What wonderful things our PTAs are doing for our children!

There have been Fall Festivals, Star Gazing Nights, Family Bingo/Spaghetti Nights, Parent Involvement Forums, and Safe Routes to School presentations, Reading "Slumber Parties", Math Fun Night, and fundraisers so PTA can support assemblies, libraries, arts enrichments, music enrichment, and other student enrichments.   Many PTAs have sponsored Reflections Arts Program with the theme - "Beauty Is...."  We should see some outstanding pieces from our students!

             The Fifteenth District PTA will be holding a Reflections Gallery and Awards Celebration on February 27, 2010 in Lompoc.  This is always a very wonderful experience and we invite you to attend. 

            Fifteenth District has also offered some timely health information at the General Association Meeting in Santa Barbara called "Choosing Healthy Lifestyles."   We were alerted to the importance of healthy choices for life by a doctor who cares for livers - and realized that the difference begins in children and their daily life choices.  This includes movement and food choices. Walking and biking help healthy lives, so Safe Routes to School fits in there.   In fact, "It Takes a Whole Village to Teach a Child"

 (one of my favorite sayings since I was raised in Africa ) -   and many persons from our village came to encourage parents and children to choose healthy life styles! We heard about N1H1 from the County Health nurse.   Our schools have been working hard to teach the children preventative practices against spreading germs. Do we all do the "Dracula" cough?

             Fifteenth District PTA presented a "check" worth $5,932,448.50 to the Children of Santa Barbara County from the PTA volunteers last year.  From around California, 4,000 PTAs donated 19.8 million hours for the equivalent of $414 million.  Thank you PTA volunteers! Remember to log volunteer hours.  --   See what a difference we make?

            PTA units swept the 2009 Governor's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports -  and the GOLD MEDALIST is our own Monroe PTA, Monroe Elementary School, Santa Barbara!  We congratulate the work of the PTA over several years to help bring much-improved rates of passing the California State Physical Fitness Exam by their fifth-graders!  We presented a certificate to the PTA.  (They got $$$$ from the Governor's Health Council)

            Two Bylaws Workshops with the California State PTA Parliamentarian were held.  It was informative and almost painless....   The good news is that plans for on-line Bylaws is coming soon and will make a big difference in response time.

            Memberships in PTA have been quite solid in our District.   It isn't too late to encourage further outreach to the community:  our neighbors, the School Board members, our business members who see plenty of PTA business,  grandparents, retired teachers.  PTA membership numbers brings power to our advocacy for the children in Sacramento and Washington DC.  So celebrate the unity of parent and teacher power - through PTA power!  Rewarding accomplishments helps keep the momentum going. See capta.org

       

             With early membership dues passed on to California State PTA now, our units are ready to pay and be covered by our un-beatable Insurance. Check out the red page, yellow page and green page in the new Insurance Loss and Prevention Guide -  coming soon.

            All non-profit groups Must now file with IRS with tax forms. This information came to you from your treasurer, Marsha Hill, and she has kept you all up-dated.  Thank you for your responses to keep your PTA in good standing!  PTA "rules and guidelines" come to us from the IRS, our Insurance Company to keep cost down, and from California Corporate Code.  We are not like a lemonade stand anymore....

            It is already time to think about the mid-term Audit, electing the important Nominating Committee, and maybe another Goal Setting Time.  Do you do surveys for the next year's planning team?  What is already working this year and what do you want to change?  General Association meetings approve the work of the Executive Board: budget, audit, programs, fundraisers and calendar and ratify checks.  Then a family oriented night brings the school community together.  Village time....

            What great teams we see around this Santa Barbara County working for our children.  Thank you to all of you!  Your Fifteenth District PTA leadership team is here to support and help you in any way we can. We hope to see you at the Fifteenth District PTA Leadership Workshops May 15  in Buellton, and at the California State PTA Convention in Sacramento on April 29 - May 2, 2010. There are 70 workshops and issue conferences offered, networking to find great ideas of what is working elsewhere - or you find that Your PTA is really great!  Visit the Exhibit Hall for fundraisers and assemblies and special concerns and photographers ideas, a rally at the Capital, Reflections celebration that will show you that the future is in good hands....     And the amazing experience that PTA is such a powerful and inclusive voice made up by moms and dads - just like YOU.

Come celebrate the Power of PTA.