eNews: SCPTSA General Meeting, 10/15/12

We hope you're enjoying our extended summer and look forward to seeing you at our general meeting on Monday, October 15! Please consider sending us any questions you have for our informational session about I-1240.

As well, we still want to know what you're local units are up to. Please send us what's going on at your school, so we can share what's going on around our city with everyone!

Thank you for all you do!

Rita Sheckler

Co-President SCPTSA

Seattle Council PTSA General Meeting: Update from Superintendent Jose Banda and Information on Upcoming SPS Levies

Meeting Followed by Informational Session on Charter School Initiative 1240

Monday, October 15 at the John Stanford Center Auditorium

Snacks and Socializing: 6:30 to 7:00pm

General Meeting: 7:00 to 7:45pm

Informational Session: 7:45 to 8:30pm

General Meeting

The Seattle Council PTSA will host our first General Meeting of the year. We have a packed agenda.

Update from Superintendent: Jose Banda will discuss the latest happenings in SPS.

Seattle Council PTSA Business: We will be electing our Nominating Committee at this meeting, among other things.

Levies Presentation: We will hear information on the upcoming operations and BEX IV levy that will go before voters in February, 2013.

A note on voting at SCPTSA General Meetings: Our meetings are open to PTA leaders, members and other interested community members; however, voting is limited to members of the Seattle Council PTSA. At this meeting, the Seattle Council PTSA will elect a Nominating Committee. Each local PTA and PTSA in Seattle is a member of the Seattle Council PTSA, and each gets one vote. That vote typically belongs to the President of each PTA or PTSA. If the President cannot attend, another member of the PTA's executive board or an assigned delegate may vote in their place.

Information Session on Charter School Initiative 1240

The Charter School Initiative will be on the ballot this November. This is a hot topic, and we want Seattle PTA leaders and members to have the opportunity to better understand what is inside this initiative so you can make an informed decision when you vote. Ramona Hattendorf, Government Relations Coordinator of the Washington State PTA, will be answering specific questions about the initiative as it is written. We will collect questions about the initiative ahead of time. If you have a question you'd like answered at the informational session, please email it to Rita Sheckler at president@seattlecouncilptsa.org by October 8.

REGISTER TO VOTE!

ANY SENIORS or GRADUATES OUT THERE that will be 18 by November 4

Students or Military can register with their local home address and have ballots sent to their current location.

For more info go to: VOTE.WA.GOV and click on "VOTERS"

Dates & Deadlines

October 8, 2012 - Deadline for online registrations and updates

October 19, 2012 - General Election ballots mailed

October 29, 2012 - Deadline for in-person new registrations

November 6, 2012 - General Election

Also, thanks to everyone who took the PTA Survey, there were over 5,000 responses!

Heidi Bennett

WA State PTA Region 6 Legislative Chair

Opportunities for Families, Community Members to Meet New Seattle Schools Superintendent

-From SPS and SCPTSA

SPS and the Seattle Council PTSA are co-hosting one more community meeting. During the meeting Superintendent Banda will briefly talk about his vision for the school district, followed by informal conversations with those in attendance. The meeting is scheduled from 6-7:30pm.

Monday, October 8 - Hamilton International Middle School, 1610 N. 41st St

REFLECTIONS 2012-2013

The Reflections Art Program is a National and State PTA cultural arts competition. The purpose of the program is to provide an opportunity for students to use their creative talents by expressing themselves through their own original works. Each year, Reflections challenges students to create art that supports a specific theme. This year's theme is: "The Magic of a Moment." A student may submit an entry in any one of six arts areas - Literature, Music Composition, Photography, Visual Arts, Film/Video and Choreography/Dance. Only original works of art are accepted. Applications may be downloaded from http://www.wastatepta.org/programs/reflections. You will need a student entry form and a rules and guidelines form for the area in which your student is interested in submitting. Submissions are judged in five divisions: Primary -- Preschool - Grade 2; Intermediate -- Grades 3 - 5; Middle/Junior -- Grades 6 - 8; Senior -- Grades 9 - 12; Special Artist. All submissions are due to SCPTSA by December 3rd. Selected work will be exhibited at the Seattle Center, Harrison Street Gallery, from Dec. 10th-31st; the artist reception will be on Sunday, December 16th, from 2-4, at Seattle Center. Finalists could go on to the state and possibly national levels. If you have any questions, please contact your school's Reflections Chair or SCPTSA Reflections Co-Chairs Leanne Hawkins (hawkins1022@msn.com) and Daphne Dejanikus (dsdejan@hotmail.com).

Family Symposium at Chief Sealth International High School

Saturday, October 20 from 10am - 3:00pm

-From SPS

Families, students, staff and community members of Seattle Public Schools are invited to participate in the annual Family Symposium scheduled for Saturday, October 20 at Chief Sealth International High School. Workshops, speakers and information will help families and schools partner for student success.

More Information

Seattle K-12 Arts Learning Collaborative

-From SPS

The Seattle K-12 Arts Learning Collaborative held a community forum last week to share findings from a series of focus groups, surveys, and a comprehensive study on arts education access. Two themes emerged from the research: 1) integrated arts learning opportunities are critical to students' long-term success and 2) current arts access disparities must be addressed.

The findings and what they mean for creating a comprehensive, city-wide arts plan were discussed at a Public Arts Forum on September 27, at which Seattle Public School's new Superintendent, Jos� Banda, spoke.

For full reports and additional information on how you can help students learn through the arts and to read the research, go to www.bit.ly/SPSartsplan

Attend WA State PTA Legislative Assembly and Have Your PTA Represented

Friday and Saturday, October 19 and 20

SeaTac Marriot Hotel (Hotel reservations must be made separately)

-From Region 6

Join us for the premier advocacy, legislation training and planning event of the year! Local units and councils send delegates to our statewide Legislative Assembly to develop our statewide legislative platform and to learn how to effectively advocate for children at all levels. Any PTA member can attend but you must have a delegate card to vote.

Register before 10/3 and Save! The costs per person (no meals or hotel) is $145 with the early registration, or $185 after 10/4. Seattle Council PTSA offers grants for those who need financial help. Click here for the leadership grant form and contact SCPTSA Co-President, Rita Sheckler president@seattlecouncilptsa.org for approval. Students are welcome and can receive a discounted rate.

We Need You! SCPTSA is Currently Seeking Two New Board Members for the 2012-2013 School Year

The Seattle Council PTSA has the following Council positions open for the 2012-2013 year: NW Area Director and SW Area Director.

If you know of any great candidates who are interested in issues that affect every child; who routinely attend meetings; is interested in city-wide issues and has a strong commitment to education, please submit their names to us. SCPTSA welcomes potential Board candidates who represent our Seattle communities; who have diverse viewpoints and backgrounds and have the time and energy to make positive changes for all children. Please submit your recommendations to Lauren McGuire and Rita Sheckler at president@seattlecouncilptsa.org.

Help Your PTA Learn More about the School Levies and How to Support Them

-From Schools First

Two crucial levy renewals will be on the ballot this school year. The first, an Operations Levy, funds approximately 30% of the District's operating budget. Past operating levies partially paid for instructional programs; costs related to full-day kindergarten; a sixth period at high schools; student activities such as athletics, drama and music; bilingual and special education services; textbooks and classroom supplies; transportation and security. The second, a Capital Levy (BEX IV), funds building and infrastructure projects. It is expected that BEX IV will, in part, be used to address over capacity issues in the District by creating new or improved classroom space.

Historically, many PTAs have endorsed the levies, provided a PTA donation to the campaign and school parents have actively volunteered to support passage of the levies. Schools First, the non-profit, volunteer coalition that campaigns for renewal of the levies, has speakers available to come to one of your meetings to share information about the levies and discuss the endorsement/donation process. Please contact Kerry Cooley-Stroum, who will be on the Scholars at Garfield/PTA Academic Committee this year, at kcs@seanet.com for more information, and to schedule a brief presentation for your October or November board meeting. More information is available at www.schoolsfirstseattle.org.

Thank you,

Greg Wong, Schools First President