NEWSFLASH MICHIGAN PTA’S NEWSLETTER FOR LEADERS
IN THIS ISSUE JOIN THE TEAM! REQUEST FOR CONVENTION WORKSHOP PROPOSALS MICHIGAN PTA ON THE ROAD REFLECTIONS TREASURER TIPS DIVERSE PERSPECTIVES CONNECT WITH MICHIGAN PTA
1 DECEMBER
2024
/
JANUARY
2025
For 125 years, National PTA has worked with school communities and decision makers to solve the toughest problems in our nation’s history. PTA is a powerful voice for all children, a relevant resource for families and communities, and a strong advocate for public education. We want every family in our schools to join PTA, because we can do more together than apart. PTA's mission is to make every child’s potential a reality by engaging and empowering families and communities to advocate for all children.
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CONTENT
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PRESIDENT’S CORNER
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JOIN THE TEAM!
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REQUEST FOR WORKSHOP PROPOSALS
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GRANT WINNERS
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MICHIGAN PTA ON THE ROAD
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LEARNING HEROES
11-13
REFLECTIONS
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TREASURER TIPS
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DIVERSE PERSPECTIVES
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CONNECT WITH MICHIGAN PTA
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PRESIDENT’S CORNER
Each newsflash I will include a quick suggestion, resource or idea that you will hopefully find helpful and timely. You can suggest a topic or ask a question to be covered in a future issue by clicking the link. Thank you for all you do! As the year comes to a close and we look ahead to potential significant shifts in the policies of the country, I’ve been reflecting on how important PTAs, and by extension you, are to not just our schools and local communities, but to our democracy as a whole. For decades organizations and clubs have been the foundation of civil engagement in this country. In these groups, cooperation and leadership skills are built by working together on issues in our immediate communities. Being part of a PTA helps us to be part of something bigger than ourselves and focus on our deep roots, the community and country as a whole. The personal connection to others that may not be like you and the community is what helps us to see the importance of the greater good and strengths our resolve to work to keep our country inclusive for everyone. If you’d like to learn more about how clubs and organizations have shaped our democracy, I encourage you to watch Join or Die on Netflix. Again, THANK YOU for being part of PTA. Your participation does much more than you realize!
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Join the Team! Evidence shows that volunteering and participation in community groups is important for individual well-being and our country overall. Michigan PTA is looking for some particular volunteers and contractors. We know that you are already give time to PTA, but take a look at the list below and let us know if you or someone you know has these skills and some time to spare. As they say, many hands make light work.
Reflection Co-Chair The state reflection program is looking for a co-chair. We are thrilled to have the amazing Pauline Kim working with us again, but this is her last year. If you are passionate about Reflections, we would love to have you join as a co-chair so we can take advantage of Pauline’s knowledge to train the next chair. If you are interested complete the volunteer form.
Diversity, Inclusion, and Outreach Chair The DIO chair will schedule and plan events for the DEI committee and all PTA members in Michigan. They share ideas and resources with members to help all units be as inclusive as possible. They also advise Michigan PTA on ways to be equitable for all members and community members. The exact activities are at the discretion of the chair in collaboration with the president. If you are interested complete the volunteer form.
Contractors to support the PTA Capacity Building Grant Michigan PTA was awarded a grant from National PTA to help us continue to build capacity and support our members better. Part of the grant budget is set aside to hire part-time contractors to assist with specific tasks. These are the skills that we are looking for:
• Translators and Interpreters for Arabic, Spanish, Braille, and American Sign Language to assist in making events and resources more inclusive. • Microsoft 365 Expert that can help to optimize MI PTA use of our Office 365 and SharePoint licenses to improve communication and efficiency. They will also assist in training the Board of Director to use the tools. • Web Designer to assist in updating the MI PTA website to incorporate the latest WCAG standards and increase the functionality for every PTA member. If you have suggestions for contacts or would like to talk more with the grant leads, please email Jenna McMechan at presidentelect@michiganpta.org.
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REQUEST FOR WORKSHOP PROPOSALS MICHIGAN PTA 107TH ANNUAL CONVENTION
You can be a part of improving the lives of children throughout Michigan by sharing your expertise with PTA/PTSA members from across the state. You are invited to submit a proposal to present at the Michigan PTA Annual Convention. The Michigan PTA is unable to cover the expenses of presenters. We appreciate your organization’s willingness to incur the cost of time, travel, housing, and materials. On the day of your presentation, you are welcome to attend any other sessions. Workshops are 50 minutes (40 minutes with 10 minutes Q&A) or 80 minutes (70 minutes with 10 minutes Q&A). *In the event we have to be virtual, amendments may be made with the schedule and we will work with all presenters for those changes. For questions, please contact: EventsVP@michiganpta.org NOTE: Workshops advertising products or services will not be accepted, please consider joining our exhibit hall instead. More information here: michiganpta.org/sponsors-and-exhibitors
Apply here! 6
A job well done to local PTA grant awardees! National PTA recently announced the recipients of over $1M in funding to support PTAs across the country as they engage families, support student success, improve the health and safety of students and families and increase access to arts education through PTA programs. Visit PTA.org/Grants to view all funding recipients.
Congratulations Michigan recipients! Fall 2024 Tobacco Prevention Campaign Grant Recipients Sponsored by The Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids: Cass Tech PTA, Detroit CMA Pharaohs PTSA, Detroit Fall 2024 Create with Kindness Grant Recipients Sponsored by TikTok: Southeastern High School PTSA, Detroit Fall 2024 PTA Connected: Be Internet Awesome Grant Recipients Sponsored by Google + YouTube: Royal Oak Middle School PTSA, Royal Oak
In addition to the program funding recipients, Michigan PTA is one of 10 state PTAs that have also been selected to receive $10,000 to support capacity building to advance the association’s mission, increase membership and strengthen leadership development and organization effectiveness.
Fall 2024 Build-Up and Belong Grant Recipients Sponsored by Discord: Rochester High School PTSA, Rochester Hills Fall 2024 PTA Connected: Ready, Tech, Go! Grant Recipients Supported by AT&T: Garden City Elementary PTA, Garden City Hampton Elementary PTA, Rochester Hills University Hills Elementary PTA, Rochester Hills
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ROAD
Michigan PTA on the
One of the perks of being on the Board of Michigan PTA is getting invited to visit units and councils throughout the state. We are often called on to give training to volunteer leaders, present awards at Reflections ceremonies, give remarks at Founder’s Days, or be “celebrity” judges at a PTA event. Whatever the reason we love to visit and interact with volunteers, members, and students. If you’d like us to hit the road and see you, submit your request for a visit here (or use the QR code) anytime!
See where we’ve been recently!
Michigan PTA on the Road
Let us know if you'd like us to visit YOU To request attendance from a Michigan PTA State board member, please complete this form to ensure we best meet your needs. As a volunteer board, we will do our best to fulfill your request and will get back to you shortly about your request.
September 12 – Rochester PTA Council Leader Day President Tonya Whitehead and VP for Unit Support Lisa Roscoe spent the morning with the unit leaders from the Rochester area as they learned about their roles and the council. Pictured council officers with Tonya.
November – Southfield School Safety Forum Summary The Southfield PTA Council and District Superintendent Dr. Green hosted a successful student safety event focusing on concerns raised by families. These included gun violence, drug use, bullying, and mental health.
Submit your request for a visit here
October 10 – Dearborn PTA Council New Unit Officers Training President Tonya Whitehead, VP for Unit Support Lisa Roscoe, and Treasurer Sandy Winkler lead a training session for PTA officers in Dearborn area. We talked about the history of PTA, the responsibilities of board members, and financial management best practices. Pictured council officers with Sandy, Tonya and Lisa in the back and groups of local leaders learning about their roles.
Key takeaways: Police Chief Barren discussed gun violence prevention, safe storage laws, cyberbullying, and the role of school resource officers. Dr. Green addressed absenteeism and the enforcement of the school code of conduct for violence, bullying, weapons, and substance use. Families were encouraged to set expectations, utilize the OK2Say program, and seek school resources to support their children. Numerous resources were available, including Narcan training, gun locks, and mental health information. The event was emceed by Southfield PTA Council President Celestine Sanders and was also attended by community leaders, including representation from the Oakland County Executive's office, Lathrup Village Mayor Garret, and members of the Southfield Public Schools Board of Education, teachers, and staff, as well as Michigan PTA President-Elect, Jenna McMechan. Looking to host a similar event? Visit pta.org/home/family-resources/safety/School-Safety for additional resources, including the Blueprint for Parent Leaders to Take Action on Gun Violence Prevention and Family Resources on Health.
Michigan PTA was honored to be present at the Epilepsy Foundation of Michigan’s Wellness & Epilepsy Conference on November 2, 2024. Board and state committee members, including Beth Hulett, VP for Communications, Sherene Nathan, VP for Engagement, and committee member Becky Lasecki, connected with the epilepsy community, sharing resources and legislative goals. The conference is designed for people with epilepsy, their families, and the professionals who serve them. Alongside gaining helpful knowledge and hearing from experts, the conference offers opportunities to network, share meaningful conversations, enjoy lunch together, and participate in a Health & Resource Fair. A teen track specifically for youth with epilepsy was also featured.
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Your PTA Membership Tip! Build and strengthen your PTA community by offering coffee and donuts before school, dinner or a snack before a PTA evening event or a pop-up gathering at a community location. Make these opportunities social events to help everyone learn more about each other. When people know each other, they help each other and trust grows. You might even find some amazing new volunteers to support your PTA! 11
! e t a r b Cele
Reflections Student Artists
Certificates - Ribbons - Medallions - Trophies
ShopPTA.com
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Celebrate your student artists, judges, and volunteers with these great items from ShopPTA.com! Here are a few ideas: Consider Reflections pins to honor judges, program coordinators, School Board members and unit or council leaders! Take your celebration to the next level with a fully custom Reflections tablecloth! Place placards next to each piece of art, including the artist's name and the title of the artwork, to highlight these pieces to both the artist and the community! Let artists show their accomplishments with fully customizable medals! Reflections - Custom Tablecloth
PTA Reflections- Artwork Placards Art display placard - full color print on heavy 19 pt cardstock. Placard is perfectly sized to accept a standard mail label or you can handwrite in each participant name and artwork title. Self adhesive backing. Size: 3" wide by 3" tall Pack of 25 - $6.50 Pack of 50 - $11.00 Pack of 100 - $20.00
PTA Reflections R - Lapel Pin 1" Metal Reflections "R" lapel pin with clutch backing As low as $2.00 each!
Tablecloth with your own PTA logo imprint. Washable Polyester material. Available in 6 colors & 2 sizes. $75.00 / $80.00
PTA Reflections- Medallion Large 2.5" gold medallion with full color emblem and PTA Reflections printed all around woven maroon neckband. Backside has gold plate with individual Arts Category & Award Level Qty 1-9 pcs - $5.75 each Qty 10-24 pcs - $5.25 each Qty 25+ pcs - $4.75 each
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Treasurer’s Tips This issue I’m sharing a cautionary tale of online cyber crime that unfortunately has affected many PTA units in Michigan. Recently, Michigan PTA was hit with a computer virus which caused some problems with our email system. A hassle, but not a big deal . . . or so we thought. Now it seems likely that the virus also let an unknown unauthorized third party get access our online file storage. There they obtained banking information of PTA units who had written checks to Michigan PTA and wrote fraudulent checks on those PTAs’ accounts – much more than just a hassle. We are very sorry for the inconvenience to these PTAs and thank them for their diligence in working with banks, filing police reports, and submitting insurance claims to get their PTAs back in order. Please monitor your bank accounts for suspicious activity Report any fraudulent transactions within 48 hours to the bank. If your account is compromised and the bank does not catch or reverse the transaction, notify your insurance company and file a police report. Be cautious with your email and online files Verify the email address matches the name that appears on the email header. If the president/committee chair sends an email asking for payment that you haven’t previously discussed, contact them by phone to confirm. If you get an email from your bank requesting information, confirm it is not a phishing email by calling your local branch or the phone number on your bank statement. Change passwords frequently on online accounts. If you have any questions, please email me. Sandy Winkler treasurer@michiganpta.org
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Raffles: License required! Do I really need a raffle license? The answer is “yes” 99% of the time. Consideration (money) + Chance + Prize = Raffle! Raffles are tin can or bucket raffles, 50/50 raffles, and gift basket raffles. There are two instances that don’t require a raffle license: 1. An auction. The bidding in an auction eliminates the element of chance, so it is not a raffle. 2. An in-house raffle at a regular meeting held for another purpose, with no presale tickets and total value of all prizes less than $100 (see license exemptions). The State of Michigan Charitable Gaming Division (CGD) issues licenses for raffle events. The CGD website has lots of useful information, not only about rules, but also tips for a successful raffle. You can also attend CGD’s online and in-person training sessions. How to get a raffle license and conduct a raffle 1. First-time applicants must qualify with the CGD by submitting the qualification information form and supporting documents*. Follow the instructions for a service organization. 2. Apply for a license. You can submit the license application at the same time as your qualification information from step 1. 3. Mail the license application and license fee to CGD. Allow 4-6 weeks for processing. The fee depends on the value of the prizes (“small raffle” ≤ $500 in total prizes). 4. Follow the rules described in the Raffle Guide when planning and holding the raffle. 5. After the raffle, complete the financial report and email it to cg-additional-info@michigan.gov by the 10th day of the month following the raffle. 6. Keep all raffle records for 3 years. * Qualification documents: CGD has advised us that PTAs should submit the following documents, which is slightly different than the list in the qualification form instructions: Bylaws in your PTA’s name Membership for your PTA, usually contained in your bylaws Proof of chapter with the state organization (a charter or directory they publish that lists your PTA) Proof of a current bank account in the name of your PTA Complete filed Articles of incorporation, if your PTA is incorporated [note: Most PTAs are not incorporated] Thanks for raffling the right way! Contact: Sandy Winkler treasurer@michiganpta.org
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Standards of Affiliation Agreement Checklist 2024-2025 The Standards of Affiliation (SOA) Agreement checklist exists to help PTA Units and Councils remain current with all IRS, state, insurance, and Michigan PTA requirements. For assistance with this checklist or help understanding any of the SOA Agreement requirements, please contact council leaders (if applicable) or Michigan PTA Vice President of Unit Support. Please share this checklist with your Board of Directors, Membership Chair and Members. Required by State of Michigan
# 1.
Requirement Officers Elected
Due by
Best Practice/Specifics
June 1
Officers were elected at a membership meeting (recommended before the previous fiscal year-end). Michigan State law requires president, vice president, treasurer, and secretary.
National PTA SOA
2.
Officer names/contact info*
June 1
IRS
3.
Form 990 filed
Nov 15, Dec 15 or May 15
4.
Proof of Form 990 filing*
5.
Year-end Financial Review
6.
Proof of Financial Review*
7.
Insurance
Michigan PTA
MIPTA Councils Only
Dec 1
Responsible Date(s) Date(s) PTA Leader Completed
Enter names and contact information for all elected officers (and key non-elected positions such as Communication, Founders Day, Membership, Advocacy/Legislative, Reflections/Arts, Fundraising, Student Involvement, Volunteer Engagement, Heath/Safety/Wellness, Youth Engagement, Diversity Equity & Inclusion) * Givebacks - Compliance – Update Officers. If an office covers multiple topics, enter them for all roles. For example, Vice President of Membership & Communication is input 3 times: 1. Vice President, 2. Membership and 3. Communication.
File the appropriate IRS form 990 (at www.irs.gov) no later than 4 months and 15 days following end of the unit fiscal year (or file the necessary extension and file by the new deadline). Submit proof of 990 filing via Givebacks – Compliance – Submissions
Dec 1
Year-end financial review is conducted by a committee as described in the bylaws before hand-off to the new treasurer.
Dec 1
Submit the financial review via Givebacks – Compliance – Submissions
Budget Approved*
Dec 1
Budget is approved by the membership (recommended before previous fiscal year-end); submit a copy via Givebacks – Compliance – Submissions
8.
Bylaws*
Every 3 Years
9.
Insurance*
Dec 1
10.
Membership Invoices Paid
Monthly
11.
Council Reflections Programs
Annually
Review and update bylaws every three years, or as needed. Submit bylaws and minutes of the membership meeting when bylaws were approved by the members via Givebacks – Compliance – Submissions. Last submitted: Submit Proof of Insurance via Givebacks – Compliance – Submissions Membership invoices paid in full for the previous fiscal year. Current fiscal year memberships shall be paid by the 28th of each month. Paid to Michigan PTA by check or via Givebacks** – Memberships – Remit State Dues Offer a Reflections program for your local PTAs
Per the MIPTA Bylaws, a unit or council in good standing is one that meets the criteria in the SOA agreement. While this checklist is for your internal monitoring purposes and does not need to be turned into MIPTA, your unit or council is responsible for completing all SOA requirements by December 1st of each fiscal year. We will be issuing out of compliance letters following the December 1st deadline. Questions? Contact us at unitsupportvp@michiganpta.org or 734-975-9500 *Submitted on Givebacks through the Compliance menu **eCheck/ACH must be set up for Givebacks.
Visit michiganpta.org/pta-leader-resources for a full scale version of this document
If you have not received your SOA (Tax Exemption Letter) for fiscal year 2023 – 2024, you are currently out of Compliance with Michigan PTA. You will need to get compliant by August 31, 2024.
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WITH MICHIGAN PTA
MichiganPTA.org 734-975-9500 P.O. Box 510535, Livonia, MI 48151 info@MichiganPTA.org President- Tonya Whitehead president@michiganpta.org
VP of Communications- Beth Hulett communicationsVP@MichiganPTA.org
President-Elect- Jenna McMechan presidentelect@michiganpta.org
VP of Membership- Maryanne VanHaitsma membershipvp@michiganpta.org
Immediate Past President- Tracey Troy troyt@michiganpta.org
VP for Unit Development- Candi Drouillard UnitDevelopmentVP@michiganpta.org
Secretary- Aundra Simpkins secretary@michiganpta.org
Interim VP of Programs & ServicesKathy Carter (Past President) ProgramsVP@michiganpta.org
Treasurer- Sandy Winkler treasurer@michiganpta.org VP of Advocacy- Susie Crafton childadvocacyvp@michiganpta.org VP of Unit Support- Lisa Roscoe UnitSupportVP@michiganpta.org
VP of Engagement- Sharene Nathan EngagementVP@michiganpta.org VP for Events- Krissee Bellemore EventsVP@michiganpta.org
facebook.com/everychildonevoice Michigan PTA Leadership Community Michigan PTA Advocacy Michigan PTA Reflections Network Michigan PTA Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Group Michigan PTA Membership Group