Professional Documents
Culture Documents
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Table of Contents:
October 2015
Greetings Family,
Whew!! School is back in session again. PTA meetings are going strong.
There are many new parents and community members to welcome into PTA!!!!!
Are you making them feel welcomed and part of your family? But more
importantly are you making them feel valued and needed. As a PTA Officer or
Committee member are you taking time to know your new members? What are
their strengths? What are their reasons for joining PTA? Did they join to provide
financial support, moral support, or do they possess some hidden talent that can
contribute to the success of your PTA?
Pg. 4- Newsletters
Pg. 5- Leadership
Pg. 7- Family School Partnership
Pg. 8- Positive Climate
Pg. 9- Advocacy
Pg. 10- Membership
Pg. 11- Reflections Art Program
Pg. 12- Standing Rules
Pg. 15- PTA Board
Ohio PTA
40 Northwoods Blvd Ste A
Columbus, OH 43235-4718
(614) 781-6344
Fax: (614) 781-6349
office@ohiopta.org
Continued...
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October 2015
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October 2015
As a PTA advocate, be empowered! Social media offers your PTA a free, quick and
easy way to communicate. Make sure your PTA establishes a clear social media
policy. Who will have access to post from the official PTA account and what will
you comment on? Will your unit use social media mainly to promote events and
your positions, or will you take an active role and voice in the education debate in
your community and state? Partner with local or state organizations on policy
issues and legislation in your community. Explore ways to mobilize supporters to
education and other child advocacy events through Facebook and Twitter.
Advocate by holding your elected officials accountable. Dont be afraid to reach
out to your elected officials through social media to support or oppose legislation.
This is an excellent way to make your voice heard for every child.
National PTA has produced four tip sheets to assist local PTAs in optimizing their
social media efforts. The tip sheets offer advice on using Facebook, Twitter, blogs
and YouTube. In addition, National PTAs Social Media Policy is an important
resource for your PTA. These resources can be found in the 2015-2016 Back-toSchool Toolkit at www.pta.org. To learn more about how your PTA can effectively
use social media contact me at advocacy@ohiopta.org.
Tandra Rutledge
Director of Advocacy
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October 2015
Newsletters
For most PTAs, newsletters are the most comprehensive
communication vehicle that the group shares with its many
audiences. A newsletter, whether print or electronic, contains several short
articles and graphics that bulletin important information for a specific group
of recipients. While most PTA units produce a newsletter publication, PTAs
that cannot or do not wish to produce their own may be able to contribute to
their schools newsletter.
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October 2015
Every month, Ohio PTA would like to recognize the exceptional educational work
being done on behalf of Ohio children. This monthly column will feature PTA
members, units or councils who are motivating all stakeholders in their community
and beyond about the importance of public education. These individuals and groups
demonstrate that working together accomplishes much. Although only a few are
featured here, we know there are many tremendous people helping keep public
education a quality choice for all students in Ohio.
Our inaugural Ohio PTA inspirational educator, Char Shryock embodies the PTA
motto of Every Child, One Voice. Her dedication to student success transcends
the title on her office door. As a parent, teacher, administrator and community
member, she advocates, enlightens and teaches all educational stakeholders. As a 7th
grade science teacher in the Fairview Park Schools, Chars hands-on teaching style
was not only for the students, but the other faculty, staff, and parents as well.
Everyone needs to learn in order to teach would be a great way to describe her
educational model. When she became the Director of Curriculum for the Bay
Village School District, her position allowed her to help in professional
development both in her district and across the state. Her I Teach Bay
(iteachbay.blogspot.com) website has numerous resources and presentations. For
the past five years she has led a statewide team of educators who have focused on
supporting all Ohio educators as they implement Ohios Learning Standards and
State Tests to create meaningful local curricula for academic success.
Char shares and updates learning opportunities for students, resources for teachers
and tools for parents everywhere! She has created a blog to share not only her
finds, but also those of other educators. In educator meetings with her as the PTA
parent representative, I was always included in the discussion. She knows parents
are integral in the education process. Thus, Char incorporates all stakeholders and
uses their input in many of the resources featured on her website. Char created a set
of games and conversation starters that help build a preschoolers vocabulary called
Word Play around Bay using local Bay Village locations and landmarks. This was
the result of discussions with colleagues and parents asking her, What can I do to
help my child? She mentors colleagues like she did her students by not merely
showing but through interactive activities and an online resource-sharing site.
Continued...
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October 2015
State Senator Peggy Lehner recognized her work statewide this past spring when
she invited her to participate in the Ohio Senate Education Committees Advisory
Committee on Testing. Chars primary goal was to make sure every member of the
task force had accurate information to analyze Ohios standards and assessments.
Ohio PTA thanks Char Shryock for her continued efforts to promote educational
standards across Ohio. Char demonstrates that through sharing our individual
talents and energy, we can continually be engaged as learners and teachers
regardless of our role as an educational stakeholder! This reflects the mission of
Ohio PTA which encourages all members to give a voice to students through
active advocacy.
In November meet a young man who was born a PTA inspirational educator!
He is now teaching music in central Ohio.
Ohios new College Credit Plus has replaced the Post Secondary Enrollment Option
Program (PSEOP). The primary purpose is still promoting rigorous academics
through a variety of options for college-ready students. Qualifying students can take
college courses at public colleges or universities for free (cost includes tuition,
books and fees). Limited costs may apply for private colleges and universities.
Students should talk to their schools counseling office for details specific to your
school district. For more information on the change from PSEOP to College Credit
Plus, please visit the College Credit Plus webpage at Ohio Higher Education.
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October 2015
Family-School Partnership
As a parent or caregiver, you are an important part of family-school partnership.
You have a key role in helping your child bridge his/her transition from home to
school, and to help provide the best chance for student success. How can you
promote family-school partnership at your school? It begins with asking the right
questions. Here is a helpful checklist to get you started -excerpted from http://
www2.ed.gov/documents/family-community/parent-checklist.pdf:
1. Quality: Is my child getting a great education? Find out how you will be
informed of how your child is doing on a regular basis and how you can work
together with the school if your child falls behind.
2. Ready for Success: Will my child be prepared to succeed in whatever comes
next? Find out how your childs progress and ability will be measured and how
much time will your child spend preparing for state and district tests.
3. Safe and Healthy: Is my child safe and cared for at school? What programs are
in place to ensure a safe, nurturing, and positive environment? What are the
discipline and bullying policies at your school?
4. Great Teachers: Is my child engaged and learning every day? Do teachers
collaborate with one another and participate in professional development
activities? How will I know that my childs teachers are effective?
Equity and Fairness: Does my child, and every child at my childs school or
program, have the opportunity to succeed and be treated fairly? How does the
school provide access to all students to help prepare them for success?
Asking these questions promotes parents engagement with schools to help all
children succeed. To find out more information, along with suggestions on how
you can work effectively with your childs teachers as an advocate for your child, go
Apply now for the Ohio PTA Family-School Partnership Award. This award
recognizes members who actively participate in family-school and community
activities. Complete the award form found on the ohiopta.org website and mail to
Ohio PTA office. Deadline is October 31.
Congratulations to Pleasant Valley Elementary PTA -Parma and Bay Middle School Bay Village, our OHIO winners of 2015-2017 School of Excellence! The National PTA
School of Excellence designation honors accomplishments in building strong,
effective family-school partnerships, which are proven to make a difference for
students and schools.
Want your school to become a School of Excellence? For more information about
Ohio PTA Family-School Partnership, please contact Pam Bonnett, Director at
fsp@ohiopta.org
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PTAs can incorporate any or all parts of this program to achieve a positive school
climate, where a collaborative effort builds a culture of respect.
Sources:
http://www.pta.org/programs/content.cfm?ItemNumber=3003&navItemNumber=3984
http://www.pacer.org/bullying/nbpm/
http://www.pacer.org/bullying/nbpm/unity-day.asp
Lisa Catalano
Director of Health, Welfare & Safety
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October 2015
PTA
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October 2015
REFLECTIONS Update
Have you held your schools Reflections kick off event? Its not too late to get
your students excited about this years theme Let Your Imagination Fly!
Reflections welcomes all grades and abilities to explore and be involved in the
arts. Students are encouraged to reflect on this years theme and create original
works in the categories of dance choreography, film production, literature, music
composition, photography and visual arts.
National PTA has created a toolkit, see pta.org/Reflections, with ideas and
resources to use to promote creativity in your school and community. Also, PTAs
new e-learning workshop is now available to help you get started with Reflections
in your school. These two learning opportunities take you step by step through the
Reflections process from promoting your program to recognizing participants to
thanking your volunteers.
To celebrate your schools Reflections program, consider hosting school-wide
activities based on the Reflections Program Theme Let Your Imagination Fly!
Check Facebook and Twitter for ideas and suggestions. Share your schools
activities with us as your program moves forward. Consider highlighting an arts
category each day!
Monday: Dance Choreography
Tuesday: Film Production
Wednesday: Literature
Thursday: Music Composition
Friday: Photography and Visual Arts
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October 2015
Starting and ending times of meetings and place they are held,
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October 2015
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October 2015
Approval of Expenditures
The adoption of the budget authorizes the treasurer to pay for routine
expenses covered in the budget only if such authority is given to the
treasurer in the local PTA bylaws. If the local PTA bylaws do not provide
this authority, the treasurer shall pay bills only when the board/executive
committee or local PTA members vote to expend the money, and then only
upon presentation of properly signed vouchers, as required in the state
bylaws. All expenditures must be reported to the board/executive
committee and included in the Monthly Treasurers Report to membership.
This report should display how the amounts expended to date compare with
corresponding items in the approved budget. Any additional expenditure not
provided for in the budget must be approved by the membership. The
Monthly Treasurers Report should be attached to the minutes of the
meeting at which it is presented. Changes in the budget, whether in income
or expenditures, must be presented as amendments to the budget.
- See more at: http://www.ptakit.org/Finance/The-Budget/Approval-ofExpenditures.aspx#sthash.gneilqLr.dpuf
What to Do with Excess Funds
There is no ruling from the IRS or PTA that limits the amount of money that
a PTA may carry over to the next budget year. No PTA board has the
authority to write checks to the school or the principal for unbudgeted items
to clean out the accounts. Expenditures must be approved by the general
membership at a meeting. Every PTA should try to leave sufficient funds for
leadership training for new board members, startup expenses for the new
school year, etc. Funds not spent in one budget year should be included in
the new budget.
- See more at: http://www.ptakit.org/Finance/The-Budget/What-to-Do-WithExcess-Funds-at-the-End-of-theYear.aspx#sthash.uAKjD2gy.dpuf
Suzie Smith-Rios
Secretary / Treasurer
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October 2015
DIRECTORS
President
Sheila Ragland
614-351-8083
president@ohiopta.org
President-elect
Susan Hans
440-243-8776
Advocacy
Tandra Rutledge
216-860-4575
advocacy@ohiopta.org
Diversity
Jeanne GroetzShockling
330-313-1544
diversity@ohiopta.org
FSP
Pam Bonnett
440-781-2927
fsp@ohiopta.org
Education
Jackie Arendt
440-230-1567
education@ohiopta.org
HWS
Lisa Catalano
440-498-9545
hws@ohiopta.org
Communications
Venezuela Robinson
440-786-9855
communications@ohiopta.org
Events
Linda Read
330-923-7248
events@ohiopta.org
Membership
Angela Revay
216-328-9668
membership@ohiopta.org
District 3
Lois Monroe
937-653-8741
da3@ohiopta.org
District 11
Debbie Tidwell
440-779-7141
da11@ohiopta.org
District 17
Carol Beasley
216-383-1963
da17@ohiopta.org
District 7
Dana Paul
440-843-6951
da7@ohiopta.org
District 12
Maria Lang
440-289-9696
da12@ohiopta.org
District 18
Shannon Weber
440-781-0036
da18@ohiopta.org
District 10
Terry Hickey
614-870-9570
da10@ohiopta.org
District 13
Rebecca Gawsyszawski
440-315-9097
da13@ohiopta.org
OFFICE
Sue Owen
office@ohiopta.org
Jeri Gookin
jerigcr@sbcglobal.net
presidentelect@ohiopta.org
VP Leadership
Ana Chapman
440-234-2504
vpleadership@ohiopta.org
VP Field Service
Lisa Weaver
330-825-8252
vpfieldservice@ohiopta.org
Secretary/Treasurer
Suzie Smith-Rios
614-878-3596
Sec-treasurer@ohiopta.org
DISTRICT ADVISORS