It's hard to believe that over a month and a half ago we were going about our daily lives without knowing what was coming. Not knowing that our children wouldn't be returning to school for the remainder of the year. Not knowing that we wouldn't be seeing our families and friends for quite a while (at least not up close and personal). And certainly not knowing that we as parents would be having to "home school" our children. If you're anything like me, you're probably ready to pull your hair out! But guess what? We have an AMAZING school district that has been working hard at putting together their Continuity of Learning plan which goes into effect this week! I learned so much this past week when I met with my children's teachers. What will be involved, what will be expected, and most importantly, knowing that my children will still be learning; even if it's in a different way. I'm so grateful for all of the LPS leaders and staff for the hard work that they've put into all of this to make it a reality. This is certainly uncharted territory, and they are doing their absolute best to help us navigate it. Thank You LPS!

Remember to encourage your families to reach out to their child's teacher or principal if they are in need of anything for their child's learning plan. The district is doing everything they can to make sure EVERY LPS student has the access and tools they need moving forward. Also, I know from experience that the pandemic and all that has happened with it can be stressful and sometimes frightening. Not just for the students, but for the parents as well. And sometimes, parents feel more comfortable reaching out to another parent versus someone in the school. It's always helpful to be a listening ear, but also be ready to guide them towards the help they need. LPS has many services set up during this uncertain time and they can certainly help those who need it most. The Social and Emotional Well Being Hotline and email: (734) 744-2737 or email ses@livoniapublicschools.org.

Remember, we are all in this together! Let us continue to support one another and help those who need it most if we can. It takes a village (and a PTA)! Now, let's all look forward to the new adventure we are about to embark on. . .Virtual Learning!

Stay safe and healthy,

Andrea Malenfant

Council Newsletter Chair

This month's PTA shout out goes to Council's Reflections Chair Debbie Yates and Council President Kellie Dummer for coming up with the fantastic idea of the Unexpected Art Contest. Keeping students and families engaged is what we continually strive for and this contest did not disappoint! It was amazing how quickly this contest took off! Students were excited to create art and parents were happy to have something to keep their kids occupied! And boy, what art there was! We have some extremely creative students in our district! I was in awe at the sheer amount of entries and what joy they brought to all who saw them. And let's not forget that Debbie also gave parents a chance to join in on the creativity! Those parent entries were just fantastic! Even though it was technically a contest, everyone was a winner in my eyes. Thank you Debbie and Kellie for always thinking of ways to keep our students creative and involved! This shout out is for you!

Andrea Malenfant

Council Newsletter Chair

Our three-week unexpected art contest was a smash hit! Over the course of three weeks, we received almost 650 entries from students at all of our schools. The talent and creativity was out of this world! Look at some of the pieces we received.

Now that the contest is over, we are posting weekly creative challenges on the Reflections Facebook page. Each Saturday, we post an idea, a prompt, or a theme for students to use to create something. Please share our page with your units, so that your students can participate in our creative challenges.

Reflections Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/LivoniaPTSACouncil.Reflections

Thanks for helping us promote the arts through this great PTA program!

Debbie Yates

Livonia PTSA Council Reflections Chair

I posted a video that tells a little about what the Reflections chairperson does. Please share this with your units and start having discussions with your volunteers that might be a good fit. I already know that a few of this year's chairs are either aging out of the district or their current school, or they are taking on different volunteer opportunities next year. So we'll need a few new volunteers.

Recruiting video: https://www.facebook.com/LivoniaPTSACouncil.Reflections/posts/2723643764533163

Debbie Yates

Livonia PTSA Council Reflections Chair

On April 3rd, Council received guidance from MI PTA in regards to how units can/should move forward with business. President Kellie Dummer posted answers to FAQ's on the Council Officer's Forum Facebook page. However, they are a few things we want to highlight.

• Elections can be done through a virtual meeting platform, such as Zoom. However, all members must be notified of the upcoming election as well as given the slate of officers. All members must be given the opportunity to vote if they so choose. Remember you must have a quorum in order for voting to proceed (Check your bylaws for your specific quorum number).
• Elections can be postponed until September if your unit chooses to do so. However, keep in mind there are certain acts of business that cannot take place until a new board is elected.
  
• A unit's existing board CANNOT create a budget or event calendar for the upcoming school year. Only the board elected for the 2020 - 2021 school year can do so (which would be reflected in your board meeting minutes). So if your board is waiting until September to hold elections, your budget and event calendar can be created after that.
• If your unit is waiting on Elections until September, you still need to pay your $40 annual unit dues to Michigan PTA by June 1st. (See picture below for instructions)
• After your new officers for the 2020 - 2021 year are elected, please be sure to input them into Memberhub sooner rather than later. Council needs this information to keep our unit lists up to date. (See picture below for instructions)
  

As we are in a time where information on the current situation changes daily, we may need to consider looking at new ways to fundraise in the future. MemberHub recently hosted live Q and A's regarding their new Virtual fundraising platform. Upgrades and changes have been made to make fundraising easier than ever and not needing to use an outside organization. We recommend that at least one member of your board become familiar with this new Virtual platform as it may help with any fundraisers you had to cancel or for fundraisers in the near future.

As always, if you need help navigating MemberHub, contact your Council Liaison or President Kellie Dummer.

You can register for live webinars here: https://support.memberhub.com/hc/en-us/articles/360005272513-Online-LIVE-Training-Meeting-Schedule

Information for Memberhub Fundraising can be found here: https://hubs.ly/H0pM2k20

Question/Answers for MH Fundraising can be found here: https://support.memberhub.com/hc/en-us/categories/360003433454-Fundraisers

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 info is shared on this closed group page. It's also a great way to network with other units, share ideas, and ask for help.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/541318689333449/