The Ohio PTA Voice April 2015

The Ohio PTA Voice

Table of Contents:

Pg. 1- Presidents Message

Pg. 3- Membership

Pg. 4- Spring Cleaning

Pg. 5- Advocacy

Pg. 6- National Advocacy News

Pg. 7- Health, Welfare and Safety

Pg. 8- Stress Awareness

Pg. 9- Health & Academics

Pg. 10- Connect for Respect

Pg. 11- Family-School Partnership

Pg. 12 Autism Awareness

Pg. 13 Bylaws & Rules

Pg. 14 Ohio Healthy Food Movement

Pg. 15- Purple Up

Page 1 April 2015

Advertising in this newsletter does not imply endorsement by Ohio PTA

Note from the President...

Ohio PTA

40 Northwoods Blvd Ste A

Columbus, OH 43235-4718

(614) 781-6344

Fax: (614) 781-6349

[email protected]

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

Always Remember

When I was in junior high and high school, I participated every year in the Indiana

School Music Association contest playing my flute. Its similar to the OMEA (Ohio Music Educator Association) contest. We would first have to prepare for the

regional contest and if we received the highest rating of Superior, we would go to

the state contest.

Part of the preparation for contest was having to memorize the song to be played.

One year, I prepared a Bach Sonata, and I played it beautifully, if I must say so

myself. I actually got a perfect score in the regional contest. Then I went on to

state. In the middle of playing, I totally forgot the song. I absolutely went blank,

so much so that I couldnt even remember where I was, to continue from that point. (Now that Im older, this is not unusual at all!)

Fortunately, I had a very kind judge, who suggested that I might start all over

again. Thank goodness, I was able to play all the way through the second time

without a glitch. The judge only marked me down one point for memory giving

me a 2, but gave me 1s in all other categories, so I still received a Superior rating.

I share that story to share this. There are some things in PTA that we should

commit to memory. Committing to memory requires having to study, learn by

heart, and rehearse over and over.

I learned a really good practice from one of our past state presidents. I always

incorporate the mission of PTA into every workshop or talk that I give. I share that

we should memorize it. The late Dr. Myles Munroe said that if you dont know the purpose of a thing, you will abuse it.

Its very important that we know what the purpose of our work for PTA is. The overall purpose of PTA is to make every childs potential a reality by engaging and empowering families and communities to advocate for all children.

Continued...

The Ohio PTA Voice Page 2 April 2015


I learned the mission years ago as being three-prong:

A powerful voice for all children (Child Advocacy)

A relevant resource for families and communities (Encouragement of Parental

Involvement and Education)

A strong advocate for the education and well-being of every child (Support of

High-Quality Public Education)

Its important that we rehearse the mission over and over again until its memorized and flows naturally. There may be moments when we totally forget what the

mission is, but thats when we need to go back to the start, so that we can play it correctly. We need to remember that its all about doing whats best for children.

Im not sure, other than extreme nerves, why I got so distracted playing my solo, but because I had given myself to studying the music, learning it by heart,

rehearsing it over and over, and committing it to memory, I was able to start all

over and play it through flawlessly.

So many times our PTA year starts out beautifully, but then we get sidetracked on

issues that have nothing to do with the mission. We get distracted by whos in charge, someone not doing things the same way that we would, or personal

To this day, I appreciate the kindness of the judge, who was so gracious to allow

me to start over. Hopefully, we can be as forgiving of ourselves and others when

we lose our way, and like I was able to do, be allowed to go back to the beginning

and play right through the areas where the mission was forgotten. Our work can

still be superior!

Always remember the PTA mission!

Lisa Mack

Ohio PTA President 2013 2015



Is your units Member Perks up-to-date?

Ohio PTA Member Perks Program

This months reminder:

April Member Perks Goal:

At least one unit Member attends 2015 Ohio

PTA Convention

April 24-26

If you havent been updating your 2015 Redemption Form, start now! You can submit the form as early as July 1.

You can print out the 2015 Redemption form from the Ohio PTA website, link below:

http://www.ohiopta.org/Portals/0/PDF/2015_Redemption_Form_draft.pdf

Next months reminder:

May Member Perks Goal:

Someone from your unit completes

the Ohio PTA Membership Survey by

May 31



Membership Spring Cleaning

Spring is a time when we all get our homes ready for warmer weather and brighter

days. It is a time of rejuvenations and new beginnings. We should think of our

PTA Membership campaigns in the same way. At this point of the school year,

most campaigns could use a good spring cleaning! It is so important to remember

that membership is a year-long event. After the initial drive when school begins, it

is not uncommon for there to be a big lull during the late fall and early winter.

Use that lull to drum up some fresh ideas to either build off of the theme you

started with, or to use a new, complimentary theme to appeal to anyone that has

not joined yet. Take the time to reach out to the community business partners in

your area as well. Most businesses are always looking to support the schools and

their affiliate organizations. Many units choose to use each event as a chance to

gain new members. The event may be at no cost for those that are already

members, and at the price of a membership for others. When people come to the

event willing to pay and find out they not only get admission, but also a PTA

membership, it really makes it worth the while and it is a great way to reach

potential members that may not have been aware of what kind of programs the

PTA supports.

Keeping a membership drive alive all year is not an easy task and it would be a

great benefit to turn membership into a committee at the unit level. Membership

truly is everyones responsibility and it takes more than one or two people to

sustain and even increase our numbers each year. Having an exchange of ideas

with several people will make the task a lot easier and much more fun! Include a

staff member if you are able. Try to pull in a new member to help with ideas as

well because he or she can give great insight as to why they chose to join. If your

budget allows, keep the incentives going as well. Raffle off a gift card, some

games or some family activity certificates. Many places are willing to donate

The Ohio PTA Membership Committee is always here to assist you with whatever

questions you may have. Anyone is welcome to join the committee and share

ideas throughout the year. We do a monthly conference call for our committee as

well as a statewide call several times a year to include other committees from Ohio

PTA and from all the units. The Membership Committee can help you stay on

track for reporting and payment as well. If you are new to chairing membership

and are unsure of important dates and deadlines, just contact us and we would be

more than happy to help! Our Member Perks incentives for each month are also

available on the Ohio PTA website. We offer awards and recognition for units

that exceed their prior year membership totals as well as the Bronze Award for the

most creative and inspiring membership campaign across the state. We are here to

work with you hand-in-hand throughout the year! Our Member Perks incentive

goal for April is to have a member from your unit attend the 2015 Ohio PTA

Convention. What a great way to meet new people and exchange ideas!



Ohio PTA

Advocacy Report

April 2015

Several Bills to Monitor in the Ohio General Assembly

Spring brings warmer weather, outside fun and tons of legislation! Currently,

there are over 15 state bills being monitored ranging from charter school

accountability to budget to safety and security.

Below are Ohios General Assembly highlights:

Senate Education Committee The Senate Education Committee held hearing on HB 7 which would prohibit

student scores on the new PARCC assessments for this school year from being

used to make promotion or retention decisions or to grant course credit. Before

passing the bill, the committee added an amendment that would protect

districts from losing state foundation funding if students opt out of the state

assessments.

The committee also heard about SB 3 which would make changes to the law

regarding the amount of time spent on student testing. SB 3 also provides relief

from mandates for all districts and relief from additional provisions of the law

for high-performing districts.

House Education Committee

House Primary and Secondary Education Funding Subcommittee The House Finance Subcommittee on Primary and Secondary Education met

and heard testimony on the budget bill from Dr. Richard A. Ross, state

superintendent of public instruction, and several staff members from the Ohio

Department of Education. Furthermore, testimony on the budget bill (HB 64)

will continue until mid-April.

Ohio PTA Convention Advocacy Table Did you know the Ohio PTA Directors have a friendly competition around

their tables theme? In keeping with the Broadway theme, each director chose a play. Advocacy is WICKED! Yes, it may not be Popular but PTA is defining advocacy (defying gravity) and Thank Goodness! While No One Mourns the Wicked, we know advocacy is not Something Bad. Wait, Whats that feeling? Its Advocacy!



NATIONAL NEWS

Ohio PTA President Lisa Mack, President-Elect Sheila Ragland, and District

11 Advisor and Past President Debbie Tidwell attended National PTAs Legislative Conference March 10-12. In-depth discussion about PTAs public policy priorities through interactive workshops, keynote speakers like

Roberto J. Rodriguez, Deputy Assistant to the President for Education,

advocacy trainings and much more busied Ohios delegates. On March 12th, Ohio PTA went to Capitol Hill and met with Ohio Congressional leaders and

aides to discuss ESEA reauthorization and other PTA policy items.

On February 11th, the Education & the Workforce Committee of the U. S.

House of Representatives passed the Student Success Act (H.R. 5). This

legislation would replace No Child Left Behind and is sometimes referred to

as Elementary and Secondary Education Act. Currently, it is stalled in

Congress. A vote had been expected in late February or early March.

Comprehensive ESEA-NCLB reauthorization that includes improvements to

the law's family engagement provisions remains National PTA's top K-12

priority this session as stated in the public policy agenda. Below is the link

information on the bill:

http://edworkforce.house.gov/studentsuccessact/

Other pieces of federal legislation supported by PTA include the following:

S 197 - a bill to amend the ESEA of 1965 to award grants to states to

improve delivery of high quality assessments, along with other purposes.

S 311- a bill to amend the ESEA of 1965 to address and take action to

prevent bullying and harassment of students.



Health, Welfare, and Safety Information

The National PTA Healthy Lifestyles program provides family-centered education and tools that connect them with schools and advocate for healthy changes in nutrition and physical activity. In a healthy school: All foods, beverages and snacks sold or served meet National

School Nutrition Standards. All students have opportunities to be physically active on a regular

basis. All students have access to regular physical education. Districtwide wellness policies are developed, implemented and

evaluated with input from students, parents, staff and interested community members.

What PTAs Can Do Advocate to: (click on links) Improve student nutrition Increase physical activity and physical education Establish School Wellness Policies Model positive health behaviors Healthy Lifestyles Grants: National PTA offers $2,000 grant for PTAs in grades K-5 with tools and resources to use in partnering with schools to improve energy balance and provide families with nutrition and physical activity education. Grant season opens in Spring 2015. Source: http://www.pta.org/programs/content.cfm?ItemNumber=4280&navItemNumber=4216



April is National Stress Awareness Month

Take time to unwind... It's healthy to relax, renew, and rejuvenate For more information visit: http://www.foh.hhs.gov/

NATIONAL BIKE MONTH May is National Bike Month, sponsored by the League of American Bicyclists and celebrated in communities from coast to coast. Established in 1956, National Bike Month is a chance to showcase the many benefits of bicycling and encourage more folks to give bike riding a try.

Bike Helmet Safety Awareness Week 2015 is May 2 10!

https://www.facebook.com/bikehelmetsafety

Continued...



Continued...

National Bike to Work Week 2015 will be held on May 11-15. Whether you bike to work or school; ride to save money or time; pump those pedals to preserve your health or the environment; or simply to explore your community, National Bike Month is an opportunity to celebrate the unique power of the bicycle and the many reasons we ride. Source: http://bikeleague.org/bikemonth

Health and Academics

Healthy, successful students help build strong communities. Listen to two new podcasts developed by CDC Healthy Schools, in partnership with GENYOUth and Action for Healthy Kids, to learn more about the link between the health of students and learning. Listen to Podcasts:

Healthy Eating and Academic Achievement Physical Activity and Academic Achievement

These podcasts are part of a series of resources from CDC on Health and Academic Achievement, including an Overview and PowerPoint presentation. Together, these resources can help public health and education professionals to engage stakeholders in supporting learning and health through school-based practices in physical activity, nutrition, and management of chronic disease conditions. By working together, we can ensure that young people are healthy and ready to learn. Source: http://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/health_and_academics/index.htm



Connect for Respect (C4R) is National PTAs initiative to help students, parents and educators to create school climates full of safe and supportive peer relationships. Research shows that one of the most effective ways to prevent bullying behavior is to create a positive school climate. School climate encompasses everything that contributes to a student's experience with a schoolfrom the physical building to policies, staff and peer culture. Positive school climates exist in schools where students, families and educators all work collaboratively to build a culture of respect. Use the Connect for Respect (C4R) Toolkit to guide your PTA/PTSA on ways to engage students in improving the school climate and reducing bullying. Sources: http://www.pta.org/programs/content.cfm?ItemNumber=3003&navItemNumber=3984 http://www.girlshealth.gov/bullying/ Submitted by: Venezuela Robinson Director of Health, Welfare, and Safety



Family-School Partnership

What Every Child Needs

Fun Take time to laugh and play and share the wonders of life with your child(ren).

Affection - Warm hugs will nurture your child(ren) and make this world a friendlier place.

Acceptance Appreciate your child(ren) for the individuals they are, each with unique gifts and special talents.

Respect- Treat your child as an important and valuable person and he/she will learn to respect and honor themselves and others.

Praise- Tell your child(ren) things you appreciate about them. This lets them know how wonderful they really are.

Security- Give your child(ren) boundaries that will allow them to grow safely, feel secure and overcome any fears.

Honesty- Share your real feelings and admit your mistakes to your child (ren) so that they learn what it means to be a real person.

Patience- Be understanding when your child(ren) makes mistakes and remember that even when it does not seem like it, they are trying to do their best.

Forgiveness- Remind your child(ren) that nobody is perfect and that it feels much better to forgive than to hold a grudge.

Encouragement- Support your child(ren) and be positive as they try new things. This will give them courage to keep exploring.



April is National Autism Awareness Month National Autism Awareness Month has been celebrated since the 1970s. This is an opportunity to bring awareness about autism and its challenges. Autism affects one in every 110 children in the United States.

For more information on Autism Spectrum Disorders, go to: http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/autism/index.html.

Autism Society - www.autism-society.org - About Autism, living with autism, research, & supports

Autism Speaks - www.autismspeaks.org - News, science, & family services

The Autism Center at OCALI - http://www.ocali.org/center/autism

- Provides information on research, resources, and trends. Offers training, technical assistance, resources, and consultation.



Bylaws and Standing Rules Article

Do you know.?

How many times as a unit president, a board member, or a card-carrying

PTA member you have been asked questions that start with Do you know where I can find?

Why we have PTAs?

Do you know where you can find the purposes of PTA? Article II

That there are basic rules or policies that PTAs need to adhere

to?.................Article III and Article IV

How many officers your unit is allowed to have?.....................Article VI

When should your nominating committee should be formed? How it should

be formed? When the slate should be read and when do you

vote?..........................Article VII

What is expected/what are the duties of your officers?.............Article VIII

What rules your Executive Committee must adhere to?...........Article IX

The rules pertaining to using electronic media?........................Article XVIII

How do you amend your bylaws?.............................................Article XIX

All these questions and many more have answers that you can findin your

BYLAWS!!

Read them. Review them. Revise them. Go over them with your membership,

board members and officers. Know them and know how to run your PTA

correctly.

Linda Read

Director of Bylaws and Standing Rules

The Ohio PTA Voice

Ohio Healthy Food Movement

Each week, grocery shopping in 20 percent of households in America is harder than it needs to be. Thats because people in these communitiesmore than 29 million across the countrylack access to grocery stores and the healthy produce, lean proteins and whole grains that come along with them. In some Ohio communities, it is easier to grab a grape soda than it is to find a bag of grapes. It doesnt have to be this way. Together, we can change it.

A new campaign, the Ohio Healthy Food Movement will focus on one solution securing funding for a healthy food financing initiative. This is similar to work done in Pennsylvania and other states. Once money is available, this critical loan and grant financing helps healthy and affordable food retailers overcome the higher initial barriers to entry into low-income and underserved communitiesbarriers like land acquisition financing, construction and workforce development.

Learn more about the Ohio Healthy Food Movement by visiting our website at

www.ohhealthyfood.heart.org.

Share Your Story: Tell us your experience accessing affordable,

healthy foods. Be sure to check out our new video: Everyone Deserves Access.

Stay Connected: Get the latest information about the movement,

contact, Linda FreemanWalker, Campaign Manager,

[email protected].

Page 14 April 2015




PURPLE UP! With Operation: Military Kids Did you know that Ohio has a large

number of military families that include

National Guard (Army and Air) and

Army Reserve service members? Do

you have military families in your

school community?

Operation: Military Kids is a

national initiative involving 49 states and the District of Columbia with

high levels of National Guard and Reserve deployment. Regardless of

whether families are experiencing deployment for the first time, the

second time or another in a series of multiple deployments, OMKs goal is to connect military children and youth with local resources in

order to achieve a sense of community support and enhance their well-

being.

Because many of the National Guard and Reserve families are spread

throughout the state, they do not have the support systems that are

typically available to active duty military families who live on or near

military installations.

Why are we concerned? At any point in time, about 1,000 to 1,500

children have a parent deployed. Families experiencing deployment

face a variety of issues that impact our youth. These issues include:

There is fear of the unknown and concern for the safety of the

deployed parent.

A parent is absent for significant events, as well as everyday

matters, resulting in less parental involvement.

Youth assume more household responsibilities.

Lack of educators' awareness of and sensitivity regarding

deployment and needs of children of deployed service members.

Children may be placed in day care so the remaining parent can

work outside the home.

There may be a constant shuffle between relatives and child care providers.

Geographically dispersed families are not near family and youth

programs.

Lack of connection with other youth with deployed parents results in feelings of isolation.

The family may experience a change in financial resources.

Fast Facts:

Military youth live in every county in

Ohio.

The majority of youth are associated with

the reserve Component: 34% National

Guard and 27% Reserves.

The largest portion of active duty service

members are in the Air Force in the area

surrounding Write-Patterson Air Force

Base.

Ages: 36% are ages 0 to 5; 39% are ages

6 to 12; and 25% are ages 13 to 18 years

old.

The 18 counties with 500 or more account

for approximately 2/3 of the military

Military Child Month is

April

What can your PTA do?

Plan an event in April to celebrate and

honor the resilience and dedication of the

military children in your school and

community.

To help you plan activities, OMK has

developed a large list of ways you can

empower your community, businesses,

school system, and local libraries to be

involved.

Visit http://www.ohio4h.org/statewide-

programs/operation-military-kids/schools.

GET PUMPED UP about PURPLING

UP!

Why purple? Purple is the color that

symbolizes all branches of the military.

It is the combination of Army green, Coast

Guard blue, Air Force blue, Marine red,



Your Ohio PTA Board of Directors . . . the field service team

Your Ohio PTA Directors

Your Ohio PTA Staff

President

Lisa Mack

216-691-2990

[email protected]

President-Elect

Sheila Ragland

614-351-8083

[email protected]

V P of Leadership

Ana Chapman

440-234-2504

[email protected]

V P of Field Service

Cathy Harless

614-877-3673

[email protected]

Secretary/Treasurer

Sharon Urig

440-365-7602

[email protected]

Executive Director

Sue Owen

[email protected]

[email protected]

Administrative Director

Jeri Gookin

[email protected]

Immediate Past President

Gloria Cazan

440-886-1453

Advocacy

Jackie Arendt

440-230-1567

[email protected]

Bylaws & Standing Rules

Linda Read

330-923-7248

bylawsandstand-

[email protected]

Events

Lynn LaMore

440-356-9710

[email protected]

Membership

Suzie Smith-Rios

614-878-3596

member-

[email protected]

Education

Rebecca Gawsyszawski

440-315-9097

[email protected]

Diversity & Inclusion

Terry Hickey

614-870-9570

[email protected]

Family-School

Partnership

Pam Bonnett

440-871-7932

[email protected]

Health Welfare &

Safety

Venezuela Robinson

440-786-9855

[email protected]

Your Ohio PTA District Advisors

Vacant Advisor Positions: 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 9, 10,

11, 19 Assistant Director of Advocacy, Bylaws,

Communications, Education, Health, Welfare &

Safety and Family-School Partnership

If anyone is interested in serving on the Ohio PTA

Board of Directors, contact Ana Chapman at

[email protected]. Job descriptions and

an application are posted on the Ohio PTA website.

Your Ohio PTA Officers

District 7

Susan Hans

440-243-8776

[email protected] District 17

Carol Beasley

216-383-1963

The Mission of the Ohio PTA

CHILD ADVOCACY

PARENT/FAMILY EDUCATION

SERVICE TO PUBLIC SCHOOLS

District 13

Lisa Weaver

330-825-8252

District 11Interim

Debbie Tidwell

440-779-7141

District 12

Maria Lang

440-289-9696

District 18

Hazel Trinko

330-896-1694

Communications

Jeanne Groetz-Shockling

330-313-1544

The Ohio PTA Voice April 2015

Documents

mission of pta

ohio pta note

ohio pta voice page

state contest

overall purpose of pta

regional contest

children child advocacy

powerful voice