Summer, Summer, Summer Time!
Long awaited summer is FINALLY HERE! I mean, what a year! I must give a huge shout out to all LPS teachers, staff, leaders, students, and families! WE MADE IT! Whether virtual or face to face, our community has more than proven itself this year! Especially the teaching staff and students! I often feel that there aren't enough words to express how amazing they are!
But now, we get to relax...for a bit at least. But as PTA, we all know that summer means planning! I know many of us are excited to plan for a year that will hopefully be ALMOST if not completely back to normal. Let us remember the reasons we joined the PTA and our mission. EVERY CHILD, ONE VOICE! Let's get excited and re-energized for a fantastic year!
And finally, this is my last newsletter as Council's Newsletter Chair. I am happy to be passing the torch to our newest Council member, Laura Ulaszek. I know she will do a fantastic job! Thank you for allowing and reading my thoughts these last 2 years! Now on to my other Council duties!
Kindly,
Andrea Malenfant
Council Newsletter Chair
LPTSA Council's Annual Audit Party Is Happening!
Some tips to make sure your audit goes smoothly:
1. PLEASE make sure your books are organized and all receipts are included.
2. PLEASE have a total amount for all receipts (monies paid) and a total of all income (deposits). This makes the process easier.
3. Go through and do a practice audit on your own books to make sure receipts add up and deposits add up.
4. You will also need last years audit so please bring a copy of that, as that is your beginning balance.
* If your unit will be having their audit completed elsewhere, please contact President Mandy Gerstenbrand. Council will also need a completed copy of your audit.
We look forward to seeing you all!
Important Information Regarding MemberHub Payments!!
From MI PTA regarding Stripe. Council is aware that a couple units have not made the transition from WePay to Stripe. Please do so ASAP!
Several PTA Units have recently tried to send in dues payments using MemberHub, only to have those payments fail. Subsequent attempts have also failed. What is going on?
As you may know, MemberHub has made many changes to their platform recently. One of the biggest changes is the switch from WePay to Stripe. These are financial services which process on-line payments.
If you have used MemberHub successfully in the past to make payments, and now your transactions are failing, please check to see if you have converted to Stripe. If you are still trying to use WePay, your transaction cannot go through.
Here is some information on signing up with Stripe: https://support.memberhub.com/hc/en-us/articles/360049328313-How-to-take-payments-with-MemberHub
If you have converted to Stripe and are still having problems making online payments, please contact Michigan PTA at 734-975-9500 so we can help you.
Thank you!
Michigan PTA
LPTSA Council Officer's Training
On Wednesday, June 23rd, PTA officers from across the district gathered for our annual training workshop. We were honored to have National PTA board member Shaton Berry as our guest speaker! We also had MI PTA President Elect Tracey Troy on hand to answer questions. The evening included group sessions as well as breakouts for each officer position. We ended the evening with a presentation from our own Debbie Yates which covered the work of our Diversity, Equity and Inclusion committee, as well as information about the National PTA Reflections program. This was the first time we've been able to gather in over a year, and it was great to get back in the swing of things! We hope everyone who attended came away from the event feeling refreshed, re-energized, and ready to tackle the new year. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to reach out, we're here to help!
Mandy Gerstenbrand
LPTSAC President
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Debbie Yates' DEI presentation was amazing! | Up and Coming Treasurers! | What a Great Group of Secretaries! |
Debbie Yates' DEI presentation was amazing!
Up and Coming Treasurers!
What a Great Group of Secretaries!
Let's Talk About P.E.P.!
The PEP list has changed!!! This new school year will also come with a new PEP Checklist. Several items are the same, but there are some new changes. Please see the downloadable PEP Checklist below for the updates. This can also be found on Livonia PTSA Council's Website at https://livoniaptsacouncil.org/work/pep/
What's Due:
1.) Monthly membership dues to MI PTA are due today, June 28th. How do you remit? The easiest way is to use MemberHub. Use the Admin Console>PTA>State Payment and send it digitally right now! Or by check sent to MI PTA.
*If you have any oustanding memberships that need to be paid, PLEASE do so now!*
2.) Attend LPTSA Council's Audit Party on July 14th. (100 pts per person)
Membership
Hello summer! Time to relax after this past school year and start thinking towards next school year and the future. Do you have a Membership Chairperson yet? How will you recruit new members next year? Will you offer some sort of incentive to become a member? This is the perfect time to start thinking outside the box on how to increase your membership.
Don't forget to include a line item for Membership as you're planning next year's budget. Be sure to account for funds coming in and out of your account for membership dues.
Livonia PTSA Council requires a one time dues fee by October 28th. You can find the remittance form below. When you submit this payment, please be sure to mail or deliver it to the address on the form. Please DO NOT send it to Central Office. Also, be sure to pay Michigan PTA for all new members by the 28th of every month. This can be done through Memberhub and is only for those members who are new and haven't been paid for yet.
Let's get ready to have an amazing year!
Sara Bennett
Livonia PTSA Council - Membership Chair
Randolph PTA's 4th Grade Send Off!
Erin Horback - Randolph PTA
Churchill PTSA Celebrates With End Of Year Gift!
Patty Novak - Churchill PTSA
Kennedy's Spring Fling
Our annual end of year bash looked a little different, but a great time was had by all! Due to COVID restrictions, the festivities all took place outside. We hired a magician that was great and performed in the shade of the trees. We had a face painter who did air brush arm tattoos for the children. We also had a temporary tattoo station, a make and take station that included rock painting, and a sucker pull station with prizes. All of these were free! We set up some lawn games, rented a giant Connect Four game, put out chalk and hula hoops, and had a DJ set up outside. Heavenly Hot Dogs and Cookies and Cream were the 2 food vendors at the event and there were lots of smiles. Although Spring Fling was scaled back, it was great seeing all of the smiles as students and families were able to mingle and celebrate the year.
-Kennedy PTA Board
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DJ's In The Making? | Check Out Those Fun Tattoos! | Everyone Needs A Little Magic! |
DJ's In The Making?
Check Out Those Fun Tattoos!
Everyone Needs A Little Magic!
MI PTA 103rd Annual Convention Registration Is Now Open!
You are now able to register for Michigan PTA's 103rd Annual Convention. It will be taking place August 5th - 8th and will be virtual once again this year. They have a lot planned and several Council members will be attending. We highly encourage all units to have at least one member attend. A lot of good information can be gained from attending convention. You can use the link below for registration. The cost is $20.
*An Opportunity To Provide Feedback!
On June 15th, the MDE issued a memo titled…
[Notice and Request for Public Comment: American Rescue Plan (ARP) Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund (ESSER III) Plan – MEMO #COVID-19-198]
Per this memo, the MDE is seeking public feedback on their initial plan for ESSER III funds from the American Rescue Plan Act. To provide feedback, they have set-up the following survey…
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/ZWJLCVY
The memo notes that “Feedback must be submitted to the MDE before the close of business on Monday, June 28, 2021”
Background:
Per the ARP Act, the United State Education Department is requiring that local plans include “meaningful consultation with stakeholders”. The MDE submitted their initial plan for the use of ESSER III funds from the ARP Act to USED on June 7th.
Links:
MDE’s Memo:
https://www.michigan.gov/.../ESSER_III_Public_Comment...
MDE’s Initial Plan: https://www.michigan.gov/.../Michigan_ARP_ESSER_State...
New Dates for 2021 -2022! Put These On Your Calendar NOW!
Please note that these dates and times could be subject to change due to any change in COVID - 19 regulations. We will inform all units of any updates or changes as soon as possible.
2021
7/14 - Audit Party | 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm | Frost Middle School
8/5 - 8/8 - Michigan PTA 103rd Annual Convention | Virtual Convention
8/18 - LPTSA Council Executive Board Meeting | 6:00 pm - 7:00 pm | TBD
9/15 - LPTSA Council Executive Board Meeting | 6:00 pm - 7:00 pm | TBD
9/15 - LPTSA Council General Meeting | 7:00 - 8:00 pm | TBD
TBD - Council Meet & Greet | TBD | TBD
11/17 - LPTSA Council Executive Board Meeting | 6:00 pm - 7:00 pm | TBD
11/17 - LPTSA Council Workshop | 7:00 pm - 8:00 pm | TBD
2022
1/15 - LPTSA Council Chili Cook Off | TBD | TBD
1/19 - LPTSA Council Executive Board Meeting | 6:00 pm - 7:00 pm | TBD
1/19 - LPTSA Council General Meeting | 7:00 pm - 8:00 pm | TBD
TBD - Reflections Celebration | TBD | TBD
2/16 - Founders' Day Celebration | 6:00 pm | Vista Tech Center
TBD - Bus Driver Appreciation Event
3/16 - LPTSA Council Executive Board Meeting | 6:00 pm - 7:00 pm | TBD
3/16 - LPTSA Council Workshop | 7:00 pm - 8:00 pm | TBD
4/20 - LPTSA Council Executive Board Meeting | 6:00 pm - 7:00 pm | TBD
4/20 - LPTSA Council General Meeting (Elections) | 7:00 pm - 8:00 pm | TBD
TBD - YMAD Celebration | TBD | TBD
5/18 - LPTSA Council Officer's Training | 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm | TBD
6/15 - LPTSA Council Executive Board Meeting | 6:00 pm - 7:00 pm | TBD
7/20 - LPTSA Council Audit Party | 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm | TBD
Have You Joined Us On Facebook?
If you are a PTA officer or committee chair, please make sure to join our page for important information, discussions, and more! A lot of great information is shared on this closed group page. It's also a great way to network with other units, share ideas, and ask for help.
Getting Connected to MI PTA And National PTA
Michigan PTA Facebook Page : https://www.facebook.com/everychildonevoice
National PTA Website : https://www.pta.org/
National PTA Facebook Page : https://www.facebook.com/ParentTeacherAssociation
National PTA Blog: https://onevoice.pta.org/
About us...
The Livonia PTSA Council is a group of 22 local PTA/PTSA Units within the Livonia Public Schools District. The Council is organized under the authority of the Michigan PTA for the purpose of promoting conferences, communications, leadership development and coordination of the efforts of the local units.
Interested in joining Council? There are chair opportunities available! Contact President Mandy Gerstenbrand at mandy.gerstenbrand@livoniaptsacouncil.org
