NEWSFLASH
PRESIDENT’S
NATIONAL
UPCOMING
990
MEMBERSHIP
President’s Corner
For 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.
This month, I want to remind you that PTA is a community beyond just your school’s parents. Ensuring children are safe and supported as they grow and learn is something that almost everyone can get behind. I know a lot of units are struggling to find leaders, fill volunteer spots, and get parents engaged. Consider looking for more support outside of your school Reach out to retirees in your area who may have more time during the day than parents in your school Connect with local businesses who might be interested in donating goods and services to reduce the burden on your volunteers. Before you say that will never work, I am one of those community members who PTAs ask to support children in my community. I am not a parent or a guardian to any children. You never know until you ask, and the worst thing that could happen is that they say no. And if they do, you are no worse off than you were before you asked. Check out the 10 PTA Membership Myths & Truths for other reminders (also in Spanish). It takes everyone working together to make every child’s potential a reality!
To request attendance from a Michigan PTA State board member for an event, training, or presentation please complete this form: bit.ly/MichiganPTAAttend
Meet the President (Correction)
In the last Newsflash we included a link to schedule a meeting with the President Due to a technical mistake, that page no longer exists Please save the corrected President’s Booking page instead. I look forward to meeting with you soon!
Beginningin1925,FirePreventionWeekwasmadeanationalobservance ItisobservedduringthisweekofOctober becauseoftheGreatChicagoFirein1871 AccordingtotheMichiganFireInspector’sSociety,in2023,therewere112 firesinMichiganand125deaths.Injustoverhalfofthosefires,therewerenoworkingsmokealarms.Itisso importanttomakesurethatyouhaveworkingsmokealarmsinstalledinyourhomeandthatyoutestthemmonthly. Smokealarmsshouldbeinstalledoneverylevelofyourhome,includingbasements,andinsideandoutsideofsleeping areas Itisalsorecommendedthatdoorswithinyourhomebeclosedtoslowthespreadofafire Besurethatall childreninthehomerecognizethesoundandknowwhattodowhentheyhearit Youcancontactyourlocalfire departmentifyouneedassistancewithsmokealarms.Theymightevenbeabletosendafirefightertoseethatthe alarmisinstalledcorrectly.
Ifthereisahousefire,youmayonlyhaveabout3minutestogetoutsafely Whileatschool,ourstudentsarerequired tohaveseveralfiredrillstopracticeleavingthebuildingquicklyandsafely Butdoesyourfamilyhaveafireescape planforyourhome?Ifnot,makeonetodaywithyourwholefamilyandbesuretopractice.
WhatcanyoudoasaPTAleadertomakesurethechildreninyourcommunityarefiresafe?
Contactyourschooladministratortoseeiftheyhaveavisitfromthefiredepartmentplanned Ifnot,helpthem planatimeforthefiredepartmenttocomeandtalkaboutfiresafetywithyourstudents.
SharefiresafetyresourcesfromyourlocalfiredepartmentortheNationalFirePreventionAssociationonyour socialmediaorthroughprintedfliers.
SharethesuccessofyourfirepreventionweekwithMichiganPTAtoinspireothercommunityleaders!
Upcoming Open Training and Office Hours with Michigan
PTA Leaders
Do You, or Someone You Know, Want to...
START A PTA?
SCHOOL NEEDS PTA Why Your
Faced with shrinking budgets and growing class sizes, not to mention high standards for teacher and student performance-schools today need the support of families and the community. PTA can help.
Membership Corner of the newsletter!
a, and I am your Membership VP Please feel free to @ chiganpta org with any questions about membership that you may have
Start Strong this School Year and Focus on Membership!
PTA is excited to offer Membership Mania a fun and interactive year-round initiative for local PTA leaders who want to integrate membership into all aspects of their PTA Don’t reinvent the wheel Learn about and use incredible free PTA resources! Have fun and win prizes… While completing in exciting challenges and interactive activities!
Participate in calls with National PTA and other PTA leaders
2024-2025 Membership Mania Registration is OPEN!
Sign up today to join this school year to strengthen membership together and make every child’s potential a reality!
You can begin inviting members to join by using the new membership campaign PTA For Your Child which is designed to engage and excite new members and existing members by making the work of the PTA more visible and highlighting the value and impact of PTA When people know what PTA does and what their PTA membership provides, they will understand and appreciate the value of PTA
To view this document in full size and with clickable links visit
Founding and Presenting Sponsor
The PTA Connected: Ready, Tech, Go! program, is a collaboration between National PTA and AT&T It is designed to help families, parents and caregivers navigate these challenges through meaningful peer-to-peer discussions about screen readiness and ways to promote healthy and responsible device use for all members of the family Through the PTA Connected: Ready, Tech, Go! program, families will:
Identify and reflect on various aspects of screen readiness
Become familiar with tools and resources to determine screen readiness and discuss digital life
Gain new ideas to help create a healthy digital home
Children today use technology to learn, socialize, create, and more. Just like any other form of communication, an understanding of healthy and safe digital practices can help your family thrive National PTA and Norton want to help families facilitate positive conversations and set smart boundaries that influence our habits around:
Privacy and Security
Communication
Media Choices
Health and Wellness
Ongoing Conversations
Founding and Presenting Sponsor
Did you know that National PTA works constantly to improve online safety for all children and provide resources for caregivers? National PTA launched its PTA Connected initiative in 2018 to build on its work in the digital space to meet the growing needs and interests of parents nationwide The goal of the initiative is to deepen the understanding and knowledge of parents, families and teachers about digital safety tools and resources (such as The Smart Talk); mobilize PTAs, schools and communities to engage families around best practices and shared learning; and generate collective impact NortonLifeLock is the presenting and founding sponsor of PTA Connected; other corporations and nonprofits additionally support this important work PTA also works closely with our social media partners to provide parent input into new security measures to protect all children. This month Meta and TikTok announced new features for parents and children Check out PTA Connected for resources curated for parents, kids (by age group), PTA leaders, and teachers
Build Up and Belong
National PTA has teamed up with Discord to facilitate meaningful technology discussions between teens and their parents and caregivers Discord is committed to doing their part to create a healthier digital environment for their users and help make Discord even better for students, teachers, and educators
Screen Smart
The Instagram parent and guardian’s guide and Family Center include helpful resources for you and your teen, updated to include information on Instagram Teen Accounts
The guide includes: Safety Features: Discover features that can help your teen explore our app safely
Conversation Starters: Questions to ask your teen to ensure they’re having a positive experience on Instagram
Glossary of Instagram Terms: Get to know our features and settings in order to better navigate Instagram with your teen
Create with Kindness
This program will bring high school families together for an open and interactive discussion with teens on their online experiences and equip families with practical information and resources to enhance online safety as teens use various digital platforms
PTA Connected: Google and Youtube
Google + YouTube’s Resources for Families. Every family’s relationship with technology is unique Google and YouTube provide products and resources to choose the right experience for your family and build healthy digital habits. Whether you’re looking to help your child safely explore the online world, or want to guide them to high-quality content on YouTube, our tailored product experiences empower kids and teens to watch, listen, play, learn, create, and communicate online
Convention is coming!
Make sure to mark your calendar for April 11th-13th 2025 at Detroit-Dearborn Doubletree. Encourage your PTA unit to come learn, have fun and meet other unit leaders. Don’t forget to create a budget in your local units to cover the cost of convention.
MICHIGAN PTA ADVOCACY
Every 2 years turn 18 and b These newly m much lower ra population. Bu encourage community to PTA.org/Vot
Join Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson for a non-partisan online Voting Rights Town Hall
Sunday, October 20, 6:00 pm7:00 pm, via Zoom.
Hosted by End Gun Violence
Michigan
A lot has changed for voters in Michigan! Learn all about your new rights as a voter with Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson at this online town hall meeting. We'll discuss who can vote, early voting and vote-by-mail, what to bring to the polls, what to expect on election day, and more. This is your opportunity to hear directly from our state's top elections official.
Sched
Mod
Epis
Jenn Garland, Michigan PTA - New Ways to Vote
Denise Wieck, Moms Demand Action, Ypsilanti - Who Can and Cannot Vote
Ragine Head, Church of the Messiah, Detroit - Your Rights at the Polling Place
Jessie Ojeda, Giffords - Defending democracy
Ernest Coverson, Amnesty InternationalUpdate on Guns at the Polls Bill
This non-partisan event is co-sponsored by:
End Gun Violence Michigan
Michigan Voice Charles W. Reid Center
Michigan Transformation Collective
Michigan United
Oakland Forward
Community Justice
Immaculate Heart of Mary Sisters
Detroit Change Initiative
Statewide Indivisible Michigan
North Flint Neighborhood Action Council
Red, Wine & Blue
League of Women Voters - Michigan
Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America
Giffords
Michigan Parent Teacher Association
A note to you...
Happy Back to School, Students, Families, Caregivers, and Teachers!
The Epilepsy Foundation of Michigan and the Michigan Parent Teacher Association (PTA) would like to welcome you back to school! The new school year brings lots of excitement, but also some anxiety for families as children return to the classroom. As we settle into the new school year, we would like to share information about the Seizure Safe Schools initiative and the resources available for your use today!
Together, the Epilepsy Foundation of Michigan and Michigan PTA have been working tirelessly with the Michigan Legislature to pass House Bill 5329 (affectionately known as the Seizure Safe Schools Bill) to ensure all schools are seizure safe
House Bill 5329 has four key components:
Requiring school personnel to complete seizure recognition and first-aid response training
Making a Seizure Action Plan available to school personnel and volunteers responsible for the student
Ensuring that FDA-approved medication prescribed by the treating physician will be administered to students with epilepsy (Training for at least 2 full-time staff)
The 'Good Samaritan clause' (a legal protection ensuring school personnel and volunteers who administer seizure first aid are not liable for unintended consequences )
House Bill 5329 is before the Michigan House Education Committee, waiting for a vote by the Michigan House and Senate, and we are dedicated to getting it passed We'll also be sharing more information about how you can get involved in advocating for House Bill 5329 in the coming months
In the meantime, we encourage you to access the free online training resources available through the Epilepsy Foundation of America and the Epilepsy Foundation of Michigan The trainings linked above are free and available on-demand on the web-based portal Let's inspire and motivate each other to create a safe school environment for students living with epilepsy by widely sharing and utilizing these free trainings
You can also contact the Epilepsy Foundation of Michigan to schedule a Seizure First Aid Training at 1800-377-6226 or by email at info@epilepsymichigan org
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the opportunity for academic success is increased when communities, schools, families, and students work together to meet the needs of students with chronic health conditions and provide safe and supportive learning environments This results in improved attendance, alertness, and physical stamina Additionally, students experience fewer symptoms and restrictions on their participation in physical activities and special events, and are less likely to encounter medical emergencies.
For more information on schools and seizure preparedness, visit the Epilepsy Foundation of Michigan website Let's make sure our schools are safe and supportive for all students!
Sincerely,
Michigan PTA Epilepsy Foundation of Michigan
Details: pta org/docs/default-source/uploadedfiles/advocacy/final-nonprofitvoteguide pdf
President- Tonya Whitehead, PhD President@michiganpta org
President-Elect- Jenna McMechan PresidentElect@michiganpta.org
Immediate Past President- Tracey Troy TroyT@michiganpta org
Secretary- Aundra Simpkins Secretary@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 Communications- Beth Hulett CommunicationsVP@MichiganPTA org
VP of Membership- Maryanne VanHaitsma MembershipVP@michiganpta.org
VP for Unit Development- Candi Drouillard UnitDevelopmentVP@michiganpta org
Interim VP of Programs & ServicesKathy Carter (Past President) ProgramsVP@michiganpta.org
VP of Engagement- Sharene Nathan EngagementVP@michiganpta org
VP for Events- Krissee Bellemore EventsVP@michiganpta org