English Landing PTA News
December 2016
Chris's Corner
As we wind down our first semester this year, I'd like to take a minute and revisit all that you and our PTA have accomplished. We have welcomed new and returning families with our Back to School Night and First Day of School Breakfast, planned a successful Book Fair that provided over $1,200 for the Media Center, fundraised over $10,700 through Box Tops for Education, selling Discount Fundraising Cards, Popcorn Fridays, and INVEST, participated in opportunities to give back to the community by volunteering at the Park Hill PTA Clothing Center and providing BackSnacks for children at English Landing through FEED Northland Kids, offered a Veteran's Day Breakfast for our visiting Veterans, facilitated Fall Classroom Parties for all grade levels, produced a comprehensive (digital!) School Directory, assembled a Teacher Wish Tree to replenish supplies for our classrooms, and received submissions for Reflections, the National PTA's Artistic Showcase. Sounds like a full year, right? That's only HALF! In the Spring, look forward to many more activities including a Family Fun/STEM Showcase night, our Friendship Classroom Parties, the Annual English Landing Science Fair, Staff Appreciation Week, Student Variety Show, an opportunity to order school supplies for next year, and ongoing Yearbook assembly and distribution.
Our Winter Classroom parties are scheduled for Thursday, December 22 at 10am. Please contact your classroom party planners if you are able to be of assistance. Also, please plan to attend our first PTA meeting of the new year on January 9, 2017 at 6:30pm in the Media Center. Babysitting will be available for school age children for $2/family. I look forward to seeing you there!
Have a wonderful Winter Break,
Chris Albani
PTA President
Winter Classroom Parties
If you are organizing a party and have not received an email, or if you have any questions, please contact Susan Moore at susmoore28@gmail.com.
Reflections - What Is Your Story?
Congratulations to all of our Reflections participants! These students deserve a round of applause for sharing their creative talents:
Zoe Jensen
Charlotte Parsely
Tyler Wilson
Scarlett Johnson
Jordan Burgess
Ellie Coulson
Eloise Goodin
Lillia Thomson
Emery Thomson
There will be a Reflections Showcase on Monday, December 12 from 7:45 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. in the Library. Parents are of course welcome, and there will be refreshments for all.
For more information, contact Jessi Johnson at jessi.rose.johnson@gmail.com
Reflections Showcase
Monday, Dec 12, 2016, 07:45 AM
English Landing Elementary School, Northwest Klamm Drive, KCMO, MO, United States
BoxTops for Education
Don't forget to clip the BoxTops off of all those cans and boxes that go into making your holiday meals! We are always collecting BoxTops. You can put them in a baggie and send them with your child to school.
For questions about BoxTops, please contact Lilah Hall at lilah.hall2011@yahoo.com.
Feed Northland Kids Information
Did you know that the English Landing PTA partners with Feed Northland Kids to provide Backsnacks to students? The following information is from the feednorthlandkids.org website:
One In Five Northland Kids Go Hungry
Hungry kids are more than statistics. Hungry kids are more than sad stories on TV. And the stats are pretty scary: 1 in 5 children right here in the Northland of Kansas City go home hungry everyday. They ride the school bus with your kids. They play with your children during recess. And their need is real.
At Feed Northland Kids, it is our mission to change this story. And so in partnership with Harvesters – The Community Food Network, we work hard to provide these kids with backpacks full of food that keeps them going. It’s food that keeps them growing strong. Our goal is that no child in the Northland goes hungry.
For many children in our community, the safety net provided by school meals disappears over the weekend. Unfortunately, the resources available to at-risk children are significantly lower during these breaks from school than during the week.
- In Clay and Platte county Missouri, there are an estimated 2,700 children who do not have consistent access to the nutritious food they need over school breaks to live healthy, active lives. One in five children in the Northland live in a food insecure home.
- Among elementary children in the Northland, 34 percent receive free and reduced price meals. At some schools, that number is as high as 100 percent. Many of these children are relying on government assistance to provide two meals a day during the week, breakfast and lunch, meals that they do not have access to over the weekend. Feed Northland Kids combats this problem by partnering with Harvesters – The Community Food Network to support the BackSnack program for children in need in Clay and Platte counties.
- School staff identifies the children with the greatest need. The behavior that school staff looks for includes extreme hunger on Monday mornings, rushing food lines, stealing food or saving food for later.
- Fifty six elementary schools in all nine school districts north of the river participate in this program. In many schools, 3 or 4 children within each classroom will qualify for and receive a BackSnack, each Friday before they leave school.
Feed Northland Kids is a unique organization focused on addressing weekend nutrition and hunger by providing healthy, kid-friendly foods for school-age children, living in the Northland of Kansas City, MO. We are honored by the involvement of our board members, comprised of thought leaders and industry luminaries that are helping to create awareness, raise funding and identify solutions to address this need. When we began this initiative, Harvesters was providing BackSnacks to approximately 1,000 children in the Northland. Through the support of a number of donors, we have secured funding to expand this program to 2,580 children in the Northland.
BackSnack Contents
Each BackSnack contains four pounds of high protein, kid-friendly food. All items are shelf-stable, so they do not need to be refrigerated or heated to be consumed. Most containers have a pop top lid, ensuring kids can help themselves. A typical pack includes two breakfasts, two additional meals and several snacks. Every pack contains a minimum of two boxes of milk, one fruit and one vegetable. This is designed to feed one child for a weekend.
Get Involved
Make a difference in the lives of children in the Northland of Kansas City. Join us. Feed Northland Kids offers several options for you to improve our children’s reality and make hunger history. Here are a few ways to engage:
- Pack the BackSnacks — Over 2,400 BackSnacks go home with children in Clay and Platte counties every Friday. These BackSnacks need to be assembled.
- Several food pantries send home an accompanying “family pack” and need help with food contributions or the labor to pack each meal.
- Workplace events (jeans day, lunch and learn, dunk tanks) raise funds and awareness.
- Sponsor our annual 5K in October or our concert in May.
- Create an event for our benefit.
- Donate funds to sustain the current number of BackSnacks distributed each week.
- Become a “BackSnack Buddy” and support one child for the entire school year.
- Host a home event.
Want to get involved? Go here for more information: Feed Northland Kids
Repeated Information
Join PTA
Click here for the membership form, or contact Brandy Colson at brandy@blcolson.com or Shawna Mazeitis at mazeitis@gmail.com for more information.
PTA Reimbursement Forms
English Landing PTA Executive Board 2016-2017
President
Chris Albani - christinealbani@sbcglobal.net
Vice-President Membership
Brandy Colson - brandy@blcolson.com
Shawna Mazeitis - mazeitis@gmail.com
Vice-President Volunteers
Kathleen Threadgill - kathleendt@att.net
Vice-President Fundraising
Lisa Darnell - darnellx3@yahoo.com
Treasurer
Ginger Gimple - thegimples@hotmail.com
Recording/Corresponding Secretary
Theresa Fitzpatrick - theresa.fitzpatrick@gmail.com
Principal
Kerry Roe - roek@parkhill.k12.mo.us
PTA Committee Chairs/Leaders
Book Fair: Brooke Crosby - brooke.crosby@hotmail.com
Box Tops: Lilah Hall - lilah.hall2011@yahoo.com
Clothing Center: Nicole Francis - nfrancis7913@gmail.com
Family Fun Night:
Lauren Jeppson - lpjeppson@gmail.com
Julie Durant
FEED: Sarah Andrews - sandrews9@mac.com
Hospitality:
Amy Anderson - amyanderson5@gmail.com
Cassidy Nelson - cassidy13.mcbride@gmail.com
Popcorn Friday: Kathleen Threadgill - kathleendt@att.net
Reflections: Jessica Johnson - jessi.rose.johnson@gmail.com
Room Parties: Susan Moore - susmoore28@gmail.com
School Supplies: Katie Burgess - katieeburgess@gmail.com
Science Fair Co-Chairs:
Jeanne Goodin - avocadonose@hotmail.com
Shawna Mazeitis - mazeitis@gmail.com
Staff Appreciation Week Co-Chairs:
Carolyn Arnold - tigergrad00@yahoo.com
Amie Wilson - amie71408@gmail.com
Student Directory: Crista Cochran - cristacochran@gmail.com
Teacher Wish Tree: Angela Ensminger - angelaensminger@gmail.com
Variety Show: Sherri Thomson - sthomson3@kc.rr.com
Yearbook Co-Chairs:
Scott Taylor - stayloris@mac.com
Kathleen Threadgill - kathleendt@att.net
If you are interested in leading an open committee please contact Chris Albani at christinealbani@sbcglobal.net or Kathleen Threadgill at kathleendt@att.net.
We Love Our Business Members
Ottis Family Chiropractic - Dr. Jason Ottis
Haven 360 - Abbey Thomas, Vice President
Rivalry Run - Abbey Thomas
Water Street Family Counseling - Heidi Tolnai
Edward Jones - Erica Gabrick
Keller Williams - Kate Payne
Seymour Insights - Brent Seymour
DiPasquale and Moore - Jason B. Moore
Platte Valley Bank
Keen Wealth Advisors - Bill Keen
Please be sure to thank these business members for supporting our English Landing Eagles!