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Shoreline PTA Council's Spring Dessert training will be changed from May 17 to May 23.
In order for training to count for the following year, it must occur AFTER the State convention. This year, the Convention is May 20-22. Join us in the Alumni, Aurora, Ballinger and Cromwell rooms on May 23 (time TBA, likely 6-8 pm) and learn new things, meet new people, and check off your training requirement for next year. Class offerings to be announced.
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You have hopefully heard that membership across the State is down. In Region 6, we are down 1686 members from last year. Shoreline accounts for a whopping 389 of those.
Please talk to your membership chairs about running a Spring membership drive. Council is supporting this effort by running an article in the Shoreline Area News, which should be running in the next couple of days. Feel free to hook into the "Size Matters" theme in your own schools/communities. Size Matters It's true, when it comes to the food on your plate, the voice from your throat, the household you live in, and the bank account you deal with. These are all things your local school PTA cares about. When you hear a plea for PTA membership, what you probably hear is an ask for you to come to meetings, to volunteer time you may or may not have, or for money you may or may not have. And while PTAs cannot exist without folks who are willing to go to meetings and volunteer their time, that is not really what being a PTA member means. To you, it can mean being connected to other parents or community volunteers at the school. It means getting a newsletter, being offered opportunities to volunteer or contribute, and being offered an opportunity to voice concerns or ideas for your school community. It also means some pretty nice discounts for some services or events that are actually useful. To our kids, it means that you care about what is being offered to them at school. It is the PTA who generally offers enrichment programs, but it is also the PTA who calls attention to needing more playground supervision, organizes Watch D.O.G. programs, and funds classroom grants for teachers. To everyone else's kids, your membership is part of a number. And the bigger the number, the better. Size matters. The Washington State PTA is the largest volunteer organization in the State focused on the health and wellbeing of our kids. It advocates for legislation that supports all aspects of our kids' lives. The bigger our membership number, the louder our voice. This year, membership numbers are down. And legislators are noticing. Overall, Region 6 (Seattle, Shoreline, Northshore and Vashon) is down 1,686 members from last year. Shoreline alone accounts for 389 of those. At a time when Education Funding needs attention, when we may need to be building a significant number of classrooms, when kids are coming to school hungry and could use a good breakfast to be able to learn, our smaller number makes it look as though we as a community aren't really that interested in the future of our kids. Members don't have to have kids in school. Members can be grandparents, sisters, brothers, neighbors, or community members. Members don't have to agree with everything on the PTA platform. They don't have to show up to anything or take on a job (but it's great if they do!). PTA members just have to care about what's happening in their local school and to kids in Washington State. Size Matters. Please consider joining your local school PTA today. The Reflections Art show is hung and ready for viewing!!
Stop by the Horizon room at the Shoreline Center to see the wonderful entries from our students! This year's theme was Let Your Imagination Fly. How did that inspire our artists? You can find out until the night of the Reflections Reception, on January 7... Please get the survey pushed out to your memberships so that we know how to vote at Legislative Assembly!!
Help Washington State PTA Speak Up For Kids Our vision is to make every child's potential a reality. PTA works in classrooms and communities across the state, but we also advocate in Olympia for the well-being and education of all children. Every fall, the association selects its legislative priorities, and hearing form you is a valuable step in the process. Your responses will assist voting delegates who attend Legislative Assembly in Olympia October 24, 2015 in setting the 2015-2016 Legislative Platform. The survey closes October 1, 2015. Complete the issues survey. Learn about WSPTA's top five priority issues. Book your hotel room before October 9 to receive the WSPTA room discount. It's coming... your first chance for training!!
THURSDAY, AUGUST 20, 4:45-9 pm We are all set with Calvary Christian for the conference, and the link to register is live at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/region-6-fall-conference-and-pta-and-the-law-registration-17887792870 Here's how the evening goes: 4:45 to 5:15 pm: Registration, networking and light meal 5:15 to 5:55 pm: Brief Region 6 meeting and WSPTA updates on Bylaws/Standards of Affiliation/PT-Avenue 6:00 to 8:50 pm: PTA and the Law - Do not register for break outs if you are taking PTA & the Law 6:00 to 7:15 pm:
7:30 to 8:45 pm:
Dear PTA Members,
Wednesday afternoon, the House passed House Bill 2214 which will make needed reforms to academic testing in Washington State. The Washington State PTA supports this effort and we are asking you to Take Action and send a message to the state senate urging its passage out of the senate this Thursday. The bipartisan proposal was developed by Representatives Chad Magandenz, Chris Reykdal and David Taylor. According to prime sponsor Representative Chris Reykdal, “There is a moment to reflect if we have layered on too many things. Have we added too much cost, have we made the system more complex than we intended, and did we actually encourage students out of our system instead of encourage them to work hard?” The bill would reduce the seven high school assessments to three – Language Arts, Math, and a comprehensive science assessment, saves $60 million over the four year forecast, and restores local control. Representative Magendanz in his closing remarks noted that the bill “addresses both rigor and a forward-looking intervention that is going to benefit kids, create more opportunities for higher education to handle greater capacity, and it’s much better than the current practice of collection of evidence.” We at the Washington State PTA agree and we urge you to contact your state senator and tell them to pass House Bill 2214 today. Sincerely, Heather Gillette WSPTA President And more about that bill (thank you Linda Myrick via Veronica Cook): Rep. Chris Reykdal's message: "With an 87-7 vote, the State House just passed HB-2214. This bill reduces the number of standardized high school tests (from7 to 3). It saves $30 million per biennium and compels students to take rigorous coursework their senior year when they don't meet standard on junior-year assessments. With fewer tests and more courses, far more students will attend college without the need for remediation. Please encourage the Senate to act! 2,000 kids are at risk of not graduating in the coming weeks because of one biology test. It will be tens of thousands in math in the coming years if we don't act now. We need to be about student growth, not a test-driven bar that rejects our kids. When we deny kids a diploma we rob them of economic opportunity. We can have rigor and course-based solutions. Tests do not equal rigor, they are merely a temporary gauge. Let's trust our teachers to get our kids to our new higher standards!" Personally, I would love to see even fewer standardized tests for our kids. But kids are at risk right now, today, and we need an immediate solution to a problem that is of our own making. We have created a testing culture that is unhealthy for our kids and our schools. This bill could be a small step in the right direction. Please, Senators, let's get this done. Now. Cyrus Habib Mike Sells Marko Liias Maralyn Chase Bob Hasegawa David Frockt Rosemary McAuliffe PLEASE TELL YOUR FRIENDS. THIS IS URGENT FOR THESE KIDS! Article just posted explains impact: http://www.ksl.com/?sid=34822536&nid= And more (thank you, Kendahl): This is what David Frock said: Pass the word around and get people to email legislators particularly those on the senate education committee and in Republican senate leadership. Republicans in particular. I can surmise that virtually all of the 23 senate democrats are likely to support the bill. But we need the Rs to agree to bring the bill up for a vote. I suspect it passes relatively easily if it is put on the floor as I'm betting there are many Rs who have heard fr their constituents - as I have - that we need a better approach to assessments. Click on this link and go down to early learning and K-12 education. You can click on each name to get their email. http://app.leg.wa.gov/rosters/CommitteeMembersByCommittee.aspx?Chamber=S I also know that Pam Roach http://pamroach.src.wastateleg.org/ and Marayln Chase http://sdc.wastateleg.org/Chase/ are people that need to hear that this may not be a perfect bill but is a step in the right direction. Here are the others: http://jimhoneyford.src.wastateleg.org/ http://markmiloscia.src.wastateleg.org/ http://lindaevansparlette.src.wastateleg.org/ http://annrivers.src.wastateleg.org/ http://markschoesler.src.wastateleg.org/ http://janangel.src.wastateleg.org/ http://johnbraun.src.wastateleg.org/ http://sharonbrown.src.wastateleg.org/ http://joefain.src.wastateleg.org/ I would have anyone you know sending emails too. We need to flood them with the info. The Shoreline PTA Council Spring Dessert Training is on Tuesday, May 19 from 6-8 pm. Classes offered are as follows:
This will count as training for the 2015-16 year. Other classes are available at the Northshore PTA Council training on Monday, May 20. Please contact Janice ptareg6@wastatepta.org if you'd prefer to attend on Monday instead. Seniors, apply now for the 2015 Shoreline PTA Council Scholarship. Minimum requirements are that you are graduating this year and have a 2.5 GPA. The whole application takes about 10 minutes, but you DO have to have your counselor sign the form to verify your information. Get them turned in no later than 6/1!!
Find the application here, or on the Council Scholarship page. Every year, Shoreline PTA Council gives awards to outstanding folks in our community. We choose people or organizations that we believe to have gone above and beyond for the children of Shoreline. This year's awards are:
Jenny Farnam: Outstanding Volunteer/Golden Acorn Rebecca Miner: Outstanding Advocate David Wilson: Outstanding Service Hopelink: Outstanding Business/Organization We are grateful for their inspiration and spirit of service! Public comment period closes April 1!
The What, Why, Who, and How of the Youth Action Plan What: On January 21, 2014, the Metropolitan King County Council approved legislation calling for the development of a Youth Action Plan that will set King County’s priorities for serving infants through young adults. The Youth Action Plan will guide and inform the County’s annual investment of more than $75 million in services and programs serving infants through young adults. The Youth Action Plan is to be developed by an appointed Task Force comprised of representatives from a broad range of organizations and entities with substantial expertise and knowledge relevant to children and youth, but that is also diverse in its views and experiences, including but not limited to geographic, racial, and ethnic diversity. Why:
Who: Members of the Youth Action Plan Task Force were appointed by King County Executive Dow Constantine and the County Council through Motions 14097 and 14112. Task Force Member List with biographies When: The Council’s legislation calls for a proposed Youth Action Plan to be submitted to the Council and the Executive on April 15, 2015. A progress report is due to the Council in September, 2014. How: This work is unanimously supported across King County government and is endorsed by many community organizations. To ensure that King County continues to be a strong partner with the state, cities, private sector, non-profit and philanthropic organizations input will be welcomed from these entities and other community members. Please see below for information on meetings of the task force and other opportunities to engage. Additionally, the Forum for Youth Investment, a non-profit organization that helps adults get youth ready for life, is facilitating the work of the Task Force. The Forum for Youth Investment has conducted youth planning efforts across the nation, including New Orleans, Nashville, the State of Massachusetts, and other areas. |
AuthorShoreline PTA Council Archives
May 2016
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