Georgia PTA's The Voice_August 2015

the

Georgia

VOICE August 2015

IT’S TIME FOR

Back to School & Back to Basics FOR GEORGIA PTA

What’s inside this issue?

MESSAGES FROM: Georgia’s PTA President & President Elect and Georgia’s State School Superintendent

ARTICLES ABOUT: Membership, Legislation, Male Involvement, Bylaws, Health & Wellness and Diversity & Inclusion

HELPFUL INFORMATION: PTA University Training Dates, CLT Awards Listing & Photographs, and much more!

Message from the Georgia PTA President

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t feels like I am living someone else’s life this minute. I am watching my oldest daughter scurry about packing and planning to leave me to move into her college dorm. I am supposed to be happy; I am supposed to be excited about this new chapter in her life. Instead, I flash back to her first day of kindergarten at Sixes Elementary School when I loaded her onto the bright yellow bus and then with tears in my eyes I stuffed her baby sister into the car seat and followed her bus to school.

The first days of school are a magical time, but these days families operate at breakneck speed all year. Children not only go to school all day, but juggle dance, cheer, karate, football, basketball, band and a myriad of after school clubs and homework, rarely leaving us any time to connect and engage with our children. The year will get away from you if you don’t take action to commit to be in a relationship with your children now!

TURN OFF THE RADIO!! If you drive your children to or from school, or to practice this is a great opportunity to talk about their day. Don’t be fooled into asking closed ended questions though. If you say “what did you learn in school today”? The answer will be a resounding “nothing”. Instead, try asking if they did anything cool in science or who their favorite teacher is. Ask what they actually ate for lunch or who they played with during recess.

Start with an open ended question and carry on the conversation from there. The art of conversation is learned, and this is a great chance for you to help develop these skills for your children.

KEEP ELECTRONICS OFF UNTIL HOMEWORK IS DONE!! Your children will be too easily distracted if cell phones, computer games or TV are accessible before studies are done. Make a house rule that these stay off and out of reach until homework is complete and you have had a chance to review their homework for the day.

Leadership 2015-2016 Resource Guide

Georgia

114 Baker Street, NE Atlanta, GA 30308-3366 (404) 659-0214 800-PTA-TODAY (782-8632) info@georgiapta.org www.georgiapta.org

2015-2016 Leadership Resource Guide Want to know the specific duties of officers? Have a question about policy or procedure? Need report forms? The newly updated Leadership Resource Guide is a great place to find those answers.

You can access the Leadership Resource Guide online at www.georgiapta.org.

COMMIT TO FAMILY DINNER!! Too busy is not a good excuse. You can easily pick up a rotisserie chicken and fixings for a salad. A healthy dinner is just minutes away, and family mealtime is a great opportunity to talk about the day and plans for the rest of the week.

Lastly, GO ONTO THE SCHOOL DISTRICT WEBSITE and sign up for the Parent Portal. There you can view all the grades, absences, or tardies as well as see assignments before they are due. You can set the system to notify you if your child gets a grade lower than you desire (I set my daughter’s to text or email me if she scores below an 80 in anything). This helps you stay connected and avoid any academic surprises. You will know if your child is struggling with something before it becomes a real problem, and then you can talk to your child about it and contact the teacher about formulating a plan to help.

It is a new year, and a new opportunity to be an active part of your child’s education.

Enjoy them while you have them—college is closer than you think!

Lisa-Marie Haygood, Georgia PTA President, lmhaygood@georgiapta.org

Enroll your school in the National PTA School of Excellence program by October 1, 2015 Learn more at http:// www.pta.org/excellence

2015 Convention Survey In order for us to better serve you at our 2016 Convention Leadership Training which will take place on June 23-24 in Athens, Georgia, we need your feedback on the training and opportunities presented at the 2015 Convention. Please take a few moments to take a quick survey to let us know about your Convention Leadership Training experiences.

The survey can be found on the Georgia PTA homepage.

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Georgia PTA « THE VOICE

Message from the Georgia State School Superintendent Dear Georgia parents, First and foremost, I want to thank you for your involvement in your child’s education. Your engagement is no small thing – it’s a vital part of schools’ and students’ ability to achieve. You make a difference for every student at your child’s school.

Put simply: we could not do this without you.

I want you to know that I’m committed to hearing your concerns, and working collaboratively with you to improve Georgia’s public schools. We need to personalize education for every child – it has been standardized for too long. And we can’t do that unless we work together.

I also want to encourage you to continue asking questions, building relationships with teachers and school employees, volunteering, and giving of your time in support of your child’s education.

And I hope you know how much we appreciate everything you do. Your efforts make all the difference between a good school and a great school.

Sincerely, Richard Woods Georgia’s School Superintendent

Message from the Georgia PTA President Elect Dear PTA Advocate, I am very excited and honored to serve the 2015-2017 term as President-Elect of Georgia PTA. As you advocate for every child, you will find that Georgia PTA is committed to being a great resource for members, parents, students, educators, and community leaders.

This commitment is reflected in our mission as the oldest and largest volunteer child advocacy association in Georgia. We ensure every child’s potential is a reality by engaging and empowering families and communities to advocate for all children.

Know the Local Unit “In Good Standing” Requirements

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uring the 2014 Convention Leadership Training the convention voting delegates approved to amend the Georgia PTA bylaws to include “A local unit in good standing is one that…“f. Shall pay annual membership dues as assessed by the affiliate council PTA per Article VI, Section 5 of council bylaws, if applicable.”

Local units should receive an invoice to pay their councils dues from their council treasurer. The council treasurer will notify the state PTA office on a monthly basis of those units having paid council dues.

A local PTA/PTSA in good standing is one that: a. Adheres to the purposes and basic policies of the PTA; b. Remits the state and national portion of the dues, on a monthly basis, to the state PTA. The state shall remit the national portion to reach the national office by dates designated by the National PTA; c. Has bylaws approved according to the procedures of each state;

Furthermore, we would like to thank you for your continued service, dedication, and commitment to advocate for every child throughout our communities. By now, Georgia PTA has kicked-off the 2015-2016 PTA year and one of the objectives will be to grow and strengthen our local PTA and PTSA associations to better serve our children and families.

If you are advocating for family engagement, health, education, safety or any other child related issues, we encourage you to join Georgia PTA through a local PTA association and support our goal to influence policymakers to put our children first.

d. Submits an annual audit report to the state office by the last business day of September;

Georgia PTA is a powerful voice for all children. We believe that we are stronger as a community, when all our children are succeeding. To be successful, your servant leadership is critical to educate, engage, and empower our local community to improve the quality of life for the well-being of every child in Georgia. Currently, we advocate for approximately 2.4 million children in Georgia. We are leading the way to be a relevant resource for families and communities which is a major undertaking. We need everyone to support Georgia PTA’s efforts to change the lives of every child which build vibrant communities in Georgia.

f. Shall pay annual membership dues as assessed by the affiliate council PTA per Article VI, Section 5 of council bylaws, if applicable.

I am proud to advocate for our children and serve Georgia PTA, and look forward to making this association one you can be proud of. Together, we will achieve excellence!

Tyler Barr, Georgia PTA President Elect, tbarr@georgiapta.org

August 2015

e. Shall submit annually to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), the appropriate Form 990 by the applicable IRS due date; and

Payment of your Council dues is a requirement to be In Good Standing.

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Reflections

Membership

“Let Your Imagination Fly”

I carry the card that counts.

“Where is your card?”

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he National PTA Reflections program is an arts recognition program that provides children in pre-K through 12th grade with the opportunity to express themselves through the arts. Students have the opportunity to create a new work of art around this year’s theme, “Let Your Imagination Fly.” Entries can be submitted in any of six arts areas including: dance choreography, film production, literature, musical composition, photography, and visual arts.

Special Artists pieces will also be submitted by State to National PTA for judging in each of the six categories.

There will be an exhibition of awardwinning Reflections works this fall at the High Museum in downtown Atlanta.

The exhibit dates are September 22 thru October 25, 2015.

Theme search entries are due to Georgia PTA by October 9, 2015.

Councils must submit winning entries to the State by Friday, December 4, 2015.

Please visit the georgiapta.org website for more information regarding this year’s program.

Need training on Reflections?

We will be hosting three Reflections PTA Universities at the State Office in Atlanta. They all begin at 9am.

Wednesday, Aug. 19th Wednesday, Sept. 9th Saturday, Sept. 12th

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ou now are a valued member of Georgia PTA! Together, we are all committed to helping every child reach his or her potential.

Being a member of Georgia PTA includes:

• Parent education through advocacy, family engagement, legislative issues.

• Programs to promote the health and well-being of children.

• Programs designed to inspire creativity in the arts and environmental education.

• Partnership opportunities to encourage involvement of businesses within your community.

• Partnering with teachers and administrators for student success.

• Acknowledgements of your PTA/PTSA accomplishments for the year.

We are committed to providing leadership development and support for local PTAs through training, resources, guidance, programs, materials, and answers on how to manage a small non-profit association so that you are set for your PTA’s most successful year yet!

Follow us who will carry the card and proudly say “I carry the card that counts, where is yours?”

I look forward to hearing from your school about your successes via your Dues Transmittal Form. The Dues Transmittal Form can be found on the Georgia PTA website (www.georgiapta.org) under Leadership Resources heading and Forms.

Your first reporting should be August 31, 2015 and each of the following dates thereafter, all the way to the end of the school year. Dues are submitted after each month end to the state office. Upcoming submittal dates include: September 30, 2015 | October 31, 2015 | November 30, 2015 | December 20, 2015 Look for friendly reminders and new incentives quarterly.

National PTA has a list of benefits on www.pta.org membership benefits. There’s something for everyone. The new section of AARP and Met Life attracts our seasoned members.

I wish you much success throughout your 2015-2016 Georgia PTA Membership Campaign. If you believe it, you can achieve it with involved and committed members.

Let’s do it.

Margie Ringfield, Georgia PTA Membership Chair, mringfield@georgiapta.org Frequently Asked Question: What constitutes Target Membership?

Target Membership is the total number of students plus total number of certified staff by the end of the first full week of school. For example, if your enrollment is 300 students and you have 95 staff persons, your target membership goal is 395.

There are various Target Membership Awards presented each year by Georgia PTA.

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Georgia PTA « THE VOICE

Leadership Development

Missed Training?

We’ve Got You Covered!

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eorgia PTA is committed to providing the necessary training all local unit and council leaders need to be successful this school year. If you weren’t able to attend our Convention Leadership Training in July or feel that there is an area you need to learn more about, we’ve got training opportunities available to you all year long.

There are several ways to receive PTA training.

1) Attend your Council’s School of Information or your District’s Fall Conference.

Dates and locations of those events will be sent to your local unit from your Council and/ or District leadership.

2) Attend a PTA University at the State Office. This is a great place to receive training and be able to ask questions! (schedule provided below) 3) Watch our Georgia PTA Online Training Sessions from the comfort of your own home. Go to www.vimeo.com/georgiaptatraining to watch our online videos of training for Presidents, Treasurer, Secretary, Membership, Report Writing, and Developing a Communications Plan. More online learning opportunities are being added every week. Check back often!

4) Invite the Leadership Development Committee to come to you! Reach out to Susan Hayes, Leadership Development Chair, at shayes@georgiapta.org for more details.

PTA University Schedule Reflections

August 19, 2015

9am - 12pm

President

August 22, 2015

10am - 12pm

Treasurer

August 22, 2015

1pm - 3pm

Secretary

August 29, 2015

10am - 11am

Membership

August 29, 2015

11am - 12pm

Reflections

September 9, 2015

9am - 12pm

Reflections

September 12, 2015 9am - 12pm

Report Writing

January 30, 2016

10am - 12pm

Nominations & Elections

February 20, 2016

10am - 12pm

PTA Universities will be held in the large conference room at the Georgia PTA State Office at 114 Baker Street, NE, Atlanta, GA 30308.

Please RSVP to confirm your attendance at the PTA University. Email us at gapta@bellsouth.net and let us know which PTA University you will be attending!

August 2015

A Note About Bylaws: Planning Your Year Did you know that your local unit bylaws actually help you with planning your calendar? Article X, Section 6 states that “Regular meetings of the board shall be held with the date and time to be fixed by the board at its first meeting of the year. Three (3) days’ notice shall be given of a cancellation or change of date or time unless emergency conditions prevent such notice being given.“ (Bold font added). Likewise, Article XI, Section 2 offers the same framework for your Executive Committee.

So, at the first Executive Committee and Board of Directors meetings of the year, request that everyone bring his/her calendars and be ready to share input as to scheduling. Be mindful of working parents, your principal’s availability, and other special instances that board members may have. At the end of both of those meetings, you will have your meeting dates set for the year—allowing your team to focus on serving the students of your school!

A copy of your bylaws was included in your membership card packet at Convention Leadership Training and should be copied and distributed to your Board of Directors.

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Georgia PTA Board of Directors President, Lisa-Marie Haygood President Elect, Tyler Barr 1st Vice President, Jacqueline Angel Little 2nd Vice President, Marina Staples Secretary, Kizzy Weathersby Treasurer, Neatie Green Parliamentarian, Kyle Wallace Immediate Past President, Rita Erves

District Directors 1st District Director, Vacant 3rd District Director, Vacant 4th District Director, Becky Lawhon (interim) 5th District Director, Vacant 6th District Director, Sandra Narcisse-Jones 7th District Director, Shanda Ross 8th District Director, Sheila McCants 9th District Director, Irene Barton 10th District Director, Melissa Hodge-Penn 11th District Director, Abdul Akbar 12th District Director, Dee Dee Jackson 13th District Director, Tracy Thompson

Standing Committees Bylaws, Sandra Perrino Convention & Events, Debbie Rabjohn Diversity & Inclusion, Tammie Jenkins Education, William Green, Jr. Early Childhood Education, Caroline Harris Family Engagement, Keith Lamar Health-Wellness, JoAnne Hammermaster Hispanic/Latino Outreach, Jose Cerrato Leadership Development, Susan Hayes Legislation, Tynettia Elrod Membership, Margie Ringfield Reflections, Janice Gurley Resource Development, Evelyn Cunningham Youth Services, Angela Hupert

Specialists/Consultants DOE Liaison, Amy Park Male Involvement, Keith Schumacher Scholarship Advisor, Sophronia Qualls Student Advisor, Daniel White Teacher Advisor, John Palmer

PTA Day at the Braves Sunday, September 20th Game time – 1:30pm

Georgia PTA Family Day with the Atlanta Braves Georgia PTA and the Atlanta Braves are teaming up once again to celebrate Family Day on Sunday, September 20, 2015 for a 1:30 p.m. ballgame against the Philadelphia Phillies. Your PTA/PTSA can participate by selling General Admission tickets for $10 each with your PTA retaining $3 per ticket. In addition, $2 of the $7 you send the Braves for each ticket goes to the Georgia PTA Educational Scholarship Fun!! Now, that’s a winning double play!

There will be a pre-game tailgating party in the Blue Parking lot. Purchase a Blue Parking pass in advance, bring your food and look for the PTA banner to tailgate with other PTA groups.

All participating schools will be involved in the pre-game parade on Turner Field. Line up starts at 12:00 p.m. Bring your school banners, wear your school colors. REPRESENT your school.

Individual Braves Ticket Form – Use this form for individual orders.

Local Unit Braves Ticket Form – Your local unit will use this form to order tickets from the Atlanta Braves once you have collected individual orders from your school.

Both forms can be found on the Georgia PTA website at www.georgiapta.org.

If you have any questions, please contact Evelyn Cunningham, Georgia PTA Resource Development Chair at eves@bellsouth.net or 404.558.2754.

National PTA’s Engaging Hispanic Families Webinars

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oin National PTA’s Multicultural Membership Development Manager Armen Alvarez and Univision Communications’ Partnership Engagement Manager Adriana Flores-Ragade to learn more about Clave al Éxito and how to leverage the tool to engage Spanish-speaking families in your school community.

The webinar will build on the Hispanic Family Engagement Symposium that took place during the 2015 National PTA Convention in June. Register for one of our four webinar opportunities.

Tues., Aug. 18, 1 - 2 p.m. EDT (in Spanish) Tues., Aug. 18, 7 - 8 p.m. EDT (in English) Thurs., Aug. 20, 1 - 2 p.m. EDT (in English) Thurs., Aug. 20, 7 - 8 p.m. EDT (in Spanish)

Register today!

Bitly.com/hispanic-families

It is a top priority of National PTA to ensure all families in all communities are welcomed, supported and engaged in their children’s education, which is proven to make a difference for student success. Univision is a key ally in our efforts to better serve and reach Hispanic families.

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Georgia PTA « THE VOICE

Building a More Effective Board

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ew and returning PTA officers and priority committee chairs typically receive training specific to their individual duties and responsibilities in order to “do their job” for the PTA. Functional training is important and should be sought whenever appropriate. However, it’s also important to spend time learning how to work effectively as a team – to work on building a focused, committed board of directors.

Not easy while juggling Reflections, fall festival, Red Ribbon Week, membership drives, middle school dances, staff appreciation and much more!!

Your Board is the core team that represents your membership in order to fulfill the mission of the association and meet its goals. We encourage your Board to not only spend time identifying its focus and priorities for the year, but also discuss how to sustain support of that focus for the entire year.

There are tools and resources available to build a unified vision. Here are tools that your team should refer to on a regular basis: • Governing Documents (Bylaws, Leadership Resource Guide, Roberts Rules) • PTA Mission & Vision (This is your ultimate filter for budgeting, programming and activities!)

• Six National Standards for Family-School Partnerships • Plans of Work (which should be in support of the focus/priority areas) • Communications Plan – (be consistent and use tools that work for your members) • Surveys – (ask “how are we doing?”)

• Model PTA and other scorecards • School (or LEA) Improvement Plan/CCRPI scores • Georgia and National PTA Educational & Programmatic resources The leaders of each association set the tone for their term. Here are actions that PTA leaders should implement at meetings and beyond to foster a sense of unity and shared purpose: • Schedule all meetings at beginning of year to protect time on calendar • Be willing to listen and be open to new ideas. Then bring group to consensus • Be prepared; value your members’ time • Treat others with respect and remember rule of confidentiality • Separate personal agendas from work of association • Include a training component/mission moment at board meetings Building a team doesn’t happen in a day. It’s an accumulation of little things done well over time – a prompt Email reply, a call of thanks to a volunteer, starting and ending meetings on time, asking for feedback, and keeping student achievement and enriching the educational experience of your scholars at the forefront of decision making.

Legislative Corner Dear Councils and Districts Leaders, Welcome to the world of PTA Advocacy! I am Tynettia Elrod, your 2015-2017 Legislative Chair for Georgia PTA. I am excited for this opportunity to serve and work with you all. There is a substantial amount of work to be done legislative and advocacy-wise so I am encouraging all councils and districts to identify a passionate advocate to serve as your Legislative Chair. All District Directors and Council Presidents, I want you to keep in mind that if you do not have a Legislative Chair then YOU are the Legislative Chair by default. This is why I strongly encourage identifying someone to serve in this role. Once you have obtained a chair, please submit their information to the state office through the same process as you would officers and also send their information directly to me. This will make getting important information distributed faster.

I look forward to meeting you all at our first Legislative Advocacy event, Georgia PTA Advocacy Day, October 6, 2015. More details coming soon!

Tynettia Elrod, Georgia PTA Legislative Chair, telrod@georgiapta.org

Consistently making the right decisions for the right reasons will result in people respecting your leadership and supporting your association. Which will lead to members who want to be a part of your board and lead your association forward.

Irene Barton, 9th District Director, ibarton@georgiapta.org

August 2015

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Health & Wellness

Breakfast to Jump Start Your Day: Grant Opportunities Rooting for Carrots October is Farm to School Month, and Georgia Organics is excited about working with your school. Their theme this year is “Rooting for Carrots”.

Be one of the first 400 schools to sign up and receive a free packet of carrot seeds. Look on the website for fun, engaging activities for students to learn a bit more about where their food comes from. Get connected to farmers in your area. Visit their website at: https:// georgiaorganics.org/for-schools/ fresh food

exercise

HEALTHY BODY HEALTHY MIND

relaxation

Jump Into a Healthy School Year Want to help create a healthy, fun school environment? You can make a difference at your school. Do you have a Wellness Committee? Ask if you can be on the team! There are many things you can do to kick off the school year. Talk to PTA members. Ask other parents around you if they would like to help. Speak to the principal to get his or her views on the vision of a healthy school.

Don’t get overwhelmed! We can help. Visit the Georgia PTA site at: www.georgiapta.org.

Contact JoAnne Hammermaster, Health & Wellness Chair at jhammermaster@georgiapta.org for more information.

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elcome to the new school year! We hope your students are getting settled well into their classrooms. We want to let Georgia schools know about an innovative grant opportunity: Breakfast in the Classroom. The Breakfast in the Classroom initiative takes the traditional school breakfast approach and improves it by moving it to the classroom, where every child is eligible to participate. The approach is simple. Children eat together in the classroom, usually the homeroom, at the start of the school day. They enjoy nutritionally wellbalanced foods like breakfast wraps, yogurt, or fruit served directly in their classroom or grabbed from a cart in the hallway. Students then eat breakfast while the teacher takes attendance, collects homework or teaches a short lesson plan.

One of the most important factors for our children is a solid breakfast to start their day. According to the Food Research and Action Center, eating breakfast at school helps children learn: studies show that children who eat breakfast at the start of their school day have higher math and reading scores, have sharper memory and show faster speed on cognitive tests, have broader vocabularies, do better on standardized tests, and focus better and behave better.

Eating breakfast at school has health benefits too. Children are less likely to be absent. They’re less likely to see the school nurse and less likely to be overweight. They eat more fruit, drink more milk and consume a wider variety of foods.

Partners for Breakfast in the Classroom is a consortium of national education and nutrition organizations including the Food Research and Action Center (FRAC), the National Association of Elementary School Principals Foundation, the National Education Association Healthy Futures and the School Nutrition Foundation (SNF) that came together in 2010 in response to a shared passion for childhood nutrition and its potential for improving educational outcomes and child health. Funding is provided by the Wal-Mart Foundation. Here in Georgia, the partners include the Georgia PTA, the Georgia Association of Elementary School Principals, the Georgia Association of Educators, and the Georgia School Nutrition Association.

GRANT FUNDS CAN BE USED FOR: • Equipment needs and Supplies (including cleaning supplies like trash bags, garbage bins, etc…)

• Limited Staff Support (up to three months) and Training • Marketing and Promotion (marketing is typically $1/child)

GRANT QUALIFICATIONS • 70% of students qualify for Free- or Reduced-Priced (FRP) Meals (or operating CEP) • Less than 50% School Breakfast average daily participation (ADP) • Willingness to serve Breakfast in the Classroom at no charge to all students • Strong support from Superintendent • 3-year commitment to making reasonable efforts to continue the program • Willingness to promote the program We encourage you to explore this opportunity for your school and/or school district. Need some assistance? Please contact JoAnne Hammermaster, Health & Wellness Chair for Georgia PTA at jhammermaster@georgiapta.org for more info on how to get started.

Let’s give all of our students the best opportunity to be successful during the school day with a jump start to their day!

Georgia PTA « THE VOICE

Make-A-Wish® Georgia’s Kids For Wish Kids® Program

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ake-A-Wish® America, the nation’s largest wish-granting organization, has fulfilled the wishes of more than 240,000 children in the United States and its territories since 1980. As one the of 61 local chapters of organization, Make-A-Wish Georgia is proudly celebrating its 20th anniversary in 2015 and quickly approaching the accomplishment of granting their 7000th Wish! The mission of Make-A-Wish is to grant the Wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions to enrich the human experience with hope, strength and joy.

Through the Kids For Wish Kids® program, Make-A-Wish Georgia is making a positive impact on school-aged children across our state. This nationally recognized program provides a structured platform for students and youth groups to learn valuable leadership, teamwork and entrepreneurship skills by actively engaging in the Make-A-Wish® mission. Classmates and peers learn the importance of community involvement and philanthropy, volunteerism and how to work with others toward a common goal.

Teresa Bath, the Director of Community Partnerships and National Alliances at Make-A-Wish Georgia, manages the Kids for Wish Kids program for our state. She is very enthusiastic about the newly revised materials for this student-focused program and is anxious to share the information with local students, youth groups, clubs and organizations. “This program allows students to have an active and impactful role in helping to make Wishes come true,” says Bath. “Children are instinctually drawn to help other children and their compassion is unconditional. The Kids For Wish Kids program gives youth the opportunity to share their concern for others while learning basic leadership skills and having fun.”

Kids For Wish Kids is unique because kids manage the program themselves. Kids and teens are responsible for brainstorming fundraising ideas, developing a plan of action and managing their fundraisers from start to finish. The trademarked program tool-kit provides activity ideas, step-by-step instructions and tips for success. Teachers and/or parents often serve as advisors, but ownership of the project belongs solely to the kids involved. Teresa and designated staff at the Georgia Make-A-Wish chapter serve to support all groups engaging in Kids For Wish Kids programs.

Recently, Make-A-Wish added an enhancement program to Kids For Wish Kids called Wish Week®. Geared towards middle and high school-aged students, Wish Week provides a detailed curriculum for a week-long spirit week to support the Kids For Wish Kids program goals and the mission of Make-A-Wish.

To obtain copies of the Kids For Wish Kids and Wish Week tool-kits and to learn more about these unique programs, please contact Teresa Bath at tbath@georgia.wish.org or via phone at 770-916-9474 x 116.

Bylaws Spotlight #ARTICLE II: PURPOSES Section 1. The purposes of the Georgia PTA, in common with those of the National PTA, are: a. To promote the welfare of children and youth in home, school, community, and place of worship; b. To raise the standards of home life; c. To secure adequate laws for the care and protection of children and youth; d. To bring into closer relation the home and the school, that parents and teachers may cooperate intelligently in the education of children and youth; and e. To develop between educators and the general public such united efforts as will secure for all children and youth the highest advantages in physical, mental, social, and spiritual education.

Section 2. The purposes of the PTA are promoted through an advocacy and educational program directed toward parents, teachers, and the general public; developed through conferences, committees, projects, and programs; and governed and qualified by the basic policies set forth in Article III.

Get National PTA’s New Back-to-School Kit Online! www.ptakit.org

Section 3. The association is organized exclusively for the charitable, scientific, literary, or educational purposes within the meaning of Section 501(c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code or corresponding section of any future federal tax code (hereinafter “Internal Revenue code”).

Includes valuable resources for PTA President, Finance, Membership, Programs, Fundraising, Advocacy and Communications.

Sandra Perrino, Georgia PTA Bylaws Chair, sperrino@georgiapta.org

August 2015

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Male Engagement Equals Huge Membership Boost for PTA

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eorgia PTA is opening the door to new members.

These new members may have never considered PTA as an option to devote their energies. Why, because the perception of PTA is that is a women’s organization. Now, thousands of men and local PTA units nationwide are finally realizing that P-T-A stands for PARENT - Teacher – Association.

In 2013, National PTA announced that male membership in PTA rose from 8% to 25% in one year’s time. This growth is primarily due to the growth and participation in the programs of the National PTA’s M.O.R.E. Alliance (Men Organized to Raise Engagement) www.pta.org/more. Georgia PTA is seeing this same trend.

Currently, there are three well established MORE Alliance partners: Watch D.O.G.S. Dads of Great Students (www.fathers. com/watchdogs), All Pro Dads (www.allprodad.com) and Strong Fathers – Strong Families (www.strongfathers.com). We have recently been joined by a fourth MORE Alliance Partner, 100 Black Men of America (www.100blackmen.org).

Each of these programs works very closely with PTA at the national and state level to engage men in their children’s lives and education. This relationship naturally brings men into PTA membership. In most schools, these programs operate as the Male Engagement Committee of the local PTA unit. Many schools have found a great deal of success in running more than one MORE Alliance program. They actually complement each other very well when run simultaneously at a school. There is absolutely no competition among these groups. In fact, MORE Alliance partners often present their programs together at conferences. Our goal is to have schools running multiple MORE Alliance programs.

Watch D.O.G.S. brings fathers and father-figures into the school as individual volunteers on a daily basis. This gives the father the opportunity to make their child(ren) feel extra special on the day that he is participating. He then gets the opportunity to see the day-to-day operations of the school and the PTA on a one-on-one basis. These men get the opportunity to work in the classroom and other areas of the school and finally get a chance to understand what their child’s day at school is really like – versus what he remembers of his own school days. This creates a tighter home-school bond and helps the father / father-figure to more easily support the child in their education, as well as the teachers and the school.

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In a national survey, the two main reasons that men give for not joining the PTA are 1) “I don’t have time” and 2) “Nobody asked me.” We have an answer for both. Watch D.O.G.S. schools ask for each dad to volunteer just one day per school-year, that’s it. Each Watch D.O.G.S. school holds a launch event in the fall focused specifically at men and not tied to any type of normal PTA or school event. It is generally known as “Dads & Kids Pizza Night.” At this event, it is clear that the focus is getting men involved in their children’s education. This is the perfect time to ask men for PTA membership.

Currently, over 4700 schools in 46 states are running the Watch D.O.G.S. program. 114 of those schools are here in Georgia and 7 more are currently in the launch process.

Last school-year, over 400,000 men participated in the Watch D.O.G.S. program nationwide. A large number of those men joined PTA. The only requirements of a school to participate in the Watch D.O.G.S. program are: 1) at least one person from the school (administrator, counselor, PTA board member, faculty) participates in a one-hour conference call training session or a live workshop presentation at a meeting or conference and 2) each school possess the materials to run the program. The Watch D.O.G.S. Start-Up Kit provides all of these necessary resources. Just like PTA, there is a small cost for the materials to run the program. The cost of the kit is $365. This is a one-time expense. An annual Refresher, or Replenishment Kit is available at a lower price, but it is not required. There are suggestions and resources in the kit for covering the cost of the kit.

All Pro Dad is Family First’s innovative and unique program for every father. We strive to help fathers become passionate about their role in their family’s life. APD strives daily to provide them every resource needed to rightly train up their children and give them a hopeful future. All Pro Dad’s Days is a school-based program that brings dads together with their kids at their child’s school. Dads gather monthly with their children and other dads to discuss topics relevant to school-age children and to take part in fun bonding activities. The dads leave with practical parenting tips they can take home and implement immediately and the kids leave with memories to last a lifetime. All Pro Dad is grateful and excited to be partnering with the National PTA to put All Pro Dad’s Days chapters in over 1,000 schools nationwide. (continued on page 11)

Georgia PTA « THE VOICE

Strong Fathers-Strong Families is a training, technical assistance, and facilitation organization that is focused on strengthening children by strengthening fathers and families.

Through staff training, consultation, and event facilitation, Strong Fathers-Strong Families works with Head Starts, Public Schools, and Churches as well as other organizations. Our goal is to improve the educational environment in order that men may become more involved in the lives of their children.

Mentoring the 100 Way is a holistic mentoring program of 100 Black Men of America that addresses the social, emotional and cultural needs of children ages 8-18. Members of the 100 are trained and certified to become mentors, advocates, and role models for the youth within their communities.

The good news is that men are stepping back into the picture in large numbers through these programs. Progressive PTA boards are bringing these guys into PTA membership and leadership.

Please check out the four National PTA MORE Alliance Partners and see which program or programs might be right for your school.

It is time that we move past the belief that Male Involvement in your local PTA unit is just a “cute idea.” It is hard to engage men in PTA when you limit their opportunities to a “Donuts with Dad,” career day, pulling weeds on a Saturday and setting up for your festival. These programs are year-round, do not take up a huge amount of time and are simple to launch.

There is no need to re-invent the wheel in regard to engaging men in your PTA. These vetted programs that are approved and endorsed by National PTA, give you the whole car, with the engine running. It’s ready to drive! Climb in and let us take you to places in membership numbers and family engagement that until now, you could only dream of.

The bottom line is this: Is your PTA ready, willing and able to welcome possibly hundreds of potential new members? With one, two or all of the PTA MORE Alliance programs in place you will surpass membership goals every year.

I’ll see you at the podium for the Membership Awards at CLT next year…

Keith C. Schumacher, Georgia PTA Male Involvement Advisor, kschumacher@georgiapta.org

Diversity & Inclusion

G

reetings Georgia PTA members and supporters. I am Tammie Jenkins the Diversity & Inclusion Chair. In this role, I am committed to providing information, recommendations, training and also being a sounding board as it relates to Diversity & Inclusion.

My goal is to assist you with leading a PTA that reflects the diversity of your school and includes plans to make a stronger PTA through diversity & inclusion in word and ACTION. National PTA supports our mission at Georgia PTA to be diverse and inclusive. Here is what they have to say.

An organization that recognizes diversity values differences and similarities among people through its actions and accountability. These characteristics include age, ethnicity, gender, language and culture, socioeconomic status, among many different things. When PTAs respect differences yet acknowledge shared commonalities uniting their communities, and then develop meaningful priorities based upon their knowledge, they genuinely represent their communities. When PTAs represent their communities, they gain strength and effectiveness through increased volunteer and resource support.

Here is the link to the information on the Georgia PTA website about Diversity & Inclusion: http://www. georgiapta.org/for-pta-leaders/committee-chairs/inclusion-diversity/ Look for more information throughout the year to help make your PTA stronger. The work we do together will result in increased participation, membership, advocacy, family engagement which will directly improve student success.

Tammie Jenkins, Georgia PTA Diversity & Inclusion Chair, tjenkins@georgiapta.org

August 2015

Save the Date: Join parents and educators together at the

2016 Georgia Family Engagement Conference February 4-6, 2016 The Classic Center Athens, GA Registration opens in late August. For registration rates and hotel information, go to the conference webpage at: http://www.gadoe.org/ School-Improvement/ Federal-Programs/Pages/ Parent-EngagementConference.aspx This conference is a partnership of the Georgia Department of Education, Communities in Schools, Bright from the Start and The United Way.

Don’t Forget the 3-to-1 Rule When planning the year’s activities, PTAs should use the 3-to-1 rule. For every fundraising activity, there should be at least three nonfundraising projects aimed at helping parents or children or advocating for school improvements.

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Understanding Common Core State Standards What are the Common Core State Standards?

Common Core State Standards will provide a consistent, clear understanding of what students are expected to learn, so teachers and parents know what they need to do to help them. The Standards are designed to be robust and relevant to the real world, reflecting the knowledge and skills that our young people need for success in college and careers.

What is the Common Core State Standards Initiative (CCSSI)?

The CCSSI is a state-led effort (coordinated by the National Governors Association and the Council of Chief State School Officers) to improve educational outcomes for students by developing a set of consistent, clear K-12 academic standards in English Language Arts and Mathematics.

Can it Strengthen Economic Development in Georgia?

The quality of a state’s education system is often a key factor in a business’ decision on where to locate. Companies look to locate in states and communities that can supply an educated workforce and provide a quality education to their employees’ children.

The implementation of the Common Core State Standards is an important step in ensuring that Georgia can compete not only with other states, but with other countries around the world.

Georgia PTA Supports the Implementation of the Common Core State Standards Georgia PTA is a supporter of the Common Core State Standards initiative (CCSSI) and supports Georgia in implementing the Standards. Georgia PTA believes that the quality of the education students receive should not be dependent on one’s zip code.

All students will be educated using the same clear, high standards.

Georgia PTA Believes Adoption and Implementation of the Georgia Standards of Excellence (GSE) will do the following: (Common Core State Standards Initiative (CCSSI) = Georgia Standards of Excellence (GSE)) 4 Provide clear and consistent standards across the country.

4 Provide Common Core State Standards relevant to the real world.

4 Clearer standards will benefit teachers, parents, and students.

4 Georgia Standards of Excellence comprise the best and highest of current state standards.

Georgia Standards of Excellence (GSE) Help Students Achieve Their Full Potential.

• Maintaining high academic standards combined with curriculum that emphasize skills needed to succeed in college and career will raise student achievement.

• Georgia Standards of Excellence (GSE) will make it easier for Georgia to create a first class education system.

• Curriculum and assessments tied to clearer standards will increase student achievement.

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Georgia PTA « THE VOICE

Georgia PTA Scholarship Winners $1,000 Scholarship Winners Hannah Geil « North Cobb High School « Tom Mathis, Sr. Council - D9 Martel Robinson « Lithonia High School « DeKalb Council - D11

$500 Scholarship Award Winners Tyler Allen « Roswell High School « North Fulton Council - D10 Allye Sneed « South Gwinnett High School « Gwinnett Area 1 - D12

$30 Scholarship Award Winners Tristen Allen « Islands High School « Savannah-Chatham Council - D6 Elizabeth Balinao « Savannah Arts Academy « Savannah-Chatham Council - D6 Loren Benati « Roswell High School « North Fulton Council -D10 Rebecca Bennett « Collins Hill High School « Gwinnett Area 2 - D12 Margret Boff « Harrison High School « Tom Mathis, Sr. Council - D9 Jenai Bostic « McEachern High School « South Cobb Council - D9 Shelby Britt « South Paulding High School « Paulding Council - D9 John Brolly « Milton High School « North Fulton Council - D10 Cheyenne Brown « McEachern High School « Paulding Council - D9 Airiana Brown « Arabia Mountain High School « DeKalb Council - D11 Angel Carter « Arabia Mountain High School « Dekalb Council - D11 Armand Champion-Young« Langston Hughes High School « South Fulton Council - D10 Darius Chinoy « Northview High School « North Fulton Council- D10 Cayla Clark « Arabia Mountain High School « DeKalb Council - D11 Miles Cleveland « Arabia Mountain High School « DeKalb Council - D11 Runiya Dasgupta « Roswell High School « North Fulton Council - D10 Andrew Daugett « Arabia Mountain High School « DeKalb Council - D11 David Dhanraj « New Hampstead High School « Savannah-Chatham Council - D6 Jaire Duncan « Rockdale County High School « Rockdale Council - D11 James Flint « Savannah Arts Academy « Savannah-Chatham Council D6 Danielle Francis « Arabia Mountain High School « DeKalb Council- D11 Laura Graham « North Gwinnett High School « Gwinnett Area 2 - D12 Camiel Grant III « Arabia Mountain High School « DeKalb Council - D11 Darby Halliburton « Savannah Arts Academy « Savannah-Chatham Council - D6 Michael Hicks « Brockwood High School « Gwinnett Area 1 - D12 Niyah Holden « Arabia Mountain High School « DeKalb Council - D11 Justin Houston « Hershel V. Jenkins High School « Savannah-Chatham Council - D6 William Hoynes « Kennesaw Mountain High School « Tom Mathis, Sr. Council - D9 William Huffman « Hillgrove High School « South Cobb Council - D9 Jessica Hutcherson « Tri- Cities High School « South Fulton Council - D10 Elizabeth Hwang « Heritage High School « Rockdale Council - D11 Evelyn Jackson « Roswell High School « North Fulton Council - D10 Johnathan Knutson « Milton High School « North Fulton Council - D10 Amy Lee « Mountain View High School « Gwinnett Area 2 - D12

August 2015

Aria Lester « Pebblebrook High School « South Cobb Council - D9 Kathyrn Leth « Kennesaw Mountain High School « Tom Mathis, Sr. Council - D9 Brishaunna Mabry « Riverwood International Charter School « North Fulton Council - D10 Savannah MacKenzie « Sequoyah High School « Cherokee Council - D13 Caroline Mangum « Archer High School « Gwinnett Area 3 - D12 Sophia Mapua « North Cobb High School « Tom Mathis, Sr. Council - D9 Danielle Marshall « DeKalb School of the Arts « DeKalb Council - D11 Kayona Meade « Heritage High School « Rockdale Council - D11 Caroline Miner « Lassiter High School « East Cobb Council - D9 Demetrius Minnick-Tucker « Hillgrove High School « South Cobb Council - D9 Sydni Moore « Heritage High School « Rockdale Council - D11 Elizabeth Ojo « Westlake High School « South Fulton Council - D10 Kayla Oriyomi « McEachern High School « South Cobb Council - D9 Kristen Plummer « Norcross High School « Gwinnett Area 2 - D12 Kristian Pope « Hillgrove High School « South Cobb Council - D9 Alexandria Redding « Charles R. Drew High School « Clayton Council - D7 Katherine Roddy « Walton High School « East Cobb Council - D9 Amanda Royer « Savannah Arts Academy « Savannah-Chatham Council - D6 Harrison Rubin « Walton High Schoo « East Cobb Council - D9 Martin Sapp « Redan High School « DeKalb Council - D11 Leonard Simmons « Lithonia High School « DeKalb Council - D11 Megan Simone « Islands High School « Savannah-Chatham Council - D6 Malaisia Stallworth « South Gwinnett High School « Gwinnett Area 1 - D12 Trebor Stephens « Redan High School « DeKalb Council - D11 Kayla Thomas « Peachtree Ridge High School « Gwinnett Area 2 - D12 Nigel Thompson « South Cobb High School « South Cobb Council - D9 Kelly Thompson « Roswell High School « North Fulton Council - D10 Djuan Tinsley « H.V. Jenkins High School « Savannah-Chatham Council - D6 T’andre Turner « Savannah Arts Academy « Savannah-Chatham Council - D6 Mauranda Upchurch « Arabia Mountain High School « DeKalb Council - D11 Brian Walker « Redan High School « DeKalb Council - D11 Ellis Walton « Arabia Mountain High School « DeKalb Council - D11 Eric Ward « Benjamin Banneker High School « South Fulton Council - D10 Haley Ware « New Hampstead High School « Savannah-Chatham Council - D6

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Georgia PTA’s Board Retreat and Council & District Leadership Training

G

eorgia PTA welcomed its Board of Directors along with all Council and District leaders to participate in a Board Retreat and Training Session at Wahsega 4H Center over the weekend of July 25th. While the PTA leaders were being trained, families were invited and encouraged to participate in fun activities led by the Wahsega student staff at the center. After lunch, everyone joined together for an afternoon of teambuilding and enjoying the beautiful sites of Wahsega. It was truly a great weekend for families in our GA PTA leadership family.

Membership Awards Submit the Membership Awards Form to Georgia PTA if your local unit achieves any of the following:

The Visionary Pin and Certificate: 400 members to Georgia PTA by last business day of August.

The Pacesetter’s Certificate: 300 members to Georgia PTA by last business day of August.

The Early Bird Certificate: 200 members by the last business day of September.

The Platinum Membership Award: Target Membership achieved and dues sent to the state PTA office no later than the last business day in September.

The Gold Membership Certificate: Target Membership achieved and dues sent to the state PTA office no later than the last business day in October.

Oak Tree Award: 100% Staff Membership dues sent to the state PTA office no later than the last day in October.

Community Partnership Award: 30 Community Partner Members dues sent to the state PTA office no later than the last day in October.

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Georgia PTA « THE VOICE

First Steps for Suspected Fraud or Theft

Financial Red Flags

O

ne of the most important things we do as PTA Board Members is fundraise so that we can provide educational support to our schools. With that comes the handling of money — often large sums of money. It is important to always stay aware of what is going on with your PTA funds and to catch any financial red flag. Address with the treasurer and if unable to resolve, contact your council leadership.

• No treasurer’s reports at executive board or association meetings.

• A president who writes the checks because the treasurer has no experience.

• Reports are given orally with written information to be provided “later.”

• Inquiry calls by concerned parents, teachers, or principal.

• Treasurer’s reports list only general categories without sufficient detail.

• Calls on the same matter from two different sources.

• Treasurer misses meetings.

• Failure to provide a year-end audit on request.

• Audits not performed as scheduled.

• No one from unit attends any council/ district meetings or workshops.

• Board members not turning in correct amount of money; accounting irregularities in their own fundraisers/activities.

• Inability of treasurer or chairman to say how much money the fundraiser made.

• A PTA mom offers to “do” the fundraiser with her own business.

• Subsidizing memberships for anyone (students, etc.) out of PTA funds

• Anxious principal who wants projects funded without going through the process set up by the PTA.

• Unapproved meeting minutes.

• Unit board not following financial procedure because they “never did before”; board that claims it “didn’t know.”

• School staff the greater percentage of the board.

• Demands from staff/principal for “gifts” to school.

• Identify all bank accounts involved and consider closing or freezing the accounts. Follow steps in the policy developed to cover such matters.

• Contact your Council and District leadership if you suspect fraud or theft so they can offer support and assistance.

• Contact insurance company.

• Fundraising project that will benefit a board member financially.

• School staff member as treasurer.

• Gather facts, documents, and interviews.

• Contact the authorities.

• Banks that do not return processed checks (or copies of such.)

• President (or other officer) not reviewing bank statements.

• Document all allegations.

• Getting involved in supporting petitions for more teacher hours, etc. Boards are not obligated to take either side of a dispute.

• Board unfamiliar with unit bylaws.

• Unapproved budgets or yearly calendars.

• Determine what other access the suspect has, what other types of fraud schemes the suspect could have perpetrated, the likelihood of collusion, the possible duration of the schemes discovered.

• PTA paying for aides or specialists salaries

• Overbearing principal who wants the PTA to do what he/she wants regardless of the proper procedure.

• No monthly financial reports; no audits.

• Do not make accusations.

• If it is determined that fraud did occur, National PTA recommends that the PTA should file an official report with the police department

Need help or guidance?

Contact your Council and District leadership.

• Only one person counting money.

• Only one person signing checks; only one person on bank signature card.

• Signing of blank checks.

• Receipts not attached to Requests for Reimbursements.

• A treasurer who is disorganized and can’t get reports ready for meetings.

August 2015

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Congratulations to our Award Recipients!

OUTSTANDING LOCAL UNIT

PRESIDENT VISIONARY AWARD

Elementary 1st place – Barnwell Elementary School PTA 2nd place – Mt. Bethel Elementary School PTA 3rd Place – Garrison Mill Elementary School PTA

Phillip Lanoue, Superintendent, Clarke County School District

Middle School 1st Place – Dickerson Middle School PTSA 2nd Place – Freedom Middle School PTSA 3rd Place – J. J. Daniell Middle School PTSA High School 1st Place – Johns Creek High School PTSA 2nd Place – Milton High School PTSA 3rd Place – Pope High School PTSA

OUTSTANDING NURSE Jami Stephano, Bascomb Elementary School PTA

OUTSTANDING PRINCIPAL

HEARST FAMILY SCHOOL PARTNERSHIP Level 1 Winner – Mt. Bethel Elementary School PTA Level 2 Winner – Eastside Elementary School PTA Mason Elementary School PTA Shallowford Falls Elementary School PTA Hightower Middle School PTA

MALES ON BOARD AWARD J.G. Dyer Elementary School PTA Walnut Grove Elementary School PTA Elkins Pointe Middle School PTSA Crabapple Middle School PTSA

FAMILY BUS PASS MEMBERSHIP AWARD

Stephanie Cortellino, Walnut Grove Elementary School PTA

Camp Creek Middle School PTSA Walnut Grove Elementary School PTA

BIRNEY BUTLER OUTSTANDING EDUCATOR

COUNCIL MEMBERSHIP AWARD

Christy Bennett, Indian Knoll Elementary School PTA

VISIONARY AWARD Janice Jenkins, Archer High School PTSA Heather Kindschy, Mt. Bethel Elementary School PTA

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1st Place – Clayton County Council 2nd Place – South Fulton Council

OUTSTANDING DISTRICT District 7

Georgia PTA « THE VOICE

Model PTA The following schools were recipients of the Model PTA certificate at the 2015 Georgia PTA Convention Leadership Training in July.

A.L. Burruss Elementary School PTA Alcova Elementary School PTA Barnwell Elementary School PTA Bascomb Elementary School PTA Bells Ferry Elementary School PTA Blackwell Elementary School PTA Brookwood Elementary School PTA Butler Elementary School PTA Charles Ellis Montessori PTA Cheatham Hill Elementary PTA Clark Creek Elementary School PTA Cliftondale Elementary PTA Deer Chase Elementary School PTA Dickerson Middle School PTSA Dodgen Middle School PTSA East Cobb Middle School PTSA East Side Elementary PTA Eastside Elementary School PTA Eastvalley Elementary School PTA EF Garrison SUPA K-8 PTA Elkins Pointe Middle School PTSA Freedom Middle School PTSA Garrison Mill Elementary School PTA Godley Station K-8 PTA Gould Elementary School PTA H.V. Jenkins High School PTSA Hasty Elementary School PTA Hickory Flat Elementary School PTA Hightower Trail Middle School PTSA Hubert Middle School PTSA Islands High School PTSA Jacob G Smith Elementary School PTA JJ Daniell Middle School PTSA Juliette Low Elementary School PTA K.E. Taylor Elementary School PTA Kennesaw Elementary School PTA Kincaid Elementary School PTA Kleven Boston Elementary School PTA Largo-Tibet Elementary School PTA Lassiter High School PTSA Little River Elementary School PTA Lost Mountain Middle School PTSA M.H. Mason Elementary School PTA Mabry Middle School PTSA

August 2015

Macedonia Elementary School PTA Marietta Center for Advanced Academics Marshpoint Elementary School PTA Moore Middle School PTA Moses Middle School PTSA Mountain Road Elementary School PTA Mountain View Elementary School PTA Mt. Bethel Elementary School PTA Murdock Elementary School PTA New Hampstead High School PTSA Nicholson Elementary School PTA Northview High School PTA Oak Grove Elementary School PTA Otis Brock Elementary School PTA Pine Mountain Middle School PTSA Piney Grove Middle School PTSA Pope High School PTSA River Ridge High School PTSA Rocky Mount Elementary School PTA Russell Elementary School PTA Savannah Arts Academy PTSA Shallowford Fall Elementary School PTA Shuman Elementary School PTA Sixes Elementary School PTA Sol C Johnson High School PTSA Sope Creek Elementary School PTA South Cobb High School PTSA Southwest Elementary School PTA Southwest Middle School PTSA Spencer Elementary School PTA STEM Academy at Bartlett Middle School PTSA Timber Ridge Elementary School PTA Tritt Elementary School PTA Varner Elementary School PTA Virginia Heard Elementary School PTA W.C. Abney Elementary School West Chatham Elementary School PTA Wheeler High School PTSA White Bluff Elementary School PTA Woodstock High School PTSA

Insurance Policy Information Georgia PTA strongly encourages units to obtain adequate insurance protection against liability and financial loss due to fraud, embezzlement or dishonest acts. Operating a PTA unit is much like running a small business.

Businesses need insurance to protect their investments; the same is true for PTA units.

Having insurance protection makes good business sense, especially when the cost is relatively small for the peace of mind of knowing you are protected.

The following options are offered to all Local PTAs through Association Insurance Management (AIM): General Liability Insurance protects Local PTA members and volunteers against lawsuits arising from an injury during PTA sponsored activities, such as bounce houses, fun runs, silent auctions, monthly meetings, etc.

Accident Medical Insurance complements your General Liability policy. This policy provides medical coverage for activities that are excluded from the General Liability policy. This is not a replacement of your liability policy!

Fidelity Bond Insurance replaces your missing funds and avoids having you turned over to a collection agency should your money be embezzled, robbed or stolen.

Property Insurance replaces personal property of the PTA such as popcorn machines, auction items, spirit wear and school supply store items. The property insurance will replace PTA property damaged or lost due to theft or natural hazard.

Officer’s Liability Insurance protects the PTA Officers against personal liability arising from alleged mismanagement, wrongful acts and misrepresentation of the PTA. Crime and embezzlement doesn’t affect only the PTA, but also the people that the PTA has been working so hard to support...the children.

In today’s tough economic times, it’s more important than ever to secure and safeguard your PTA’s funds.

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Georgia PTA « THE VOICE

Photos Provided Courtesy of Lifetouch Photography

August 2015

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Important Dates to Remember August 19:

PTA University – Reflections – 9am For all PTA Universities: RSVP to gapta@bellsouth.net

21:

District 5 Fall Conference

22:

PTA University – President – 10am

22:

PTA University – Treasurer – 1pm

29:

PTA University – Secretary – 10am

29:

PTA University – Membership – 11am

31:

Membership Visionary Award – dues for 400 members to state office

31:

Membership Pacesetters Certificate – dues for 300 members to state office

September

Georgia PTA is proud to announce that Russell Elementary School in Smyrna has been selected by National PTA to receive a $2,000 Healthy Lifestyles: Energy Balance 101 Grant.

Additionally, this summer at the National PTA Convention in Charlotte, NC, Russell Elementary was awarded the Jan Harp Domene Diversity and Inclusion Award for outstanding achievement in the areas of diversity and inclusion!

17:

District 9 Fall Conference

19:

District 11 Fall Conference

20:

PTA Day at the Braves – Braves vs. Philadelphia Pillies at 1:30pm (parade line up at 12:00pm)

26:

District 4 Fall Conference, District 12 Fall Conference

Stay Connected to Georgia PTA

30:

Committee Chairs due online

We make it easy to be in-the-know!

30:

PTA Audit/Financial Review due to state office

30:

Membership Early Bird Certificate – dues for 200 members due to state office

30:

Platinum Membership Award – Target membership form and dues to state office

October

2014-15 Russell Elementary PTA Co-Presidents Jessica Jones and Christy Griffith accept the 2015 Jan Harp Domene Diversity & Inclusion Award.

Bookmark our website: www.georgiapta.org Like us on Facebook: Georgia PTA Follow us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/GeorgiaPTA The Voice

6:

Advocacy Conference, State Capitol, Atlanta

8:

District 13 Fall Conference

Official publication of the Georgia PTA A Branch of the National Congress of Parents and Teachers

10:

District 6 Fall Conference

Georgia PTA

15:

If your PTA’s fiscal year end was May 31, IRS 990 Filing Verification Form is due.

114 Baker Street, NE Atlanta, GA 30308

17:

District 10 Fall Conference

404-659-0214 or 1-800-PTA-TODAY

24:

District 8 Fall Conference

Fax: 404-525-0210

31:

Gold Membership Award – Target membership form and dues to state office

31:

Membership Oak Tree Award – form and school staff list due to state office

31:

Membership Community Partnership Award – form and community partners list due to state office

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Georgia

www.georgiapta.org President: Lisa-Marie Haygood Editor: Susan Hayes, Leadership Development Chair Information from this newsletter may be excerpted for other PTA publications at the local, council and district levels as long as credit is given to Georgia PTA and any byline that may appear with the item must be included.

Georgia PTA « THE VOICE