Ohio PTA Voice / September 2018 - Health, Welfare and Safety PTA Resources

(Photo by: Palm Beach County PTA)

The goal of PTA’s Health, Welfare, and Safety(HWS)  programming is to be a resource for PTA  leaders in partnering with schools to create safe environments that encourage healthy, safe choices and social and emotional support for all students. National PTA's HWS programs include:

Healthy Lifestyles. PTA’s Healthy Lifestyles program provides family-centered

education and tools to empower families to partner with schools and advocate for

healthy changes around nutrition and physical activity. It also strives to create an

environment at home that supports the positive changes happening at school.

Healthy Habits Program. National PTA, National Education Association (NEA),

and LYSOL have partnered to educate students and families about health and

hygiene both in the classroom and at home.

Anaphylaxis: Be Aware, Prepared and Ready to Respond. A three-part video

series is designed to help create a safer environment for children with severe

allergies.

Parents for Healthy Kids--Action for Healthy Kids (AFHK) and National PTA have teamed up to support parents in creating healthier schools through a new initiative, Parents for Healthy Kids. Parents for Healthy Kids features a website, online community forum, trainings and grants to educate, engage and empower parents nationwide to improve school and student health.

Connect for Respect. Bullying can happen anywhere that young people gather,

including online, via text and on social networks. This program encourages PTAs

to engage student leaders to lead conversations about how bullying is affecting their

communities and to develop collaborative solutions.

Digital Safety & Citizenship-Technology is woven into every aspect of life- from learning and socializing, to gaming and shopping, the possibilities are endless. Broad access and use of technology opens up many opportunities for students- but it can also be difficult to navigate these online environments. This is why National PTA partnered with LifeLock to help parents start a dialogue about staying safe and positive online.

National PTA Has a section on Health which includes Hunger, Safe Drinking Water, Obesity Prevention, Chronic Conditions, Substance Abuse and Emotional Health. Also, you can find detailed Information on Safety which includes Digital Safety, Injury and Prevention and Sports Safety, School Safety, and Teen Driver Safety.

Check out the Health , Welfare and Safety tab in the Ohio PTA website at ohiopta.org. The tab can be found under "Programs".  The Health, Welfare and Safety Handbook can be found under "PTA Resources".

What can you do to promote HWS programming at your PTA:

• Volunteer as your unit/council's HWS chair or serve on the HWS committee.
• Invite a speaker to a PTA meeting to address a HWS topic.
• Join the Ohio PTA HWS committee by emailing HWS@ohiopta.org

Source:  http://www.ptakit.org/Programs/About-National-PTAs-Programs/Health-and-Safety.aspx

Barbara Varley

Director of Health, Welfare and Safety

Ohio PTA Voice / September 2018 - Serve on the Ohio PTA Board!

Are you enthusiastic about PTA, committed to children, and looking for a new challenge? The Ohio PTA Nominating Committee is seeking highly qualified and motivated leaders to serve on the Ohio PTA Board of Directors for the 2019-2021 term. Elections will be held during the 113^th Ohio PTA Convention, April 12-14, 2019, at the Embassy Suites in Dublin, Ohio. All Board positions are open with the exception of President, President-Elect, Secretary-Treasurer, VP Leadership and VP Field Service, which must be filled by those with prior service on the Ohio PTA Board of Directors, according to Ohio PTA bylaws. Serving on the Ohio PTA Board of Directors requires a state-level commitment and vision and is a truly rewarding experience. Persons who desire to be a powerful voice, a relevant resource, and a strong advocate for all Ohio children are encouraged to apply. All Ohio PTA Board members are unpaid volunteers.

Please email the Nominating Committee Chair at da12@ohiopta.org for an application, a copy of Board job descriptions, or for more information. Completed application forms are due to the Ohio PTA office by September 15, 2018.  

Ohio PTA Voice / September 2018 - Family-School Partnership Programs

For 50 years, the National PTA Reflections arts program has helped millions of students explore their own thoughts, feelings and ideas, develop artistic literacy, increase confidence and find a love for learning that will help them become more successful in school and in life. The program’s golden year vision is to inspire all students and their families to participate. National PTA challenges all PTAs to spark creativity and learning fun by hosting Reflections educational activities. 

The 2018-2019 theme "Heroes Around Me" will spark imagination and creativity in school and at home. Encourage your school to imagine, create and celebrate with Reflections during National Arts & Humanities Month this October.

Call for Entries!

Students in Pre-K through Grade 12 are encouraged to participate in the 2018-2019 National PTA Reflections Awards! It is easy to participate.

1. Reflect on the theme: Heroes Around Me
2. Create an original work inspired by the theme
3. Celebrate your achievements and win prizes!

             IMPORTANT DATES TO REMEMBER

*November 1, 2018     Theme Search Entries Due

*November 30, 2018   PTA in good standing, membership dues paid     

*January 16, 2019       Entries due to Ohio PTA by 4:30 p.m.

Enter according to local program guidelines and deadlines. Visit ohiopta.org for all 2018-2019 Reflections information including:  Local Leader’s Guide, Official Rules Handbook and Theme Search. Visit our Ohio PTA website at ohiopta.org.

The School of Excellence is a National PTA program that supports and celebrates partnerships between PTAs and schools to enrich the educational experience and overall well-being for all students. The School of Excellence program helps PTAs and school leaders’ partner to identify and implement an action plan for school improvement based on PTA's National Standards for Family-School Partnerships. The schools that achieve their goals by the end of the school year are honored as National PTA Schools of Excellence, a distinction that spans two years.

Ohio PTA is proud to congratulate the following 2018-2020 National PTA Schools of Excellence.

-Canterbury Elementary PTA

-Falls Lenox / ECC Primary School PTA

-Kirtland Elementary - Jr-Sr PTA

-Maple Intermediate PTA

-Memorial Middle School PTA

-Monticello Middle School PTA

-Parma Park Elementary PTA

-Titans Early Childhood PTA

Enrollment is now open for the School of Excellence program and consideration of the 2019-2021 School of Excellence designation. The deadline to enroll is Oct. 1. For more information about the program and to enroll, visit PTA.org/Excellence.

Gerri Beres, Director Family-School Partnerships      

fsp@ohiopta.org

Ohio PTA Voice / September 2018 - Communications Corner

 Communicating Clearly: Creating and Delivering a Speech to Increase Membership 

Take this 30-minute e-learning course to improve your public speaking skills.  http://www2.pta.org/NewCreatingSpeech/story_html5.html         

Will your membership recruitment plans include social media, e-newsletters, a blog, a website? What will your membership campaign outreach look like? Did your dynamic drive for membership start last month with plans for each month of the school year? With so many member contact choices, it would be wise to check out National PTA’s communication kit for guidance. https://bit.ly/2I0azNR

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Join the Ohio PTA H.U.B.

This closed group is accessible for PTA members in Ohio to share programs, ideas, and ask questions of  fellow Ohioan PTA members. We currently have over 400 members in this group! The Ohio PTA Help, Understanding, Best Practices (H.U.B) group can be accessed via the Ohio PTA FB page under the group link. Current Ohio PTA H.U.B. members are encouraged to invite their fellow PTA members to join. Group administrators will approve members (based on the response to three (3) questions and/or through invites of existing H.U.B. members) to maintain the integrity of this closed group.

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Stay in touch with Ohio PTA through our array of communication choices.

https://ohiopta.blogspot.com/2016/08/communications.html

Venezuela Robinson, Director of Communications 

communications@ohiopta.org

Have a safe, sensational school year