April May - Illinois PTA

Featured Articles:
8 Tips To Stop Literacy Loss Over the Summer
Submitted by: Ann Czech-Kopp, Parental Engagement
The Search For District
Directors
Challenging Times for Illinois
PTA Public Schools
School Board Elections
2013 Scholarship Winners
A Message From Matthew
Rodriguez, Illinois PTA Juvenile Protection and Safety
Director
Suicide Prevention
Should Our PTA Develop A
Website?
Dancing Classrooms Come to
Southeast School
2013 Program Award
Winners
Leadership Development
Illinois PTA Reflections
Program
School Safety Lessons
Resolutions: It’s Always
Time to Make a Difference
President’s Convention
Comments – Look for
thoughts Bruce wanted to
share regarding our recent
convention throughout this
edition!
As children’s first and most important teachers, families have a major role
to play in motivating children to read during the summer months.
According to the nonprofit organization Reading is Fundamental, there are
many strategies families might employ to encourage summertime reading.
Combine activities with books
Summer leaves lots of time for kids to enjoy fun activities, such as going to
the beach or seeing a movie. Why not also encourage them to read a book
about the activity? If you're going to a baseball game, suggest that your
child read a book about a favorite player beforehand. In the car or over a
hot dog, you’ll have lots of time to talk about the book and the game.
Lead by example
Read the newspaper at breakfast, pick up a magazine at the pediatrician’s
office, or stuff a paperback into your beach bag. If kids see the adults
around them reading, they will understand that books and other reading
material can be a fun and important part of their summer days.
Talk it up
Talking with your kids about what you have read also lets them know that reading is an important part of
your life. Tell them why you liked a book, what you learned from it, or how it helped you. Soon they might
start doing the same.
Help kids find time to read
Summer camp, baseball games, and videos are all fun things kids like to do during the summer. However,
by the end of the day, children may be too tired to pick up a book. Remember to leave some time in their
schedules for reading, such as before bedtime or over breakfast.
Relax the rules for summer
During the school year, children have busy schedules and often have required reading for classes. Summer
is a time when children can read what, when, and how they please. Don’t set daily minute requirements or
determine the number of pages they should read. Instead, make sure they pick up books for fun and help
find ways for them to choose to read on their own.
Have plenty of reading material around
Storybooks aren’t the only thing that kids can read for fun. Be sure to have newspapers, magazines, and
informational material on hand that might spark the interest of a young reader.
Use books to break the boredom
Without the regular school regimen, adults and kids need more activities to fill the hours. Books that teach
kids how to make or do something are a great way to get kids reading and keep them occupied.
Read aloud with kids
Take your children to see a local storyteller—or be one yourself. The summer months leave extra time for
enthusiastic read-alouds with children, no matter their age. Don’t forget to improvise different voices or
wear a silly hat to make the story that much more interesting!
Page 2
The Search For District Directors and Regional Directors
Submitted by Bruce Bohren, Illinois PTA President
Districts and Regions may be looking for their next Director and I thought it would be good to talk about
the job descriptions for each.
District Directors
When looking for a nominee to be District Director, you should be looking for someone who is a PTA
expert. They should have taken several of the State courses about running a PTA. Ideally, they should also
have held multiple positions at the local level and hopefully, at the District level. This is important as, once
they become a District Director, they will be the go-to person for local units. While the State will train them
on their job requirements and on being a State Board Member, we simply don’t have enough time to train
them on being a PTA expert: some of this has to come from experience.
They need to be a trainer and have good presentation skills. They should be able to teach some of the PTA
Courses. They will also be presenting information on PTA programs and materials such as the Local Unit
Packet.
They need to be a writer, since they should be contributing articles to the District Newsletter and the State Bulletin.
They review local unit bylaws.
The District Director also needs to be a bit of a salesperson. Part of their role is to sell the PTA to parents and administrators to create
new PTAs.
They need to be highly organized, because besides arranging for all of the District activities, like annual meetings, scholarship judging,
reflections programs, they also need to review State Board materials and provide their input on those materials. They may serve on
State Board committees such as for those for convention.
They have to be able to recruit people for District positions and they should always be on the look out for potential State Board
Members.
As you can see, we expect a lot of our District Directors.
Region Directors
One of the roles of Region Directors is to handle the responsibilities of a District Director if there is no District Director. So the Region
Director should be able to do all of the above.
They approve the materials that the District Director sends out such as newsletters. They also approve the expense statements.
They need to reach out to the District Directors to discuss any action items or concerns of the District Directors, and be prepared to
communicate those at scheduled Board Meetings. Once these issues have been voted upon, they must carry out their responsibilities
based on the vote of the majority of the board .
The Region Director should also be selling PTA and looking for potential new Board Members.
Again, a lot is expected of Region Directors.
We know it is hard to fill these positions, but one of our beliefs that we teach local units and is even truer at the State level is that it is
better to have a vacancy in a position than having the wrong person in a position.
So to all of the Nominating Committees, look hard for the right person for these positions.
Page 3
Challenging Times for Illinois Public Schools
Submitted by Rhonda Jenkins V.P. Program Services
Illinois advanced landmark reforms in recent years to improve instruction for the 2 million students
in public schools. Yet the drain of state resources threatens to derail
progress, hamstring academic opportunities and unravel the basic
education needed to prepare Illinois students for today’s world.
Illinois confronts a financial crisis that threatens its very solvency. How
Illinoisans – whether policymakers or parents, teachers or taxpayers –
respond will shape the next generation of students.
The state’s financial constraints and resulting budget cuts have pushed
school districts to the brink. Two-thirds of school districts now are
deficit-spending.1 Districts have dismissed at least 6,400 educators and
aides.2 Others have shuttered schools, lengthened bus routes and
curtailed classes in everything from art to foreign language.
The financial strain is worse in disadvantaged districts with little local wealth and large
concentrations of low-income students. Nearly half of Illinois students are economically
disadvantaged, and for the first time, more than half of schools serve 40 percent or more
low-income students. Such schools and districts – and the vulnerable students they serve – felt the
sting of state budget cuts during recent years, cuts that deepened inequities between school
districts.
We must do better.
Download Advance Illinois’ presentation to Illinois State Board of Education, April 2013
President’s Note - It Rained, and Rained and Rained Some More
With every convention, we always have surprises. We try to resolve these issues
so that the delegates rarely know what has happened and convention is a great
experience for everyone. Well at this last convention, Mother Nature gave us a big
surprise! Some of the state board members like so many of you had issues at home
or work, due to the severe rain storms. Some board members were eventually
able to join us. Other members commuted back and forth between home and the
convention to continue the clean up process but still fulfill their convention
obligations. Thanks to their efforts, convention went very smoothly considering
what was thrown at us and I greatly appreciate their commitment to the PTA.
Page 4
School Board Elections
Submitted by Bruce Bohren, Illinois PTA President
When I was on a School Board, I have to admit that part of me liked it when there were not many people running for
the Board, because that meant I did not have to worry too much about campaigning. Nonetheless, another part of me
was concerned that the public did not have much of a choice. Now that I’m not on a School Board, I really would like
some choices. Unfortunately, in this last election, I had none. Maybe some of you had the same problem. For my
elementary district, there were 4 open spots and only 4 people running. The high school had 4 spots open and only 3
people running! Our local newspapers didn’t even provide any information on these races, since it was an uncontested
election.
There was one election I was in where someone had filed to run for office, and then changed her mind - but it was too late to remove
her name from the ballot. She did not campaign at all and made it very plain that she decided not to run: it was in the newspapers
that the person was not running. However, come Election Day, she was one of the two top winners! The other top winner thinks she
figured it out: out of all the names on the ballot, there were only 2 women, and she believes that the voters voted for them just
because they were women.
I’ve also seen some cases where a person was using the School Board as a way to launch their political career, which is not an
issue - if they fulfill the duties of being on a School Board.
So why do I bring all this up? While teachers play the most critical role for a child’s learning, I believe that it all starts at the top.
School board members should:
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Put the interests of the students first.
Believe that all students can learn.
Be willing to learn.
Not always agree with each other.
Have different areas of expertise, such as finance, building operations, management, and teaching so they know
what questions to ask the administration.
Hold the superintendent accountable.
Continue to push for results.
Set the goals and direction for the district and then let the Superintendent do their job to achieve them.
Be good stewards of the taxpayer’s money.
While PTAs cannot endorse or be against any candidate, they can:
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Communicate the importance of the school board.
Communicate the importance of community members running for the position and providing voters with a
choice.
Hold candidate forums.
PTAs should:
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Have a representative regularly attend school board meetings.
Disseminate information on what is going on at the meetings.
Communicate the PTA’s standing on issues, after the membership takes a vote.
One of the most common complaints from School Boards is that rarely are there members of the public in the
audience. So when we see someone on a regular basis, we notice! This is an excellent way for PTAs to practice the
mission of advocating for children. It gives you practice when you move up to advocating at the state level!
Page 5
2013 Illinois PTA Scholarship Winners!
In the spring of each year, the Illinois PTA grants two
education scholarships to help ensure qualified,
certified education professionals from every part of
the state will be in elementary and secondary
classrooms in the future.
The finalists from the 10 Illinois PTA Regions were
judged on April 17, 2013 and the winners are as
follows:
First place - $3,000- Kali R. Smith from
Fairfield who attends Fairfield Community High
School in Fairfield.
Second place - $2,000- Elizabeth A. Youngwith
from Carol Stream who attends Community
High School D94 in West Chicago.
First runner up – Laura M. Panicali from Carol
Stream who attends Community High School
D94 in West Chicago.
Second runner up – Olivia N. Elkins from
St. Joseph who attends St. Joseph-Ogden High
School in St. Joseph.
Congratulations to the winners and our best wishes
to all applicants.
Barb Miller, Illinois PTA Scholarship Director
Page 6
Happy May!
I hope all of you had the opportunity to attend our State Convention. If you did not get to join us, here are a few
items I would like to share with you.
First, I would like to congratulate Jane Addams Elementary School PTA in Palatine on winning the Juvenile Protection
and Safety Honorable Mention Award. Congratulations are also in order for Winston Campus Jr. High PTA in Palatine
for winning the Juvenile Protection and Safety Outstanding Award. I know all of you are doing great presentations
on subjects such as bullying, cyber bullying, and social media dangers. We would love to be able to acknowledge
your efforts, so please be sure to apply for the Juvenile Protection and Safety Award next year.
Secondly, we had two resolutions come forward at the convention: Resolution on Energy Drinks, regarding the
dangers to youth of “energy drinks;” and Resolution on Prevention of Asphyxiation Games. These two resolutions
are crucial to our children’s safety.
We had a very moving and emotional presentation on Rachel’s Challenge. If you are not familiar with Rachel’s story
please check out the links below. Her story is worth all our efforts to pass along to others!
www.rachelschallenge.org
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LajA4LhLNqo
I hope ALL of you can start a “chain reaction” and find love and compassion in your hearts for others.
For more information on any of the items in this article, see:
www.illinoispta.org
Matthew John Rodriguez
Illinois PTA Juvenile Protection and Safety Director
President’s Note – Respecting Your Time
I hope you all noticed that we had all of the action items out to the membership before
the convention. We did this to help speed the process along at convention. This way if
people had any questions, they could ask them ahead of time. This helps reduce the
time in General Session. I’ve heard from many people across the state that people don’t
like coming to meetings. Even in the business community, meetings are the butt of
many jokes, because most are considered a waste of time. So we are doing our part by
trying to make General Sessions go faster, by getting information out ahead of time, by
using the Consent Agenda, and by requesting amendments be prepared by a certain
time. Thank you for being a part of this process at convention.
Page 7
Suicide Prevention
Submitted by Rhonda Jenkins V.P. Program Services
Suicide (i.e., taking one's own life) is a serious public health problem that affects even young people. For youth
between the ages of 10 and 24, suicide is the third leading cause of death. It results in approximately 4600 lives lost
each year. The top three methods used in suicides of young people include firearm (45%), suffocation (40%), and
poisoning (8%).
Deaths from youth suicide are only part of the problem. More young people survive suicide attempts than actually die.
A nationwide survey of youth in grades 9–12 in public and private schools in the United States (U.S.) found that 16% of
students reported seriously considering suicide, 13% reported creating a plan, and 8% reporting trying to take their
own life in the 12 months preceding the survey. Each year, approximately 157,000 youth between the ages of 10 and
24 receive medical care for self-inflicted injuries at Emergency Departments across the U.S.
Suicide affects all youth, but some groups are at higher risk than others. Boys are more likely than girls to die from
suicide. Of the reported suicides in the 10 to 24 age group, 81% of the deaths were males and 19% were females. Girls,
however, are more likely to report attempting suicide than boys. Cultural variations in suicide rates also exist, with
Native American/Alaskan Native youth having the highest rates of suicide-related fatalities. A nationwide survey of
youth in grades 9–12 in public and private schools in the U.S. found Hispanic youth were more likely to report attempting suicide than their black and white, non-Hispanic peers.
Several factors can put a young person at risk for suicide. However, having these risk factors does not always mean
that suicide will occur.
Risk Factors
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History of previous suicide attempts
Family history of suicide
History of depression or other mental illness
Alcohol or drug abuse
Stressful life event or loss
Easy access to lethal methods
Exposure to the suicidal behavior of others
Incarceration
Most people are uncomfortable with the topic of suicide. Too often, victims are blamed, and their families and friends
are left stigmatized. As a result, people do not communicate openly about suicide. Thus an important public health
problem is left shrouded in secrecy, which limits the amount of information available to those working to prevent
suicide.
The good news is that research over the last several decades has uncovered a wealth of information on the causes of
suicide and on prevention strategies. Additionally, CDC is working to monitor the problem and develop programs to
prevent youth suicide.
Featured CDC Programs
Division of Violence Prevention CDC's Division of Violence Prevention is committed to stopping violence, including suicide, before it begins.
Page 8
Should Our PTA Develop a Web Site?
Submitted by Mary Ann Daugherty , Technology Program Director
Has your PTA asked this question? And, if the answer is yes, the next question is, “How?”
Technology is moving quickly. There are more people using the Web for a variety of reasons. Visit a college campus, or
even high school, and watch the students as they walk around with their laptops and access the Web constantly or text their
friends with the smart phones. This is the future and as PTAs, we need to be open and flexible enough to move forward with
technology. Many of our young members get their information via the Web- be it news, or keeping in touch with sites such as
Facebook.
Web site development is different from making a flyer in Word or a higher-end program such as Quark Express or Adobe
InDesign. It's more like working with a “table” like those found in Word. Movement of pieces is somewhat restricted but it's
doable with practice. Some of these programs allow developed pages to be saved as html, but the document doesn't always
come out as the original. Try this with one of your flyers in Word and see what happens.
Think about the following:
• Take some time as a group or appoint a committee to look into this. There may be someone in your PTA unit or council
who can develop a Web site and would be willing to help you with the project.
• Decide what you want the Web site to convey to those who access it.
• Perhaps you can take a survey of your members and find out what they'd like to see on the Web site. Should it be means
to communicate with parents concerning programs and events? Would this be a place where parents could ask
questions or communicate ideas to the PTA? Would you want to go as far as collecting dues via your Web site?
• Decide if you want to access a free hosting site and use their software and suggestions OR should the PTA spend funds
for Web site hosting. Goggle “website hosting, free” and there's a page full of options. Take time to study them to make
an intelligent decision.
• Does this site allow for easy uploading of the files?
• Programs are available for PC and Mac that range in price. I use Dreamweaver for the Illinois PTA site, but it is an expensive and high-end program. Again, go online and Google “Website software” and there is plenty to read - software, how
to develop a Web site, and free software.” I do have some URL addresses for web site development. You may email me
and I'll send them to you.
• Now that you've made these decisions, it's time to decide who will be responsible for your Web site. There may be
someone on the board who has some rudimentary knowledge and willing to step in. Should this be made a
chairmanship on the board?
• Think about the layout of your Web site.
√ The Web site needs to be identifiable as a PTA site. The Illinois PTA logo needs to be on the site. Permission to use
this logo is easy. Just send the Logo Use Permission Form, which can be found on the CD the PTA president received
or on the Web site: www.illinoispta.org under “About Illinois PTA/InFORMation.”
√ Does your PTA/school have a color scheme?
√ Does your PTA have a logo?
√ What information do you want to place on the site?
√ Who will be responsible the development of the articles/announcements placed there? Must the president or
executive committee approve what is placed on the site?
√ How often should the site be updated?
There is a lot to think about and it may take time to get all of these decisions made. If you have any questions, you may
contact me.
Mary Ann Daugherty, Technology Program Director, [email protected]
Page 9
Dancing Classrooms Come To Southeast School
Submitted by Debbie Izzo , South Suburban Cook Region Director
The art of ballroom dance is bringing more than basic footwork
skills to students at Southeast School.
“Dancing Classrooms is an arts education program that uses
10-week, in-school residencies to provide children a means to
improve motivation and engagement in school, build
self-confidence, build social awareness and boost academic
achievement,” explains Alice Spingola, Southeast School principal.
“It’s all done through the art of ballroom dance.”
According to the Heart and Sole Dance Foundation, an
organization whose mission is to build social awareness,
confidence and self esteem in children through the practice of
social dance; Dancing Classrooms is not about teaching ballroom
dancing.
“The dance is a tool for getting the children to break down social barriers, learn about honor and
respect, treat others carefully, improve self confidence, communicate and cooperate, and accept
others even if they are different,” explains Spingola, who notes that Dancing Classrooms started in
New York City in 1994 and is now in over 25 cities worldwide changing the lives of more than 42,000
children, their families and communities.
The movie “Take the Lead” with Antonio Banderas is about the beginnings of Dancing Classrooms
and the award winning documentary, “Mad Hot Ballroom,” follows one fifth grade class
participating in the program. A third movie is about to be released called “Dancing in Jaffa” which
shows the impact of the program on Jewish and Israeli-Palestinian children who are learning to
dance together as a team.
Southeast School fifth grade students participated in the first ever Dancing Classrooms program in
Illinois, as they met twice a week this fall to learn the waltz and fox trot. They later had the privilege
of performing at the Double Tree Inn in Alsip during “An Evening with Pierre Dulane.”
The Southeast School Dancing Classrooms program ended with a Ballroom Extravaganza during
which students displayed the work they created based on assignments given during the unit.
Students also performed for parents and guests.
Page 10
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And check out these helpful resources for organizing your PTA activities this spring:
Field Day Ideas
Teacher Appreciation Potluck
Talent Show Ideas
Class Party Guide
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State Required 2013-14 PTA Unit & Officer Registration
ATTENTION PTA PRESIDENTS: This year we’re using VolunteerSpot for PTA Local unit registration and
doing away with paper forms! Now you can perform all your registration input online and have each
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Register your VolunteerSpot Organizer account here for free. (If you haven’t already created one.)
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Need Assistance Registering – Please feel free to contact your Region/District Director or the
state office.
Page 11
Congratulations to the 2013 Program Award Winners
Submitted by: Rhonda Jenkins, V.P. Program Services
The following awards were presented at our MVP Awards Dinner during Convention on Saturday, April 20, 2013. We appreciate all the
hard work out local units do to provide resources for their members!
Web Site:
Honorable Mention Unit Web Site
Hunting Ridge PTA, Palatine
District 37/Northwest Cook Region
Honorable Mention Unit Web Site
May Watts PTA, Naperville
DuPage West Region
Outstanding Unit Web Site
Stuart R. Paddock PTA, Palatine
District 37/Northwest Cook Region
Environmental Concerns Award
Honorable Mention
Jane Addams PTA, Palatine
For their year-round inkjet cartridge
recycling program and maintaining
an existing school garden
Runner-Up
Thomas Jefferson Elementary PTA, Hoffman Estates
For reusing white t-shirts from school students to create new school spirit wear as part of their “Green Team” activities.
State Winner
Abraham Lincoln Elementary PTA, Glen Ellyn
For completing their “Super Crayon” project by melting down used crayon pieces into large crayons to be donated to 10 school districts
for use by students with special needs.
100% Membership
Hunting Ridge PTA, Palatine
Madison School PTA, Lombard
Whittier Elementary School, Downers Grove
Healthy Students
Jane Addams PTA, Palatine
Northwest Cook Region
For their school-wide walk and in-school assembly by the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation to bring awareness to the dangers of
childhood obesity
Page 12
Leadership Development
I would like to take a moment and introduce myself. My name is Gil Izzo, and I am the newly
elected Leadership Development Chairman for Illinois PTA.
I started in PTA about 8 years ago, when my wife talked me into going to a local unit meeting. At
this time, I stepped up and became the Ways and Means Chair. Continuing on my PTA adventure
at the local level, I held Chair positions in Recycling, started a Watch D.O.G.S. Chapter and created
a Web Site. I then assisted my wife Debbie (then the District 34 Director) with coordinating District
annual dinners and with training sessions. I then held the position of District 34 Reflections Chair
for two years (which I thoroughly enjoyed) and then took over the District 34 Director position
when they created the position of South Suburban Cook Region Director, which Debbie moved up
into. I have held this position for two years now and will end my term on June 30th when I begin
my NEW PTA adventure of your new Leadership & Development Director.
I would like to remind everyone that summer is coming and this is a great time for training. As new
boards come in and some move on to bigger and better things, we need to prepare our local
leadership for the upcoming year with the most up to date information (and it’s a requirement in
your bylaws). There are many opportunities to prepare ourselves with PTA University courses
(designed to give all board members the knowledge they need to effectively run your PTA) and
other courses related to volunteering and social media. You can contact your District or Region
Directors to schedule training near you at any time of the year; you find a venue, pick a few dates
and we make it happen and the best part…it’s free. You can also feel free to contact me directly
and I will get you the information you need. Values of PTA Conferences are also put on from time
to time which give a wider array of training usually over the course of a weekend day. These
courses may include how to get and retain membership, Legislation, Advocacy and much more.
Illinois PTA also offers some courses in the form of a webinar – a great new way of getting training
done in the comfort of your own home, on your own time and in your pj’s. They are scheduled on
the Illinois PTA website or by contacting your District or Region Directors who will have updated
schedules of courses.
National PTA offers several that are also very useful. Visit the National PTA website at http://
www.pta.org/members/content.cfm?ItemNumber=3090 for a list of courses. Be sure to print the
certificate at the end for your records.
Please take time to prepare yourself for the upcoming year …you have stepped up into leadership
roles, why not arm yourself with the proper information that will enable you to do the best job you
can for the children of your schools?
Thank you for all you do for all children!
Gil Izzo
Leadership Development Chair
[email protected]
Page 13
Illinois PTA Reflections Program
The Magic of a Moment
Submitted by: Kathy Quintanar, Cultural Arts Director
Another year of Reflections comes to a close and as we say goodbye to The Magic of a Moment and hello to Believe
Dream Inspire... We would be remiss if we failed to say Thank You to the many students that participated. We
received well over 400 beautiful and meaningful entries at the state level attesting to the fact that participation in the
Reflections program is higher than ever. Those that advanced as well as students receiving Honorable Mentions are
listed below. This year we did not have the awards ceremony at convention but the student’s artwork was on display
Friday and Saturday. All artwork has been returned to the directors for distribution to the students. National has
officially launched the new Reflections theme: Believe, Dream, Inspire. We would like to encourage all students to
start brainstorming on their next project for the new theme. One of the things we are trying to improve upon is a way
to communicate updates on the new year’s theme and have begun a facebook page to use as an up to date information resource for students as well as program administrators. So search Illinois PTA Reflections on facebook and send a
friend request if you are interested in up to date communications on the new theme as the contest progresses. The
Magic of a Moment Advancing entries will be posted on the Illinois PTA website so be sure to check it out for more
information.
The students listed below have ADVANCED to the National Level for judging in the National PTA Reflections of Art
Program Contest. Advancing Students will receive a certificate of excellence. Students receiving an Honorable
Mention will receive a certificate of recognition. THANK YOU to everyone that participated in the “Magic of a Moment”
Visual Arts
Dhritti Debnach/ D37
Morgan Murphy/ D11
Diana Golmeeva/D10
Johanna Cord-Cruz/ D19
Toma Obyashi/ D36
An Egg to a Chick
Singing in the Rain
A Day to Remember
The Moment of an Artist
Magic Spinning Moment
Music
Anika Paranjape/ D36
Emma Cho/ D36
Jamie Popp/ D37
Lydia Taylor Mansmith/ D19
Literature
Photography
Zachary Rea/ D36
Sia DeyKoontz/ D10
Rahul Burrah/ D36
Jamie Schuld/ D 34
Sam Baebler/D 36
Wishes Waiting to Come True
First Rose Bloomed by my Patience
Changes are Life
A Set of Hands Saves a Life
The Sun
Zander Ulam/ D 35
Hannah Haworth/ D36
Sarah Nwakudu/ D30
Timothy Daker/ D34
When the Tooth Fairy Came
All in That Moment
Snowy Sunsets
Strangers Brought Together
Dance
Film
Alex Murphy/ D11
Morgan Murphy/ D11
Margaret (Maggie) Beaudin/ D36
The Magic of Changing Seasons
Canoeing on the Lake
Blues Magic
All Alone
A Day at the Zoo
I Want to Hold Your Hand
It’s Magic
Zen Wang/ D37
Kaley Kalata/ D37
Nancy Kane/ D34
Kung Fu Dance
The Bunny Dance
Do You Believe in Magic?
Page 14
Illinois PTA Reflections Program
The Magic of a Moment
The students listed below are receiving HONORABLE MENTION at the State Level in the National PTA Reflections of
Art Program Contest. Students will receive a certificate of Honorable Mention.
THANK YOU to everyone that participated in the “Magic of a Moment”
D
36
36
36
28
19
36
30
36
36
24
36
36
28
10
8
36
36
35
30
19
34
11
28
19
37
8
37
36
34
36
24
8
34
24
30
20
24
24
34
8
8
Level
Mid
Int
HS
Int
Mid
Mid
Mid/8
HS
Mid/8
Mid/8
Pri/1
Mid/8
Int/4
Int/ 4
Pri/K
HS/9
Int/5
HS/
Pri/1
Mid/6
Mid/6
Int/ 3
Int/5
Mid/6
Int/ 5
HS/11
Pri/2
Int/5
SA
Pri/1
Int/3
HS/12
HS/12
HS/11
Pri/2
Pri/ 1
Mid/ 6
Pri/2
HS/12
HS/ 12
HS/ 12
Arts Category
Dance
Literature
Literature
Literature
Literature
Literature
Literature
Literature
Music Composition
Music Composition
Music Composition
Music Composition
Photography
Photography
Photography
Photography
Photography
Photography
Photography
Photography
Photography
Photography
Photography
Photography
Photography
Photography
Visual Arts
Visual Arts
Visual Arts
Visual Arts
Visual Arts
Visual Arts
Visual Arts
Visual Arts
Visual Arts
Visual Arts
Visual Arts
Visual Arts
Visual Arts
Visual Arts
Visual Arts
Student's Name
Sara Diaz
Anna Catherine
Binita Gupta
Cassidy Krupske
Christine Cunningham
Claire Weseman
David Campbell III
Sarvasva Raghuvanshi
Alyssa Lendy
Caroline Zareba
Manya Davis
Rajath Salegame
Amaya Gonzalez
Anton Riley
Ashley Walbring
Bridget Ashe
Student's Name
Derek Elkins
Evan Sammons
Ivy Toth
Jack Pegues
John Travnik
Morgan Murphy
Ryan Gaynor
Sally Pauss
Shannon Trenkle
Shelbi Berg
Alexandr Petryshchuk
Anneha Wetzker
Blake Attig
Holden Wedding
Ian Katamay
Katie Zbornak
Kelsey Green
Kyra Vidas
Margaret Crisp
Maya Miller
Nathaniel Mutuc
Owen Strong
Samantha Palacios
Sarah Mitchell
Suzann Gille
Title
Too Close
The song of Nature
My Sister's Violin Graduation
Magic of the Moment
I'm Not Alone
The Art of Feeling Happy
The Magic of a Moment
Wait…Trigonometry Can It Be Magical?
Waves of Spring
Livin' the Moment
Space Talk
Take a Chance
Protecting One Another
Magic Tree
Beautiful Ella
A Moment in Time
All Dogs Go To Heaven
Eggs
Dragonfly Lunch
The Strongest Magic of All
The Tree
Fall Leaves
Stuck in the Basket
A Bee in Motion
Cicada Emerging from a Cell
Never Ending Love
Discovering Space
The Magic of Friendship
I Wish Had One More Magical Moment
Hands Together Make Magic
My First Time on Two Wheels
Lifetime
Inside the Eyes
Winning
Snowy Moment
Me and Isaac
Learning Your Potential
New Life
First Kiss
Fermata
The Magic of a Moment
Page 15
School Safety Lessons Learned: From Cleveland to Newtown
By Stephen Sroka February 27, 2013
I dealt with school violence before it was fashionable and funded. To me, any child killed
anywhere, anytime, is a huge tragedy. But decades ago, when children were killed in
the inner city of Cleveland, you probably never heard about them. When the killings
moved to suburbs such as Columbine, they became national news. The Newtown
violence. Now, school
Stephen Sroka shootings shocked the United States like no other school
violence prevention is front-page news. Working with school safety for more than 30 years, I have
tried to help schools and communities keep our youth safe and healthy so that they can learn more
and live better. Here are several lessons that I have learned.

School violence can happen anywhere, but not here.

Be prepared, not scared.

Social Media has changed how we communicate.

Bullying is a symptom, and mental health is the issue.

Treat the illness not the symptom.

When kindness fails, you need to be aggressive, forceful, and effective.

Healing is personal.

School safety has entered uncharted waters.

There are no guarantees, only intelligent alternatives.
Click here to view the entire article.
President’s Notes – The quorum quandary
As the chair in General Session, I have to be neutral when I run the general sessions, which is
sometimes very hard to do! During this last convention, we had one bylaw that people questioned
which dealt with lowering the number of board members needed for a quorum by 2 people. The
State Board put this forward, because even when using electronic means, we were having a very
difficult time making quorum and being able to conduct our business. Several people raised the
concern that this could allow the Executive Committee to have a majority on the Board as if the
Executive Committee may have a totally different opinion than the rest of the Board. I’ve been on
the State Board for more than 12 years, and I can’t remember any vote where the vote was split
between the Executive Committee and the rest of the Board. Most of what we vote on is not
controversial and it is just routine matters to keep the PTA running. Also, the Executive Committee
is not elected as a slate. The nominating committee finds the best people for the job and then the
delegates vote on them. We are individuals that vote for what we think is best for the PTA just like
all Board Members.
Page 16
Resolutions: It’s Always Time to Make a Difference
Submitted by: Lisa S. Garbaty, Resolutions Director
I look forward to working with each of you on the implementation of two important Resolutions
supported by the delegates to the Illinois PTA 2013 Convention:
• Resolution on Energy Drinks
• Resolution on Prevention of Asphyxiation Games (Choking Games)
The related Illinois PTA articles where we first brought these issues to your attention are available at
the Illinois PTA Resolutions webpage, or by clicking on the following titles: “Energy Drinks: A Legal,
But Dangerous Beverage”; and “The Choking Game: It's No Game; It's Deadly”. Information on how
you can make these Resolutions a reality for our children will be sent to you in your Local Unit Packets
shortly.
Thank you to those who attended the convention Resolutions Workshop, “Creating Solutions to Illinois
Issues,” where we discussed how to write a Resolution, and had the opportunity to draft Resolutions
on two important issues: extended time in school; and the high suicide rate of teens and young
adults. (For more information on the latter topic, please see Rhonda Jenkins’ article in this Bulletin.)
Additional workshops are being planned. Please watch for information to be sent in future updates.
Don’t forget: now is the time to think about your Resolution for the 2014 Illinois PTA Convention.
Each year at our convention, we have an opportunity to vote on proposed Resolutions – and every
year that we have do so, it has made a difference.
Questions? Please contact me at [email protected]. I would love to hear from you.
Illinois PTA e Bulletin Editorial Board
Ashton Palazzolo, Acting Editor
Deb Izzo
Peg Staehlin
Lisa Garbaty
Mary Ann Daugherty
Rhonda Jenkins
(Click here for Board of Directors’ contact information)