April 2014 - 15th District PTA

Plan Your Diversity Strategy
CAP Donations
15th District Office • 319 South 15th Street • Louisville, KY 40203 • (502) 485-3535
every child. one voice.
We would like to thank the following
people who made a donation to CAP in
memory of Juanita Raque, SharonApril 2014
Whitworth’s mother.
We still have a lot to do as PTA leaders when it comes to effectively reaching out
to diverse families within your schools and community. As a PTA leader, have
you ever considered how to reach diverse families whom you want to get involved
with PTA? How about trying to learn a few basic strategies to introduce yourself
Shirley Sparrow
National
Volunteer Appreciation
Week is April 6 through 12. Take
Spring
is a PTA
very busy
time You
for Parent
Teacherthis
Associations
(PTAs),
and your
to them.
can achieve
by learning
a few basic
greetings
time
to
recognize
the
efforts
of
the
volunteers who helped make this
Teri
Gale
sothat
here
is specific
a checklist
you. families in your PTA community in order to make
are
to to
thehelp
diverse
school
year
a
success.
them feel more comfortable. For example, “Bienvenido.” What does that mean,
Janice Jackson
•you
Mail
in the
Awards
Banquet word
Reservation
Form means
and payment.
(Thein English. Can
ask?
Well,
the Spanish
bienvenido
welcome
National
Teacher
Day
2014
takes and
placeSusan
on Tuesday,
May 6. Teachform
is in thishow
newsletter.)
Richard
Gardner
you
imagine
effective learning a simple word like that could be in showing
er Appreciation Week will be celebrated the week of May 5 through
•your
Plandiverse
and carry
out your
School-Based
Decision
Making
(SBDM)
families
that
you want them
to feel
included?
This shows your comJudith Lippmann
9. Sometimes a simple thank-you
is all a teacher needs to feel valCouncil parent
representative
your and
school’s
SBDM by-any obstacles that
mitment,
as a PTA
leader, to election
reaching(ifthem
overcoming
ued, or you may want toKentucky
do more toPTA
honor the men and women who
laws call
for a spring
election).
hinder
effective
communication.
Plan your diversity strategy to effectively reach
educate our children. When planning teacher appreciation activities,
andthe
underrepresented
families.progress.
You will be surprised at how much your
•diverse
Check on
Nominating Committee’s
Barb
Fischer
keep in mind the school’s
testing
schedule and coordinate with the
PTA can grow. A great strategy begins with setting goals, considering factors that
• Check PTA/Parent Teacher Student Association (PTSA) bylaws,
principal.
Jean Seaman
help to reach or hinder those goals, developing tactics that assist your PTA with
and plan to hold officer elections when required to do so.
reaching its objectives, and then following through with making those
goals
a
As always, I greatly appreciate
the work that you are doing in
MarthaallClements
•reality.
Work on Procedure Books to give to successors.
your schools.
Vanessa Whitworth
• Thank your volunteers during National Volunteer Week, April 6
Aneeka
Ferrell
through 12.
Heather Wampler, President
Vicki Ensor
Diversity Consultant
671-9451 (cell)
• Make plans during Teacher Appreciation Week, May 5 through 9,
15th District PTA
Carolyn Heh
[email protected]
to recognize teachers one day.
President’s Letter
15th District PTA Honor Roll Certificate of Appreciation Order Form
At this time of year, PTA/PTSA Boards think about the important people who have helped make the year so successful. Recognize
and thank these people by presenting them with a PTA Honor Roll Certificate of Appreciation. All proceeds from the sale of these
certificates benefit the Scholarship Fund. Purchase several certificates to honor special people. Send your completed order form
with your check to:
Honor Roll Certificate of Appreciation, 15th District PTA, 319 South 15th Street, Louisville, KY 40203
Allow two to three weeks for processing. Print legibly. Certificates will be mailed once payment has been confirmed. Each certificate costs $10, payable to the 15th District PTA. If you have any questions, call the 15th District PTA Office at 485-3535.
PTA Name: _____________________________________
2. ____________________________________________
Contact Person and
Phone Number: _________________________________
3. ____________________________________________
Address: ______________________________________
Names as they should appear on the certificate(s):
1. ____________________________________________
6
PTA Mission
4. ____________________________________________
5. ____________________________________________
6. ____________________________________________
PTA is:
• A powerful voice for all children.
• A relevant resource for families and communities.
• A strong advocate for the education and well-being of every child.
PTA Vision
15th District PTA Newsletter
Making Every Child’s Potential a Reality
PTA Membership—There’s Still Time!
Members are the most important part of your PTA/PTSA. PTA membership is the key to
success, parent involvement, advocacy, and empowerment. Without members, there would be
no PTA!
Remember, membership is a tool to gain support for your school and the students. Be sure
to advise potential PTA members that being a PTA member means getting involved in their
community. PTA’s role is big and requires us to pull together the school, community, teachers, parents, and students to build a better neighborhood, home, and town for children. All
over Kentucky, PTA members are working together for children and making a difference,
one child at a time.
Membership involves outreach, which touches the lives of every student and every family in
the school community. The importance of including everyone is a PTA belief from before
the turn of the last century. As PTA’s founder, Alice McLellan Birney, put it, “Our appeal
is to all mankind and to all womankind, regardless of race, color, or condition, to recognize
that in the child lies the hope of the race and that the republic’s greatest work is to save the
children.”
It seems as though the school year is almost over, but you still have time to obtain more
memberships. This is an ongoing process. There are still a few schools in our district that
need to pay dues (district, state, and national). It’s never too late to do this, and it should be
done immediately. Remember that every board member in your PTA/PTSA must be a paid
member. Some schools will be having Spring Festivals, Reading Nights, and other family
events. These are perfect opportunities to sell memberships.
We want to thank “Phillip David” March for being the Honorary Membership Campaign
spokesperson this year. He has done an outstanding job highlighting the importance of PTA
at schools throughout the district and at 15th District PTA functions. He continues to be an
excellent spokesman for the 15th District PTA. Thanks to all the schools that have worked
hard on membership and continue to push to increase their membership totals. The 15th District PTA Board looks forward to seeing you at the awards banquet in May to celebrate these
accomplishments.
As a final note, remember that the power of PTA is in its membership. Obtaining the maximum number of PTA memberships you can is crucial to PTA’s effectiveness as an advocate
for children.
Aneeka Ferrell
Second Vice President of Membership
Procedure Books
April is the time when the current PTA
year is coming to a close. New officers
are being elected, and new chairmen are
being appointed. In order for the next
person to do his or her job effectively, it
is vital that a Procedure Book be passed
from the outgoing chairman to the new
chairman. Procedure Books can be a
folder or a binder, or even a paper bag, as
long as important information is passed
on. The following things should be included in the Procedure Book:
• A list of officers and their contact
information
• A copy of the bylaws and standing
rules
• Meeting agendas and/or minutes
• Treasurer reports
• Contact information of people whom
you worked with during the year
• An expense report or a list of expenses
for your committee
• Notices, fliers, or letters that you used
and sent out during the year
• Written procedures for a specific job
• A list of what your committee did
during the year
• A list of what went right and what went
wrong (what you would do again or
what you would not do again on this
committee)
• Anything else that you can think of
that will help the next person step into
the job
Fathers and Education: A Winning Combination
Male involvement in education is on the upswing! Studies have
shown that fathers are more active in the education of their children.
Fathers are redefining their roles in the school setting and, with increasing comfort, are joining the ranks of their female counterparts
as classroom volunteers, PTA office holders, decision makers, and
much more.
The change in the status quo is promising, refreshing, exciting, and
very much welcomed by school staff and administrators. Research
suggests that children whose fathers play an active role in their
education are more confident, are more likely to participate in extracurricular activities, meet academic benchmarks sooner, are more
motivated, and have fewer incidences of disciplinary problems. Additionally, the school environment is transformed with the increased
presence of fathers. Morale seems to shift, and teachers welcome
the added support.
Actively embracing the diversity of fathers in education allows decision makers to expand their thinking and make better decisions
based on different perspectives. Mothers throughout history have
been a wonderful and much-needed asset to the success of their
children and to school systems in general. Kudos to the mothers
who have held steadfast in partnering with schools in the pursuit of
academic excellence; however, we also must remain diligent in encouraging and welcoming fathers as they become more involved
in education. You can’t go wrong with this element of additional
support.
Try this: The next time you’re looking for help in your school or
send home a note to mom, include dad. The more inviting your
school is to fathers, the more likely fathers who are not involved
will step up. After all, fathers are willing and certainly capable of
making a positive difference.
Kim Stevenson, Diversity Consultant
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15th District PTA Newsletter
JEFFERSON COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS
The
First Task
Is to
BEHAVIOR
Ask Yourself
Ask Your School
Do I know how my child is expected to behave in the
school/bus setting?
What are you doing to educate my child on the expectations you have regarding behavior?
Am I aware of any behavior issues that I need to address
with my child?
How can you help me keep my child from getting into
fights? (Share any behavior issues with the school.)
Have I read the Code of Acceptable Behavior and
Discipline?
Does my child truly know what is required in order for
him or her to avoid disciplinary action?
Do I know the Behavior Violations and the corresponding
consequences (pages 24 and 25 in the Code of Acceptable Behavior and Discipline)?
What is being done to ensure that all students are wellbehaved and safe?
At home, do I have clear expectations and consequences?
Do I hold my child accountable for his or her choices?
What are the discipline policies that I, as a parent, need
to be aware of and enforce at home?
What does progressive discipline mean?
What are Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports
(PBIS)?
How do I plan to communicate with the school when
there are possible problems that I am aware of? Do I
have the phone numbers and e-mail addresses of the
school administration?
What is the best way for me to communicate with the
school regarding anything I need to share with you?
What am I doing to make sure my child realizes that
violence is not acceptable?
How do you use suspensions?
How might I support the school policies and procedures
at home?
If my child is suspended, is there an appeal process?
Is there a phone/e-mail list available?
Is it a last resort?
“If you want to change attitude, start with a change in behavior.” —William Glasser
CONTACT
Jackie Wisman
Director, Student Due Process Unit/
Safe and Drug-Free Schools/Student Relations
485-3803
[email protected]
www.jcpsky.net
Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer Offering Equal Educational Opportunities
26107 DiversityAskYourselfFliers 1-14rj
April 2014
3
Awards Banquet
May 6, 2014, at 6:30 p.m.
9700 Bluegrass Parkway (off I-64/Hurstbourne)
Louisville, KY 40299
The 15th District PTA Awards Banquet will be held at 6:30pm on
Tuesday, May 6, 2014, at the Ramada Plaza Louisville.
We are looking forward to a fantastic banquet. Join us, and celebrate all of your
PTA/PTSA accomplishments for the year! Each table seats eight (8) people.
Reservations are $35 a person if received by Friday, April 25.
Reservations are $45 a person if received between Saturday, April 26
through Monday, May 5. We are unable to accept reservations after May 5.
All reservation requests must include a check made payable to the
15th District PTA
To be sure that your PTA holds as many seats as your require, send in your
reservations as soon as possible. If you need/want to be seated with another school,
please send in both reservations at the same time.
If you have any questions, please contact the 15th District PTA Office at (502) 485-3535.
Send reservations to:
15th District PTA, Banquet Reservations
319 South 15th Street
Louisville, KY 40203
A vegetarian plate will be available if it is ordered at the time you make your reservation.
Please note: NO refunds will be made after May 1.
Complete and return the form below with payment to reserve your banquet tickets.
Name of PTA, school, or JCPS department:
__________________________________________________________
Name of contact person and phone number:
__________________________________________________________
Email: _______________________________________________________________________________________
Total number of tickets: __________ X $35 (April 25, 2014 deadline)
Total number of tickets: __________ X $45 (April 26 through May 5, 2014, deadline)
Amount of check enclosed $_______________
Number of vegetarian plates needed:____________________
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15th District PTA Newsletter
KENTUCKY PTA
CONVENTION/LEADERSHIP 2014
REGISTRATION FORM
Saber & Quill at Fort Knox, KY
July 18-19, 2014
Submit a separate registration form for each attendee or guest.
Name: ________________________________________ E-mail: ___________________________________
PTA/PTSA name: ____________________________________ PTA/PTSA District: ____________________
Officer Position for ʼ14-ʼ15: _________________________ Phone number: ___________________________
Emergency contact: _______________________________Emergency phone number: __________________
Select one of the following:
If registering on or before June 1st, registration fees are as follows:
____Registration: $89
____Student registration: $65
If registering after June 1st, registration fees are as follows:
____Registration: $125
____Student registration: $75
Please select all of the following that apply:
____Voting Member
____First time Convention/Leadership attendee
____Life Recognition Member
Registration includes: admittance to all workshops, Exhibit Hall, PTA Store, Friday luncheon, Friday Life
Recognition and Awards dinner, and Saturday luncheon.
Additional meals for guests may be purchased at a cost of $25 per person.
____ Friday Luncheon
____ Friday Life Recognition Dinner
____Saturday Luncheon
By submitting this registration form, I give my permission to Kentucky PTA to use photos taken of myself during
Convention/Leadership for Kentucky PTA publications, its website, and its social media sites such as
Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest. _____ (Initial here)
Amount enclosed: $_______________
Vegetation option (Y/N) : ______
Please mail all forms and checks payable to:
Kentucky PTA
P.O. Box 654
Frankfort, KY 40602-0654
502-226-6607
[email protected]
A block of rooms has been reserved by Kentucky PTA at the Gold Vault Inn for $75.90 including taxes.
Please call 1-800-266-2104 to make reservations.
No refunds after June 15th. Registrations may be transferred.
Please notify Kentucky PTA in the event of a transfer.
April 2014
5
Kentucky PTA Convention/Leadership 2014
Saber and Quill at Fort Knox, KY
Special Guest- Otha Thornton, National PTA President
Friday, July 18th
Workshop #1 starts at 9:30am and the day ends at 9:15pm. There will be 6 different workshops offered and will
include classes such as:
• Programs Roundtables
• Leadership & Boardsmanship
• Out of the Box Fundraising
• Organizational Basics
• Working with Decision Makers/Building Coalition
• Leadership Development and Recruiting
• Family Nights
• Working with Your School District Leadership
• Charitable Gaming
• Coordinated School Health
• President and Secretary Working Together
• Insurance
• Membership
• Common Core Standards
• Middle and High School PTSAs
• Every Child in Focus
• Reflections
• Effective Board Meetings
• Diversity
• Awards and Scholarships
• Financial Basics
Saturday, July 19th
The first workshop begins at 9:30 am and the final meeting is over at 4:15 pm. There are four workshops that will
be offered and include classes such as:
• Financial Basis
• Reflections
• College 101
• SBDM
• Building Your New PTA
• Building an Advocacy Campaign/Media
• Financial Legal Requirements (IRS, Readbook)
• Student Session
• National PTA Programs with Otha
• Using Technology in Your PTA
• Individual Learning Plans (ILP)
• Membership, President and Secretary Working Together
• Diversity
In additional to the workshops there will be 3 General PTA Meeting that will done during lunches and dinner.
These are included in your registration. There will be an exhibitor hall where you can get information about
fundraiser and programs along with a silent auction. There will also be ample opportunity to network with other
PTA across the state.
For more information please visit ww.kypta.org.
We hope to see you there!
6
15th District PTA Newsletter
Spelling Bee
On February 11, the Jefferson County Public School (JCPS) District
held its Spelling Bee with volunteer help from the 15th District PTA
at Durret Auditorium. It was a privilege to see 71 students competing against their peers and proving that they are already winners
representing their schools. Thank you to all parents and schools for
your participation. We would
like to congratulate the following winners:
First Place: Anirudh Adavi—
Noe Middle (Eighth Grade)
Second Place: Eden Gallup—
Brandeis Elementary (Fifth
Grade)
Third Place: Damon Duvall—
Kennedy Montessori
Elementary (Fifth Grade)
Our Kids Can’t Wait Rally
On Tuesday, February 25, JCPS, the Jefferson County Teachers Association (JCTA), and the 15th District PTA held a rally for education
funding. The Our Kids Can’t Wait Rally was at Westport Middle
School and was attended by many wonderful speakers. We were
pleased to have the following people speak at the event:
• Heather Wampler, 15th District PTA President
• Debbie Wesslund, Jefferson County Board of Education (JCBE)
Representative, District 3
• Dr. Terry Holliday, Kentucky Commissioner of Education
• Dr. Donna Hargens, JCPS Superintendent
• Brent McKim, JCTA President
• Dr. Staci Eddleman, Westport Middle School Principal
• Nelson Dougherty, Atherton High School Orchestra Teacher
• Valley High School Student
• Diane Porter, JCBE Chairwoman, District 1
The governor’s proposed budget has increased funding for education,
but our voices needed to be heard by our representative to keep it in
the final budget. At the printing of this, the budget had not been finalized, so there is still time to do your part. Join us by calling your
senator or representative at 1-800-372-7181 and telling them that
Kentucky’s kids deserve the best education possible.
April 2014
CAP Schedule
APRIL
8
Dixie Elementary, Knight Middle, Mill Creek Elementary
9
Blue Lick Elementary, Gilmore Lane Elementary,
Noe Middle
10
Klondike Lane Elementary, Layne Elementary,
Olmsted Academy South
15
Blake Elementary, Hawthorne Elementary,
Wilder Elementary
16 Jeffersontown Elementary, Trunnell Elementary
17 Ramsey Middle, Valley High, Wellington Elementary
22
Cochran Elementary, Coleridge-Taylor Montessori Elementary,
Waggener High
23 Rangeland Elementary, Wilkerson Traditional Elementary
24
Laukhuf Elementary, Portland Elementary,
Schaffner Traditional Elementary
25 Johnsontown Road Elementary
29 Rutherford Elementary, Western Middle, Wheatley Elementary
30
Eisenhower Elementary, Smyrna Traditional Elementary,
Young Elementary
MAY
1
Fern Creek Elementary, Field Elementary,
Greathouse/Shryock
Traditional Elementary
7
Goldsmith Elementary, Gutermuth Elementary,
Jeffersontown High
8
Atkinson Academy, Bates Elementary, Highland Middle
13 Camp Taylor Elementary, Conway Middle, Lowe Elementary
14 Carter Traditional Elementary, Maupin Elementary
15
McFerran Preparatory Academy, Sanders Elementary,
Shacklette Elementary
20 Medora Elementary, St. Matthews Elementary, Western High
21
Meyzeek Middle, Moore Traditional School,
Watterson Elementary
22 Myers Middle, Okolona Elementary, Stonestreet Elementary
7
23827 PTA Newsletter 3/14rj
15th District PTA Contact List
Heather Wampler, President
671-9451 (cell) • 290-5579 (home)
[email protected]
Aneeka Ferrell
Second Vice President, Membership
445-2656
[email protected]
Autumn Neagle
Fourth Vice President, Communications
718-2590
[email protected]
Cherie Dimar
Fifth Vice President, Board Trainings
693-8104
[email protected]
Barbara Fischer, Secretary
969-8371
[email protected]
Theresa Mayfield, Treasurer
689-2227
[email protected]
Sharon Whitworth
Parliamentarian/Special Projects
485-7450 • 592-4185 (cell)
[email protected]
Heather McGovern, Awards Chairman
485-8300
[email protected]
Kim Stevenson, Diversity Chairman
485-8236 • 345-3125 (cell)
[email protected]
Carol Bartlett, FRYSC Director
485-3703
[email protected]
Shervonne Chambers, Health/Safety Chairman
210-6315
[email protected] Nikki Hockman, Hospitality Chairman
650-6525
[email protected]
Brian Wampler, Legislative/Web Site Chairman
671-9450
[email protected]
Christi Lanier-Robinson, PTA Liaison
485-3551
[email protected]
PTA Contact
Information
15th District PTA
www.15thdistrictpta.org
Phone: 485-3535
Jim Lovelace, Recycling/Clip For Cash Consultant
593-1577 (cell) • 493-7272 (home)
[email protected]
Kathleen Helm, Scholarship Chairman
290-7363 (home) • 432-859 (cell)
[email protected] Kassidy Helm, Student Representative
290-7363
[email protected]
Eddie Squires, KY PTA President Courtesy Seat
930-3516 • 550-7065
[email protected]
Calendar of Events
April
1–4.......Spring Break
15..........Kentucky Membership Payment Due
May
2...........No School—Professional-Development
(PD) Day
6...........15th District PTA Awards Banquet
15..........Kentucky Membership Payment Due
20..........No School—Primary Election Day
26.........No School—Memorial Day
June
15..........Kentucky Membership Payment Due
19–22....Annual National PTA Convention and
Exhibition in Austin, TX
30.........End of Fiscal Year/Close Out Financial
Books
Kentucky PTA
www.kypta.org
Phone: 226-6607
National PTA
www.pta.org
Phone: (703) 518-1200 or
800-307-4PTA (4782)
Facebook—Get Connected!
15th District PTA
www.facebook.com/group
.php?gid=113211276603
Kentucky PTA
www.facebook.com/?sk=2361831622#!
/group.php?gid=116874298952
National PTA
www.facebook.com
/parentteacherassociation
For additional information about the
PTA, please go to Kentucky PTA at
www.kypta.org or
National PTA at
www.pta.org.
8
15th District PTA Newsletter