Is Your Child’s School Healthy?

Source: National PTA Once Voice Blog

As a parent, there are many factors to consider when assessing your child’s school…teacher/student ratio, curriculum, facilities, location and more.

These are all undoubtedly critical components to a quality education, but have you considered whether your child’s school is a healthy school?

What does it mean to be a healthy school? Take a look at my daughter’s school, Hillcrest Elementary, where I serve as PTA president. Hillcrest was recently named one America’s Healthiest Schools by the Alliance for a Healthier Generation.

With the help of the Alliance’s Healthy Schools Program Framework, my daughter’s school is now serving healthier meals and snacks, getting students moving more, offering high-quality physical and health education and empowering school leaders to become healthy role models.

Why does being a healthy school matter? Healthy kids learn better. Not only that, but when kids have access to quality physical education and healthy meals, behavior also improves and attendance rates increase. Now that’s something that ALL parents can support!

It takes a village to ensure our children form these healthy habits early. From parents to teachers and food services staff, we all have a role to play in building a healthier generation.

At Hillcrest Elementary, the big changes started with teachers and staff. Physical education teacher Tina Birgen led the charge, coordinating walk or bike to school days, ensuring the availability of various healthy menu choices in the cafeteria and engaging staff in nutrition and exercise challenges.

Hillcrest Elementary also emphasized the importance of family involvement in becoming a healthy school. Parents were not only invited to attend activities with our children, but our PTA played in active role in supporting the school’s efforts. From publicizing events to giving teachers stipends to purchase jump ropes or other healthy incentives, we collaborated to build an environment focused on health and wellness.

When parents are involved, the cycle of success continues outside of the classroom. Our PTA supports teachers in providing healthy opportunities for students and staff, and then teachers support the Hillcrest PTA. This results in stronger parent-teacher relationships and healthier habits at home!

Hillcrest students and staff have demonstrated drastic improvements physically, mentally and socially. Through goal setting and proper wellness education, we have improved physical fitness levels, eating behaviors, self-esteem and overall wellness knowledge. All of this, because we—parents, teachers, students and community members—worked together and supported one another in this essential cause.

There are many ways you can get involved in the health and wellness efforts of your child’s school, including joining your local PTA and asking your community’s leaders for support to make healthy changes in schools.

Ready to join the movement to ensure every school becomes one of America’s healthiest? Find out if your child’s school is enrolled in the Healthy Schools Program and get started today!

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Trish Matson Buus is PTA president at Hillcrest Elementary School in Brookings, S.D.

For Food Allergies, a Halloween Appeal: Go Teal!

Source: National PTA One Voice Blog

From classroom parties and Trunk-or-Treats to ghosts and goblins knocking on your door, Halloween puts snacking front and center. But for youngsters on restricted diets, the holiday’s focus on foods they can’t eat puts a big damper on trick-or-treat fun. One in 13 U.S. children has a food allergy. That’s about two kids per classroom. For many, just touching the wrong food causes hives and the smallest taste can be life-threatening. Other students have different health needs that require a special diet, including diabetes, celiac disease and many digestive disorders. Like every other child, these children deserve a fun, inclusive Halloween. Join the Teal Pumpkin Project to make Halloween happy and safe for all children—including those who can’t eat a chocolate or candy treat. Why teal? Teal is the color of food allergy awareness. When you display a teal pumpkin (or a Teal Pumpkin Project sign), you’re letting kids and their families know that you have non-food goodies to share. Launched by Food Allergy Research & Education in 2014, the purpose of the Teal Pumpkin Project is inclusion. Here are the benefits: You don’t need to choose between offering either snacks or trinkets, so long as the food and non-food treats are kept in separate bowls. Toys and prizes won’t go to waste, since they’re popular even with kids who love candy. Some of these kid-friendly items are useful as well—such as glow sticks and glow jewelry that make trick-or-treaters easier to see at night or Halloween-themed pencils and erasers that come in handy as spare school supplies. Whether your pumpkin comes from a farm or a craft store, painting it teal combines creative play with a lesson in empathy. Decorating a teal pumpkin orcoloring an activity sheet reminds kids that while some classmates may not be able to eat some candies, we can include them in the fun by offering treats that are safe for them. We can trick-or-treat others the way we would want to be treated. The 2016 goal of the Teal Pumpkin Project is for at least one home on every block to stock up on non-food treats and welcome all trick-or-treaters with a beautiful teal pumpkin. We hope this Halloween,  children with food allergies and other restrictive diets will spot a teal pumpkin on your doorstep or in your school Halloween festivities, and smile. For more info—including links to free resources to help create a happier, safer Halloween for all—visitTealPumpkinProject.org. Lois A. Witkop is Chief Advancement Officer for Food Allergy Research & Education. She is proud mom to two teens and is a parent member of the Robinson Secondary School PTSA in Fairfax, Va.

National PTA and Amazon Bring Kindle E-Readers to Schools for Family Engagement and Literacy Efforts

ALEXANDRIA, Va., (Oct. 26, 2016)—National PTA and Amazon are pleased to award a classroom of Kindle e-readers to local PTAs and schools across the country for family engagement and literacy efforts. The donation of Kindle e-readers is part of the PTA Family Reading Experience, Powered by Kindle program an ongoing collaboration between National PTA and Amazon to encourage family reading, promote a love of literature and support student success.

“Families play an essential role in helping children develop their literacy skills. And e-readers are a powerful tool to engage children in reading,” said Laura Bay, president of National PTA. “We are thrilled to equip local PTAs and schools with Kindle e-readers for family engagement and literacy efforts.”

PTA Family Reading Experience, Powered by Kindle is a national program that engages the whole family to support the development of literacy skills and foster a love of reading. Through a set of fun, educational activities, the program empowers families with information and tools to use at home and new ways to explore books together.

“Research shows that engaging children and their families in reading increases the amount of learning children take away from a book. Research also shows that when families read together, children do better in school and beyond,” added Nathan R. Monell, CAE, National PTA executive director. “We are pleased to continue our collaboration with Amazon to empower families to read together and support children’s growth as readers.”

PTA Family Reading Experience, Powered by Kindle was launched in 2013. Since joining forces, National PTA and Amazon have brought more than 2,500 Kindle e-readers to students, families and schools nationwide.

“At Amazon, we are dedicated to helping students become passionate readers and we believe that reading is fundamental to education,” said Arthur van Rest, Director, Kindle E-Readers. “We are excited to continue our collaboration with the PTA on this program to help inspire a passion for reading in students across the country.”

All PTAs and schools are encouraged to host PTA Family Reading Experience events using the digital toolkit available at PTA.org/Reading. PTAs that register their PTA Family Reading Experience events will be eligible to receive a classroom of Kindle e-readers.

About National PTA

National PTA® comprises millions of families, students, teachers, administrators, and business and community leaders devoted to the educational success of children and the promotion of family engagement in schools. PTA is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit association that prides itself on being a powerful voice for all children, a relevant resource for families and communities, and a strong advocate for public education. Membership in PTA is open to anyone who wants to be involved and make a difference for the education, health, and welfare of children and youth.

About Amazon

Amazon is guided by four principles: customer obsession rather than competitor focus, passion for invention, commitment to operational excellence, and long-term thinking. Customer reviews, 1-Click shopping, personalized recommendations, Prime, Fulfillment by Amazon, AWS, Kindle Direct Publishing, Kindle, Fire tablets, Fire TV, Amazon Echo, and Alexa are some of the products and services pioneered by Amazon. For more information, visit www.amazon.com/about.

Membership Conference Call Change

MEMBERSHIP CONFERENCE CALL *DATE CHANGE* 

MONDAY, OCTOBER 24^th, at 7:30 PM

Call in number: 712-775-7031

Access Code:   124-091-395

Membership Conference Call Agenda

·         Giving Thanks for our Members

·         Getting All These Members to Attend Meetings and Volunteer

Please plan to join us for our next Membership Conference Call that has been changed to Monday, October 24^th, at 7:30 PM!

Thank you all for making membership a priority for your PTA. Your membership work is greatly appreciated!

Thank you!

Angela Revay

Director of Membership

Ohio PTA

membership@ohiopta.org

The Journey to Becoming a School of Excellence!

Source: National PTA One Voice Blog When a school and its PTA make a joint decision to become a National PTA School of Excellence, they are making a commitment to work together as a team to build effective family-school partnerships in their school community. There are three important steps on the journey to becoming a School of Excellence. Step 1. Enroll Step 2. Complete the family survey Step 3. Complete and submit the Family School Partnership Scan By now, most schools that enrolled are at Step Three. This step, the completion of the Family-School Partnership Scan and the receipt of a customized Roadmap to Excellence specific to local needs, provides a clearer picture of both the successes and opportunities for improvement. This leads to the decision of which path your School of Excellence team will take in the coming months. The possibilities are limited only by imagination and dedication! After receiving the Roadmap to Excellence, some teams may wonder where to begin. For some schools, the Roadmap may seem extensive. This is the time to assemble the School of Excellence team, focus on specific opportunities for improvement and create an action plan by following these steps. Share your Roadmap to Excellence. Give your team plenty of time to review The Roadmap to Excellence before meeting. You may want to email a copy of it to your School Leaders and Board members or even set up a shared “School of Excellence” folder on your Google Drive.Organizing your School of Excellence documents (including your surveys and Family-Partnership Scan) on a shared drive—like Google Drive—is a great way to collaborate with your team.  Meet with your team. You may want to set a designated meeting time just to discuss The Roadmap to Excellence and your next steps. At your meeting, be sure to review the National Standards for Family School Partnerships. Discuss the joint goal you set with your School Leaders as part of your Family-Partnership Scan.Have your team identify two or three Roadmap recommendations per Standard to focus on for this year. You may want to narrow down your focus by identifying those recommendations that align with your School Improvement Plan, accreditation process, or any other big plans your school has for this year.Your focused attention to making substantial progress in a few areas per National Standards will help you be successful. Create an Action Plan. Now that you have identified your goals, it’s time to determine how you’ll reach them! Brainstorm with your team of parents, students (when age appropriate), teachers, school leaders, and community members, and get their ideas and input on what they can bring to the table to reach your common goal.Maybe you’ll continue or build on programs and activities already in place, or maybe you’ll move off in a new direction. Whichever way that you decide to go, don’t forget to take advantage of the many user-friendly tools and programs that National PTA has to offer—you don’t need to re-create the wheel!  Share your goals with your school community. This is a great opportunity to engage your families. Be sure to let families know how they can get involved and help by joining a committee, volunteering their time, or attending an event.You can use general membership meetings, your PTA website, newsletter and social media to promote your program, and be sure to highlight the special events and programs that are a part of your School of Excellence journey. Revisit your Roadmap often. Revisiting your Roadmap and those specific recommendations you have identified to work on this year periodically will help keep your team focused and on task.Set time on your Agenda at each Board meeting, general membership meeting, and principal meeting to discuss your School of Excellence progress, and don’t be afraid to rework and adjust your plan once you’ve see what’s working and where you may have an opportunity for improvement.After all, every journey has its pit stops and minor detours, and sometimes you make the most interesting discoveries along the way!  Wherever the road to Excellence may lead you in the coming months, please know that you’ve taken an important step toward a better school community. It may not always be an easy trip, but there’s no wrong place to begin your journey. In the words of tennis great Arthur Ashe, “To achieve greatness, start where you are, use what you have, do what you can.” You CAN achieve greatness for your school, your students, and your community! Through teamwork, dedication, and shared goals, you can achieve Excellence. Kris Garst is a past president of European PTA, and currently serves on the European PTA Board of Directors as vice president for legislation as well as the convention chair Lauren Van Hemert served as the president of The Centennial Campus Magnet Middle School PTSA for three years. She has also served on the Nominating Committee for the Wake County PTA and has promoted the National PTA School of Excellence on the county level. Both Kris and Lauren are recipients of the 2016 Phoebe Apperson Hearst Outstanding Family-School Partnership Award.

Top 5 Things You Need to Know Two important things regarding the Back-to-School Kit and PTA Recruitment Tool: (1) PTAs can now request more copies of the Recruitment Tool and (2) Your PTA could win a free Google Chromebook! Details below. National PTA Advocacy Awards are officially open! Which #PTAProud member are you nominating this year? Visit PTA.org/AdvocacyAwards for more info. Also, save the date for the 2017 National PTA Legislative Conference, March 7-9.  Have you downloaded the new School Meals Leaders Guide yet? We want you to team up with your local school leaders to bring healthy meals to school and we'll show you how in our webinar tomorrow, Oct. 12.You can still register! Becoming a School of Excellence is a collaborative effort. Join us and register for our webinar on Oct. 26 at 2 p.m. EDT, Continue Your Commitment to Building Strong Family School Partnerships. Membership cards are available on the MyPTA Portal. Need help? Read more in the blurb below. PTA Recruitment Tool Updates   In case you missed our recent Facebook PTA Live, we'd like you to know we've got BIG news!   When you register for the Back-to-School Kit, you will receive a brand-new Recruitment Tool. PTAs can use these packets to help you grow membership. You can now request more copies of the Recruitment tool! Contact BacktoSchool@PTA.org.   In order to be eligible to win a Google Chromebook, please fill out this quick satisfaction survey by Oct. 31. Your feedback is very important!    Go to PTAKit.org and register for the PTA Back-to-School Kit today! STEM Survey + Free Gift Card What are your thoughts on STEM education? How do you incorporate STEM activities at home? We want to hear from you! We are inviting you to take a brief survey to learn more about your perceptions of and engagement in STEM education. Everyone who completes this survey will be eligible to win one of five Panera gift cards courtesy of our partner Bayer. This survey will close Oct. 14, 2016. Take the survey now! Reading is Fun All Year Long! As you begin this new school year and plan for the months ahead, make sure you save the date and get ready to celebrate National Reading Month in March with PTA's Family Reading Experience.   Sign up for a free event kit and your PTA will be eligible for a Kindle Giveaway!   The first 1,000 PTAs to sign up by Dec. 1 will receive colorful posters, event signage, stickers for students, bookmarks and family take-home messages to support your event.   Visit PTA.org/Reading for more info. Mark Your Calendars   Bullying Prevention: Supporting LGBTQ Students Tues., Oct. 11, 7 p.m. EDT   Healthy School Meals Webinar Wed., Oct. 12, 1 p.m. EDT STEM Survey Ends Fri., Oct. 14 Back-to-School Kit and Recruitment Tool Survey Closes Take the survey by Mon., Oct. 31 Resolutions Submissions Due Tues., Nov. 1, 11:59 p.m. EDT   Advocacy Award Submissions Deadline Sun., Dec. 18, 12 a.m. EDT PTA Membership Cards     As a reminder, membership cards and other great resources are available for you on the MyPTA portal.   To gain access to all of these great tools, visitMy.PTA.org. Your login is the state initials (SC or NJ) and the default password is PTA.    If you need a password reset or other help, email our membership team at Membership@PTA.org. Calling All Federal Employees     Are you or someone you know a federal employee, member of the military or a federal contractor?   If so, please choose National PTA as your charity of choice for your federal workplace giving campaign! Illinois PTA Encourages Leadership Development   The Illinois PTA offers an incentive program to encourage leadership development at both the local unit and council level. The program is called Illinois PTA University. The program has three levels: bachelors, masters and doctoral.   Each level recognizes the accomplishment of PTA members who have earned recognition by completing several requirements. The state PTA offers courses for free and specific events qualify towards a person's electives. Trained presenters teach the course in various areas of the state. Attendees receive a course book and the Powerpoint hand-outs. The courses are also offered through live webinars.   An example of one of the courses offered is PTA 101: Your Road to Success. This course covers general and basic PTA information. It is interactive, with attendees learning problem solving within the PTA. This course is presented in English and in Spanish.   To learn more about the other courses offered, visit IL PTA's website. Reminder: Call for Resolutions for 2017 PTA Convention   The resolutions committee is seeking resolutions for consideration during the 2017 National Convention in Las Vegas, Nev. All resolutions packets must be RECEIVED electronically at Resolutions@PTA.org by 11:59 p.m. EDT, Nov. 1. Review our checklist for detailed submission guidelines. Resolutions received after the deadline will not be presented at the 2017 National Convention. Early submission is encouraged. If parts of the resolution or background information are missing, or if edits are necessary, the submitter will need to work with a committee member to ensure the final submission is completed by the deadline date. Fax and hard copy submissions will not be accepted. For more info, see our PTA Resolutions Toolkit. Five Reasons Why Membership Matters Membership supports and encourages family engagement—and when families are engaged, students succeed! PTA provides programs for students and families to connect. Members give life to programs like Reflections, School of Excellence, Family Reading Experience and more. PTA membership gives every child a voice in Washington, DC. Whether we are working to improve the juvenile justice system or K-12 education via ESSA implementation, every member counts! Members get discounts! Remind your community that PTA.org/MemberBenefits is the place to go for the latest savings and discounts you recieve as part of your PTA membership. Our members are part of a larger community—in their town, state and nationwide. Knowing that our members give every child a voice at every level of government makes us all #PTAProud. Sponsored Content Mountain America Can Help You   Mountain America has a successful history of working with local and State PTAs. To support PTA and its members in their good works, we provide unique benefits including: easy to access to online and mobile banking; toll free service centers that are available 24/7, over 30,000 surcharge-free ATMs throughout the country; special offers; rewards checking and rewards Visa Cards and much more!   If you have questions about these special benefits, call us at (800) 310-6228 or visit MACU.com/PTA for additional details. National PTA Headquarters 1250 N. Pitt Street Alexandria, Virginia 22314 PTA.org Phone: (703) 518-1200 Toll Free: (800) 307-4PTA Fax: (703) 836-0942 E-mail: info@PTA.org List: Leadership Briefing

Ohio PTA at Neighborhood Pride Week

Ohio PTA will participate in Neighborhood Pride Week, a City of Columbus event in the Westland Area community, from October 17-21, at the Columbia Heights United Methodist Church, in Columbus.

Ohio PTA will have an information table for the entire week to distribute materials concerning Ohio’s Learning Standards and assessments.  Ohio PTA will recruit the local PTA council and units to help man the table. On Thursday, October 20th, Ohio PTA, along with South-Western City Schools Deputy Superintendent David Stewart, will give a presentation on the standards and assessments during lunch, at noon. Get the chance to win a Kindle Fire for attending.

All PTA Members Have an Obligation to Vote in Elections

Source: PTA One Voice Blog

“The vote is precious. It is almost sacred. It is the most powerful non-violent tool we have in a democratic society and we’ve got to use it.” –Congressman John Lewis

Every day, throughout this nation and overseas, PTA members are hard at work, striving to better the lives of all children. Collectively, our non-partisan voices have made a positive impact nationwide.

Just as we speak up for children through our advocacy work, we also need to exercise the privilege given to every U.S. citizen—the right to vote. Not only should we vote, we need to motivate the people in our schools and communities to vote.

As child advocates, we need to engage, inform and educate our membership on the issues facing our children and education on the ballot today. We need to provide them with the tools they need to vote intelligently at the ballot box.

Elections can have consequences to our mission and we need to make sure our elected officials will work to serve our children well.

So, how can PTA members get involved in non-partisan civic activities? There are a several ways for PTAs to engage their membership as Election Day approaches.

View the list of civic engagement activities your PTA can do as a nonprofit, non-partisan organization below and check out our Election Guide for more options.

• Organize voter registration drives (check state and local laws)
• Host candidate forums
• Work with other organizations like the League of Women Voters to distribute information on state and local issues that may be on the ballot
• Hold or participate in a Mock Student/Parent Election on Nov. 3
• Encourage 18-year-old students to vote and help them register, and plan a trip to the polls together
• Ask your membership to familiarize themselves with the candidates and issues
• Help members identify the location of their polling place and its hours of operation
• Inform parents and families of the proper identification and additional information they need to bring with them to the polls in order to vote in your state
• Provide information to your school community about alternative ways to vote in your state (absentee, early voting, vote-by-mail)

Voter turnout in the United States has steadily declined. A Pew Research Center study shows that in 2012 the U.S. trailed most developed countries in voter turnout, coming in at number 27 with a 53.6% voter turnout. Often people do not vote because of time constraints, lack of information about the process or because they think that their vote will not matter.

Have your PTA members mentioned that they feel their vote does not make a difference? Remind them that elections have been won by just one vote—and in the not-too-distant past, 537 votes made the difference in a presidential election.

If we as PTA members do not speak up for all children, who will? Make a difference in the lives of children. VOTE on Nov. 8 and encourage all child advocates to cast their ballots.

As you head to the polls, remember these wise words from the Dalai Lama, “If you think you are too small to make a difference, try sleeping with a mosquito.”

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Latha Krishnaiyer is the past president of Florida PTA and a current National PTA bylaws and policy committee member.

Webinar This Tuesday

Bullying Prevention: Supporting LGBTQ Students When: Tuesday, Oct. 11 Time: 7 p.m. EDT Register Now Bullying can happen anywhere and to anyone. However, depending on the environment, certain groups—such as LGBTQ students and students who are perceived to be LGBTQ—are at a greater risk of being bullied. Creating a supportive school climate for LGBTQ students improves educational outcomes for all students. In recognition of National Bullying Prevention Month, please join National PTA and The Human Rights Campaign's Welcoming Schools Program for an Every Child In Focus Leadership Series webinar. Attendees will gain an understanding of how to best support LGBTQ students and reduce their risk of being bullied, as well as ways to advocate for all students. Featured Speakers Laura Bay, National PTA President Johanna Eager, Director of Welcoming Schools at The Human Rights Campaign About the Every Child in Focus Leadership Series National PTA's Every Child in Focus initiative is a campaign to strengthen family engagement in schools by celebrating the achievements and reporting the disparities within diverse populations, and sharing resources and advocacy tools to help understand the needs of every child. Through its Every Child in Focus Leadership Series, National PTA is hosting a series of virtual events for PTA leaders, educators and family and community engagement professionals to share effective family engagement and community outreach strategies.

National PTA Headquarters

Register to Vote!!!

Dear Friend, Last week, National Voter Registration Day was a huge success! Thousands of organizations, including over 350 state and local Leagues, came together to register hundreds of thousands of new voters in communities and online. Our push to help new voters register or update their voter registration isn’t over, but time is running out –voter registration deadlines in many states are just days from now! Continue to help the League make sure every eligible citizen across the country is registered and prepared to vote on Election Day – make sure you are registered to vote at your current address, then ask your friends and family if their voter registration is up to date or if they need to register for the first time! With Election Day nearing, now is the time to help voters get ready to head to the polls. The critical first step is making sure as many people as possible are registered. Help us make sure no one is left out. Check in with those you know who recently turned 18, became a citizen, moved or changed their name and help them register to vote or update their registration. This Election Day, Tuesday, November 8, millions of voters will head to the polls and stand up for what matters most to them. Together our votes will influence policies and issues that are decided by our elected officials. These elections are about our jobs, our health, our communities and our future. They are about us; we all need to weigh in.  Make sure the people in your life are registered and ready to vote in November! Thank you for registering to vote and for Making Democracy Work®. Sincerely, Jeanette Senecal Senior Director, Elections and e-Democracy

Ohio PTA Conference Calls for 2016-2017 School Year

Ohio PTA Conference Calls for 2016-2017 School Year

If you would like to be a part of the conference calls, obtain call number via email.

Advocacy/Education Conference Calls
advocacy@ohiopta.org (Mrs. Arendt)

education@ohiopta.org

9 PM

October 12
November 17
January 11, 2017
March 1

Communications Conference Calls
communications@ohiopta.org (Mrs. Robinson)

7:30 PM

November 6
January 11, 2017
March 5

Diversity & Inclusion Conference Calls
D-I@ohiopta.org (Mrs. Groetz-Shockling)

8 PM

4th Tuesday of every month

FSP/Reflections Conference Calls
fsp@ohiopta.org (Mrs. Bonnett)

7 PM FSP / 8 PM Reflections

November 10
January 12, 2017
March 9

HWS Conference Calls
hws@ohiopta.org (Mrs. Catalano)

7 PM

November 7
January 23, 2017
April 24

Membership Committee Conference Calls
membership@ohiopta.org (Mrs. Revay)

August 25	7:30PM
October 24	7:30PM ****date change
2017
January 13	7:30PM
March 13	7:30PM
April 13	7:30PM
May 22	7:30PM

Statewide Conference Calls

Sept. 19           7:30PM
Dec. 5              7:30PM
Feb. 13, 2017   7:30PM