Council =
Opportunities
and Responsibilities of PTSA Presidents
Welcome to the Bellevue
PTSA Council! This list of
council-related opportunities and responsibilities will complement the
materials you’ve received from your predecessor in your local unit. Our Council can support you in many
ways. We encourage you to get
involved!!
Communication and Netw=
orking
- Attendance
at Council Meetings allows you to meet and network with other PTSA
Presidents in Bellevue,
and to get ideas for handling the many issues we all face. It is also a great way to lea=
rn
more about the successes taking place throughout our district and get
reminders about State and National programs and deadlines. We schedule informative
presentations and training to help ensure your success as a PTSA leade=
r.
- Council
leaders provide information on a web site at bellevueptsacouncil.org.<=
span
style=3D'mso-spacerun:yes'> Your Council President welcom=
es
ideas for content!!
- You
can expect to receive 3 – 5 lengthy emails per month from your
Council President on informative topics and news worthy items to help =
you
keep informed and engaged.
- You
are encouraged to contact your Council leaders with any and all questi=
ons
regarding all things PTSA!!
- Council
Meetings are generally held on the first Monday of the month at either
9:30 a.m. or 7:00 p.m. at BSD headquarters.
- Superintendent
Mike Riley is a frequent guest, speaking on current topics of interest=
to
parents. We often have m=
embers
of the School Board, elected representatives, and staff from the City =
of Bellevue working with youth in Bellevue talking with us about pro=
grams
and events of interest to your membership. Some of these speakers can be
invited to your school as well.
Activities Managed by
Council
The Bellevue PTSA Council is required by the State PTA=
to
manage the “Reflections" arts program. Your Reflections Chair will receive
regular information from the Council Reflections Chair.
Our Council puts on the display of Reflections finalis=
ts at
Crossroads Mall in January.
Our council also pays for the bulk mail permit that ma=
ny
local units use to mail their newsletters and other printed materials.
We also publish a directory of all the PTSA leaders in=
Bellevue each yea=
r in the
fall. This allows people in y=
our
unit to communicate with those in other units performing the same tasks.
Additionally, we fund a bus or two to take Bellevue PT=
SA
members to Olympia<=
/st1:place>
for Focus Day, which is usually in January or February.
Our Council awards two scholarships to graduating seni=
ors at
each high school for a total of ten scholarships. The Council Scholarship is funded
through annual $200 payments from the local units; the Alice Hurd scholarsh=
ip
for community service is funded privately.
The Council is the focal point for discussion and acti=
on on
district wide efforts such as emergency preparedness, health and nutrition,
math and science issues, and education funding and budget concerns.
Training Offered via
Council, Region 2, and the State PTA:
|
Training Event
|
When Offered
|
|
Conventio=
n
|
May
|
|
Fall Lead=
ership
Conference
|
August
|
|
PTA &=
the Law
|
dates var=
y, usually
offered in the fall
|
|
Nominating
Committee
|
January/F=
ebruary
|
|
Spring Le=
adership
Conference
|
March
|
Convention: State-wide training catering to the
needs of all PTA leaders.
Fall
Leadership Conference: This is training provided by Region 2 and is gea=
red
to the needs of our area. The=
re is
typically one keynote speaker followed by two breakout sessions. Registration information is in the=
Region
2 newsletter, Handprints, which
you’ll receive in the mail.
Any number of leaders from your unit can attend for one price. Whether you attend or not, you mus=
t stop
by to pick up your Fall Leadership Packet from State. The Fall Leadership Packet includes
information for other officers as well as your Reflections, Membership, and=
Leg
Chairs, so be sure to distribute it as soon as possible.
PTA
& the Law: This class
covers your obligations to the State as a registered 501©3
non-profit. It is highly
recommended for Presidents, Treasurers, and any chairs who handle large sum=
s of
money.
Nominating
Committee: Your Nominating
Committee is the most important committee in your PTSA. This class covers the basics to he=
lp
your committee find the best people to lead your PTSA into the coming school
year.
Spring
Leadership Conference: Li=
ke the
Fall Leadership Conference, this training is provided by Region 2 leaders a=
nd
typically features a keynote followed by two class sessions. Registration information will be s=
hared
by your Council President and in the Region 2 newsletter, Handprints.
Fees and Assessments
Our Council does no
fundraising. Our income comes=
from two
primary sources.
- We
assess a Council fee on memberships, currently $0.60 per member. This is paid by the Local Unit
treasurer each time the membership service fees are sent to the Council
treasurer.
- We
collect donations for the Scholarship Fund. This $200 donation is due
annually. Units with hea=
lthy
finances are encouraged to make larger donations to help support units
with smaller budgets.
Other funds collected, such =
as for the
Box Lunch at Convention and for the Spring Celebration, are spent entirely =
on
the expenses associated with these projects.
Calendar of tasks, eve=
nts,
and activities related to Council:
May/June=
- As
an incoming President, you’ll begin to receive email and snail-m=
ail
from our State PTA as soon as the outgoing President enters names of n=
ew
officers to the State PTA web site.&n=
bsp;
The outgoing President and the Membership Chair have the passwo=
rds
and instructions for making these entries. Send an email to support@wastatepta.org for
assistance with this task.
(required)
- The Council
President must also receive the name, address, phone, and email
information for the incoming President. (required)
- Do
plan to attend Convention. It
is excellent training, whether you are a first time President or an
experienced PTA leader. =
Our
Council usually holds a box lunch during Convention – ask the
outgoing President if information is available regarding this lunch.
- Attend
PTSA Council Spring Celebration with your unit’s leadership team=
and
Principal. The Council S=
cholarships
are awarded at this event and it is an opportunity to enjoy celebrating
the year with other PTA leaders and school administrators from all over
the district.
July
- August
- Attend
August Council meeting, if one is scheduled.
- Provide
names of four voting delegates from your unit to Council President.
(required)
- Attend
Fall Leadership Conference (required)
September
-
It’s critical that parents support the Levy campaign via
donations so attending a packed event is important. Each local unit is encouraged=
to
send an annual donation to the Levy Campaign.
October<=
/o:p>
- The vast majority of question=
s you
Council President receives from Local Unit Presidents are answered in =
this
informative class.)
-
At this event, delegates from across Washington select the state PTA&#=
8217;s
priority issues for the year.
The President is encouraged to attend along with the unit’=
;s
Legislative Rep.
November=
-
(required)
- December=
- January<=
/o:p>
-
Presidents and/or Legislative Reps direct meetings with Legisla=
tors
& activities in hearings and campus tours.
February=
- Information about available P=
TA
awards can be found at www.wastatepta.org/programs/Awards/awards.htm
- March
-
-
Register for future officers, even if you don’t know who =
they
are.
April
- May
-
June
- Please encourage them to main=
tain
involvement with Council!