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NOVEMBER 2015 EPTA Newsletter Flipbook PDF
NOVEMBER 2015 EPTA Newsletter
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Does your PTA have a Healthy Lifestyles program? National PTA’s mission is to help make every child’s potential a reality, and research shows that a healthy child can achieve and learn more!
EXECUTIVE BOARD President President-Elect VP for Legislation Student VP Treasurer Secretary Director of Membership and Communications
Sharon Gilbert Bobbi Jo Bowser Kris Garst MaryBeth Mitchell Kathy Meidlein Julie Wittenberg Cheri Mitchell
The month of November is National PTA Healthy Lifestyles Month, and PTA Units nationwide are encouraged to plan events and activities throughout the month to build and promote health and wellness in their schools and their communities. PTA’s Healthy Lifestyles Month is a wonderful chance for schools and their communities to demonstrate their commitment to ensuring that all students show up each day healthy and ready to learn.
COMMITTEE CHAIRS Administrative Consultant Awards & Scholarships Board Advisor Bylaws Chair Convention Chair Convention Co-Chair Diversity & Family Engagement Health & Wellness Male Engagement Reflections Chair Resource Development Special Needs Chair Spelling Bee Chair Spelling Bee Co-Chair Ways and Means Webmaster EPTA Office Manager
PTA Healthy Lifestyles Month encourages PTAs across the country to get creative and develop clever initiatives that make healthy living fun. PTAs can participate by conducting programs and events that aim to promote health education, physical activity, and parental involvement.
Matthew Kralevich Lois Dent Tricia Evans-Lockhart OPEN Kris Garst Melody Shaw Claudette Jones Linda Scheuermann OPEN Robin Baker Brianna Hester Amanda Groff Crystal Lewis Melody Shaw Cyndia Gilbert Nancy Carillo Jennifer Tucker
Your PTA could do something as small as featuring an article in a newsletter or as big as organizing a 5K walk. PTAs should also encourage families to increase their physical activity, to eat fresh fruits and vegetables, and to participate in their local community's physical activity programs and promote lifelong healthy behaviors. How will YOUR PTA celebrate National PTA Healthy Lifestyles Month? Do you have any great Health and Wellness events or programs in your school? We want to hear about them and share your successes!
[email protected] EuropeanPTAOnline.org Facebook.com/EuropeanPTA Twitter.com/EuropeanPTA Pinterest.com/EuropeanPTA
Please email pictures, information, links to event posts on social media, and more to [email protected], or you can also share them to the EPTA Facebook page at http://Facebook.com/EuropeanPTA. WE WANT TO CELEBRATE YOU!
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The following are some ways that local PTAs are encouraging families to make healthier choices and supporting access to healthy options at school:
1. PROMOTING HEALTHY BEHAVIORS
Visit ChooseMyPlate.gov and LetsMove.gov for free, family-focused educational tools to promote good nutrition and physical activity.
Issue a PTA Healthy Lifestyles challenge each school day through the morning announcements (e.g., "Challenge #1: Drink only water or low-fat milk today!")
2. ENCOURAGING HEALTHY FAMILIES
Promote the challenge through the school's social media sites.
Host a fun family event that celebrates healthy and delicious foods, encourages families to get up and get moving and provides opportunities to learn from health experts in the community. Examples:
Put a yard sign with the daily challenge in front of your student drop-off locations so that families can embrace the challenge together. Request some brochures from local community health organizations to distribute during PTA meetings or other school events.
HEALTHY LIFESTYLES EXPO (i.e., a health fair with activities and games for children)
TURKEY TROT OR TRIKE (i.e., a walk or bike event around school)
HEALTHY FOODS FROM AROUND THE WORLD
Invite a community health expert to PTA meetings to answer questions about health behaviors, such as "How can I get my picky child to eat healthier food?"
3. SUPPORTING HEALTHY SCHOOLS Talk with school administrators and staff about the school's wellness policy and determine specific ways PTA can support its implementation. Plant a community vegetable garden or host a farmer's market. Work with a nutritionist to assess the nutrition options at the school and advocate for healthier choices, including:
Low- or no-sugar drink options Flavorful and fresh fruits and vegetables Low-sugar, low-sodium snack options Portions appropriate for students' ages
Recruit parent and community volunteers to support active play during the day, such as recess, before school and after-school playground or gym time. Serve only healthy foods at PTA events. Source: http://www.pta.org/programs/content.cfm?itemnumber=3398
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Do your kids have cellphones? Social media accounts? Internet access? If they don’t have them yet, will they be getting them soon? In this day and age, it can be pretty hard to know how to teach things like social media smarts and how to use technology responsibly, especially when the digital playing field is constantly growing and changing. How can we set our children up for safety and success? The Smart Talk is an online tool that is designed to help parents empower their children to become smart digital citizens in an increasingly connected world. It’s the result of a collaboration between LifeLock and National PTA. Visit TheSmartTalk.org and follow The Smart Talk on Facebook to find out more about how you can start important conversations with your family on online safety and guidelines WANT TO READ MORE? The content on TheSmartTalk.org is based on information and educational resources from Common Sense Media, a non-profit organization serving kids and families.
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For more information on how your school can participate in the Reflections Program, visit the EPTA Reflections page. You can also learn more about Reflections with the brand new Reflections Toolkit and the Reflections Leader eLearning course from National PTA.
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Online enrollment is still open for the 2015-16 Scripps National Spelling Bee! Each year, European PTA sponsors the Spelling Bee for DoDEA-Europe. All European PTA Units in Good Standing are able to register without paying any additional fees beyond the basic Scripps registration fee (PTAs that are not in good standing by 1/15/16 pay an additional $150, and non-PTA schools pay an additional $350)!
DID YOU KNOW THAT EPTA OFFERS
COLLEGE SCHOLARSHIPS? We award two types of scholarships annually:
TO REGISTER FOR THIS YEAR’S SPELLING BEE, GO TO
For students attending a 4 year accredited institution of higher learning
For students attending a technical school or a 2 year accredited school
https://secure.spellingbee.com/enrollment/register The enrollment deadline is DECEMBER 11, 2015, so don’t miss your chance to be a part of the Bee!
Applicants must be DoDEA Europe graduating seniors who have already applied for Fall 2016 attendance to an institution of higher learning and are members of a local PTA (elementary, middle or high school) or are members of European PTA.
WHAT DO YOU RECEIVE FOR YOUR ENROLLMENT?
Scripps gives you access to everything you need to organize classroom and school spelling bees:
EXCLUSIVE ONLINE ACCESS to a teachers-only section of spellingbee.com
OFFICIAL WORD LISTS for your students that are organized by grade level
OFFICIAL PRONOUNCER GUIDES for classroom and school spelling bees
SUPPLEMENTAL VOCABULARY MATERIALS for classroom and school bees
CUSTOMIZABLE CERTIFICATES for your spelling bee participants and school champion
The postmark deadline for scholarship applications is MARCH 4TH, 2016. CLICK HERE for information or to download an application. IS YOUR PTA UNIT IN GOOD STANDING? If yes, are you keeping a log on your volunteers? Have you planned an absolutely fabulous program? Is there an educator who is always ready to help out and promote your PTA? What kind of programs are you doing to help make all students readers? EUROPEAN PTA OFFERS FOUR PRESTIGIOUS AWARDS:
With your enrollment, you also receive a FREE ONE YEAR SUBSCRIPTION to Britannica Online for Kids to award to a student participant in your school spelling bee program (a $69.95 value).
FOR MORE INFORMATION
on EPTA Scripps National Spelling Bee program, visit the EPTA website at http:// www.europeanptaonline.org/#!spelling-bee/c21gd.
Volunteer of the Year Unit of the Year Educator of the Year The Linda S. Resch Reading Award
CLICK HERE for more information and to download award applications!
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ESEA/NCLB RE-AUTHORIZATION
Germany, Italy, or the United Kingdom could be in Florida, New York, or California in the next few years, and we need to speak up and help to ensure the best possible education for them and for every child in the United States going forward. Because of this, it's vital that EPTA members add their voices to support Stateside education issues and to support, empower, and engage students, parents, and teachers across the US!
Congress is currently the closest it has been in seven years to reauthorizing the Elementary and Secondary Education Act/No Child Left Behind (ESEA/NCLB), and students, families and schools need your help to move the bill to the president’s desk this year!* The House and Senate both passed legislation this summer to reauthorize ESEA/NCLB. However, congressional leadership has yet to name a bipartisan group of representatives and senators to begin negotiations to resolve the differences between the two bills. Students can’t wait any longer for a revised law. Congress must act now to reauthorize ESEA this year.
For more information on this and other PTA policy issues, visit http://www.pta.org/advocacy
ADVOCATES WANTED!!!
Please send an email to your senators and representative to tell them to finish reauthorizing ESEA/ NCLB before the end of the year and let them know that important family engagement provisions need to be preserved in the final ESEA/NCLB reauthorization bill. Your support is needed at this critical time to ensure every student receives a high quality education and for the bill to become law before the end of this year.
Have you sent in the name of your local Advocacy Point of Contact yet? If you haven’t already done so, please email [email protected] as soon as possible with the name and email address of the person from your Local Unit who will serve as your Local Advocacy Point of Contact (this can be your President or anyone else on your board who is able to get advocacy messages out to your members via email, Facebook, etc.).
We ask that you Take Action by emailing your Senators and Representatives TODAY! CLICK HERE to go to the PTA Takes Action page and enter your zip code based on your Official Home of Record. You'll be connected to an editable, pre-written email message that the PTA Take Action system will then send to the people who represent you.
Would you be interested in serving as a Regional EPTA Advocacy Point of Contact? We are currently in search of volunteers to serve as points of contact in each of the four DoDEA-Europe districts (possibly more if the response permits), reaching out to local PTA Units with advocacy updates, coordinating with installation Voting Assistance offices regarding voter registration, and relaying local concerns back to the European PTA Vice President for Legislation. We need to hear from you! Please contact Kris Garst at [email protected] for more information.
*While
this legislation may not impact us directly in Department of Defense schools , it is important to take the long view. Today's DoDEA student in
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DID YOU
November 30 . . . Reflections Theme Entries Due
National PTA Healthy Lifestyles Month
Native American Heritage Month
December 2 . . . National Special Education Day December 11 . . . Final Registration Deadline for the Scripps National Spelling Bee
FOR 2015-16? Don’t forget to go online to the National PTA website at PTA.org to create or update your National PTA membership profile and see what your National PTA membership has to offer:
January 26 . . . National PTA Reflections Program Postmark Deadline
Online eLearning Courses National PTA Member Benefits Valuable PTA Programs and Tools Subscribe to eNewsletters View National PTA Publications
http://pta.org/profile
February 1 . . . Scripps National Spelling Bee Results Due to European PTA
February 1 . . . European PTA Convention Early Bird Registration Deadline
February 27 . . . EPTA Spelling Bee at Ramstein ES
March 4 . . . EPTA Scholarship Application Postmark Deadline
March 17 . . . 2015-16 EPTA Awards Application Email or Postmark Deadline
April 1 . . . European PTA Convention Advance Registration Deadline
May 2 . . . European PTA Convention Last-Minute Registration Deadline
May 19-22 . . . European PTA Convention at the Edelweiss Lodge and Resort in Garmisch, Germany
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A UNIT IN GOOD STANDING is an EPTA Unit that has submitted all of the documentation that is required to operate per the European PTA bylaws.
WHY DOES YOUR PTA UNIT NEED TO BE A UNIT IN GOOD STANDING?
Your Local Unit can’t legally represent itself as a PTA or PTSA unless it is actively working toward being a Unit in Good Standing.
Your Local Unit can’t participate in programs like Reflections and School of Excellence, and won’t be eligible for National PTA grants and awards without being a Unit in Good Standing.
PTAs that aren’t Units in Good Standing will be charged an additional $150 fee to be able to participate in the EPTA Spelling Bee.
TO BECOME AN EPTA UNIT IN GOOD STANDING, please send the following forms, documents, and information as soon as possible to the European PTA office:
1. A BOARD ROSTER that lists all officers and includes the following information for each:
NAME BOARD POSITION MAILING ADDRESS (Military Mail) EMAIL ADDRESSES PHONE NUMBERS
2. A BUDGET FOR THE 2015-2016 SCHOOL YEAR 3. A COPY OF YOUR BYLAWS that have been signed and dated by your current (2015-2016) President. Please send this electronically! 4. A COPY OF YOUR AUDIT FOR THE 2014-2015 SCHOOL YEAR 5. ON-GOING MONTHLY EPTA MEMBERSHIP DUES AND REPORTS EVERY MONTH you must send in an EPTA Membership Report that must be postmarked by the 25th of that month. If you have NO new members that month, you may submit your monthly report by the 25th via email to EPTA at [email protected]. EPTA MEMBERSHIP DUES are $3.75 per Member, and cover membership in both National PTA and European PTA.
QUESTIONS? Email us any time at [email protected]. CONGRATULATIONS to Aukamm ES PTA, DGF Rota ES PTA, Grafenwoehr ES PTA, Naples ES PTA, Patch ES PTA, Ramstein Intermediate PTA, Sigonella ES PTA, and Vilseck ES PTSA for being Units In Good Standing as of October 23, 2015!
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(C4R) is National PTA’s initiative to help students, parents and educators create school climates that are full of safe and supportive peer relationships.
European PTA would like to offer congratulations to the following DoDEA-Europe schools that are registered for the 2015-16 National PTA School of Excellence Program:
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 school— from 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 or PTSA on ways to engage students in improving the school climate and reducing bullying.
We look forward to watching your schools’ journey to Excellence in the coming year!
You can also take advantage of bullying awareness tools from PACER.ORG. They have a great variety of resources for kids, teens, parents, educators, and more!
National PTA School of Excellence is a national recognition program that supports and celebrates partnerships between PTAs and schools to enrich the educational experience and overall well-being for all students. In a National PTA School of Excellence, all families feel welcomed and are empowered to support student success, and PTA is a key partner with the school and community for continuous school improvement. The path to excellence starts with a joint commitment of school and PTA to work together during the school year to achieve PTA's National Standards for Family-School Partnerships. In the analysis of data for the 2015-2017 National PTA School of Excellence participants, PTA found that nearly 95% of families felt that they are treated fairly regardless of their age, their gender, their race or their cultural backgrounds, and that’s just part of the impact that this program had on schools! You can learn more and download the full SOE infographic at PTA.org/ExcellenceAwardRecipients.
The search is on for the next great National PTA Reflections theme! One exceptional theme search idea will be chosen to inspire thousands of students across the nation and in American schools overseas to create original works of art in dance, film, literature, music, photography and visual arts.
THE THEME SEARCH CONTEST WINNER WILL RECEIVE $100 AND RECOGNITION AT THE NATIONAL PTA CONVENTION!
Through the School of Excellence program, your PTA and school will gain new ways to engage families in school decision-making, such as improvements to programs, practices and policies related to education, health, safety or the arts. Contact [email protected] for more info.
CLICK HERE for an application form and to Reflections themes from past years. All Theme Search entries must be submitted via email to [email protected] no later than MONDAY, NOVEMBER 30TH.
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