February 2016 – Agenda Notes (PTD)

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REMINDERS

Donation Ask (Outreach): School supplies for Generation Joy. Flyer.

Generation Joy is a local non-profit organization (genjoy.org) that works with kids (primarily in the Issaquah School District) to collect school supplies and other needed items for under-served kids in rural Kwa-Zulu Natal in South Africa.  For more information contact Linda Guard directly at ldguard@comcast.net or 425-208-6758.

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

ADVOCACY

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ART IN THE SCHOOLS
    • ISF proposal ACCEPTED!
      • District level trainings and functions (funding) to fall under ISF Fine Arts Fund as of September 2016
      • ISF looking for elementary level way to support arts education
      • Provide consistency, and administrative support
      • Grant writing and other financial aspects would no longer be necessary part of Art Liaison job
      • Deeper level partnership with PTSA council & elementary PTA’s
      • Web site presence on ISF site as well
      • Art Docent Coordinator Contractor – paid position (average 8hrs. weekly)
    • Trainings Winter/Spring
    • Clark Elementary school visit 2/3/2016
      • Coordinator: Katja Magnus
      • Lots of art to be found on the walls (photos to be found on Facebook)
      • Every class has a docent!!!
    • Sunset Elementary school visit 2/4/2016
      • Coordinator: Becky Foster
      • Looking forward to seeing how their program is going
    • Looking for host of 2016 Art Docent Conference
    • Great time to clean out art material cabinets and do inventory. 

BEST PRACTICES MOMENT

PTA Monthly Checklist –  Full Year

HEALTHY YOUTH / INFLUENCE THE CHOICE

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State of Mind Mini-Conferences:
Saturday, March 19, 12 noon to 4:00 p.m., Issaquah High School
Saturday, April 2, 12 noon to 4:00 p.m., Liberty High School
Saturday, April 23, 12 noon to 4:00 p.m., Skyline High School

Adult and student members of HYI are invited to attend one, two or all three State of Mind mini-conferences focused on topics related to youth mental health.  Each school mini-conference will have a different focus, including how to cope with stress, how to help friends who are struggling with depression, or how to detach from technology. Each mini-conference will also offer a core of basic classes in topics such as the impacts of drugs on the developing brain, healthy relationships, body image, and living with mental illness. Registrations for these conferences, as well as programs with a list of speakers and topics, will be available by February 15th.

Annual Issaquah Spring Clean Event
Saturday April 23, Time to be finalized

This annual event sees youth leaders and adults getting together to focus on clean-up of Rainier Trail (beside the Issaquah Community Center and the old skate park).  Over the years, ITC has seen a major difference in the amount of debris including drug paraphernalia i.e. syringes and beer bottles, cigarette butts, etc.  YODA leaders (Youth Opposing Drug Abuse – the youth coalition of the Alliance) will be taking a lead this year in organizing the day of work.  Come out – everything is provided for you including gloves, tongs to pick up garbage, and garbage bags along with (as always) lots of goodies.   Good day to get some good exercise, meet some great people and do some great work for the community!  Email Katie Moeller for more information at Katie.hirshberg.moeller@gmail.com.

Incredible Intensity of Just Being Human — Kick Off Event
Friday, April 29, 6:00 p.m., Issaquah Senior Center

The Issaquah Schools Foundation and ArtEast are partnering on a project that will bring an art exhibit focused on the themes of mental illness and mental health to Issaquah schools and community.  The exhibit itself will run from April 18 through June 30th and feature juried art located at three different art galleries in the greater Issaquah area. In addition, the exhibit will serve as a platform for panel discussions, tours, and school/community art, poetry and music activities focused on the theme of mental wellness.  Everyone is invited to attend this kick-off event, which will be followed by a reception located at the ArtEast gallery on Front Street in downtown Issaquah.  Put this on your calendars! More information to follow.     

2016 Influence the Choice Video Contest Event is underway!

Entering its’ 4th year, the Alliance’s Video contest is in its final preparation for take off!  High School student videographers from across the Issaquah School District boundaries (including public and private schools) are eligible to enter a 2-minute PSA for cash prizes that will be judged by an esteemed panel of judges and presented at an Awards Ceremony.  This year’s contest categories will be changing but the intent is the same: showcasing the importance of young people’s voices through this art medium to encourage the prevention of substance abuse and promote good mental health.  The timeline for the contest schedule is being finalized and will be shared widely.  In the meantime, if you have questions, please contact Matt Compston, ITC Video Contest Coordinator at  compston75@gmail.com

ISSAQUAH SCHOOLS FOUNDATION (ISF)
VOICE Mentor Program
January is National Mentoring Month
Resolve to make a difference this New Year
Volunteer just one hour a week supporting a student!
ONE Mentor           ONE Student          ONE Hour
The VOICE Mentor Program is looking for community volunteers to work one on one with Issaquah students.  These students are referred by teachers and counselors as needing extra support whether it is academic, social or emotional. The Volunteers work in the school setting in partnership with the school staff.
Please help us recruit your neighbors, friends, relatives or colleagues to become a mentor.
For further information contact:  Susan Gierke or Teresa Bretl VOICE Mentor Directors:
E-mail:  VOICE@isfdn.org      
VOICE is funded by the Issaquah Schools Foundation
In Cooperation with the Issaquah School District
ISSAQUAH SCHOOL FOUNDATION UPDATES
Dining for Kids on the First Wednesday of Every Month!
On the first Wednesday of every month, restaurants around the Issaquah Community will partner with the Foundation to donate a portion of their proceeds to benefit our students. Join us during lunch or dinner for Dining for Kids on February 3rd at Black Duck and Flat Iron Grill.
Annual Nourish Every Mind Luncheon and Breakfast
Save the date for two of the most inspiring events of the season—the Issaquah Schools Foundation’s Nourish Every Mind Luncheon on Thursday, April 28 and Breakfast on May 4. Both events showcase students and staff who have benefitted from Foundation investments, inspirational videos, entertainment and information on the impact private donations have on our public schools. Generous donations from Golden Apple sponsors Swedish Hospital, Microsoft, Overlake and other corporate leaders enable all guest donations to be directed to programs that elevate and enrich education for every student at every school.  Included in the list of programs supported by Nourish Every Mind donations are the VOICE Mentor Program, Healthy Youth Initiative, Financial Literacy Classes, Academic Enrichment Grants, Free After-School Homework Labs, and Computer Science and Web Design Classes.  Seating at the Luncheon and Breakfast are limited. Visit www.isfdn.org or call 425-391-8557 today to learn more.
State of Mind Mini-Conferences offered by the Issaquah Schools Foundation’s Healthy Youth Initiative
Parents and students are invited to attend one, two or all three State of Mind mini-conferences focused on topics related to youth mental health.  Each school mini-conference will have a different focus, including how to cope with stress, how to help friends who are struggling with depression, or how to detach from technology. Each mini-conference will also offer a core of basic classes in topics such as the impacts of drugs on the developing brain, healthy relationships, body image, and living with mental illness. Registrations for these conferences, as well as programs with a list of speakers and topics, will be available by February 15th. Visit www.healthyyouthinitiative.org for more information.
Saturday, March 19, 12 noon to 4:00 p.m., Issaquah High School
Saturday, April 2, 12 noon to 4:00 p.m., Liberty High School
Saturday, April 23, 12 noon to 4:00 p.m., Skyline High School

MEMBERSHIP

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OUTREACH / F.A.C.E.
 This is a wonderful opportunity for families who speak other languages.   This is not intended for open kindergarten registration; only those families who would benefit from language support.

Help with Kindergarten Registration for Multilingual Families on March 4th. See the links below:

Kindergarten Registration Help Is Available!

Join us for individual assistance and interpretation with kindergarten registration forms onFriday, March 4, 2016 from 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. at the Administration Building, 565 NW Holly St, Issaquah. (Near Issaquah Valley Elementary School)

One-on-one interpretation is available in Spanish, Mandarin, Korean, and Vietnamese. For additional interpretation, email Rosann Rankin at RankinR@issaquah.wednet.edu by February 29.

During this time childcare will be provided, nurses will be available to answer questions, families can sign up for free school supplies, and information on transportation will be available.

Prior to registration, please review the kindergarten registration checklist.
– A child 5 years of age or older by August 31
– Immunization records
– Proof of birth date: birth certificate OR passport
– Proof of home address: purchase or lease agreement AND energy utility bill
– Photo I.D. of parent or guardian completing the registration.

For more information & questions contact the Family Partnership Team
HispanicISD@outlook.com
ChineseISD@outlook.com
IndianISD@outlook.com
EuropeanISD@outlook.com
KoreanISD@outlook.com
Margarita@isfdn.orgWe found some errors on the flyers, so here are the corrected versions.

Chinese: http://issaquah.wednet.edu/docs/default-source/district/academics/diverse-culture-events/kregistration/kregistrationflier-chinese.pdf?sfvrsn=4

English: http://issaquah.wednet.edu/docs/default-source/district/academics/diverse-culture-events/kregistration/kregistrationflier-english.pdf?sfvrsn=4

Korean: http://issaquah.wednet.edu/docs/default-source/district/academics/diverse-culture-events/kregistration/kregistrationflier-korean.pdf?sfvrsn=4

Russian: http://issaquah.wednet.edu/docs/default-source/district/academics/diverse-culture-events/kregistration/kregistrationflier-russian.pdf?sfvrsn=4

Spanish: http://issaquah.wednet.edu/docs/default-source/district/academics/diverse-culture-events/kregistration/kregistrationflier-spanish.pdf?sfvrsn=4

Also, this is a link the Facebook event: https://www.facebook.com/events/983507541724170/

 

PARENT EDUCATION

Success:  Stay Organized, Manage Time and Study Skills, by Jenni Butz of Pacific Learning Academy

Tuesday, Feb 23rd, 2016
7:00-8:30pm
PCMS
(for parents of middle/high school teens)

Help your teen succeed by learning practical organizational, time management and study skills that can be personalized to the individual learning style. Put basic office supplies to use and reduce mind clutter.

 

Anxiety – Yours, Mine and Ours, by Laura Kastner PhD

Tues, Mar 8th, 2016
7:00-8:30pm
Issaquah High School, Theater
(for parents of middle/high school teens)

This lecture will discuss research on teen stress by author of Wise Minded Parenting (among other publications), Laura Kastner PhD.  Some stress is good! Challenges energize, focus and motivate us.  Stress management and resilience are key personal strengths that can determine success or failure.  Learn how to help, rather than hinder, your teens’ stress management.

REFLECTIONS
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SPECIAL NEEDS

 

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VOLUNTEERS FOR ISSAQUAH SCHOOLS (VIS)
Every Monday VIS will be sending PTA Presidents and VIS Reps an email with a couple of Bond Facts and a JPG Image (or two) which you can post on your website, send out in your Enews, and/or put in your Newsletter. Some people asked for these facts to post on their Facebook page, so these can be used for that too.

Thank you all SO MUCH for your help with this campaign. Your involvement will help get the word out about how important the 2016 Bond is for our community. 

Also Attached is the Volunteers for Issaquah Schools Bus Logo with the April 26thvote by date on it 🙂

Since schools usually have a link to our PTA webpages we need to put this logo 1 click off the main page – on your VIS or Advocacy Page.

Please remind your school community to vote early – Spring Break is right in the middle of the ballot return time, so a friendly reminder to possibly “Vote Early!” or “Vote before the break” may be helpful in getting ballots in! 

IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER:

For those of you who have already Endorsed the Bond (THANK YOU SO MUCH!) You can advocate for the bond – you can say “PLEASE VOTE YES” or “VOTE YES”. But remember, if you send that “YES” wording out – you need to use your own PTA database and your PTA needs to send out the info (can’t say VOTE YES through the School Enews or through the School Office database).

Everyone can send out Facts about the Bond through the School’s news. Just the VOTE YES part needs to be only through your PTA (schools can’t say VOTE YES, they can only present the facts…) Hope that is not too confusing. Just want to make sure that we follow these rules – it is very important…

LINKS TO INFORMATION:

Here ARE this week’s facts to share, post, etc. (and thank you again for your help!) (there are 2 facts, paired with a graphic image below for each fact)

What is a School Bond?

The State of Washington does not fund the regular building or maintenance of public schools. Instead, local voters must approve school bonds for this purpose. Similar to a mortgage, bonds may be paid for over 20 years, helping to keep annual costs lower for taxpayers. Issaquah School District’s current bonds are, on average, paid off in nine years. The shorter duration saves taxpayers’ money. For more information, visit our 2016 school bond information page on the ISD website. For information on current and past school construction, visit the Capital Projects website!

 

Here are JPG Images of the VIS Logo to use as needed – Color April 26, B&W April 26 and Standard VIS without date:

 Issaquah School Bond – Growth and Building

Our District has grown by nearly 5,000 students in the last ten years and is projected to grow an additional 1,500 to 2,000 students in the next five years. This chart shows how the ratio of students to school buildings has increased. More facilities are needed to meet the demand for classroom space. For more information, visit our 2016 school bond information page on the ISD website. For information on current and past school construction, visit the Capital Projects website!

 Visuals:
Contacts:
If at any time you have questions, please contact Dawn or Alicia or check the website:
Dawn Peschek dawn@visvote.org  or Alicia Veevaert  alicia@visvote.org
Website: http://www.visvote.org/

WEBSITE & DIRECTORY

Directories – Directories were distributed. If you (president) did not receive one, see Cindy.

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.

TRAININGS

Region 2 Mid-Year Conference. February 23, 2016, 5:30-8:30PM, Interlake High School in Bellevue.