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Transcript of The PTA Linkhcptacouncil.org › august2012newsletter.pdfImmediate Past President – Tim Hixson...
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The PTA Link
Hamilton County Council
3074 Hickory Valley Road
Chattanooga, TN 37412
www.hcptacouncil.org
Message from the Council President
by Badiema Waldrep, President
August 2012
Edition
CONTENTS
August/September Events From the President
The PTA Council’s Board Council Meeting Schedule
President’s Brunch Back to School Bash
Laying the Foundation Stuff the Bus
300 Hours of Power Lookouts help “Stuff the Bus”
TN PTA Legislative Days on the Hill Internet Essentials
PTA Purposes The PTA Link Newsletter
Contests, Awards & Scholarships Membership Reminder
HCC PTAs Website and Blog Get Ready Parents
National PTA Standards Guide Parliamentarian Message
Proposed Bylaw Amendments Treasurer’s Corner
Extra Membership Cards Volunteer Management
PTA Fact PTA Vision
PTA Kit Attention Local Units
Essential Question
Upcoming Events
August 9 & 10: Back to School
Bash at Lake Winnepesaukah
August 15: HCC PTA President’s
Brunch 10am-12pm (Teacher
Place, 1161 W. 40th Street)
August 19: Stuff the Bus at the
Chattanooga Market Pavilion
September: PTA Membership
Drives begin
September 5: HCC PTA General
Meeting at 11:00 a.m. Local Unit
Round Table Q & A training
(Central Office Board Room)
I would like to take this opportunity to introduce myself to you. My name is Badiema Waldrep and I am
serving my second year as President of the Hamilton
County Council of PTAs. This begins my ninth year on the
council and my eleventh year in PTA. I am the mother of
two sons, one is a fifth-grader and the other is a tenth
grader. I have had the great pleasure of working with many of you in the
past, and look forward to getting to know and working with all of you this
year. I would also like to welcome all of the new local unit leaders that
have taken office, and hope that this is an enjoyable school year for all of
you.
It is the duty of the PTA to advocate for the children, and to plan,
organize and execute projects that will aid in improving our children’s lives
and educational process. It is our responsibility as parents, guardians and
community members to see that each and every one of us is working
together toward ensuring positive learning experiences for the children.
I would like to welcome and encourage you all to become active
volunteers this year and to let you know that the PTA Council’s Board and
myself are ready and willing to assist you in any way that we can.
If your local unit needs assistance this year with any PTA matter please
contact us and let us know. We are here to help you and offer training as
needed.
I look forward to another great year as your council president and working
with all of you to make our schools great places for our children.
Sincerely,
Badiema Waldrep President
Hamilton County Council of PTAs
“Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and
make a new ending.” – Maria Robinson
http://www.hcptacouncil.org/
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The PTA Council’s Board
There are seventeen members on the
Hamilton County Council of PTAs Board
of Managers this year. We are very
fortunate to have such a great slate of
officers to start off this exciting and
challenging school year. Our council is
striving to make everyone feel welcome
and wish to encourage your participation
and positive suggestions.
Executive Board Members:
President – Badiema Waldrep President-Elect – Dwight Hunter 1
st Vice-President – Scottie Summerlin
2nd
Vice-President – Kayte Locke 3
rd Vice-President – VACANT
4th
Vice-President – David Hampton Secretary – Lisa Moore Treasurer – Ellen McCollum Parliamentarian – Lee Ann Hammer Immediate Past President – Tim Hixson
September Meeting
Our next Council General Meeting is
scheduled for Wednesday,
September 7 at 11:00 a.m. The
program for this meeting will be a Q &
A round table training for all of our
local unit boards. The meeting will be
in the Central Office Board Room.
The PTA Council’s Board of
Manager’s will meet at 10:00 a.m. -
11:00 a.m. in the board room prior to
the general meeting.
The Hamilton County Council of PTAs invites all local unit Presidents, President-elects and
and your Vice-Presidents to a brunch being held just for you!
Wednesday, August 15, 2012
10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
The Teacher Place (John Ross Room) 1161 West 40th Street, Chattanooga, TN 37409
This meeting will give local unit leaders the opportunity to ask the council PTA
related questions, be a great information exchange with other local units, to provide networking opportunities, and professional development.
For more information and to RSVP please contact:
Badiema Waldrep, President Hamilton County Council of PTAs
(Please note the location change above from Central Office to The Teacher Place!)
August 15 9:00 am HCC Board of Managers Meeting 10:00 am Local Unit President’s Training Brunch/ General Meeting
(Teacher Place/ John Ross Room)
September 5 10:00 am HCC Board of Managers Meeting
11:00 am *General Meeting/Q & A roundtable
(Central Office Board Room)
October 3 10:00 am HCC Board of Managers Meeting 11:00 am General Meeting /State of the Schools
(Central Office Board Room)
November 7 10:00 am HCC Executive Board Meeting
(No general meeting) December 5 10:00 am HCC Board of Managers Meeting 11:00 am General Meeting (Legislator Forum)
(Location TBA)
January 9 10:00 am HCC Executive Board Meeting
(Central Office Board Room) (No general meeting)
February 6 10:00 am HCC Board of Managers Meeting
11:00 am *Founder’s Day Luncheon
(Chattanooga Choo-Choo)
March 6 9:00 am Executive Board Meeting 10:00 am HCC Board of Managers Meeting
11:00 am General Meeting (Location TBA)
April 8 6:30 pm Principal’s Dinner Chattanooga Choo-Choo
May TBA Student Awards
*All PTA members are encouraged and welcome to attend the
General Meetings of the Hamilton County PTA Council
Please visit our HCC PTA Website at www.hcptacouncil.org
NOTE: Meetings of the Council’s Board of Managers will be held one hour before the General Meetings. If the Hamilton County Schools are closed due to weather conditions, the Council
Hamilton County Council of PTAs 2012-2013 Meeting Schedule
*All PTA members are encouraged and welcome to attend the General Meetings of the Hamilton County
PTA Council
Please visit our HCC PTA Website at www.hcptacouncil.org
NOTE: Meetings of the Council’s Board of Managers will be held one hour before the General
Meetings.
If the Hamilton County Schools are closed due to
weather conditions, the Council
Meeting scheduled for that day will be postponed.
Most HCC PTA Meetings are held at the Hamilton
County Board of Education’s Board Room
mailto:[email protected]://www.hcptacouncil.org/http://www.hcptacouncil.org/
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Stuff the Bus Event
The Hamilton County Council of PTAs & United Way need your help to "Stuff the Bus"!
The Hamilton County PTA Council has a Teacher Supply Depot. Any Hamilton County public school teacher who is a PTA member can shop at the Teacher Supply Depot for free.
There is a huge need for school supplies. Over 44% of Hamilton County public school students qualify for the free and reduced lunch program which means their parents often can't afford to buy school supplies. Public school teachers, on average, spend $500-$1200 a year out of pocket to help buy school supplies for their students.
United Way is partnering with Hamilton County PTA for its 3rd annual "Stuff the Bus". All the school supplies United Way collects will go to the Teacher Supply Depot.
Aug. 2nd and Aug. 3rd school supplies were taken to Hamilton Place Mall Center Court where contributors could buy a slice of the huge cookie (pictured above) celebrating Hamilton Place Mall's 25th anniversary for just $5 a slice. All the money we raised will go to buy school supplies for the Teacher Supply Depot
Ways you can help us to "Stuff the Bus":
- Drop off school supplies at any Comcast payment center.
- Drop off and/or buy school supplies at any Walgreens in Hamilton County.
- Drop off school supplies at the United Way office on Market Street.
- Drop off school supplies at the Chattanooga Times Free Press office downtown.
- Buy pre-packaged school supplies at any Publix store in Hamilton County and Publix will donate them to the Teacher Supply Depot.
- On August 9 & 10 take supplies to Lake Winnepesaukah and get unlimited rides for $19.
- On Sunday, August 19th come to the Chattanooga Market at the First Tennessee Pavilion by Finley Stadium. Bring school supplies to literally "Stuff the Bus"!
- If your business, church or nonprofit organization would like to have a school supply drive to help "Stuff the Bus", contact the council at [email protected] and we’ll connect you with United Way so we can thank your organization in our wrap-up advertising.
- Scottie Summerlin, Communications VP
Laying the Foundation for a Successful Volunteer Program for Your School by Badiema Waldrep
PTA is a volunteer organization. Without a base of volunteers, our service is limited. There is nothing more frustrating than having great ideas, but too few volunteers to execute them. Many people don’t know what your PTA does. Some have no idea what a PTA is. Start by letting them know through a welcome article in the school newsletter. Presidents, introduce yourself, share plans your PTA has for the school year, and let them know ways they can help accomplish your goals plus the value of doing so. In the same newsletter list your programs, how or when people can help with each, and a method for them to sign up to volunteer. Don’t forget ways those who can’t easily get away from home can help. Those who work often feel they couldn’t possibly help, so share how even an hour here or there makes a difference. Even better than promoting your PTA in a written format is doing so in person and the beginning of the school year provides multiple opportunities to do that! Let’s start with those adorable little Kindergarteners and their excited parents. Most schools have some type of event for incoming Kindergarteners; make sure your PTA board is there to assist in answering parent involvement questions. Buy tri-fold project boards and put together displays for your programs. Perhaps have some coffee or water along with something to snack on. Set yourself up in a prominent location and start working the crowd. Welcome new students and their parents as they arrive, answer questions and guide them to where they need to be. These programs usually have a point in which the little ones and parents are separated which gives you the perfect opportunity to mingle and to show and tell parents about your PTA while they enjoy a beverage and a treat. Then there is maze at the secondary school. The BIG chance and one of the very few times your PTA/PTSA will have face time with parents is registration and Open House times. Are you making the most of your time there and how do you keep people from walking past your table and act as though you’re invisible? First off, just don’t sit there! Yes, you need a person sitting at your table, but 2-3 people need to be up and circulating with parents AND students as they walk by. Have a parent interest form available and let them choose activities to volunteer for that interest them and show off their special talents and knowledge. Let students know how they can get involved with your PTA. Tell parents that PTSA still needs them and it really is ok to be on campus even if their kids have said they’ll never talk to them again if they are. You need to talk quick so develop a concise message to convey why they should be part of your PTSA. Communication with parents is the key. You
don’t know if they want to be involved if you don’t ask.
mailto:[email protected]
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Tennessee PTA 300 Hours of Power!
Tennessee PTA is calling all MEN!
Along with the National PTA’s “Million Hours of Power,”
Tennessee PTA would like to challenge you to get the men of
your local unit involved. Please keep a record of the hours
they volunteer and how they volunteer, and submit your
hours on the 300 Hours of Power report form.
You can meet the Tennessee PTA challenge and help National
PTA make their goal!
We need men to dedicate at least three hours of service to the
education, health and well-being of children. When dads are
engaged in their child’s education, it is a proven fact that:
1. Children learn more.
2. Children perform better in school.
3. Children exhibit healthier behavior.
4. Children exhibit fewer behavioral problems.
5. Children have a higher level of sociability.
6. Children’s confidence increases.
7. Children enjoy school more.
If you can meet or beat the Tennessee PTA challenge, your
local unit will be awarded a “300 Hours of Power” certificate
by the Tennessee PTA.
The Chattanooga Lookouts are helping the
Hamilton County Council of PTAs and United Way
"Stuff the Bus" for the Teacher Supply Depot. Bring
any school supply item to any Chattanooga Lookouts
game next week from Tuesday, August 14th to
Saturday, August 18th and you can get a buy-one, get-
one General Admission ticket. The Lookouts are
playing the Jacksonville Suns next week. All five games
start at 7:15 p.m.
Chattanooga Lookouts help
“Stuff the Bus!”
JOIN PTA
TODAY!
Internet Essentials
Internet Essentials is a comprehensive broadband adoption
program provided by Comcast, that was launched in 2011 to
help more students and families get online. While participating
in Internet Essentials, customers receive residential Internet
service for $9.95 per month with a guarantee of no price
increases, no activation fees and no equipment rental fees.
Additional benefits include the ability to purchase a low-cost
computer, access to free digital literacy training and Constant
Guard Protection Suite security software. This program was
developed for students who qualify for free and reduced
lunches.
http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://cdn.bleacherreport.net/images_root/slides/photos/000/891/838/ChattanoogaLookouts_display_image.png?1303832295&imgrefurl=http://bleacherreport.com/articles/678390-50-most-original-minor-league-baseball-team-names&h=316&w=350&sz=32&tbnid=v0GNxt7DrjRDcM:&tbnh=90&tbnw=100&prev=/search?q=Chattanooga+Lookouts+logo&tbm=isch&tbo=u&zoom=1&q=Chattanooga+Lookouts+logo&docid=jLZOfebhrj-LFM&hl=en&sa=X&ei=pq14T_aKMceUtwfrtaDbDg&ved=0CEQQ9QEwBg&dur=11http://www.google.com/imgres?q=school+bus+clipart&start=76&hl=en&sa=X&rlz=1W1TSNF_enUS417&biw=1821&bih=824&addh=36&tbm=isch&prmd=imvns&tbnid=eFhkcquMUXbn0M:&imgrefurl=http://clipartmountain.com/school1.htm&docid=RPepatZkwBH66M&imgurl=http://clipartmountain.com/clip1/school1.gif&w=186&h=90&ei=ZwkjUKSCBejB2QXi6oCYBw&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=436&vpy=398&dur=1082&hovh=72&hovw=148&tx=95&ty=43&sig=109653441006932102385&page=3&tbnh=72&tbnw=148&ndsp=44&ved=1t:429,r:1,s:76,i:9
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PTA Purposes
To Promote the welfare of children and youth in places of home, school, community and the place of worship.
To raise the standards of home life.
To secure adequate laws for the care and protection of children and youth.
To bring into closer relation the home and school, that parents and teachers may cooperate intelligently in the education of children and youth.
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.
Contests Awards and Scholarships
Citizenship Contest "My American Hero"
Deadline for entries to the HCC PTA Council:
Friday, January 18, 2013
Reflections Contest
"The Magic of a Moment"
Deadline for entries to the Hamilton County PTA Council: Monday, December 10, 2012
Health/Safety Poster Contest
“At School, at play, let Safety Lead the Way”
Deadline for entries to the Hamilton County PTA Council:
Wednesday, February 6, 2012
Awards/Scholarships
All applications for awards that are presented at the Principal's Dinner in April have a
deadline of: March 1, 2012.
Scholarships include the Eula A. Johnston Scholarship Application and the Sandra A. Black Scholarship.
(HCC Chairman: Tracey Freeman)
Please note that your PTA has to submit
their membership to the HCC PTA by October 1, to qualify for contest
participation and awards on the Council level. If entries are sent directly to the TN
PTA they do NOT qualify for HCC PTA awards in the spring.
The deadlines for entries on the Council
level contests are listed above. The Council will have the entries judged, and returned back to the local units in time to
enter them in the state PTA contest.
The top five Council entries will be
forwarded to the state contest by the Council Chairmen.
The Council will present awards to its
winners during the Student Awards in the month of May.
Membership Reminder!
September will be here soon and it is PTA Membership Month. Hopefully by then your PTAs Membership drive will be in full swing! The first membership deadline to the Hamilton County Council of PTAs will be October 1! All PTAs making this deadline will qualify for Early Bird status! Please remember the dues increase this year before you begin your membership drive. The breakdown for membership to the council, state and national PTAs are as follows:
Council - .25 TN PTA – 1.00
National PTA – 2.25
The PTA Link is a newsletter
published by the Hamilton County
Council of PTAs. This letter will
contain vital information to the PTA
local units in Hamilton County.
Listed in each newsletter will be
deadlines, reminders, updates and
information about news and
events.
Your article and editorials are
welcome. Please send them to:
Editor: Badiema Waldrep at
Scottie Summerlin at
HCC PTAs Website and Blog
The Hamilton County Council of PTAs
has a website! The site can be
accessed at http://hcptacouncil.org.
We also have a blog that can be
accessed from the website. The web
site also has an image gallery; a section
about what the council is working on,
links to newsletters, contest deadlines
and much more! Keep yourselves and
your PTA informed by visiting our
website today!
Get Ready Parents!
Move over summer – a new school year is here! Each school year brings on new schedules, school functions, meetings, car pools, after school activities, and much more. Start planning and take steps to get organized now for any easy transition into the school year. Posting a family event calendar on the refrigerator to keep track of everyone’s busy schedules is a great way to start!
To avoid a hectic first day of school, start easing your children back into a school year routine gradually. For example, start waking up earlier, eating breakfast and preparing lunch; that way your child will start to come out of “summer vacation” mode and get into “back to school” mode.
The
PTA
Link
mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]://fwisdcouncil.txpta.org/index.php?module=dynamic_pages&level=main&page=7http://hcptacouncil.org/
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PTA National Standards for Family-School Partnerships Implementation
Guide,
a tool for empowering people to work together with an end goal of building family-school partnerships and student success. The benefits of family-school-community partnerships are many: higher teacher morale, more parent involvement, and
greater student success are only a few.
Proposed Bylaws Amendments for the Hamilton County Council of PTAs
These proposed bylaws amendments have been approved by both the Executive
Committee and the Board of Managers. The Council will vote on these proposed changes
at the October Council meeting.
Underlined phrases represent the proposed changes.
PARLIAMENTARIAN CHANGE
ARTICLE VII: OFFICERS AND THEIR ELECTION
Section 1. The elected officers of this Council shall be a President, President-Elect, Four (4)
Vice Presidents, a Secretary, a Treasurer, and the appointed officer shall be a
Parliamentarian.
ARTICLE IX: BOARD OF MANAGERS
Section 1. The business of this Council shall be conducted by the board of managers in the
intervals between the Council general membership meetings.
Section 2. The members of the board of managers shall be:
a. The elected and appointed officers;
b. The chairmen of the standing and/or special committees; and
c. Members of the Advisory Board.
ARTICLE X: EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
Section 1. The executive committee shall be composed of the elected and appointed
officers and the chairman of the advisory board.
(Add New Section 2 and renumber all remaining sections accordingly)
Section 2. The President shall select a Parliamentarian. The selection of a Parliamentarian
is subject to approval by the Executive Committee-elect at its organizational meeting.
TREASURER CHANGE
ARTICLE VII: OFFICERS AND THEIR ELECTION
Section 4. The following provisions shall govern the qualifications and eligibility of
individuals to be officers of this Council:
# a. Each officer shall be a member of a local unit in good standing within the area of this
Council.
b. All elected officers shall be elected to a two-year term in office. All elected officers are
eligible to serve only one (1) two-year term in their respective offices or until their
successors are elected, except the Treasurer. The Treasurer may serve no more than two
consecutive terms (4 years).
# c. A person who has served in an office for more than one half (1/2) of a full term shall
be deemed to have served a full term in such office.
*The changes will be voted on at the October 3, 2012 General Meeting of the Hamilton
County Council of PTAs.
Parliamentarian Message
by Lee Ann Hammer
After the Tennessee PTA Parliamentarian
has approved and signed your amended
bylaws, the process of adoption must be
completed. In order to adopt your
amended bylaws, the approval must be
made by the Association with two-thirds
(2/3) vote and a written notice of the
meeting must be given at least 30 days
prior to the date of the meeting. The
notice should contain the place, date and
time of the meeting, and the general
nature of the business that the board, at
the time of the notice, intends to present
for action by the members.
Bylaws are then signed and dated by your
unit’s secretary after they have been
successfully adopted by the association.
The original signed bylaws should be kept
in both the secretary’s binder and the
president’s binder.
Looking ahead to next year; it is very
important that at your yearly planning
meeting, each board member be given a
copy of your unit’s current bylaws. I can’t
stress enough the importance of them
reading this document and making
themselves familiar with the material. Each
board position and what is expected is
outlined within.
On a personal note, I just wanted to take
this opportunity to thank all the unit
presidents and parliamentarians from this
past year. It is very gratifying to be able to
assist such an enthusiastic group of
individuals toward a common goal.
updating your bylaws and basic
parliamentary procedures.
http://www.pta.org/2757.asphttp://www.pta.org/2757.asphttp://www.pta.org/2757.asphttp://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://sjcpl.lib.in.us/rhshomepage/stuco/gavel_clipart.jpg&imgrefurl=http://sjcpl.lib.in.us/rhshomepage/stuco/stuco.html&h=145&w=168&sz=8&tbnid=b0nwuBKhER-dTM:&tbnh=90&tbnw=104&prev=/search?q=clip+art+of+a+gavel&tbm=isch&tbo=u&zoom=1&q=clip+art+of+a+gavel&usg=__rT4Gzl_sJnq-I2JzSsHe3vwwhuw=&docid=9wC5gUPxufW1hM&hl=en&sa=X&ei=g2kgUPbkLY249gSbq4CwCg&ved=0CGAQ9QEwAg&dur=42
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THE PTA VISION
Making every child’s
potential a reality.
THE PTA VISION
Making every child’s
potential a reality.
Treasurer’s Corner HCC PTA Treasurer – Ellen McCollum
As of the July 17 council
meeting, the following are
the reported financial
balances for the
HCC PTAs:
Checking: $ 4,698.58
Savings: $ 857.13
Volunteer
Management
Treat volunteers with respect
and consideration-they are not
paid for their work, they are
donating their time and talents
because they want to help
children succeed. You also must
be very flexible. Understand your
school’s community culture. If
your PTA serves a lot of single
families, you may have to divide
responsibilities among several
people. You may even have to
consider changing your bylaws to
create “co” positions for
committee chairs to split up the
work load. Bottom line – thank
ALL of your volunteers every
chance that you get!
Do you need extra membership cards
or have extras?
Please go online to
www.tnpta.org and
submit the form for
additional cards.
If you have too many
cards please return those
to the Tennessee PTA
office at:
1905 Acklen Avenue
Nashville, TN 37212
The National PTA
Official Back to
School Kit Online
All council, district, and region PTAs
must register to receive their Official
PTA® Kit. The incoming 2012–2013
PTA president or other authorized
PTA leader must fill out the
registration form to select the
preferred shipping address and
date for the kit. The order form will
be available through September 16.
The National PTA® Official Back
to School Kit is available
exclusively to PTAs in good
standing. Order your kit today at
www.pta.org.
Essential Question
Q: Can a PTA Board be appointed by school
administrators?
A: No. All PTA Boards must go through a nominating process
and elected by their PTAs
general membership.
ATTENTION LOCAL UNITS!
The council encourages each
PTA to have representatives
on their board to attend the
meetings of the Hamilton
County Council of PTAs. Many
of you have a section in your
bylaws that refers to
representatives for council
meetings. Come see what we
have to offer and report back
to your board!
PTA FACT
The PTA is for everyone!
Our volunteers are
mothers, fathers and those
who fill those roles. We
have a wide range of
volunteers who: stay-at-
home; work part-time to
full-time; have little ones at
home, preschoolers, high
schoolers and/or college
students; are continuing
their own education; and
more.
http://www.tnpta.org/http://www.pta.org/