BEST PRACTICES

Best Practices Checklist

December 2016 Top Checklist Items

  • Start promoting the WSPTA’s Men Making A Difference” student essay contest. This is a great opportunity for students to write essays about an important male role model. 2016-17 Essay Entry must be postmarked by 3/1/17. For SoE app: Print example of how you promoted the contest to your members(e.g., eNews/FB/website/etc.).  A great activity for students to do during Winter Break!
  • Continue asking for volunteers to serve on your PTSA/ PTA’s Nominating Committee.  If slated, consider electing your Nominating Committee during your December GM Meeting.
  • Share an article or information from Council, Region 2, WSTPA and/or National PTA with members (at GM meeting, in eNews, on Facebook, etc.). Print examples for each using two different communication methods you regularly use to communicate with members. For Facebook, you will need to provide multiple posts from varying months to demonstrate regular communications. Information shared can be from a Council or Region training or meeting, WSPTA or National PTA websites.

Here are a few quick links to articles to copy and paste: 

Why Bad Moms Need PTA

Why I Volunteer

Tips To Keep Kids Safe Online

Webinar-  Safe Drinking Water in Schools

On the Radar for January 2017:

o   Hold a mid-year retreat or meeting with your Board to discuss and evaluate your PTA’s achievements thus far and review what you need to do for the balance of the year to meet the goals and needs of your PTA. What is your PTA’s process to evaluate current year’s goals, programs and activities? (Surveys, suggestion box, post event evaluations, GM open forum, etc.).

o   Promote Focus Day (scheduled for Monday, Jan. 16, 2017) and encourage Board/members to attend. For SoE app: Print copy of all attendees’ registrations – up to 3 people for maximum SoE app points). For SoE Platinum Level: Print example of how you shared Focus Day info with members (e.g., minutes, newsletter, website, etc.)  Register Here for 2017 Focus Day

o   Consider electing your Nominating Committee at your January GM Meeting. Review Article 5, Section 5 of the WSPTA 2016-17 Uniform Bylaws regarding election procedures. For SoE app: Make copy of GM minutes showing election of Nominating Committee.

FACE/Family And Community Engagement

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HEALTHY YOUTH NETWORK

No Report.

ISSAQUAH SCHOOLS FOUNDATION

 

MEMBERSHIP

Washington State PTA Membership Leadership Guide

 

OUTREACH

No Report. 

Outreach Notes – This page is kept current as needs or programs change.

PARENTWISER (formerly Parent Education)

A lot of new, fantastic parent ed events are coming to Issaquah schools!

In January,

Many of your PTSA websites are still posting OLD past events/info.  PLEASE update monthly with our proposed communications below.  If you can’t keep up, just send parents  to http://ParentWiser.org.  Contact parentwiser@issaquahptsa.org  if you need another logo/button.

(Our surveys show that attending parents are aware of our events mostly through PTSA, Facebook.  We have to PUSH the information in multiple channels, multiple times. How will you reach your non-PTSA parents? We ask for registrations, but we always have room for walk-ins!  Please advertise widely throughout your school communities, especially:

Send in school ENews

Send in PTA/PTSA ENews/Website/Email to membership

Post dates on school and/or PTSA calendars (even though it may be held at a different school location!)

Post on school and/or PTSA Facebook/Twitter

Post flyers (attached!) on school/PTSA bulletin boards

If your school is hosting an event, add it to your reader board out front!

For printing & services  use Fedex WA State PTA discount code:  052 088 2103 . 

Announce these events with a flyer at PTSA Board & General Membership Meetings!

 

For ENews (cut/paste for your school population below):

————————————————————————————

ParentWiser presents…

Jan 12th  Birds & Bees Talks for the 21st Century: Raising Kids in the Age of Technology, by Amy Lang at 7-8:30pm at Cascade Ridge Elementary on how and when talk about the birds and the bees and simple tips for handling all the yucky stuff tech can bring into kids’ lives.   For parents of grades K-5.   FLYER DOC | FLYER PDF

Jan 17th Teen Kindness Advocate, Houston Kraft speaks to parents 6:30-7:30pm at Issaquah Middle School on what young people today NEED to be successful and kind.  For parents of grades 6-12.  FLYER DOC | FLYER PDF

Register for these and future events at http://ParentWiser.org.  Walk-in are also welcome!

We will also be attending your January or February General Membership Meetings to help build awareness for our February and April keynote authors/speakers:

  1. John O’Sullivan on 2/28th on “Changing the Game”
  2. Jessica Lahey on 4/25th on “Gift of Failure – How the Best Parents Learn to Let Go So Their Children Can Succeed”

Please contact parentwiser@issaquahptsa.org if you are interested in joining our parent ed committee to provide ideas for topics, speakers, venues, or can volunteer for Social Media Manager of Facebook/Twitter pages.  Also contact us if your PTSA is looking for recommended local/lower cost speakers/topics to attract parents to your PTSA General Membership Meetings.

Thank you!

Heidi Fuhs & Debbie Steinberg Kuntz

ParentWiser

Issaquah PTSA Council

parentwiser@issaquahptsa.org

http://ParentWiser.org

 

REFLECTIONS

We received a total of 264 entries from 23 schools. Gibson Ek did not send in any entries.

We are currently judging the entries. We are able to send a total of 53 to State plus the one Special Artist entry we received.

The Reflections Chairs from each school were given invitations to the Reception, when they dropped off their submissions on November 21st.

The District Reception is on TUESDAY January 10th 2017 at IHS from 6.30-8.00pm.

The finalists moving on to State will only be notified on January 10th.

STAR/SPECIAL EDUCATION
No Report.
VICE PRESIDENTS

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VOLUNTEERS FOR ISSAQUAH SCHOOLS (VIS)

 The Issaquah School District Capital Projects department has been working to complete construction projects on our schools that have been financed through the passage of our bonds. The most recent bond was passed in April 2016 (thank you to our community!!!!) They have been working on managing land acquisition, planning and design, construction, renovation of schools and district facilities.

Please click on this link to look at the projects that have been completed from the passage of the 2012 bond and the projects in the works from the 2016 bond here: http://www.issaquah.wednet.edu/district/departments/CapProjects

Click here to see the latest news and construction timeline on the Pine Lake Middle School Rebuild:  http://www.issaquah.wednet.edu/district/departments/CapProjects/Projects/pine-lake-middle-school-rebuild

Please visit the Volunteers for Issaquah Schools webpage here for information:  www.visvote.org
and don’t forget to “Like” Volunteers for Issaquah Schools Facebook page for periodic updates on your newsfeed.
WEBMASTER/DIRECTORY

Directories will be distributed at this meeting.

Other

Highlights from the ParentWiser Run, Hide, Fight presentation.
       – Kimberly Nocco

The following suggestions are mostly for adults and are relevant in many settings: office, theater, public gathering. The message that has been given to most younger students in the district is simply “Listen to your teacher/an adult in charge.”

If possible, RUN. Make sure your hands are EMPTY and held where police can see them. As a demonstration, one officer held a black phone while swinging her arms running – it really looked like it could be a firearm. If you take your phone or car keys, put them in your pocket or bra (seriously, he said that) and DON’T reach for them unexpectedly, you’ll get yourself shot.

If you can’t run, HIDE. Take cover – the spots recommended were behind large electrical boxes (contain copper, can stop bullets), behind a large concrete pillar, behind the FRONT end of a car near the tire (bullets go through the trunk area). If indoors, lock/barricade the door, turn off phones/vibration (your family will call you and give away your hiding spot! And this goes the other way, don’t keep calling loved ones if they might be hiding).

Finally, if no other option, FIGHT. Work together. Be committed to incapacitate the attacker. Look for resources, even if unconventional – fire extinguishers, hot coffee, belt, chair…

Always FOLLOW THE DIRECTIONS of first responders/SWAT, even if they seem unusual. They have a tactical reason for every request and don’t have time to be polite. As an example, the officer pushed a victim towards the center of the room to prevent injury from stray bullets bouncing off walls. The first responders are there to neutralize the threat, not help you, stay out of their way. When they arrive on the scene, they have a lot of information to take in quickly and decide who is the threat – don’t give them any reason to suspect you.

Attached is one of the best summaries of Run, Hide, Fight that I’ve seen. https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/national/activeshooter/

And this is the official video shown in the presentation: https://youtu.be/5VcSwejU2D0