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Greetings!
We are moving into the holiday season and our days will surely bring more activity. I hope all of your fall festivals, carnivals and school parties are safe and happy ones for everyone. Though our schedules may become a little hectic, and parents as well as students begin to look forward to Thanksgiving week, I remind our PTA officers to review their P TA obligations. 990 informational returns are due to be filed with the IRS by every local unit. Most of all the units in this Council have an October 20 or November 20 filing deadline which is determined by the start of your fiscal year. If your unit's return is past due, please contact us and we will help you work through the issue.
This is also the perfect time of year to review your unit's bylaws and standing rules. Check for the month that your nominating committee is to be elected and what, if any, fees may be reimbursed for executive board members attending the Texas PTA Annual Convention which will be held in Houston this February. Your unit should be evaluating the success of fundraising and event endeavors which have occurred thus far. Perhaps it is possible to increase the "Leadership Training Expense" in your budget to allow for additional members of your PTA to attend this convention.
I would like to acknowledge this Council's 1st Vice President, Reeneea Ennis, for the expert planning and coordination of the four "Leader Orientation Training" sessions we conducted this fall where we trained 250 PTA members. In addition, this Council also provided officer training and job specific workshops in September. Thank you, Reeneea! Bringing these training opportunities to our members takes teamwork so thanks also go out to Pam Moore, Laura DuPont, Vicky Fransham, Chris Reeder, Rich Leeney, Lisa Boulais, Debbie Gurley, Sylvia Nolan, Svetlana Hanson, Amanda Mark, Darbie Hoepfner and Tamara Zaman.
Wishing everyone a safe and peaceful Thanksgiving,
Diane Fatora
CCCC PTA President
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Leadership Training & Education
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Fall Training a HUGE Success!
Clear Creek Community Council of PTAs trained a record number of Local Units this fall! Over 40 Local Units attended 2 days of Officer and Chairman Training and/or 4 days of Leader Orientation Training (LOT). Two hundred and thirty-eight people were trained at LOT during September and October.
Seabrook Methodist Church was kind enough to let us use their facility for one of our LOT sessions. If you are a member of this church, please let them know how much you appreciate the use of the church for our training.
A huge thank you to all the CCCC of PTAs board members that donated their time to help make these training sessions a success, especially Diane Fatora (taught every single LOT we offered), Pam Moore (my only helper at two of the trainings) and Svetlana Hanson (obtained Seabrook Methodist Church for us).
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Supporting Information:
Spring training will be announced after the beginning of the new year. If you have questions in the interim please contact CCCC 1st VP Training, Reeneea Ennis, 1stvptraining@ccccpta.org .
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 The Importance of a Nominating Committee
A Nominating Committee ensures that the elected officers will be in place for the beginning of the next fiscal year so the PTA will have a seamless transition of leadership from one year to the next.
If you have not already elected a Nominating Committee you need to do so at the general membership meeting or a special meeting prior to the general membership meeting where your Executive Officers are elected for the following year.
Click here to read the presentation given by CCCC President Diane Fatora at the November 2 Regular meeting.
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Supporting Document(s):
Why a Nominating Committeee
Questions can be directed to Vicky Fransham, Training and Materials Team, tmt@ccccpta.org . |
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NEW--Texas PTA Social Media Policy
The Texas PTA Board of Directors recently approved a policy regarding social media. Please pass this information along to your communications, newsletter and/or website chairs so they are aware of the policy as they develop your communications for your local units.
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Supporting Document(s):
Texas PTA Social Media Policy
Questions can be directed to Svetlana Hansen, CCCC PTA 3rd VP--Communications 3rdvpcommunications@ccccpta.org or Texas PTA www.txpta.org. |
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PTA HISTORIAN: Preserving the Past to Inform the Future
Suggested tools and information needed to prepare your Local PTA/PTSA Unit's History/Publicity Record Book (scrapbook)
I. BOUND PUBLICITY RECORD BOOK AND MANDATORY ITEMS
A. Cover
Identify your local unit's Name, City, State, TX PTA Area, and current school year;
Example: ABC School PTA/PTSA
Mytown, Texas
Council name
TX PTA Area #
2011-2012
B. Blank page
Blank, but should have the Historian's name and year they served in the bottom right hand corner.
C. Title Page
Local unit's Name, City, State, County, Council, TX PTA Area and current school year documented.
D. Table of Contents page (these items should be noted somewhere on the page)
1. Time frame (installation to installation);
2. Name, address and picture of school;
3. Names of the PTA President, and the school Principal (photos optional);
4. Total number of PTA/PTSA members (total as of March 15th);
5. Total number of students attending the school this year.
E. Publicity Sources
Use community newspapers, PTA newsletter, your school district's publications, website URL's, etc. (any published resources).
F. Board Roster
List the officers, standing committee and special committee chairmen (photos optional).
G. PTA Presidents
List of the current presidents for Council, Area, Texas and National PTA.
H. History of Life Member Recipients
List names (with dates being optional); a copy of membership presentations would be nice, but optional. Cumulative list of recipients helps maintain historical data.
I. Copy of PTA Budget (the approved/balanced budget, which is also put in the PTA Directory/Handbook, if applicable).
J. Publicity
Photos, mementos, as collected from activities/events that have been attended, hosted or accomplished by PTA that year. Gather invitations, programs from events, memorabilia of table decorations, etc. from functions.
a. Start with installation event from election of officers;
b. Continue month by month;
c. Collect agendas, programs, handouts, PTA flyers that are sent home, (have extras too - always get extras if possible - clean copies are great);
d. Clip news articles from PTA newsletter and community newspapers, etc. help provide a colorful "calendar" of your local unit's school year;
e. Compile Names of Delegates that attended Fall/Spring workshops, area conference, state convention, Summer Leadership Seminar, National PTA Convention (don't forget those mementos: invitations, programs, etc. which also are great from these events);
f. Collect from the secretary, Thank You Notes your board has received (collect only after they have been read at a meeting);
g. If your PTA unit has a website, print a copy of the website home page;
h. Collect Award certificates presented to your PTA (i.e., Membership, Environmental, Reflections); photos of presentations to students are encouraged;
i. Compile a complete set of PTA newsletters (if possible) and place them in your book. (Do not cut anything from this set, but instead use complete untouched, uncut issues.).
K. Copy of Annual Yearbook (i.e. PTA Directory or Handbook) along with bylaws & standing rules.
L. Historian's Report
A copy of the adopted Historian's Report (which is read during the last meeting) should be in the back of the book.
II. "OUTSIDE OF THE PTA" (or "A YEAR AT YOUR SCHOOL NAME")
News and Publicity
Keep in mind this book is intended to be a record book about your unit. Therefore, it is suggested that if you wish to include the school history in the book, you can put it in the BACK PART of the PTA Scrapbook (a separate section). You may want to title this school area of the book as: "Outside of PTA" (exception: photos or news clippings for which you can note how PTA participated in the school activity: i.e., events like school registration where PTA volunteers assisted or participated in the event).
1. Items representing school calendar events, school clubs, student of the month news, school district calendar, awards and recognitions the school received - are all items that may be included in the "Outside of PTA" area of the book;
2. Items representing significant activities/events that happened in the school district, in the community or in the country - may also be included in the "Outside of PTA" area of the book.
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NEXT MONTH: Historian's Report Guidelines
Pam Moore, CCCC of PTAs, 2011-2012 Historian, historian@ccccpta.org
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Reflections DEADLINE to Council--December 2
The 2011-2012 Reflections Program "Diversity Means" is here and the deadlines are fast approaching! Local PTAs may advance up to 20% of their total number of entries to the council level, or at least one from each arts area. All entries are due to the council by Friday, December 2.
DROP-OFF LOCATIONS:
Please drop your local unit entries at one of the two following locations Friday, December 2:
Clear Lake City Elementary
1707 Fairwind Road Houston, TX 77062
281-284-4200
Bauerschlag Elementary
2051 League City Pkwy League City, TX 77573
281-284-6100
MAP
Please contact Sara Holder, Reflections Campus Coordinator at Reflectcampus@ccccpta.org to ensure that you get all of the pertinent Reflections information. We look forward to your local submissions!
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Supporting Document(s):
For additional information, forms, guidelines and procedures go to:
http://www.txpta.org/programs/reflections/
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CAMPUS in the SPOTLIGHT
Has your PTA Unit accomplished something great at your Campus? Do you think other schools might benefit from this "something"? Are you willing to share your successes?
If you have started a new program, improved an old one, had a wonderful guest speaker, parent, and/or student workshop; then we would love to share your ideas with others so that they can try them at their campus. We are working toward the same goal and there is no greater compliment than copying someone else's great idea.
The Clear Creek Community Council would like to applaud our Local PTA's who encourage and support their board members; who want to try something new; who shake things up a bit, and take chances. With change often come wonderful new programs, and we can reach out to more parents and students in the process.
To encourage these innovative ideas and to applaud the PTAs and Campuses that allow them to flourish, we continue our program called "Campus in the Spotlight."
All entries will be judged and a winner announced at each CCCC Regular Meeting. The winning entry will be presented at the meeting.
At our May meeting we will award an overall winner for best idea of the year. A compilation of all winning ideas will be posted on our website with contact information.
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Supporting Document(s):
Campus In the Spotlight Entry Form
Please, let us help you share your ideas, applaud your unit and your campus for their creativity and support. Together, we can improve the lives of our students, one campus at a time, by sharing our success stories.
If you have a program you would like to submit for this honor, please click on the above link for the entry form or contact Sylvia Nolan sylnol@sbcglobal.net or Robin Latimore rlatimore@bellsouth.net for more details.
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CCCC Hosts CCISD Administrative Luncheon
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CCCC President Diane Fatora & CCISD Superintendent
Dr. Greg Smith |
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CCISD Administrators Enjoy Lunch
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Clear Creek Community Council of PTAs hosted a luncheon for CCISD Administrators at their October 25 meeting. Darbie Hoepfner, CCCC Hospitality Chair, organized the autumnal themed event which served 123 attendees.
This is an annual event for our Council that provides a platform to introduce current board members to the administration and speak briefly on the efforts and activities of the PTA Council.
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CCCC of PTAs Executive Board Members Introduce themselves to CCISD Administrators. |
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Important Membership Deadlines and Reminder
A lot of local units have been holding on to their membership dues. Keep in mind you should be submitting dues as you receive them. There is approximately a five day period from when a prospective member pays and money reaches Austin and they are considered a member.
Reporting Dates
December 1:
PTAs who submit dues for at least twenty members by October 15 are eligible for one credential card for the president and one credential card for every 50 members or a fraction thereof, based on membership totals as of December 1.
March 15: Local PTAs who have not paid dues by March 15 will be designated as inactive and services will cease. Spring membership awards and achievements are based on the total reported membership postmarked by March 15. Texas PTA's membership total as of March 15 also determines the number of voting delegates for Texas at the National PTA Convention.
Membership names and dues received after April 1 will automatically be posted onto the next year.
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November is Child Safety & Protection Month
November is Child Safety and Protection Month! Learning to foresee accidents is the best way to prevent them. Childproofing your home can reduce the risk of injury to children.
Check your safety knowledge with the following quiz:
1. True or false: Safety caps on drug containers are childproof.
2. Which of these foods are often responsible for childhood choking?
(a) Hot dogs
(b) Hard candies
(c) Grapes
(d) Nuts
3. In recent years, the use of car safety seats for children has
(a) Dropped slightly
(B) Stayed the same
(c) Increased slightly
(d) Risen dramatically
4. True or false: An infant car seat should be used in the front seat so you can keep an eye on the child.
5. True or false: If your car does not have shoulder straps in the rear seat, or if the shoulder strap crosses over the neck or face of your four-year old, it is better to let him ride with no seat belt.
6. What type of home exercise equipment injures the most children?
(a) Rowing machines
(b) Weights
(c) Stationary bicycles
(d) Cross-country ski machines
7. True or false: Touching a hot stove is the leading cause of childhood burns.
8. Why are five-gallon plastic buckets, which originally contained paint, food, or other supplies, a danger to infants?
(a) Infants can be strangled by the handles
(b) They can eat the toxic materials in them
(c) They can drown in them
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Supporting Document(s):
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TAKE CHARGE OF YOUR FINANCIAL FUTURE!
Tina Brown, Program Manager from the United Way Bay Area Financial Opportunity Center (FOC), presented brief overview of the services the FOC offers at the November 2, CCCC General Meeting.
The Bay Area FOC is a convenient, one-stop shop designed to help you build a successful future through financial education and coaching, employment services and access to public benefits. The Financial Opportunity Center is a component of United Way THRIVE, an initiative of United Way of Greater Houston.
- Financial Services: individual financial consultation, credit analysis and dispute resolution, budgeting skills and financial education workshops.
- Employment Services:Individual employment consultation and career planning, resume development, job search skills, interview strategies and employment readiness workshops.
- Benefits Access: Benefits review and counseling, eligibility screening, and referrals to community programs.
There is no charge for Financial Opportunity Services and all services are confidential.
Don't wait! Contact the Bay Area Financial Opportunity Center at 281-282-6061 for more information, email at bayareafoc@unitedwayhouston.org, or visit us at the United Way of Greater Houston Bay Area Center, 1300 Bay Area Blvd, Building A (at the corner of Bay Area Blvd. and Saturn.)
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United Way THRIVE is a collaborative effort aimed at creating opportunities for hardworking families to increase their income, build savings and acquire assets. THRIVE proactively addresses the root causes of the problems families face and provides tools and services to overcome short and long-term financial stability issues. |
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2012 Dates Set
Founder's Day Dinner, Reflections Reception & Presidents' Dinner
This year Council was fortunate to lock in the dates early for two very important celebrations--Founder's Day Dinner and the Presidents' Dinner. Please SAVE THE DATE for the below Council hosted events!
Founders' Day Dinner & Silent Auction
Thursday, February 9, 2012 -- Clear Lake City Elementary
PTA members and school officials from our entire Council come together to celebrate the great work that PTA has done for our children since its inception in 1897. A silent auction is also held in conjunction with the dinner supporting the CCCC scholarship fund. Local Units can invite PTA community supporters (i.e. businesses, individuals etc.) to attend and have them acknowledged during the event.
Reflections Reception
February 16, 2012--Tad Akers Center, League City--Tad Akers
CCCC of PTAs Presidents' Dinner
Thursday, May 24, 2012--Clear Springs High School
A dinner to celebrate the accomplishments of the local PTA units. Outgoing and returning presidents are recognized and incoming presidents are introduced. Principals, executive board members and guests of the local unit are welcome.
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Texas PTA Area 10
General Information
Area 10 PTA Nominating Committee was formed on October 7, 2011. Members of the committee are: Vicky Rodriguez, Pearland ISD Council President, (vrr3k@aol.com ); Diane Fatora, Clear Creek ISD Community Council of PTAs President, (dfatora@comcast.net ); Patsy Ledezma, Katy ISD Council/Area 10 Parliamentarian, (ledezma227@yahoo.com). Please contact the Nominating Committee Chairman, Vicky Rodriguez, if you are interested in serving on the Area 10 PTA Board. Elected positions are: President, Vice President, and Secretary.
Check us out at our new website:
http://www.area10pta.doodlekit.com/home
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Events
Annual Convention
Family Engagement Conference and
103rd Annual Convention
February 24-26, 2012 - Westin Galleria, Houston
Registration Information Coming Soon!
Keynote Speaker - Ed Smart, Father of Elizabeth Smart
 Ed Smart is the father of Elizabeth Smart, who was abducted on June 5th , 2002, and miraculously rescued nine months later. Through the loss and return of his daughter, he passionately sought the passage of the "Amber Alert," for the protection and rescue of other children. For the benefit of all children, he lobbied Congress and the Senate tirelessly to prevent further abductions and to rescue missing children. Ed has been involved in numerous conferences designed to further the awareness and cooperation in the area of child protection within law enforcement, media, and the public. Ed Smart's committment to the importance of family and the protection of our children has brought a heightened awareness to the need of every child to feel safe and secure.
Ed Smart is the owner of a real estate and mortgage company based in Salt Lake City. He graduated from George Washington University with a BBA in Finance and an MBA with an emphasis in Urban Planning. He and his wife Lois reside in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Hotel Information
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Westin Galleria (Headquarters Hotel)
5011 Westheimer * Houston, TX 77056
Telephone * (713) 960-8100
RESERVATION DEADLINE * FEB 3, 2012, 5:00 PM
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Room Rates:
$129 Single or Double
Reservation block will be open September 1, 2011.
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Texas PTA Announces
Slate For Leadership 2012
Election of Officers
Texas PTA officer elections will be held at the 103rd Annual Convention February 24-26 in Houston.
Texas PTA announces the 2012-2014 slate:
- President - Karen Slay
- First Vice President - Leslie Boggs
- Second Vice President - Lisa Holbrook
- Secretary - Heather Ashwell-Hair
- Treasurer - Renee Walker
Region Vice Presidents:
- I - Lois Pearson
- II - Chris Reeder
- III - Belma Juarez
- IV - Karen Smith
- V - Scott Brown
- VI - Leah Filzow-Perez
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To better inform all PTA members and enhance the effectiveness of our child advocacy efforts, in 2009 National PTAŽ selected Just Between Friends as the PTA membership management and communication system. Just Between Friends was chosen because they exhibit "best-in-class" capabilities for a private, secure system.
Today, thousands of PTAs are using Just Between Friends for membership management; printing membership cards; communicating with their entire schools through emails and automatic reminders; volunteer/participation management; and online or paper directory creation.
To read the rest of this article click here. Source: National PTA Website |
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CCISD WELCOMES YOU TO STAAR! |
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The Texas Education Agency (TEA) will introduce a new student testing system in the 2011-2012 school year called the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR) - pronounced "star." This new test for all students in grades 3-11 will replace the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS).
Families should be aware of the specific requirements of STAAR as it pertains to their children. To familiarize yourself with this new testing system, visit the pages for ELEMENTARY, INTERMEDIATE and HIGH SCHOOL depending on your child's age. You may also want to look ahead to the next level's information to better prepare your child for academic success. If your child receives special education services or is an English Language Learner, visit the Special Populations link.
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For more information:
STAAR
Source: www.CCISD.net |
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The Community Voice is the newsletter of the Clear Creek Community Council of PTAs. It is published nine (9) times during the school year. You can find out what's happening at the Local Unit level and in and around your school district by by visiting their respective website links at the bottom of this newsletter.
If you are interested in submitting an article to appear in the newsletter, please do so by the deadline(s) listed below.
- November 18 (December issue)
- December 16 (January issue)
- January 20 (February issue)
- February 17 (March issue)
- April 20 (May issue
- May 18 (June issue)
Comments and articles should be directed to the CCCC of PTAs Newsletter Chair,
Tamara Zaman, newspub@ccccpta.org
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Clear Creek Community Council of PTAs is on Facebook. Local Units in our council are welcome to connect with council members via this page to ask questions or make announcements about their activities. This page is monitored.
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Boot Camp Basics
**A financial report must be presented at every meeting, even if the Treasurer is not in attendance.
**Every PTA is required to file a 990 return with the IRS every year.
**A business may request proof of your PTA's tax exempt status before making a donation to your unit. Present a copy of the "IRS Determination Letter".
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Calendar of Events | |
November
15th
IRS Form 990 Due if FY End is June 30
www.irs.gov
30th
CCCC Executive Board Meeting 9:30 a.m. CCISD ESC Board of Trustees Room
December
2nd
Reflections Deadline--Locals submit to Council
January 2012
11th
9:30am
Presidents' Meeting
Location TBD
31st
EIN Verification Form due to Texas PTA
February 2012
1st
CCISD Board of Trustees' Rm.
8:40am
Presidents' Mtg
9:30am
Regular Mtg.
9th
Founders' Day Dinner--Clear Lake City Elementary
16th
Reflections Recep.
Tad Aker Center
24-26th
103rd Annual Texas PTA Convention-- Houston
March 2012
7th
Regular Meeting
May 2012
2nd
Regular Meeting
24th
Presidents' Dinner--Clear Springs High School |
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CCCC of PTAs
A complete list of the Appointed Officers and Stand-
ing Chairmen can be found on our webiste:
www.ccccpta.org.
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