President's Message Nov 2018

November 2018 President's Message

Thirty-Second District PTA
Contra Costa Coaster Newsletter

At this time of year, we are gathering to express our gratitude. The California wildfires have our minds focused on those whose tables and homes have been destroyed. Our thoughts are with the families, individuals, and school communities affected by the recent wildfires. If you would like to help, and are in a position to help, please work with organized efforts to ensure that your assistance addresses the most dire needs in a coordinated manner. This KQED news articleoffers verified resources.


In case you missed the press release from the State Schools Chief Tom Torlakson regarding state funding of schools closed due to hazardous air quality:

State Schools Chief Tom Torlakson Assures Schools Closed Due 

to Hazardous Air Quality that State Funding Will Continue

"SACRAMENTO— State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson today reminded educators who close schools because of dangerous air quality that they can apply for a waiver to ensure they do not lose funding because of a drop in attendance. He also pledged that they would be assisted by administrators from the California Department of Education.

State law allows schools to continue to receive state funds from the Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) if they have to close because of a natural disaster such as floods, fires, earthquakes or other extraordinary conditions, such as hazardous air quality

The California Department of Education does not keep precise numbers of school closings, but schools are closed in 22 counties.

“The tragic wildfires in California that have caused so much heartbreaking destruction and loss of life are continuing to harm some of our schools and communities,” Torlakson said. “I want to thank school districts for acting to protect educators and students, and to let them know that the California Department of Education will assist them in any way that we can. Safety must come first for students, teachers, and staff.”

Torlakson also encouraged schools facing poor air quality to keep students indoors during recess and meals. Air quality information is available at the AirNow website, and wildfire information is available from the CAL FIRE website.

Approval of school closures and material decrease in attendance may be requested by submitting a Form J-13A. For more guidance on the J-13A submittal and approval process, see the CDE’s Form J-13A web page. More information about recovery resources is available from the CDE’s School Disaster Recovery web page, and at this CalOES web page. Find more information regarding health and the effects of smoke and ash at the CalEPA website. Any impacted school or local education agency can contact EmergencyServices@cde.ca.govto connect with the CDE team. "

Leadership Academy: June 9, 8:30-2:45PM

>> Por favor, desplácese hacia abajo para Español <<

Get trained for a successful 2018-19 PTA school year!

Whether you have served on a PTA Board before or are a new PTA leader, the Leadership Academy is designed for YOU!

• Learn best PTA practices and current policies or get a refresher so you are prepared for success
• Network with unit and council PTA leaders in Contra Costa County
• Meet and learn from California State PTA leaders
• Opening address: 'Be a Great PTA Leader' by California State PTA VP of Leadership Tom Horn
• Hot Topics in Education and general session: Family Engagement through the Local Control and Accountability Plan by California State PTA VP of Education Mary Perry
• Top Membership Tips and closing address by California State PTA VP of Membership Carol Green
• President workshop and Leadership Table Talk by Leadership Commissioner Melinda Kirkland
• Workshops offered by CAPTA and Thirty Second District PTA Leaders include
• 'Meeting in Action' hands-on workshop to practice making a motion, spotting red flags when reviewing a financial report, approving an event, and more
• 'Straight Talk for Sticky Situations' Table Talks to ask questions and get advice on managing conflict and people
• Officer specific training for President, Financial, Secretary, Parliamentarian and more
• Spanish translation provided, as needed

Registration is $20 before noon on Wednesday, June 6. Late-registration is $25 after noon on June 6 through noon on Friday, June 8. The registration fee covers breakfast, lunch and meeting materials. This is a valid PTA expense so ask your unit or council to consider paying for your registration.

Contact leadership@32ndpta.org with your event questions.

When: Saturday, June 9, 2018.

Time: 8:30-2:45pm, includes breakfast and lunch

Where: Willow Creek Center, 1026 Mohr Lane, Concord

Cost: $20 (if registered before 6/6/18)

Register Online

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¡Entrenarse para un exitoso año escolar PTA 2018-19!

Ya sea que haya servido en una Junta de la PTA antes o sea un nuevo líder de la PTA, la Academia de Liderazgo está diseñada para USTED.

• Conozca las mejores prácticas de PTA y las políticas actuales o obtenga un repaso para estar preparado para el éxito
• Establezca una red con líderes de la PTA de la unidad y el consejo en el Condado de Contra Costa
• Conoce y aprende de los líderes de la PTA del estado de California
• Discurso de apertura: "Sé un gran líder de la PTA" por el vicepresidente de liderazgo de la PTA de California Tom Horn
• Temas candentes en educación y sesión general: Compromiso de la familia a través del Plan de control local y responsabilidad por la vicepresidenta de educación de la PTA de California Mary Perry
• Principales consejos de membresía y discurso de clausura de la vicepresidenta de la PTA de California Carol Green
• Taller de presidente y mesa de liderazgo Charla de la comisionada de Liderazgo Melinda Kirkland
• Los talleres ofrecidos por CAPTA y Thirty Second District PTA Leaders incluyen
• Taller práctico 'Reunión en acción' para practicar hacer una moción, detectar las banderas rojas al revisar un informe financiero, aprobar un evento y más
• Tabla de "Conversaciones directas para situaciones difíciles" Conversaciones para hacer preguntas y obtener consejos sobre la gestión de conflictos y personas
• Entrenamiento específico del oficial para Presidente, Financiero, Secretario, Parlamentario y más
• Traducción en español proporcionada, según sea necesario

La inscripción es de $ 20 antes del mediodía del miércoles 6 de junio. La inscripción tardía cuesta $ 25 después del mediodía del 6 de junio al mediodía del viernes 8 de junio. La tarifa de inscripción cubre el desayuno, el almuerzo y los materiales de la reunión. Este es un gasto válido de la PTA, así que solicite a su unidad o consejo que considere pagar su registro.

Póngase en contacto con leadership@32ndpta.org con sus preguntas sobre el evento.

February 2018 President's Message

• In February, PTAs celebrate Founders Day and take time to honor our history of advocacy, our volunteers, and our work in our communities. In the late 1800s women weren't allowed yet to vote in elections, and thus it would seem that they wouldn't be able to wield the political power needed to bring about change. The conventional wisdom of the time was soon to be challenged, however, by two women who first founded National PTA's predecessor, the National Congress of Mothers. On February 17, 1897, the two founders, Alice McLellan Birney and Phoebe Apperson Hearst, looked out at the 2,000 people from across the country who gathered for the Mothers Congress' first meeting in Washington, DC, and saw the beginning of the largest (and now oldest) volunteer organization that works exclusively on behalf of children and youth--a group of people who had even fewer rights at the time than women.
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• Apart from the two women who organized the 1897 meeting, a third woman is also considered a PTA founder and, in celebrating our country’s Black History month, I would like to spotlight her story.

• Selena Sloan ButlerFounder and first president of the National Congress of Colored Parents and Teachers (NCCPT), which was founded to function in states that legally mandated segregation. Mrs. Butler, mother, teacher and wife of physician, Dr. Henry R. Butler of Atlanta, Georgia, was a pioneer in the work of the improvement of racial relations, especially the rights of children. In spite of National Congress of Parents and Teachers mission to protect the rights of all children irrespective of color, Mrs. Butler believed more needed to be done.

  
  

  
  In 1919, Butler dedicated her life to forming an organization which would have the same objectives as the National Congress of Parents and Teachers. She wrote several letters encouraging parents and teachers of color to form a union with the primary purpose of uniting home and school into a planned program for child welfare. In 1919 the Yonge Street Parent-Teacher Association was the first unit of the Georgia Congress of Colored Parents and Teachers (the precursor of the National Congress of Colored Parents and Teachers). Her letters stimulated interest in the parent-teacher movement and her own state, Georgia, became the first to organize. By 1926, Mrs. Butler aroused sufficient interest and issued the first call for convention. To this call, four states responded and sent delegates.

  
  

  
  Her letter writing technique inspired President Hoover to appoint her to serve on his 1929 White House Conference on Child Health and Protection representing the National Congress of Colored Parents and Teachers and working on the Committee on "The Infant and Preschool Child," whose work contributed to the writing of the "Children's Chapter."

  
  

  Mrs. Butler lived to enjoy and participate actively in the work of this organization for more than thirty years. After working 50 years apart, NCCPT and the National Congress of Parents and Teachers united in 1970 to expand their outreach. Today, Selena Sloan Butler is considered one of National PTA's founders.

In August 2017, at our leadership retreat, the Thirty Second District PTA Board agreed at our that developing and promoting PTA leaders of color, so that all our PTA leadership boards in the county will more closely reflect their communities of students and families, is a priority. We continue to identify, support and train emerging leaders. If you are interested in becoming more involved in PTA and its leadership board at your school and community, we strongly encourage you to contact your school PTA nominating committee this month since PTAs are currently in the process of nominating its officers for the 2018-2019 board. Elections usually occur between March and May. If you have any questions, or unsure how to contact your PTA nominating committee, contact Thirty Second District PTA directly at president@32ndpta.org.

All PTA members and community partners are invited to attend the Thirty Second District PTA’s Founders Day Dinner on February 27, 6-8:30pm.

2018 CAPTA Convention

Get ready for the 119th Annual California State PTA Convention.  

The three-day convention Starts April 26 – 29

Convention Center, 2000 E. Convention Center Way in Ontario.

Did you know the California State PTA, like your unit is governed by the vote of the members of the association? That is you, the members of PTA! Convention is the annual meeting for the California State PTA. Participation at the 119th Annual California State PTA Convention will provide you opportunities to do good things for kids. With a three-day convention, convention is packed with opportunities. Convention is where you will learn how to make a positive impact in our local schools, councils and district.

Plus, this year California State PTA will be hosting a gubernatorial forum, have a special arts experience, and vote on resolutions.

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Register early for the best rates

Discounted Convention Registration is open from March 1-31.

Online hotel registration is March 1-April 3.

The host hotels in Ontario are the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Ontario Airport and the Ontario Gateway Hotel. Special convention room rates are available March 1- April 3, 2018. Links will be available soon on the California State PTA website.

Registration fees include a choice of informative workshops.  Workshops & Table Talks are held on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Workshops & Table Talks are organized by area of interest: Advocacy, Elementary, Middle School and High School Education, Family, Health & Community,   Finance & Leadership, Membership & Students, Programs & Communications, Family Engagement, and Unit, Council and District Leadership.

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California State PTA will host a special event on Friday evening, April 27

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Thirty-Second District PTA is planning a Special Event on Saturday, April 28

More information to follow, but this is always a fun time to network with other local leaders. In addition, district will be hosting a hospitality suite at one of the convention hotels where you can meet with other delegates from our area, grab a quick continental breakfast and enjoy other networking opportunities.

Be sure your unit and council leaders plan to attend this great event. Watch our website and the California State PTA website for more information.

Founders' Day Dinner & Award Night, 2/27/18

Join us for the Thirty-Second District PTA’s annual Founders’ Day Dinner and Awards Night!

Come celebrate our high school senior scholarship winners, our honorary service award recipients, and Thirty-Second District Reflections participants whose submissions are moving on to the state competition. We also welcome Reflections participants who received honorable mentions from Thirty-Second District PTA.

The celebration will be held on Tuesday, February 27th beginning at 6:00 pm at Zio Fraedo’s in Pleasant Hill. The cost is $45 per person and includes appetizers, dinner, and a no host bar. Please sign up through Eventbrite.

December 2017 President's Message

More presence, instead of more presents.

In PTA, volunteer time and attention are the most meaningful gifts at this time of year. In units around the Contra Costa County (Thirty Second District PTA’s region), PTA volunteers are 

• arranging winter coffees for parents and families, 
• holiday appreciation events for staff, 
• Reflections art showcases, 
• advocating for wraparound medical and meal programs on campus, 
• sharing care options with parents of students with disabilities, and 
• planning for speakers to address school communities on issues ranging from tips on gifts to boost young children’s creativity and inquiry, to common sense limits on your middle schooler’s online time this break, to keeping your teen driver safe during the winter/holiday season. 

All this is done to serve the mission of positively impacting the lives of all children. #PTA4kids

There is another way that you are needed at your school, and it may not be as obvious, yet remains one of the most important places where your presence matters - the Local Control and Accountability Plan (LCAP) committee and process. The LCAP is a three-year plan that describes the goals, actions, services, and expenditures to support positive student outcomes that address state and local priorities. How is the LCAP being discussed, created, and reviewed in your school district and how does that communicated and implemented in your individual school? To find out, ask your principal and your PTA president. Parent involvement is not only key, it is required! For more information on LCAP, visit the California State PTA resources at http://capta.org/resources/

Another tool you might be interested in is the California Department of Education Dashboard. You can see how your school district , individual school, and county office of education are faring on various indicators of student success. You can see how your educational community is doing overall in comparison to specific groups of students, such as students with disabilities and students of color. Get informed and be part of the solution by advocating for programs to serve all our students well. https://www.caschooldashboard.org/#/Home

As always, I welcome questions or comments on issues affecting our children - the Thirty Second District PTA aims to support all our PTA Councils in serving their family, staff, and community members.


Marilyn C. Lucey,
dp32@capta.org
Thirty Second District PTA President

Scholarships for High School Seniors

Thirty-Second District PTA Scholarships

Thirty-Second District PTA serves the youth and families of Contra Costa County. Each year, we award up to four $500.00 scholarships to high school seniors graduating from Contra Costa County high schools that participate in an active PTSA. These scholarships focus on the categories of school volunteering, community service, personal challenge and exemplification of PTA values. Scholarship applicants must be in good standing at their school, and have a grade point average of 2.0; transcripts are not required. Applicants must also be a member of your high school PTSA


The scholarship application is posted on the Thirty-Second District PTA website. All applications must be submitted electronically to Scholarships@32ndPTA.org by 1/21/18. Scholarship recipients will be asked to attend the Thirty-Second District PTA Founders Day Dinner on 2/27/18.


Please contact the Thirty-Second District PTA, Scholarship Committee Chair at Scholarships@32ndPTA.org if you have any questions.

CAPTA Scholarships

California State PTA offers two scholarships to graduating high school seniors. These scholarship applications are online and must be sent directly to CAPTA. Information and requirements are included on the CAPTA website. Please note that the CAPTA scholarship applications are sent directly to CAPTA.


$750.00 Volunteer Service Scholarship recognizes graduating high school seniors for their volunteer service in schools and communities. Applications are due by February 1, 2018;


$500.00 Dr. Ralph E. White Graduating Senior Scholarships honor the public service legacy of Dr. Ralph E. White and his wife Eleanor and to support graduating seniors in their pursuit of careers in medical fields. Applications are due at CAPTA by February 1, 2018.