National PTA Supports Families, Schools Impacted by Wildfires in California

ALEXANDRIA, Va. (Oct. 13, 2017)—National PTA President Jim Accomando issued the following statement regarding the wildfires in Northern California:

“National PTA is deeply concerned for all of the families, schools, and communities affected by the wildfires burning in California. Our thoughts, prayers, and sympathies are with everyone impacted by these devastating fires.

“As following the recent hurricanes, we remain committed to doing everything we can to support the families and school communities affected and assist them in their efforts to rebuild and recover. We urge everyone to donate to our association’s Disaster Relief Fund, which was established to respond to tragedies that grievously disrupt a school or education system. One hundred percent of donations to the fund will go directly to PTAs and schools in need and will help provide important supplies for students and teachers when schools reopen.

“In addition to National PTA’s Disaster Relief Fund, California State PTA has teamed up with Redwood Credit Union, the Redwood Credit Union Community Fund, Senator Mike McGuire and The Press Democrat to establish the North Bay Fire Relief Fund. We also encourage our members to donate to the fund and/or the American Red Cross Canyon Fire 2 Relief Fund to support relief efforts and provide aid to those impacted by the fires.

“Our country has endured unprecedented natural and man-made disasters the last couple of months. The need to give has never been greater and our mission at PTA has become that much more important.

“We know we can count on our PTA members across the country to come together to help meet the needs caused by the wildfires and give our children and school communities what they need to thrive.”

National PTA President Jim Accomando shared information about the association’s Disaster Relief Fund live on Facebook. Visit National PTA’s Facebook page to view the video.

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. For more information, visitPTA.org.

Media Contact

Heidi May Wilson, National PTA

hmay@pta.org, (703) 518-1242

Update from Florida PTA: All Children are Our Children

Source: PTA one voice blog

The following was shared by Cindy Gerhardt, President of Florida PTA.

Resilience.  That is our word for this year.  We are showing the capacity to not only recover quickly from the damage and chaos that Hurricane Irma brought to our communities, but we are being propelled back into the role of caregiver and advocate.  Only 10 days after Irma made landfall, Hurricane Maria devastated Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.  While we know that many students from the Florida Keys, where schools have been extremely damaged, have been relocated to schools in Miami-Dade, we are now seeing hundreds of families from Puerto Rico migrating into areas in Central and South Florida.  We know that they are coming with very few possessions, scarce documentation and some with little mastery of English.

Here’s our call to action.  If your school is receiving these displaced families, please be mindful of what they have been and are still going through.  Most have lost everything.  If you can, put together a welcome package with basic toiletries, school supplies, spirit t-shirts, etc. – something that will help them feel some sense of normality.  Work alongside guidance counselors and other school staff to help meet other needs that may arise.  Some may be staying in short-term housing, some in shelters, some with local family members.  If possible, let’s reach out and see how we can help with food, clothing and other necessities.

In the next phase, we will be working with district personnel and state decision-makers to ensure that our schools are set up for success as they absorb these new families.  We’ll encourage common sense waivers and accommodations as we move forward to navigate the day-to-day curriculum and achievement expectations already in place for our schools.

Please stay tuned for more updates as we send them, and more importantly, please keep us posted on ways you and your volunteers are helping to provide a smooth and less distressing transition for these families and their children.  We will show them that our words are true when we say ALL Children are OUR Children!

Cindy Gerhardt
President
Florida PTA

Cultivating Online Safety with Proactive Parents and Schools

Source: National PTA One Voice Blog

The internet can be a wonderful tool to learn and explore new concepts, as well as a way to connect with people and cultures far away. However, we also know that the internet can be a serious source of distraction and danger, especially for its youngest users. These risks are why setting boundaries and encouraging balance for online use is so important.

Parents often feel overwhelmed by the drama that seems to accompany the technology in kids’ back pockets. And they’re certainly not blowing the issue out of proportion. A 2016 Common Sense Media study found that a whopping 50% of teens feel addicted to their phones, and one-third of families reported fighting about negative effects of phone use daily.

We Are Not Powerless
But rest assured, as parents and educators, we are not powerless in the fight to help our kids become healthy, well-adjusted adults with actual social skills beyond Snapchat. In fact, research shows that we can make a huge difference in our kids being able to navigate the online world well, especially when it comes to helping with conflict resolution. In a 2015 CNN documentary, sociologist Robert Faris, a school bullying and youth aggression researcher says, “Parent monitoring effectively erased the negative effects of online conflicts.”

Engagement is Key
Most parents I’ve talked to want to do a better job setting boundaries and talking to their kids about online safety, but they sometimes don’t know where to start. One tool we recommend is an online resource called The Smart Talk. It’s an interactive tool that families can use to set boundaries in “stone” and talk about what responsible tech use in their home should look like. We’ve found it to be a great template to cover several online safety topics as a family, and it really assists you in unearthing your own values regarding technology as you work through it. It doesn’t just help you create a contract, it helps create conversation.

Working Together: Parents & Schools
Online drama affects schools and homes alike. That’s why it’s so important to find ways we can work together to build healthy structures and expectations for kids’ online activity. Sometimes we only respond when a negative situation blows up, but if we can make the switch to become proactive in our school communities, we will be better able to prepare kids to make good choices online. One proactive strategy is to plan a PTA event for National Safer Internet Day, Tuesday, Feb. 6. This is a great way to foster community and discuss strategies to keep kids safe online!


Seize the Day
We’ve often heard the distance between Kindergarten and Senior year is one blink—it goes by quickly. With technology evolving every day, and our kids growing up in the blink of an eye, it’s time for us to seize the day in developing strategies for internet safety, both at home and in our schools. Let’s work together to proactively teach our kids that boundaries and balance online are crucial to their successful futures.


Sarah Siegand is an author and co-founder of Parents Who Fight, an online safety campaign to give parents tools and encouragement to protect their kids online. She is a member of her local PTA in Nashville, TN.

*2 Things - IRS and Ohio Attorney General (CORRECTED POST / EMAIL ADDRESS)

Please remember to make sure that your PTA files the necessary IRS and Attorney General filings for the fiscal year July 1, 2016, to June 30, 2017.

Filing the 990 form with IRS will protect your tax exempt status, which is not an easy task to get reinstated. 

Not filing the AG filing can result in fines levied against your PTA.  

CASES IN POINT: 

1.  The Ohio PTA Office has been notified about a PTA unit who registered with the State of Ohio AG Office and never filed consecutive years (it had been three years since their initial filing). They received an invoice from the Attorney General's office this past week in the amount of $1,000 for past fees and fines.  

2.  Another PTA registered for the first time this year. The AG office notified them that they need to file for the previous years missed (three years). Ohio PTA does not know whether there will be fines levied against this PTA.

What we know now, is that the Attorney General's office is tracking non-profits and their filing habits to maintain their exempt status. In both cases, the fees the PTA units would have had to file each year would have been minimal ($50/year)   (Both the IRS and AG are keeping track of non-profits.)

Please connect with your treasurer to be sure that these tax-exempt requirements are followed.  Once your unit files the necessary documents, please forward the receipt to soa@ohiopta.org

Please keep your Tax Exempt Status safe and be fiscally responsible on behalf of your PTA unit. Don't procrastinate, file TODAY...the tax filing deadline is next month - November 15, 2017.