Reflections Theme "I Matter Because..."

 

Dear Reflection Chairs,

Ohio PTA is excited to kick off the 2020-2021 annual Reflections Program. The theme this year is “I Matter Because…”. I know it is a very unusual and stressful year and there have been questions if we are still having a Reflections Program. Yes, Ohio PTA is participating in Reflections. In fact, with many children learning at home remote we feel it is more
important than ever to have this program to encourage students’ exploration in the arts. This might be a great way to inspire students to try something new and participate in Reflections.

Ohio PTA has spent the summer updating our website and many of our systems. This should enable us to better communicate with you and in turn you with us. All of the Reflections material and forms are online at our website at www.ohiopta.org. Go to the Programs tab and then click on Reflections which will take you to all our information. The Reflections information includes: Student Packet, Official Rules, Local Leaders Guide, and Theme Search. We have also made a convenient tab for Mandatory Forms:
Student Entry Form, Unit or Council Submission Form, and Reflections At a Glance. It is important to stress that all forms must me completely filled out and signed where appropriate.

The process for sending your entries for all categories to Ohio PTA has not changed. All Reflections entries are due to Ohio PTA by Wednesday, January 13, 2021.  Please be sure each entry has a completed Student Entry Form for each entry. All forms must be filled out completely and signed by the student and parent if under 18 years of age, and attached to the entry.

We have been working on a process for the last few weeks to accommodate online entries for those schools with remote learning. It is a difficult process and needs to be able to accommodate schools as well as Ohio PTA, and interface with our current system. It is more important than ever that all forms be filled out and completed so we can accurately keep track of all entries. The Online Reflection Process is attached. This is new to us as well and it is our hope that this process with work efficiently and smoothly to help accommodate everyone’s changing needs.

We will be communicating with you throughout the year with updates. If you know of anyone that needs to be added to our Reflections Contact List please email Ohio PTA at office@ohiopta.org with your updates. I can be reached at FSP-Reflections@ohiopta.org with any questions. This continues to be a challenging year but we are all learning to do things in new ways. We are excited for this year and look forward to helping you and your units have a successful Reflections Program.

Gerri Beres 
Director of Family-School Partnership, Ohio PTA

 

Census Deadline Extended--Complete NOW

 

Census Deadline Extended--Complete NOW  A Federal judge in the U.S. District Court ruled that the Administration cannot end the census until October 31st, its original end date. While residents now have a few more weeks to complete their census, there is no time like the present! There are multiple ways to do it--by phone, online or by mail--and it takes less than 10 minutes to complete. Not to mention, it supports programs and services used by our family, friends and neighbors like healthcare, roads and bridges and disaster preparedness. What more of an incentive do you need?

Complete Your Census

Sixteen Ohio Schools Receive National Blue Ribbon Honors | Ohio Department of Education

Sixteen Ohio Schools Receive National Blue Ribbon Honors | Ohio Department of Education

Racial Healing for Ourselves, Our Communities and Our Future

 

Webinar # 4 Racial Healing for Ourselves, Our Communities and Our Future   Tuesday, September 29 3 – 4:30 p.m. EDT   REGISTER NOW! This webinar will discuss racial healing as essential for dismantling racism and advancing racial equity.   Presenters will: Explain a model for truth, racial healing and transformation, or TRHT. Describe efforts of the TRHT Campus Center at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa. Explore how Indigenous values can guide racial healing within and across communities.   Welcome and Homage to National Hispanic Heritage Month     Paulina Sosa, MPH, DrPH (c) APHA Health Policy Coordinator, COVID-19, Assistant Editor, AJPH   Moderator     Tia Taylor Williams, MPH, CNS Director, APHA Center for Public Health Policy, Center for School, Health and Education   Presenters

 

Gail Christopher, DN Executive Director, National Collaborative for Health Equity   Kaiwipunikauikawēkiu "Punihei" Lipe, PhD Native Hawaiian Affairs Program Officer, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa   Mapuana Antonio, DrPH Assistant Professor and Native Hawaiian & Indigenous Health Specialization Head, Office of Public Health Studies, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa

 

The panel discussion will be followed by a Q&A session with the webinar audience.   Webinar participants can earn 1.5 CPH, CME, CNE, or CHES continuing education credits.   The webinar will be recorded and available for on-demand viewing on APHA’s website within a week of the live event.

Happy National PTA Back to School Week!

 

Happy National PTA Back to School Week!

This School Year, Start #PTAProud This School Year, Be You! Are you loving all the celebrations, sharing and fun of National PTA Back-to-School Week, V.? Whether your school community is returning to classrooms in person, virtually or a hybrid of both, we want to make sure you start (and keep going!) #PTAProud.   Sponsored by Office Depot OfficeMax, every day during #PTABackToSchool Week we have shared ideas to help you navigate the new school year and address the challenges that have emerged during the COVID-19 pandemic.   Today is Office Depot OfficeMax Day, a day to Start Proud, thank our amazing sponsors and supporters, and as share all the ways people across the country are taking action to make every child's potential a reality. GET INSPIRED AND WIRED Start ProudTM Office Depot is fostering brighter beginnings for schools in low-income communities nationwide and to give students, parents and teachers the supplies they need to to be confident, prepared and proud. Watch this great video to see how they're meeting the unique needs of virtual teaching and learning during the COVID-19 pandemic—as well as the safety needs of in-person schooling. How Do You PTA? Our new membership campaign is all about asking people to, "PTA for Your Child!" After all, we can do more together than we can apart. And there's no wrong way to PTA. We're showcasing the amazing ways people across the country PTA for their communities, like how Lutz K-8 PTA in Florida provided food to over 140 students for eight weeks through weekly meal packs. Lift Every Voice What can we learn from the current pandemic to improve family and educator engagement in times of crisis? Join the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) and National PTA for a joint webinar Thursday, Sept. 24 at 6:30 p.m. EDT, to hear and share research findings and recommendations to improve the process and lift up parent and educator voices in decision making. More Bright Ideas → THE SUPPORT YOU NEED Supply Confidence Our friends at Office Depot OfficeMax have tools to help your kids Learn from Anywhere (remote learning/tech support), School Supply Lists with a Click (find your teacher's exact list in three easy steps) and discounts on printing, scanning and laminating. Support Mental Health Mental health is consistently touted by mental health experts and PTA leaders as one of the most pressing issues to address this school year as a result of COVID-19. Register for our upcoming webinars and explore our new webpage of resources. Build a Better School Year →