Little Rock PTA Council News November 2011 Message from the President PTA and School Leaders, Western Hills Elementary: Western Hills was built in 1966 and is located in South Midtown Little Rock. It is a campus that strives to promote academic and athletic honors to the school through the efforts of its parents, teachers, and students. It thrives on positive citizenship and an enjoyable atmosphere conducive for learning. It also boasts a strong PTA organization. Inside this issue: PTA Council Dates 2 Good Standing Status 2 American Education Week 2 Insurance and Bonding 3 Jane Mendel Reading Day 3 Audit and 990 filing for 2010-3 Western Hills Partnership Central Tigers Readers Fall Dates to Remember 4 Audit Form insert * National Network for Partnership Schools Leadership Training Action Teams for Partnerships LR PTA Council Fee Form * 3 * Thank you Fulbright Elementary Principal, Deborah Mitchell, and PTSA President-Elect, Karen Fleischmann for hosting our October Council meeting! After a fabulous lunch, performance by the Fulbright Joy Choir, and a short business meeting, PTA leaders in attendance broke into officer groups for specific PTA training. This was an opportunity for new officers who missed the AR PTA Summer Leadership training to learn more about their new PTA roles. We appreciate all members who participated in the training! Congratulations to those units which submitted PTA membership dues by September 30 all will be Early Bird award winners! Keep up the good work and remember to send any membership dues you have collected so far this school year to the AR PTA by November 1 (postmark deadline) in order for your PTA to qualify for state and Council membership and unit achievement awards given in the spring. (Remember, the LRSD offers each school a PTA membership incentive payment per membership! Those funds are paid directly into the school's activity funds each fall and spring, and principals and PTAs leaders should plan together on how those funds will be spent.) Two important PTA-sponsored contests are coming soon Reflections and American Education Week (Nov. 13-18)! These contests offer students a unique opportunity to showcase their many artistic and writing talents, so please encourage participation at your school! Our next meeting will be held at Western Hills Elementary School on Tuesday, November 8. Lunch will be served from 11:00-11:30am, and the business meeting will be held from11:30-12:30. This meeting will focus on Membership and Parental Involvement. I look forward to seeing you then! We may not have it altogether, but together we can have it all. HEnri SMothers, President 8 Buffington Court, LR, AR 72209 501-960-2768, hynri1@hotmail.com President HEnri SMothers
2011-2012 LR PTA Council Meeting Dates Lunch - 11:00 Meeting - 11:30 12:30 Nov. 8 Western Hills Elementary School Membership; Parent Involvement Dec. 13 Hamilton High School College Savings Plans 529/AR Scholarships Jan. 10 Forest Heights Middle School Legislative Update / NCAA Feb. 14 TBA Founders Day; Council & Amer. Ed. Week Awards Mar. 13 Mabelvale Middle School Graduation Requirements April 10 J. A. Fair High School -- Member Directed May 8 Robert Elementary School Annual Spring Luncheon, Council Awards, Membership Recognition & Officers/Annual Meeting All fees should be submitted to Michelle Odum, LR PTA Council Treasurer In order ensure that all records are as accurate as possible, PLEASE submit a current list of members to the State PTA Office along with your PTA dues. Are You in Good Standing? The requirements for a local PTA unit to be in good standing and eligible for awards are: 1) Filed Current Audit by August 15. 2) Current approved Bylaws on file with state office. 3) Paid Membership dues to state office by November 1 and 4) Secured Fidelity Bond Insurance to cover all members who have access to PTA funds. See your Arkansas PTA Kit of Tools for details on each requirement. American Education Week is coming soon! During the week of November 13 18, 2011, we will be celebrating American Education Week. For the entire week, we encourage you and your PTA to honor educators who dedicate their lives to teach the students in your school. You are also encouraged to be creative in your activities to show how much you appreciate your teachers. You should have already received your Ideas for Involvement packet, which offers a variety of suggestions for teacher appreciation activities and explains contest guidelines. Theme: Public Education: A Basic Right and Our Responsibility. K-3rd graders are asked to create an art project that reflects the theme. 4th-12th graders are asked to write an essay. The best three entries from each grade level should be sent to: Sarah Buffalo, LR PTA Council, David O. Dodd Elementary by December 9, 2011 to be entered into the district contest. The winners of that contest will be celebrated during the Council s Founder s Day Luncheon. Principals, please share this information with your art teachers and classroom teachers as soon as possible so they can begin working on their projects. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at sarah.buffalo@lrsd.org. Sara Buffalo, LR PTA Council 3rd Vice President.
Insurance and Bonding Requirements Liability Insurance coverage is optional for PTA units. The Liability Policy protects the Units, its officers, directors, and individual members acting within the scope of the responsibilities for PTA. It covers claims made against the Unit for bodily injury, property damage, personal injury, advertising injury, libel, and slander. However, we strongly encourage the Units to consider the benefits of having the Liability Insurance available to defend the Unit in case of a claim or lawsuit. The AR PTA is pleased to present an opportunity for each local unit/council to purchase Liability and Fidelity Bond insurance coverage through AIM Companies. An application is included in this newsletter, but it can also be found in your Arkansas PTA Kit of Tools or you may call the state PTA office. The application should be compiled and returned to AIM Insurance Companies along with the appropriate fees. **Note** Units may purchase coverage from any company offering such insurance, as long as the purchase is reported to the state PTA office. Audit and 990 Filing for School Year Ending 6/30/2011 As a reminder, PTAs are required to have an audit on file with the Arkansas PTA by August 15 for the School Year ending 6/30/2011. If you have already completed and filed your Audit, please forward an Information Copy to Marilyn Hopson for our records. If you have not completed an Audit and would like for the Internal Audit to assist you with this, please call and arrange a time. Also, in order to maintain the non-exempt Status, the IRS requires 990-N Tax Filing which is due by November 15, 2011. If you have receipts of less than $25,000, this can be done electronically at the following website: http://epostcard.form990.org/ If you need assistance, please call our office and we will assist you. After you have filed your 990-N, please forward an Information Copy to Marilyn Hopson for our records. If you would like for the PTA Council to file the 990-N for you, please contact Sandy Becker. Thank you for volunteering to help our schools through your involvement with PTA. We are looking forward to a great 2011-2012 School Year! Sandy Becker Internal Auditor, LRSD LRPTA Council Advisory Member Central Tiger Readers Read to Western Hills Students The Central Tiger Readers consists of students representing the Football, Cheerleading and Drill Teams at Central High School. These students volunteer their time on Friday morning game days before school reading to elementary students at Western Hills. This mentor group also takes time to assist struggling readers. Volunteers in Public Schools of the Little Rock School District will host its fifteenth annual ViPS Jane Mendel Reading Day on Tuesday, November 15, 2011. Community volunteers will be placed in hundreds of elementary classrooms throughout the District to read a favorite story during the morning of the 15th. Interested volunteers may sign up through the District web page: www.lrsd.org or by calling ViPS at 447-ViPS.
Little Rock PTA Council 2011-2012 Board Fall Dates to Remember Nov. 1 Submit dues check and report to State PTA Office PRESIDENT Henri Smothers 1st VICE PRESIDENT Nelia Chambers 2nd VICE PRESIDENT Sarah Bernhardt 3rd VICE PRESIDENT Sara Buffalo RECORDING SECRETARY Rita Qualls CORRESPONDING SECRETARY Greta Freeman Nov. 3-4 Nov. 7 Nov. 8 Nov. 8 Nov. 8 Nov. 8-10 Nov. 9 Nov. 10 Nov. 13-18 AEA/Professional Development Students Out Middle School Recruitment Open House: Dunbar, Henderson and Pulaski Heights 6:00 p.m. Middle School Recruitment Open House: Cloverdale, Forest Heights, Mabelvale and Mann 6:00 p.m. High School Recruitment Open House: Parkview 7:00 p.m. LR PTA Council, Western Hills Elementary, 11:00 a.m. Check Us Out, all schools, 9:00 1:00 p.m. High School Recruitment Open House: Hall, McClellan 7:00 p.m. High School Recruitment Open House: J. A. Fair 7:00 p.m. American Educational Week TREASURER Michelle Odum HISTORIAN Michelle Spencer-McElway PARLIAMENTARIAN Patty Barker ADVISORY Essie Middleton, Kaye Rainey, Sandy Becker NEWSLETTER Greta Freeman FOUNDER S DAY Michelle Spencer-McElway ViPS BOARD Georgia Rucker-Key SPRING LUNCHEON LR PTA Council Executive Board Nov. 15 Nov. 15 Nov. 15 Nov. 17 Nov. 23-25 Dec. 3 Dec. 13 Dec. 15 High School Recruitment Open House: Central 7:00 p.m. 990 or 990EZ Form due to IRS ViPS Jane Mendel Reading Day School Board Meeting, 5:30 p.m. Thanksgiving Break Students Out NNPS Leadership Training 8:30 3:00 p.m. at Parkview Media Center LR PTA Council, Hamilton Learning Academy, 11:00 a.m. School Board Meeting, 5:30 p.m. Dec. 19 - Jan 2 Winter Break Students Out Jan. 3 Little Rock PTA Council Professional Development Students Out We re on the Web! See us at: www.lrsd.org/pta Email: lrptacouncil@lrsd.org CENTRAL REGION VICE PRESIDENT Melinda Kinnison ARKANSAS PTA PRESIDENT Ray Samaniego Remember to wear your Razorback Red to the meeting at Western Hills!
Little Rock PTA Council Registration Fee Form (The PTA Council Registration Fee is in addition to your National & State dues paid to the Arkansas PTA. Your fee supports the work of your local PTA council.) Name of Unit Name of President Phone # Email Address School enrollment as of October 1 Council fees are based on your school type/size. Please check the appropriate column. High School $100 Middle School $ 75 Elementary School w/ enrollment over 300 students $ 50 Elementary School w/ enrollment under 300 students $ 25 Metropolitan, ACC, Felder and Hamilton $ 25 Check # Amount Remitted $ Please mail your check (payable to Little Rock PTA Council) and this form Michelle Odum LR PTA Council Treasurer P.O. Box 17585 Little Rock, Arkansas 72222 Please pay fees before November 1. Fees must be received before a unit will be considered eligible for PTA Council awards. Office Use Only: Date Postmarked Date Received