Ohio PTA Convention BOGO Extended

There is still time to register for our April 12-14 Ohio PTA Convention! We heard from some PTAs that they had difficulty registering online. That issue has been solved and to compensate we are extending the BOGO registration opportunity until April 3. Can’t find a BOGO partner? Contact office@ohiopta.org and we will match you with another BOGO seeker. Click here to register and here to see the workshops offered at convention.

SOS Statewide Contest for Students

Parent Letter

Contest Flyer

Contest Rules and Guidelines

Contest Overview and Timeline:

The Secretary of State’s office is holding a statewide contest for students in grades 6-12 to design Ohio’s new official “I Voted” sticker. The top 5 finalists will be selected by a panel and then voted on by the public to choose the winning design.

March 25 - April 28: Submission period

May 3: Announcement of the top five finalists

May 6 - May 10: Public voting period

May 13: Winning sticker announced

https://www.sos.state.oh.us/secretary-office/office-initiatives/sticker/

The Scary Truth About #SocialMedia

The Scary Truth About #SocialMedia presentation by Commander David Frattare of the Ohio Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force followed by a discussion with Chief Brian Byard, Aurora Police Department, Chief Chris Noga, Twinsburg Police Department & SRO Officer Glenn Nicholl, Macedonia Police Department. Sponsored by the Aurora, Nordonia Hills & Twinsburg School Districts & hosted by Superintendent of Aurora Schools Pat Ciccantelli. (Edited version of original livestream)

Dues "Telephone Calls"

Ohio PTA apologizes if you received a call saying your unit was behind in their dues. These calls were a mistake. Please ignore them. We are looking into this and are sorry for any concern they may have caused you.

Susan Hans,
President

Public Schools Week March 25-29, 2019

PTA Advocates,

This year, National PTA is supporting our nation’s public schools by participating in Public Schools Week March 25-29, 2019. As we get ready to celebrate our nation’s public schools, our students and the professionals who work each day to make every child’s potential a reality, we are asking all PTA members to help promote Public Schools Week by using the attached toolkit, which provides suggestions to participate during the week and contains sample graphics and messaging you can use on social media. Visit the Learning First Alliance’s website to learn more about this year’s Public Schools Week.

The attached toolkit is designed to highlight Public Schools Week for use before and during the week of March 25-29, 2019. Please feel free to share throughout your networks and take a few minutes to promote public schools! 

Here are a few things you can do to support Public Schools Week:

• Email your Member of Congress asking them to cosponsor the Public Schools Week Resolution.
• Write an op ed in your local paper. Use our templates to communicate to parents and community members or to advocate for public education with local or state lawmakers. 
• Release a press statement in support of Public Schools week.
• Watch the Public Schools Week Webinar on Monday, March 25 at 8 p.m. ET and participate in a Twitter chat immediately following using #PublicSchoolProud and #PublicSchoolsWeek
• Post on social media using the sample posts in the toolkit about Public Schools Week.
• Share your #PublicSchoolProud stories at https://bit.ly/2WaWqEN and encourage other PTA members to do the same!

I hope you will join us in this important celebration of public schools!

Statewide Series of Town Hall Meetings for Families of Students with Disabilities to Meet March 19 through April 17

The Ohio Department of Education will host a statewide series of town hall meetings for families of students with disabilities between March 19 and April 17.

Discussion topics will include developing recommendations to improve educational experiences and outcomes for students with disabilities in Ohio.

The meetings are scheduled for:

• March 19 — 4:15 to 5:45 p.m. and 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. — Sinclair Community College, 444 West Third Street, Dayton
• March 20 — 12:30 to 2:00 p.m. — Xenos Christian Fellowship, 1340 Community Park Drive, Columbus
• March 27 — 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. — Educational Service Center of Central Ohio, 2080 Citygate Drive, Columbus
• March 28 — 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. — Findlay Inn, 200 East Main Cross Street, Findlay
• April 2 — 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. — Clark Memorial Library, Shawnee State University, 940 2nd Street, Portsmouth
• April 3 — 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. — Summit County Educational Service Center, 420 Washington Avenue, Cuyahoga Falls
• April 12 — 10:30 a.m. to noon and 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. — Educational Service Center of Northeast Ohio, 6393 Oak Tree Boulevard, Independence
• April 17 — 2:00 to 3:30 p.m. — Summit County Educational Service Center, 420 Washington Avenue, Cuyahoga Falls

Click here for more information.

For general questions about the meeting, please call Wendy Stoica at (614) 644-7307.

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School Grants for Healthy Kids

Are you ready to make a direct impact on the students in your school community? Whether you're a parent, educator, or other school staff, apply for one of Action for Healthy Kids school grants for the 2019-2020 school year.

Grants can help your school purchase needed equipment or start new programs that help achieve a vision of every kid healthy and ready to learn. With the support of our sponsors, AFHK provide hundreds of thousands of dollars in school breakfast grants, Game On grants for nutrition and physical activity, and parent-led wellness grants.

School Breakfast Grants 

School breakfast is more than a meal: It helps fight hunger, improves student focus, and reduces absenteeism. Your school can introduce or expand a school breakfast program with grants for $1,000, $2,000, or $3,000. Whether it's breakfast in the classroom, grab-and-go breakfast, or another breakfast program, help your students start their day right. Applications are open from February 4 through April 5, 2019.

http://www.actionforhealthykids.org/storage/documents/School_Grants/2019-2020_SGHK_School_Breakfast_Start_Up_Grant_Instruction_Guide.pdf

Game On Grants 

In order to get every kid healthy and ready to learn, our Game On grants provide funding and resources for schools to improve or introduce new nutrition and physical activity programs. With a $1,000 grant, you can build a school garden, get equipment for active recess, host taste tests, and other nutrition promotion, start a before- or after-school activity club, and more. Applications are open from February 4 through April 5, 2019.

http://www.actionforhealthykids.org/storage/documents/Game_On_Application_Instructions_V2.pdf

Parent-led Grants

Parents: Here’s your chance to make your mark on school health! Apply for a $1,000 parent-led school grant that will provide funds and resources to revamp or introduce fitness or nutrition programs so that all students have access to healthy choices. Applications are open from February 4 through April 5, 2019.Register here:

https://parentsforhealthykids.org/make-change-happen/apply-for-a-school-grant/

Barb Varley, Ohio PTA Director of Health, Welfare and Safety

President's Message

                                                            PTA Members and Leaders,

It’s time to register for your annual Ohio PTA Convention this April 12-14 at the Embassy Suites Dublin. There’s something for everyone- new officers, members earning their Gold Keys and those ready to explore advocacy and leadership skills. Local unit leaders will be presenting at several workshops so you can learn from your peers. Workshops begin on Friday at 7:30pm and continue through Sunday morning.

In addition to workshops, election of the 2019-2021 Ohio PTA Board of Directors and member approval of amendments to the Ohio PTA Bylaws will take place during general sessions.

The Embassy Suites Dublin is newly renovated and is beautiful! Free hot breakfasts from the hotel for all attendees on both Saturday and Sunday morning are included in your room rate. Our traditional Reflections Luncheon will also take place so buy a ticket and celebrate our Ohio winners. Don’t miss the Installation Reception on Saturday evening. You can meet and chat with your new Ohio PTA Board.

Now that you’ve heard what we have planned, how do you get the most out of Convention? First, remember the BOGO and hotel deadline of March 22 and bring a friend! You’ll be able to experience twice the workshops and bring that learning back to your unit or council.

My next tip is to go to everything- workshops, orientation, general sessions and the social events. You’ll meet other members and make lasting contacts with PTAs from all over the state. If you have not already started, get working on your first step Gold Key.

My last but most important recommendation is to make sure you meet your District Advisor and the other members of the Ohio PTA Board of Directors. We love Convention not only for the learning and the celebrations but because it lets us spend time with you, the members who are the true strength of Ohio PTA. We want to hear about your successes and challenges. We learn something new every time we talk with a member and we take that knowledge and use it to improve our programs and services. I’m excited to welcome you to Convention and can’t wait to see you!

Get registered, get ready and get on the road to Columbus!

Susan

Family-School Partnerships/Reflections

FAMILY-SCHOOL PARTNERSHIPS

Successful Family-School Partnerships

PTA’s process for building successful partnerships starts with the National Standards for Family-School Partnerships and consists of three steps:

·       Raising awareness about the power of family and community involvement.

·       Taking action to cultivate involvement through specific programs and practices.

·       Celebrating success as your school sees increased involvement and its impact. 

A perfect way to get involved in your schools and community is to volunteer the week of April 7-13, 2019 for National Volunteer Week.

April 7-13, 2019

National Volunteer Week, powered by Points of Light, is an opportunity to celebrate the impact of volunteer service and the power of volunteers to come together to tackle tough challenges, and build stronger, more resilient communities. A perfect time to shine a light on the people and causes that inspire us to serve, recognizing and thanking volunteers who lend their time, talent and voice to make a difference in their communities.

Reflections       

Thank you to all Ohio PTA units and students who participated this year in our National PTA Reflections Program. Ohio PTA received almost 800 original student entries. We want to congratulate all the Reflection Chairs who gave of their time to promote the arts to their units and students. We also want to congratulate all the students who shared their time and talent with us and submitted their entries to Ohio PTA

We will post a list of the state winners in the May/June edition of our online newsletter. Our Ohio PTA website will also have a list of all the 2018-2019 state level winners.

The Ohio PTA Reflections winning entries will be displayed at our Ohio PTA Convention on April 12-14, 2019. We hope you will be able to attend and have the opportunity to view the display.

Our 1^st, 2^nd, and 3^rd place winners will be invited to attend our special Reflections Awards luncheon during the Ohio PTA Convention.

EXCITING NEWS

The National PTA Reflections theme for the 2019-2020 year will be “Look Within”!

2019 National PTA Reflections Winners will be announced May 1, 2019 via PTA Live! Honorees will be celebrated at the National PTA’s Convention & Expo in Columbus, Ohio in June, 2019.