Category Archives: Uncategorized

ADVOCACY AWARD OF EXCELLENCE

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Keep this award in mind and submit in March!

The purpose of this award is to promote advocacy at local PTAs, community PTAs, and councils by recognizing programs, projects, and activities/events that increase awareness of and participation in advocacy issues at the school, local community, council, region, state, and national level. What does advocacy mean to your local PTA or council?

For more information, see the 2020-21 Application Information and Judging Form.

Complete the online submittal form and review the details for this year’s submittal process.

Nominating Committee Report

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May 5th, 2021

The 2020-2021 Issaquah PTSA Council Nominating Committee hereby places the following names into nomination for the 2021-2022 school year:

For the Officer of Treasurer: Pauline Tamblyn

For the Officer of Secretary: Tracie Jones

For the Officer of VP of Elementary South: Carla Geraci

For the Officer of VP of Elementary North: Erin Eaton

For the Officer of VP of Elementary Central: Nicole Morgan

For the Officer of VP of Secondary Schools: Wendy Cummins

For the Officer of President: Lauren Bartholomew

The nominating committee has confirmed that all nominees have been a member of a PTA for at least 30 days prior to the election, and meet other requirements as stated in the WSPTA Uniform Bylaws.

Respectfully submitted, 

Cortney Eldridge
Alicia Spinner
Lauren Bartholomew

Nominating Committee Report

PTSA Equity Presentation

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Leading with Equity 
This presentation will better help you sharpen your equity lens and develop a deeper understanding on inequities students and families may face. We will define some equity terms used by the district and review some key training components. There is much work to be done. The district is looking for partners. Come join the conversation in supporting our students with equitable outcomes.  

Thursday, May 20th, 2021
9:30-11:30am

Questions? Contact our Issaquah PTSA Council Family and Community Engagement Coordinator, Alicia Spinner: face@issaquahptsa.org

Council Volunteer 2021 Award Recipients

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This year’s awards recipients were announced at the April 22nd General Membership Meeting. Congratulations!

Golden Acorn – Katie Moeller, Hannah Coblentz, Alicia Spinner

Outstanding Advocate – Betsy Grant

Outstanding Service Award – Erin Eaton

Honorary Lifetime Membership – Cindy Kelm

Special Education Webinar #4 is Available!

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Webinar #4 (recorded on 3/9/2021) focuses on these questions –

  • I received a question from a parent interested in the role of paraprofessionals w/in Special Ed.
    • How do the education/certification requirements for a special education teacher compare to special education paraprofessionals?
    • Is there specific training provided to paraprofessionals in special education settings?
    • When and why is a para chosen as a student’s IEP pull out instruction leader instead of a certificated Special Education teacher?
    • Is there a daily system of feedback between the para and the teacher to track progress or lack thereof?
  • Families are still having a hard time getting access to in-person appointment services for LRC1 students. I’ve received feedback that parents are requesting appointment services for students with learning regression during IEP meetings but still being told it isn’t an option. Are you aware of these situations and how can more students get access to in-person assistance? 
  • The district is currently bargaining with the teacher’s union and other unions to allow secondary students to return to hybrid in-person learning at least one day per week.
    • If those union agreements can be reached, would that provide an opportunity for LRC2 students to attend their general education classes in-person with their peers?
    • If union agreements can be reached, could students with IEPs (both LRC1 & LRC2) be given access to more time in-person teaching than students without IEPs?
    • Would separate bargaining need to occur for the special education population to take advantage of those opportunities like what happened with the K-3 memorandum of understanding (or MOU)?

You can find it on the Special Education Page.

2020-2021 Executive Board

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Welcome to our newly elected executive board for 2020-2021:
  • President: Erin Eaton
  • Treasurer: Pauline Tamblyn
  • Secretary: Cindy Kelm
  • Vice President of Middle & High Schools: Carla Geraci
  • Vice President of Elementary Schools Central: Lauren Bartholomew
  • Vice President of Elementary Schools South: Nicole Morgan
  • Vice President of Elementary Schools North: OPEN 

Influence the Choice: TECH Recruitment

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TECH (Teens Encouraging Community Health) is a youth-led coalition dedicated to mental health awareness and substance abuse prevention through outreach and advocacy.

Members gain critical knowledge and leadership skills to become change agents in their communities through their involvement in conducting community assessments, making prevention presentations to their peers, initiating, and implementing advocacy and other community service projects.

TECH meets twice a month on the 2nd and 4th Tuesday in the evening. Location and time TBD.

To Apply: https://bit.ly/Tech_Application

More Information: https://www.influencethechoice.org/tech.html

Issaquah School District PTSA Reflections State Award Winners

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Congratulations
to the
Issaquah School District PTSA
Reflections
State Award Winners!

Issaquah School District PTSA State Reflections Winners
Issaquah School District PTSA State Reflections Winners

Award of Excellence in Dance Choreography
Chloe Manningsmith
Fault in My Code
Pine Lake Middle School  PTSA

Award of Merit in Film Production
Toko Ryu
The Box
Pacific Cascade Middle School PTSA

Award of Excellence in Film Production
Michael Fowler
Look Within
Endeavor Elementary PTSA: Intermediate 

Award of Merit in Literature
Adya Mohapatra
I’ll Write the Future for Us
Issaquah High PTSA

Award of Outstanding Interpretation in Literature
Katerina Kalinchenko
Shattered
Challenger Elementary PTSA: Intermediate

Award of Excellence in Literature 
Austin Liu
Finding Yourself
Endeavor Elementary PTSA: Intermediate

Award of Outstanding Interpretation in Photography
Benjamin Eskenanzi
Submerged in Self-Reflection
Issaquah High School PTSA

Outstanding Interpretation in Visual Arts
Charlotte Park
Speechless
Beaver Lake Middle School PTSA

Award of Merit in Special Artist
Victoria Karafezov
(Abstract) Pumpkin
Challenger Elementary PTSA

VIS Info for Presidents 2/4

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Hello PTA Presidents!

How are we all doing??  BALLOTS ARE DUE IN 7 DAYS – NEXT TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 11th We are in the home stretch! Woo Hoo!!!!!  Are you as excited as I am???

Thank you ALL for all your support during this campaign! You are doing a GREAT job!

-Dawn & Alicia


Just a couple IMPORTANT things this week – we need to get this info out:

1. Please remind, remind, remind your community of parents to VOTE!  At this point, only 20% of ballots have been returned! YIKES! We need our parents – our YES voters – to get their ballots in ASAP this week. We need to pass this levy for our kids!*NOTE: Ballots turned in at ballot boxes on Tuesday, Feb 11 need to be in by 8pm! https://www.kingcounty.gov/depts/elections/how-to-vote/ballots/returning-my-ballot.aspx

2. Please SHARE our VIS posts on Facebook to your PTA Facebook Page. We have a new post (like the image below, posted tonight) PLUS a REMIND TO VOTE post which is scheduled for 8am Wednesday morning. PLEASE SHARE THESE POSTS! You can also share on your personal Facebook pages too!

3. HONK & WAVE – The BEST Honk & Wave is next Monday, February 10th. This is our last chance to remind everyone to vote by Tuesday! If you can help, or have students needing volunteer hours who can help, please sign up here (locations listed). Have a party. Sip  hot cocoa with marshmallows! Bring music and dance and remind everyone to VOTE! https://www.signupgenius.com/go/60b0f4da9a829aaf49-2020

4. WINDOW CLINGS – Not too late to put them on your car windows! Make a statement…put a bunch on there!  So exciting seeing these clings all over our district. Makes it feel like we are all working together to get this important Levy passed and reminds people to VOTE YES!

_______________________________________________________________________

THIS WEEK’S MESSAGING BELOW

THE GRAPHIC IMAGE SAYS VOTE YES – SO CAN ONLY BE SENT VIA YOUR OWN ENEWS not via the School Email. You can post this on Facebook with the image – we can put Vote Yes all over the place on Facebook!

Have you mailed your ballot?
Ballots are due by next Tuesday!

The renewal/replacement levy continues support for Mental Health Counselors, Safety & Security, Career & Technical Programs, Special Education, Highly Capable Program, Expanded High School Schedules, Dual Language Program

Local Dollars Support Local Kids. Not a New Tax!

______________________________________________________________________________

Here is Factual information which can be put on your homepage:

Have you Voted Yet? Ballots are due by Tuesday, February 11th

No stamps? No problem. Return Your Ballot Postage Free! According to King County Elections, only about 20 percent of ballots in the levy election were returned by noon yesterday. Is yours one of them? If not, don’t worry! All you have to do is fill it out, sign it, and drop it in the mail. You don’t even need a stamp. Or you can put your ballot in one of the more than 70 ballot drop boxes around King County, including ones at Issaquah City Hall, Sammamish City Hall or Newcastle City Hall. Find a drop box at https://www.kingcounty.gov/…/returni…/ballot-drop-boxes.aspx