Montana pta voice. President s message. Upcoming Deadlines/ Events

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1 Montana pta voice Providing PTA news and information for Montana PTA local units, councils, and members Volume 6, Issue 10 June 2015 President s message It s hard to believe that summer fundraising and is already here. Many Units advocacy. Summer have had their elections so I is a great time to would like to take the time to prepare for your welcome our new Local Unit PTA Year. Please Leaders. Please be sure to take the time to meet as a complete an updated Officer board as summer always goes Reporting Form. Thank you for by way to fast and before you your commitment to the know it its open house night students, school and and school has started. community in your area. With I m excited to attend The 2015 your new Unit leaders coming National PTA Convention in on board it is important to Charlotte, North Carolina June register for your Back to School th. The National PTA s Kit when it becomes available theme is Movin Forward. I look this summer. The Kit includes forward to bringing back fresh resources and ideas to help Montana s PTA s tools to assist be the best they can be. Have a PTA Leaders safe summer and remember on the subjects of you can contact me or the membership, office throughout the summer. finance, Sherry Holderith, President programs, Montana PTA Upcoming Deadlines/ Events SUBMIT NOW! Officer Reporting Form to MT PTA Office June 21 First Day of Summer September 1 Heads N Tails Grant Application Deadline September 18 Early Registration Deadline MT PTA Convention October 2&3 100th Annual Montana PTA Convention, Billings, MT 100th Anniversary

2 P A G E 2 Convention chair message REMEMBER! 100th Montana PTA Convention October 2nd and 3rd... Please pass this opportunity on to all new board members. If you have summer meetings please add this to your summer meeting agendas. We look forward to seeing you. Thank you for a great school year and for all your hard work!!! Michelle Duncan Montana PTA Convention Chair MT PTA Convention You re invited to attend the 100th Annual Montana PTA Convention in Billings at the Big Horn Resort October 2nd & 3rd! This year s theme is Planting Seeds for the Future. We look forward to meeting new faces and seeing all our PTA leaders come together for the same purpose. Please see the Convention Registration form included in this newsletter (pg 5). Also, be looking for the special Montana PTA Convention Packet that will be mailed to each unit leader in August. Getting as many board members and general members to convention is highly recommended to help strengthen your PTA, and we would love to see everyone. Your leaders will be more informed and have all the tools needed to effectively advocate for all Children, along with great workshops, training and networking during this wonderful weekend. If money is an issue, Montana PTA has a grant the Heads N Tails Grant that your PTA can apply for. You will find the Heads N Tails application included in this newsletter. If needed, we encourage you to fill it out and send in as soon as possible. See you in Billings! October 2-3, 2015 Big Horn Resort Montana PTA

3 P A G E 3 Tentative Convention Agenda Friday, October 2, pm 4:30pm - 8:00pm 5:00pm - 6:00pm 6:15pm - 7:15pm 7:45pm 6:00pm 8:00pm Registration opens Exhibitor Social ~ Exhibitor booths open Montana PTA booth open and scholarship raffle basket drop off and tickets sold What to Expect First Timers Orientation Workshop What is PTA? Let s break it down of what we are doing and why in PTA. It s time to look at exactly PTA looks like. (Exhibitors will still be open during the training if you decide not to attend.) Treasure State meeting (you only need to attend if you are a member) Hors d'oeuvres served Saturday, October 3, am Registration opens 8:30am 10:30am General Session #1 10:30am 10:45am Break ~ snacks available 10:30am 10:45am Elections Open 11:00am 12:00pm #1 Workshop Session 12:30pm 1:15pm Lunch Exhibitor Thank you. Food will be available. Please eat, mingle, and visit with exhibitors. 1:30pm 2:15pm #2 Workshop Session 2:30pm 3:15pm #3 Workshop Session *Remember exhibitors close at 4pm so if you need to talk to them one more time do it soon* 3:30pm 4:15pm Reflections Showcase 4:30pm 5:30pm General Session #2 6:00pm 8:30pm Salute to Success Banquet and Awards A great big THANK YOU goes out to Laurel School District for allowing Montana PTA to use a school room as an office at no charge. We appreciate the free office space and are very grateful! THANK YOU LAUREL SCHOOL DISTRICT!!!

4 P A G E 4 The Montana PTA is looking to fill the following open board positions! Treasurer, 2 Membership Representatives, Reflections Chair, Program Chair, New Unit Development Chair, and Health & Safety Chair If interested in serving on our Board and/or for details and descriptions of these board positions, please contact the Montana PTA Office. We welcome anyone to consider being involved in PTA at the State level. Please call today to see how you can make a difference! The Montana PTA Board of Directors Application can be found on our website Montana PTA (406) mtstatepta@gmail.com Thank You! PLEASE NOTE: Montana PTA has a new address mtstatepta@gmail.com Going forward, please use this address instead of ptamontana@rbbmt.org. Thank You!

5 M O N T A N A P T A V O I C E P A G E 5 100th Annual Montana PTA Convention Registration October 2nd & 3rd, 2015 Big Horn Resort Convention Center * 1801 Majestic Ln * Billings, MT Planting Seeds for the Future... Name of registering delegate: Delegate s address, city, & zip: Delegate s phone number and address: Delegate s PTA position: PTA Unit or Council delegate is representing: Voting Delegate s Credential Will you be a voting delegate YES NO Unit President Signature Date Unit Secretary Signature Date Local PTA s must be in Good Standing to register voting delegates. This Credential Certification is necessary to register as a Voting Delegate for the MT PTA Convention. The unit president and secretary must sign this credential. It is not transferable to any other person and is good for one vote for each action taken at the convention. Convention attendees registering on site must show their current PTA membership card. If you do not have a PTA card and you are a paid member please contact your local unit President to get your card. Each unit in good standing is allowed 1 vote for its president plus 1 vote for each 25 members or the greater portion thereof. Each council is allowed 1 vote for its president. REGISTRATION FEES Includes speakers, workshops, materials, and food at Friday social, Saturday breakfast, Reflections Showcase, and Montana PTA s Salute to Success Banquet Saturday night $95.00 Advance Registration Received before September 18, 2015 $ $ Registration Received after September 18, 2015 $ $ Non-PTA Member Registration $ Extra Saturday Luncheon Tickets $12.00 each = TOTAL $ Extra Saturday Salute to Success Banquet Tickets $18.00 each = TOTAL $ *No refunds for registration fees or meal will be given after September 18, 2015 *Registration fees will not be adjusted for unattended meals ROOM RESERVATION INFORMATION Contact: Big Horn Resort, 1801 Majestic Lane, Billings, MT for room reservations. Toll free or Check out their website and see what attractions are available near the hotel, the website address is thebighornresort.com. Single rooms are $89 + tax and double rooms are $89 + tax. Please make reservations as soon as possible because these group rates are only good if reservations are made on or before September 1, All areas are fully accessible. Request the Montana State PTA convention rate. Check-in time is 3:00pm and checkout time is 11:00am. Yes, I have reservations at the Big Horn Resort RETURN COMPLETED FORM AND CHECK MADE PAYABLE TO: Montana PTA, PO Box 1269 Laurel, MT Montana PTA would like to know what great work and accomplishments your PTA had in the school year. This is what the Salute to Success is all about. We want to congratulate you and let all the delegates know what local units are busy doing. We will contact you to get further details from you. Yes we want to CELEBRATE OUR SUCCESS! I will be waiting for my phone call to tell Montana PTA all about it!!! For Montana PTA Office Use Date Received Check Number Check Amount

6 Local unit insurance renewals P A G E 6 IMPORTANT! Currently, there are 45 Units who have not submitted the required General Liability Insurance Coverage annual premium of $50 to AIM Insurance. THANK YOU to those Units who have! The new coverage year (6/13/15 6/13/16) is approaching quickly and this payment needs to be made as soon as possible. If you have not received the insurance renewal from AIM, please let me know and I will it to you. It is critical that the liability insurance premiums are paid to AIM Insurance ASAP. More information about the renewal process can be found in the May issue of the Montana PTA Voice newsletter. Please feel free to contact me with any questions you may have or contact AIM directly at Thank You! Michelle Scoles Montana PTA Office Manager A MONTANA PTA UNIT IN GOOD STANDING For a Montana PTA local unit to be in good standing it must: Comply with National PTA Bylaws, Montana PTA Bylaws, and the Uniform Bylaws for Local Units. Adhere to the PTA Vision, Mission, Values, Purposes and basic policies of the PTA. Submit appropriate membership data and dues to the Montana PTA by November 1 st and April 1 st. Remit required liability insurance premiums to AIM Insurance by May 1 st. File the appropriate 990-N, 990-EZ, or 990 Federal Tax Return on an annual basis at fiscal year end and submit a copy of receipt/confirmation to Montana PTA. Submit an Officer Reporting Form to the Montana PTA by June 1 and update the Montana PTA office when new officers are elected throughout the year. Submit a copy of the Local Unit Standing Rules to the Montana PTA on an annual basis. File an annual Corporate Renewal Form and submit the yearly fee of $15.00 to the Secretary of State prior to April 15 th. Conduct an annual financial review of the local unit s financial records and submit a copy to the Montana PTA.

7 Reflections news ANNOUNCING NATIONAL PTA REFLECTIONS WINNER... Photography Award of Merit goes to: Alyssa Smith P A G E 7 Alyssa Smith will be a 6th grader at Alkali Creek Elementary in Billings this fall. Her work is titled, I Love What I Do! Alyssa said, The world would be a better place if everyone took the time to do an activity that they love to do daily. Doing what you love makes you happy, if everybody was happy, the world would be a better place. Congratulations to our National winner and to our PTA Reflection Chairs!!! ANNOUNCEMENT: Montana PTA has an opening for a State Reflections Chair. Please contact Montana PTA at or ptamontana@rbbmt.org for more information and if interested or know of someone who may be interested in this Montana PTA position. THANK YOU! Join National PTA celebrate the arts for National Arts in Education Week September 14-18, Students, teachers, families and schools are encouraged to participate in the arts during the week. For each school day during National Arts in Education Week, we encourage you to promote school-wide arts activities based on the Reflections theme, "Let Your Imagination Fly." Monday: Dance Choreography Tuesday: Film Production Wednesday: Literature Thursday: Music Composition Friday: Photography and Visual Arts Consider additional ways schools and PTAs can take an active role in supporting arts education: Kick-off the PTA Reflections program to recognize student achievement. Use our toolkit to get started and recruit a volunteer to lead the Reflections program in his or her school. Enroll in the National PTA School of Excellence program to improve your school in the areas of arts and cultural exploration by using PTA's National Standards for Family-School Partnerships. Learn about the benefits of arts education and explore additional resources for enhancing arts education in your school community. About National Arts in Education Week In 2010, the U.S. House of Representatives passed House Resolution #275 designating the second week of September as "Arts in Education Week." The resolution states: [...] Arts education, comprising a rich array of disciplines including dance, theatre, media arts, literature, design and visual arts, is a core academic subject and an essential element of a complete and balanced education for all students. Questions?

8 P A G E 8 **What s Coming? June, july, August** You may be a President just winding down your PTA year or a new President wondering what you need to do now that you are starting your leadership year. Listed below you will find the information that will be coming to you each month and actions you may need to take to ensure your coming PTA leadership year is successful right from the start! The Montana PTA provides all the documents you will need to facilitate a successful PTA. The MT PTA website includes complete information for advocacy, leadership, programs, resource library, PTA and the Law and much more! Encourage everyone who serves on your board to visit the website. JUNE Make sure you have or received an updated President s binder. Your binder should have copies of your unit s Standing Rules, a copy of the Uniform Bylaws for Local Units, copies of this past year s minutes from meetings, copies of your budget and samples of documents your President may have used this past year. You don t want to have to recreate the wheel.so samples of newsletter articles, announcements and such can help you create these documents easily next year. Send in the Officer Reporting Form! Due June 1st. Found on page 10 of this newsletter. This will ensure that you or your new President will receive all the new information coming out from National PTA and Montana PTA. Send in what you information you have, even if you have an unfilled position to ensure you receive valuable PTA resources! AUGUST August will bring information and resources to start your school year! If you sent in your Officer Reporting Form, your officers will receive the MT PTA Convention Packet which is filled with all the convention details and information. Your PTA leadership team should plan to attend the 100th Annual Montana PTA Convention, October 2nd & 3rd in Billings. Questions that you have will be answered and you will receive even more information about programs, advocacy, membership and more. If you have any questions about the information you receive or do not receive these valuable resources - please call the Montana PTA office at or mtstatepta@gmail.com! The office is open all summer long to assist you. JULY The Official National PTA Back-to-School Kit will be digital once again! It will include interactive resources to help your PTA kick-start a winning school year. More information on the BTS Kit will be provided soon. In the meantime, please access the BTS Kit at

9 P A G E 9 Heads N Tails Grant Application To Attend the Montana PTA Convention October 2nd & 3rd, 2015 Big Horn Resort, Billings, MT Deadline for submission is September 1, 2015 Each year the Montana PTA awards a limited number of grants to local PTA/PTSAs for participation at the Montana PTA State Convention. The grant covers one room for two nights at the convention hotel and one registration fee, which includes the cost of scheduled meal functions. Transportation to and from the convention site, any incidentals, additional meals and expenses are the responsibility of the grant PTA/PTSA winner. The designated officer or PTA member of each grant winning PTA/PTSA must attend the entire convention and meal functions. The reserved hotel room will sleep up to four. Grant winners are encouraged to bring additional attendees from their PTA/PTSA. All PTAs/PTSAs must be a unit in good standing to apply. Units must have: Submitted appropriate membership data and dues to the MPTA by required deadlines Submit name and addresses of officers to MPTA by required deadlines Remitted Liability Insurance premium to MPTA by required deadline Annually submit a copy of unit s Standing Rules to the MPTA Attach a one page summary addressing the following questions: 1. How would your PTA/PTSA benefit from receiving a Montana PTA Convention grant? 2. How would your PTA/PTSA benefit from attending the convention? **Your summary may be stated in a paragraph, several sentences, or the entire page. Please include all the information you feel will help the review committee know your PTA better. Grant applications will not be considered without this form and the summary page. Name of PTA/PTSA President Phone Address Street City Zip Indicate which applies: Our PTA/PTSA was last represented at the state convention in year. Our PTA/PTSA has never attended convention Name of designated PTA officer or member willing to attend entire convention: Name of Recipient Office Held (if any) I understand that as the designated recipient, I am expected to stay for the entire convention if our PTA/PTSA is selected. As the designated officer of I hereby give my consent for to be considered for selection as a convention grant recipient. Signature of Designated Officer PTA/PTSA, (Recipient) Mail the completed application and attach summary by September 1st, 2015 to: Montana PTA, P.O. Box 1269, Laurel, MT 59044

10 P A G E OFFICER REPORTING FORM For Units and Councils Required Unit/Council Name: Permanent PTA Unit/Council Address (School address or PO Box): Address City Zip REQUIRED completion and return of this form for unit to be in Good Standing with Montana and National PTA. Send to: Montana PTA Office, PO Box 1269, Laurel, MT OR ptamontana@rbbmt.org by June 1 st. If officers change during year, submit new information to the office immediately. Only units that have returned this form will receive membership cards and resources All officers listing an address will receive the Montana PTA Voice via . All officers will be entered into the National PTA online membership database. President s Name: Address: City & Zip: Phone address Term Start Date Term End Date Treasurer s Name: Address: City & Zip: Phone Secretary s Name: Address: City & Zip: Phone Vice President s Name: Address: City & Zip: Phone Vice President s Name: Address: City & Zip: Phone address address address address Term Start Date Term End Date Term Start Date Term End Date Title: Term Start Date Term End Date Title: Term Start Date Term End Date If you have more than two Vice Presidents or other board positions, please attach additional form.

11 P R O V I D I N G P T A N E W S A N D I N F O R M A T I O N FOR M O N T A N A P T A L O C A L U N I T S, C O U N C I L S, A N D M E M B E R S P A G E 11 National pta news When families read, good things happen! Take the PTA Family Reading Challenge this July and make new memories with your family that will last a lifetime. Let's Read All Summer Long Visit PTAReadingChallenge.org for info on how you can participate in the month-long challenge! You'll also find info on prizes, family videos showing the magic of reading together and tools to help you promote the challenge to your local PTA units and members. Training Opportunity for New PTA Board Leaders Many local PTAs are in the process of transitioning to new leadership. Our e-learning courses will give PTA leaders the tips and tools they need to start the upcoming school year right! Check out some of our popular courses including Local Unit President, Local Unit Secretary, Local Unit Treasurer and Board Basics on PTA.org/eLearning.

12 P R O V I D I N G P T A N E W S A N D I N F O R M A T I O N FOR M O N T A N A P T A L O C A L U N I T S, C O U N C I L S, A N D M E M B E R S P A G E 12 ADVERTISING in the MONTANA PTA VOICE Newsletter: Would you or do you know of someone who would be interested in advertising in this newsletter? If so, please contact the Montana PTA office at or ptamontana@rbbmt.org for rates and information. All advertising is subject to approval by Montana PTA. Montana PTA reserves the right to reject any advertising it feels is not in keeping with the character, goals, and purposes of PTA. "Disclaimer: Articles and advertisements in The Voice do not necessarily represent the viewpoints or policies of Montana PTA. Montana PTA does not endorse non-pta products or services mentioned in the publication." Board of Directors President: Sherry Holderith (406) montanaptapresident@gmail.com Secretary: Andrea Barrow (406) montanaptasecretary@gmail.com Treasurer (outgoing): Colleen Nichols (406) montanaptatreasurer@gmail.com President Elect: montanaptapresidentelect@gmail.com VACANT MEMBER REPRESENTATIVES montanaptamemberrep1@gmail.com VACANT montanaptamemberrep2@gmail.com APPOINTED CHAIRS Advocacy: Dee Hensley Maclean (406) montanaptaadvocacy@gmail.com Convention: Michelle Duncan (406) montanaptaconvention@gmail.com Diversity: Mariellen Ritts (406) montanaptadiversitychair@gmail.com Membership: Heather Wright (406) montanaptamembership@gmail.com New Unit Development: VACANT montanaptanewunit@gmail.com Program: VACANT montanaptaprogram@gmail.com Reflections: VACANT montanaptareflections@gmail.com

13 MONTANA CONGRESS OF PARENTS & TEACHERS ASSOC. P.O. BOX 1269 LAUREL, MT Save the Date!!! 100th Annual Montana PTA Convention October 2nd & 3rd, 2015 Big Horn Resort Billings, MT Inside this Issue President s Message Page 1 Convention Chair Message Page MT PTA Convention Page 2 Tentative 2015 Convention Agenda Page 3 Thank You Laurel School District Page 3 Montana PTA OPEN Board Positions Page 4 By Kids For Kids Ad Page 4 Montana PTA has a new address Page 4 Convention Registration Form Page 5 Insurance Renewals Page 6 Good Standing Requirements Page 6 Reflections News Page 7 What s Coming? June, July, August Page 8 Heads N Tails Grant Application Page 9 Officer Reporting Form Page 10 Family Reading Experience Page 11 Advertising in the Voice Newsletter Page 12 Board of Directors List Page 12