Know! To Create A Summer Bucket List

 

Know! To Create A Summer Bucket List

For many students, summer break has officially begun. That means a break from having to drag tired children out of bed and a break from all the homework. But most of all, it means a chance for our young people to enjoy a little more fun and relaxation.  For a kid, summer seems to go on forever. As an adult, however, we know how quickly it can fly by. While spontaneity can be exciting and fun, a little preplanning can go a long way in helping our tweens and teens make the most of the summer months. Research proves time and again that there is power in writing down your goals and refer to them often. So, gather your children, their ideas and get your must-do summer fun ideas on paper. Creating a Summer Bucket List can be an event in and of itself: Set a day and time for the family to gather—sooner rather than later! Ask them in advance to start thinking about places they would like to visit and things they would like to do this summer. It can be things they want to do as a family or do with their friends. Of course, you will want to provide some parameters as far as budget and travel.  Grab a poster board and some colorful markers—or just pen and paper—either will do. Food is always fun to include in the planning process. The family’s favorite pizza, fruit smoothies or ice cream sundaes may be just what is needed to get the creative juices flowing. Once gathered, ask each person, including the adults, to grab a marker and write down their top three things they would like to include on the summer bucket list then take turns sharing ideas.  Circle each person’s absolute must-do items, then ask everyone to list some additional ideas. If you get stuck, or want to create a little structure around your list, you can ask each family member to include an idea from the following categories:  Volunteer Activity: Giving back to the community not only feels good, but it also allows young people to see the world through a more caring and compassionate lens. If you need help finding volunteer opportunities, check with your child’s school, your local library, your place of worship or other community organizations. Or have your child simply look around the neighborhood and they are likely to find a senior, a busy mom or others who could really benefit from their helping hand. Learn a New Skill: School may be out, but their brains still need stimulation. Encourage them to come up with a new hobby, sport, instrument, or art project that they would like to give a try.  Get Active: It’s important to keep those bodies moving, and we’re talking more than just fingers on a cellphone. You can ask each person to list a fun activity that gets the whole family moving together, in addition to workouts or exercise they may do alone or with their friends. It could include activities like biking, hiking, jump rope contests, kayaking and canoeing, to name a few. Once you get your ideas written down and organized, be sure to display your Summer Bucket List in a common area for all the family to see and refer to. Keep in mind, however, that the best laid plans are subject to change; so be flexible. It’s also fun to check activities off as you go, so you can look back at the end of the summer on all the fun you enjoyed. While some downtime and lazy days over the summer months should be expected and embraced, teens remaining engaged and active is important in keeping them mentally and physically healthy. It also will help them to avoid the pitfalls that summer boredom may bring.  In the tip to follow, we will talk more about the specifics of summer boredom and share a boredom busters list you can hang on the fridge for days when your kids need some inspiration.  Sources Gateway Region YMCA: How To Keep Your Teenager Busy During The Summer. Jan 2020.

Convention Scholarship Raffle

Raffle time! Virtual Scholarship Basket Raffle!!! 

https://form.jotform.com/210626036702042

Each year, Ohio PTA hosts a basket raffle at our Annual Convention to support our Scholarship Fund.  This year, with the convention being virtual, we are also bringing the raffle to you virtually!

We have 9 wonderful baskets and each are valued at $50 or more!  Thank you to all of the Councils and Units that donated to make this possible along with Ohio PTA Board Members and Office Staff!

The raffle will run from Sunday, June 6th through Saturday, June 12 at 8:00 am.  Winners will be announced during our last General Session on June 12th. We will arrange to get baskets to the winners.

Buy some raffle tickets from the comfort of your own home from your cell phone, tablet, or computer.

If you have questions, please email VP of Leadership, Angela Revay at: arevayrevay@yahoo.com

Welcome to the Annual 2021 Ohio PTA Virtual Convention

*Electronic Voting for Board of Directors opens ---  all registered and verified members by

June 4, 2021, will receive secured voting information through a 3rd party service called

Election Buddy. 

Dear PTA Family,

We made it through 2020 and today we kick off the 114th annual Ohio PTA Convention!

Before we get any further, please view this welcome message from our PTA President, Ana Chapman.

Welcome to Convention Video

So who is running this thing and how does a virtual PTA convention even work?

While you will find a convention committee list and an amazing Ohio PTA board of directors listed in the program who have all lovingly brought this convention to fruition, please contact brandy@ohiopta.org if you are having difficulty accessing materials or have questions. 

Your program is going to be your everything! You will find zoom links for all of the workshops already listed under the descriptions. Additionally, you will also find zoom links under sessions. You can click the zoom links right from the pdf, but we have also provided the full link if you find you need to copy and paste it into your web browser instead. These links have been tested by multiple people and are in working order, but we all know how technology can be. If you have any issues opening zoom links please be sure to clear any cookies and possibly try an alternative web browser.

Just like at an in-person convention, business still has to take place. You will find all of this information in your program as well. If you were registered by June 4th and a verified PTA member, then you will receive communications from a 3rd party voting platform called Election Buddy. Voting will begin at 9:00 a.m. June 9 and close at 9 p.m. June 11. 

One last thing to note! We do have exhibitors and they are really amazing, please head over to www.ohiopta.org and at the top menu, you will see a tab titled “Convention 2021”. The Convention 2021 tab has a drop-down menu that will take you to each exhibitor's page. Some have options to meet with them one on one and or are scheduling demonstrations.  We wanted everyone to have the opportunity to connect just like you would in person, so these exhibitor pages will be left up until July 1, 2021. There is one other space under the Convention 2021 tab and that is to communicate updates that don’t have any sensitive information, such as zoom links. However, it is likely that if there is anything urgent to communicate we will do so via email. 

We can’t wait to “see” everyone this weekend!

Meet Our Virtual Convention Sponsors

 Thank you to our virtual convention sponsors!

 

AIM Insurance specializes in providing insurance to PTA’s.  With a focus on helping PTA’s for over 30 years, AIM understands the risks involved in running your organization and can help you choose the right coverage for your PTA.  We have an excellent customer service team providing everyday support and guidance on best practices and clear answers to all the questions that come up around protecting your PTA. With over 23,000 parent-teacher groups insured, AIM is the largest protector of good people doing good things.  Contact us today at 800-876-4044 or www.aim-companies.com

"Cg3Ohio Fundraising is a completely online program that raises money for your PTA, sports team, band, 4H group, and more! This online program is very easy to set up and even reaches family and friends out of state. The items ship to your supporter’s house for free (no pick-up days/times to coordinate!). Along with batteries and other everyday items, we also offer a UV sterilizer/charger for your electronics to keep you safe! We can set up your own personalized website in just a few days to have you up and running quickly. Please let us know if you have any questions! Email Kristie at kpatton@cg3ohio.com or text/call 440-503-3613.

Read for My School is an innovative DIY fundraising solution empowering you to promote a HIGH-IMPACT custom reading challenge that delivers results! No hassle, free vs fee option, no setup fees, and motivates kids.

The Ohio Lottery has been a long-time supporter of teachers and students in education, check out their exhibitor page at ohiopta.org for a video and more information about this amazing program!

Mabel's Labels Fundraising is one of the easiest online fundraisers for schools, earn 20% commission on all sales! Our waterproof labels are dishwasher and laundry safe. They're perfect for preventing mix-ups and ensuring kids' stuff stays out of the lost and found.

PTA Fundraiser: Award-winning children’s author, Linda Stanek, launches a long-distance “Author Kids’ Club” geared at helping kids improve their skills and learn some new ones. For only $10 per family, (PTAs keep 30%), a monthly, eight-page digital package delivers writing fun, tutorials, author interviews with book giveaways, solutions to common student-writing problems, puzzles, and lots of encouragement, directly to students’ homes, October through August. It’s like an author visit all year long! Linda has been a visiting author in schools for more than 15 years, along with working with students with written language disabilities. Learn more at http://www.lindastanek.com/author-kids-club/.

Started by a PTA dad, we print and ship custom school spirit wear and school uniforms directly to parents, so you don’t have to manage orders or delivery.

For Parents and Teachers! Order your Prime Suspect, CSI Kit, and get hands-on experience! Head on over to yourprimesuspect.com for more information and check out our exhibitor's page over at ohiopta.org

Cheddar Up is the easiest way to collect payments and information for your PTA or school group. There’s never been a better time to take your PTA payments virtual…from events to fundraisers to after-school programs to spirit wear. Cheddar Up is flexible enough to collect for almost anything and can be used at no cost to your PTA (that’s right, there’s an always-there FREE plan). Its unique ability to collect both payments and forms means paying is easy for your community. There’s no need for parents to download an app or create an account. Cheddar Up offers both online and point-of-sale payments and saves your volunteers hours – with automatic tracking and easy handoff. We work with tens of thousands of groups across North America and look forward to serving you! Visit https://www.cheddarup.com/pta to get started.

GameTime Fundraisers creates custom online stores for K-12 schools and PTAs, enabling them to sell officially licensed pro and collegiate team merchandise (Bengals, Browns, Buckeyes + all NFL/NBA/NHL/MLB/MLS and Big10 teams), as well as the ability to sell your own school or PTA merchandise (t-shirts, sweatshirts, hats, car decals, etc.) and retain a portion of the proceeds for fundraising purposes.

Virtual Music Technology is a high-energy, totally interactive K-12 online school assembly! Brent Daniels shows your students how he uses their everyday technology to make music for Marvel, Disney, and more! Learn more in this video: https://vimeo.com/462361110

Education First Credit Union is a full-service not-for-profit financial institution driven by the conviction that people should always plan for their financial futures. Education First was founded in 1936 by a group of school teachers.  The credit union has been progressively moving forward with our membership and now includes anyone in Ohio working in education and all Ohio college and university students. Recognizing the social impact that education has on our society, we will continue serving school employees and students within this vital community as our primary point of emphasis. We invite you to open your account today!