Livonia PTSA Council Courier
July 2022
We made it!
Wow! Another great LPS school year. Congratulations PTA/PTSA units on all your successful events and the hard work you put into them.
If you are an exiting board member, please help set up the incoming board members for success! Thank you for all you do for LPS kids, families and the community!
Enjoy the summer!
Laura Ulaszek
Newsletter Chair
Livonia PTSA Council Audit Party 2022
Wednesday, July 20, 2022 6 - 8 pm
Board of Education Building - 15125 Farmington Rd.,
Meeting Room, Lower Level
Questions? Mandy Gerstenbrand - amandagerstenbrand@gmail.com or
Andrea Malenfant - drea2211@hotmail.com
Please click below to fill out the form below.
Below that is the audit form so you can practice ahead of time.
PEP
The new PEP year is already underway and points are already being earned by units. Those PTA board members who joined us during our Officer's Training and brought their documents, those who have attended Livonia PTSA Council's meeting, invited their liaison to their last meetings of the school year, and who are submitting newsletter articles have started growing their PEP scores. What a way to start the new year! Keep the submissions coming in and those points increasing. Remember, to ensure you receive proper PEP credit, be sure to send all appropriate information to PEP at PEP@livoniaptsacouncil.org.
Sara Bennett
Livonia PTSA Council - PEP Chair
Blessings in a Backpack – Livonia
Hello to all of our loyal supporters! We realized we were well overdue with an update of what’s been going on at Blessings in a Backpack – Livonia.
First and foremost, we at Blessings, want to thank you for your continued support and donations. We have certainly been challenged these past couple of years. When the schools closed in March of 2020, we were unable to deliver food to the children. Once it was evident that the schools were not reopening in the near future, the food we had on hand was made available to the Livonia Public Schools for their food distributions.
We resumed weekly delivery in September 2020. Due to the risks of in-person packing, as well as shipping issues and inventory shortages, it was necessary to make some changes to our food inventory by using pre-packaged bags, along with boxed mac and cheese. After delivery, our food is sorted and individually bagged by the schools. A big thank you to the staff and teachers at our schools for taking on this task. Two Men and a Truck continue to provide their trucks, employees and time, as always. We don’t know what we would do without their dedication. It takes many hands and we are so grateful for all!
We continue to progress toward our goal of offering Blessings in a Backpack to every student in Livonia Public Schools. During the 2021-2022 school year, we added Jackson Early Childhood Center and Riley Upper Elementary. We are now assisting 15 schools, providing food to students from our youngest preschool age programs at Jackson Center and Garfield’s Great Start Readiness Program, to the district's oldest students at Western-Wayne Skill Center.
It was necessary to suspend our fundraising events during this time, but we are now moving forward by offering a Facebook fundraiser during the next month of Thirty-One products. Please check out these great products on our Facebook page, Blessings in a Backpack – Livonia. This is a great way to help feed the children.
Please save the date for our Fall 2022 Bowling for Backpacks Fundraiser on November 19, 2022, from 2-4 pm at MerriBowl Lanes. We are excited to again host this great event.
We are hopeful that we will be able to resume in person packing this fall, however, this will depend on COVID risks, as well as our food suppliers having adequate inventory. We will keep you posted. We miss seeing you!
We will continue to take whatever steps are needed to continue to feed our children in the Livonia Public Schools. We do need all of your continuing support to continue our commitment. Please visit our website, https://www.biablivonia.org, or our Facebook page, Blessings in a Backpack – Livonia.
With gratitude,
Blessings in a Backpack – Livonia
Membership
Are you thinking of new ways to increase your membership numbers for this upcoming school year? Do you have any incentives in mind on how to bring members in? There are so many ways, options, and ideas on how you can have a successful membership year. Now is the time to focus on how to encourage families, friends, neighbors, etc. to become more involved and become members of your PTA/PTSA.
A friendly reminder, the funds you collect for all new members also pays for them to not only become a PTA/PTSA member of your unit but also a Michigan PTA member AND a National PTA member! For every new member, your unit needs to remit $5.50 to Michigan PTA by the 28th of that month every month.
Don't forget, every unit also needs to remit their $40 annual dues to Michigan PTA by December 1st. This can now be done online via Michigan PTA's MemberHub store.
Likewise, every unit must also remit their annual Livonia PTSA Council dues no later than October 28th. If you did not receive your Livonia PTSA Council dues form, that can be found below. Please note, where to mail this payment to has changed. Please submit this form and payment to the correct address.
Finally, I wanted to say it was a great honor to be the Livonia PTSA Council Membership Chair these last couple of years. Starting July 1st, the new Livonia PTSA Council Membership Chair will be Nicole Dant. Nicole has been a PTA member for nine years and has been on Livonia PTSA Council for three years. She was most recently Livonia PTSA Council's treasurer. Nicole is going to be a wonderful Membership Chair this upcoming school year. Please join me in welcoming Nicole!
Sara Bennett
Livonia PTSA Council - Membership Chair
Save the Date! Bounce Back to School – Wednesday, August 24, 5-8 p.m., Riley
Michigan PTA Annual Convention
Still time to register! Join members of the Livonia PTSA Council at the Michigan PTA Annual Convention at the Best Western Premier Detroit Southfield Hotel on Friday, July 22, and Saturday, July 23. No member will pay more than $100 for registration, which includes 2 days of sessions and all meals. There will be something for everyone from youth members (middle school and up) to unit leaders to parents and guardians, and even council leaders. Get a group together to save on registration and get the most information possible.
Click here for more information: michiganpta.org/newsflash-newsletters
COUNCIL'S UNIT SPOTLIGHT
Cleveland Elementary
Cleveland Elementary welcomed the Class of 2035 at their annual Kindergarten Round-Up on June 8th. The event was attended by more than 50 new Eaglets, who had an opportunity to tour the school and meet with the current kindergarten teachers. In preparation for the Round-Up, the incoming 2022-23 PTA Executive Board for Cleveland was excited to serve the new students and their families by "chalking the walk" with inspirational messages such as "Shoot for the Stars" and "Welcome, Class of 2035." We look forward to seeing the kindergartners at least once more before school begins at the Kindergarten Picnic, set to take place on August 25th.
Frost Middle
June at Frost - Return of Fun Traditions!
Like many other schools, June marked the return of fun traditions. In June, the PTSA celebrated our 8th graders with a fantastic send off on Friday, June 3. The send off had TONS for students: gaming truck, dancing, sundaes, raffle baskets, henna art, minute to win it and more! A special thank you to all of our families who made this event possible with donations and volunteering! The PTSA was also happy to sponsor the 8th grade trip to Cedar Point! It was great seeing the smiling faces on our students' faces!
Randolph Elementary
Hello LPS PTA members! We rounded out our year saying goodbye to a few PTA members that have served over the years. We are sad to see Kendall Goddard (former PTA President), Erin Horback (PTA 1st Vice President & Membership) and Kim Stabber (Recording Secretary) go, but so thankful for everything they did for Randolph in the time they were on the board!
Beginning the 2022-2023 school year, we are excited to announce our new Randolph PTA President Pam McGinnis and new board members Katie Simmons (Recording Secretary) and Carly Tluczek (1st Vice President & Membership) to the board.
We have so much to be excited about this summer! To start, the Spree! We hope every family had a great time enjoying their vouchers/wristbands and rides. Thank you all for supporting our PTA! Randolph students got a new playscape that we were so proud to be able to show parents at the end of the year school bash the PTA threw! What a fantastic end of the year bash it was! We are so thankful for our PTA board that closed out the school year with such a great bash for Randolph families to enjoy with their kiddos! We are already meeting, greeting our new Randolph Elementary School Principal Mrs. Linn and planning the 2022-2023 school PTA event/fundraising calendar! We are so proud of our Roadrunners and excited to get to work!
Webster Elementary
As a PTA, we used two bulletin boards in the school to celebrate our outgoing 6th graders as well as our outgoing principal. The Wildcat community was encouraged to leave little treasures about Mrs. Boka in the office and we hung them up on the board. At the end of the year, we had to add on to both sides of the board as her treasures were overflowing the waters.
We also helped support the 6th grade graduations by making a 6th grade memory book for all the graduates that included special messages from their teachers and pictures of them over the years at Webster. We handed those out at the graduation along with a special treat that was donated by Cantoro Market. Each class had a special graduation ceremony outside on the "plaza" where families could attend.
The PTA also awards two $500 scholarships at the end of the year to graduates who once walked the halls of Webster. Below, right, is a picture of one of them.
2022-23 Calendar
Some events have set dates while others have tentative months. Please watch for finalized dates or any date changes.
Please mark your calendars now for Founders' Day, Officer Training and the 2022-23 Audit Party.
2022
7/20 - LPTSA Council Audit Party | 6 - 8 p.m. | Central Office
8/17 - LPTSA Council Meeting | 6 - 8 p.m. | Central Office
Aug or Sept - Costume Closet Event
9/6 - First Day of School
9/21- LPTSA Council Meeting | 6 - 8 p.m. | Central Office
Sept or Oct - Council Meet and Greet | TBD | TBD
Sept or Oct - Candidate Forum | TBD | TBD
October - IEP Binder Event | TBD | TBD
November - Food Staff Appreciation
11/16 - LPTSA Council Meeting & Workshop | 6 - 8 p.m. | Central Office
2023
1/18 - LPTSA Council Meeting | 6 - 8 p.m. | Central Office
1/21 - Chili Cook Off | TBD | TBD
January - Reflections Ceremony | TBD | TBD
2/15 - Founders’ Day | 6 p.m. | St. Mary's Cultural Center
March - Transportation Appreciation
3/15 - LPTSA Council Meeting | 6 - 8 p.m. | Central Office
4/19 - LPTSA Council Meeting & Elections | 6 - 8 p.m. | Central Office
4/27 - YMAD Celebration
5/24 - Officer Training
6/7 - LPTSA Council Meeting | 6 - 8 p.m. | Central Office
7/19 - LPTSA Council Audit Party | TBD | TBD
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.
Livonia PTSA Council Officers Forum Facebook Group
If you are a PTA/PTSA officer or committee chair, please make sure to join our group 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 Michigan 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 Andrea Malenfant at andrea.malenfant@livoniaptsacouncil.org
Email: newsletter@livoniaptsacouncil.org
Website: www.livoniaptsacouncil.org
Location: 15125 Farmington Road, Livonia, MI, USA
Phone: .
Facebook: facebook.com/LivoniaPTSACouncil
Twitter: @LivoniaPTSAC