Springfield Council of PTAs Monthly
Volume 3, Issue 7/October 2019
Please Make Every Effort to Attend Our SCPTA General Meeting THIS WEDNESDAY!
Our meeting will be held tomorrow at Disney Elementary School. We're so looking forward to seeing everyone! Please feel free to bring any unit officers and members who would be interested in attending with you!
Please allow for extra time to present your state-issued picture ID for the new Visitor Management System. Thank you!
Wednesday, Oct 2, 2019, 09:30 AM
Disney Elementary School, 4100 South Fremont Avenue, Springfield, MO, USA
A Letter from Your Council President
By Julia Spiva
It is an honor to set aside the month of October each year to recognize our partnership with the principals in our school district. Every organization is sustained by its partnerships, and PTA is no exception. We strive to provide a support team to principals and their faculty and staff. Principals provide the opportunity for parents to engage with their students, the staff, and faculty. Working together is critical, and anything we do in their building must be approved by the principal. Thank you, principals!
We are two months into our school year, so keep in mind your PTA goals. Membership is the foundation.
All unit officers, please go to the Facebook page and ask to join
the SCPTA President’s Network, which is a closed group.
We will be discussing opportunities and answering questions that pertain to our local units.
Units that are in good standing qualify for their principal to apply for the McBride or the CARE Fund scholarships. Please get your unit information submitted to MOPTA and SCPTA so your principal can receive funds that benefit their students.
This year we are happy to report a new agenda of sorts. You will still see the faces of our Council board at all meetings, and we urge you to get to know us by staying for the working meeting where we will be there to answer your questions and help you. We plan to bring in speakers for all of us to learn and keep up to date with SPS happenings and progress, community events that pertain to our kids and a legislative town hall.
It's National Principals Month
This year, National Principals Month is shifting focus and using its platform to advocate on behalf of principals. These school leaders fight every day to give their students the best education and it’s time we advocate for them and with them.
Lend your voice this October to honor, celebrate, and advocate for principals everywhere.
October Votes for General Membership
- That Springfield Council of PTAs joins the Springfield Chamber of Commerce for the reduced non-profit price of $409.
- That the new incentive program would be attendance at 5 general membership meetings, 3 different times serving at the PTA Clothing Bank and attendance at Officer Orientation in order to receive $250 for a PTA/PTSA unit.
Thank You Meeting Sponsor Great Southern Bank
The Springfield Council of PTAs would like to thank Great Southern Bank for their donation of $1,000 in gift cards. Through the generosity of Great Southern, we are able to award $20 gift cards to 50 very deserving principals again this year!
Great Southern is a company with a track record of acknowledging educators. Their Community Heroes Loan Program honors active-duty and retired law enforcement officers, firefighters, emergency medical technicians, certified nursing assistants, and — yes — educators. A wide range of options is available. For more information, click here: www.greatsouthernbank.com.
Tips from The Treasurer
By Leslie Norman
And so the season of Fall Festivals, Book Fairs, Spirit Wear & Fundraising is upon us. Please remember these money handling guidelines:
- Must be a PTA member to handle money.
- When doing Cash Reconciliation for a deposit, make sure a second PTA member does a count of funds to be deposited.
- Deposit funds in a timely manner.
- Record deposits in accounting software to be ready for monthly reconciliation of bank account(s).
New this year...we have a PayPal payment option! Search for treasurer@scptamo.com or use the QR Code above.
Notes from the Backpack, A Podcast for Parents, by Parents
Who answers your questions about homework, bullying, school discipline, the transition to middle school?
Listen to Notes from the Backpack: A PTA Podcast and get the answers to the burning questions you have about how to best support your child's education and development. We know you have a lot to keep up with at home and throughout the school year and these episodes will support you every step of the way!
Real Experts. Real Parents. Real Conversations.
Each 30-minute podcast will give you the inside scoop on how to help your child succeed in and out of school. Hear unique perspectives from experts, parents and educator guests who will give you real-life advice and ideas you can use!
Find out ...
- How your kid is really doing in school
- The truth about school disciple in America
- How to handle homework
Programs Report
By Christi Matthews
Reflections
We've had two training days already for Reflections, but we will be hosting one more training. We hope more Reflections Chairs will be able to attend.
The next training is:
Thursday, October 3, 6-8 pm at the Springfield Art Museum's Community Room
Submit your Reflections entries Saturday, November 16, from 10-3 pm
Reflections Showcase is Sunday, Feb 23, 2-4 pm at the Springfield Art Museum
This year's play is, Little House on the Prairie, at the historic Landers Theatre on:
Tuesday, October 29 at 9:30am & 1:00pm
Wednesday October 30 at 9:30am & 1:00pm
RIF Training began September 24 & 25
Book distribution dates are October 23, January 15 & April 22
Orders are due by December 5
Cookie Sale is December 7
Diversity & Inclusion
By Toi Allen
The Equity & Diversity Advisory Council Committee met August 6th to begin a journey to help close gaps within SPS. The committee established a framework to support the District in this vital work.
Our main question to tackle is: what action should the District deploy to ensure that all students excel through purposeful engagement, rigorous instruction, cultural awareness, and relevant educational experiences with an intentional focus on historically underrepresented and under-resourced groups (HUGs)?
The committee was challenged to bring forth a specific list of recommendations and action steps that the District should deploy to positively impact the four strategies below, which are part of the District’s strategic plan, which consists of:
- The District will research, develop, and implement strategies that improve engagement, safety, and attendance rates for under-resourced and underrepresented student populations.
- The District will demonstrate annual growth in the core academic success (iReady, MAP, EOC, Common Assessments) of all students, with an intensive focus on closing performance gaps for under-resourced and underrepresented students.
- The District will research, develop & deploy actions to increase the graduation rate of all student populations, with an intensive focus on under-resourced &underrepresented students.
- The District will recruit, hire, develop, support, and retain an effective, qualified, and diverse workforce of teachers, staff, and leaders to meet the needs of students better.
The Equity & Diversity Advisory Council Committee met August 27th to continue to provide the framework for everyone to take a look at how they see the world of diversity and inclusion by introducing what microaggression means in a slide presentation from H. Wess Pratt, J.D. Chief Diversity Officer, Assistant to the President of Missouri State University.
Microaggression is explained here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TPCGNDaE7MA This youtube video was presented to the Equity and Diversity Council committee. It offers clear verbal instruction on how individuals unintentionally respond to diverse and non-inclusive individuals. This brief message is the beginning of dismantling erroneous behaviors that are centered around diversity and non-inclusion.
Creating greater awareness and understanding of an act of racial injustice that occurred in Springfield 113 years ago is the purpose of a community remembrance planned for October 2. In 1906, three African American men named Horace Duncan, Fred Coker and William Allen were lynched in downtown Springfield.
The remembrance will include the dedication of a historical marker in Park Central Square. An Equal Justice Essay Contest will also encourage Springfield Public Schools students to reflect on the impact of racial injustice.
The Springfield Community Remembrance Coalition is organizing the remembrance in collaboration with the Equal Justice Initiative (EJI). EJI is working with communities nationwide to commemorate and recognize the traumatic era of lynching by collecting soil from lynching sites across the country and erecting historical markers in these spaces. Students from SPS high schools will also attend the dedication ceremony.
Parliamentarian Tips: General Consent, Voting By Email
By Donna Petiford
General Consent
During a business meeting, the chair may decide, in the interest of expediency, to use the procedure of adopting a motion by general consent (or unanimous consent). This procedure can save time and speed up a meeting when business is minor or routine.
This procedure should not be used when there is even a hint of disagreement among members. If someone objects, then the motion is treated in the usual manner and put to the vote.
Examples:
The presiding officer says, "If there is no objection......." and pauses to allow any possible objection, then proceeds to declare the decision.
“If there is no objection, the minutes will stand approved as read.” (Pause) "Hearing none, the minutes will stand approved as read."“Without objection, we will stand adjourned.” (Pause) "Meeting adjourned."
Voting By Email
One of the most frequently asked questions from our PTAs is on the practice of voting by email. Roberts Rules of Order Newly Revised has addressed this issue that has been created by our technology-driven society, and many PTAs may find this to be a useful and time-saving tool.
Voting by email can only be allowed if your PTA bylaws provide for this method.
As with "general consent," the chair should be careful in using this method to determine majority rule on an issue. The procedure for the vote should include instruction for the time allowed for debate and when voting will take place. Also, each member must be able to participate in the debate contemporaneously (at the same time); therefore, members must be careful to use "reply all" when discussing and voting. Results of the electronic vote should be reported at the next "physical meeting" and be recorded in the minutes of the approving body.
Other great parliamentary tips are available on the Council website (http://www.scptamo.com/) under the Catagory "Parliamentary Notes" in the sidebar. Please take time to scroll through these notes for answers to most parliamentary questions that PTAs encounter.
Missouri PTA is fortunate to have the help of a professional parliamentarian, Dr. Leonard Young. Dr. Young is a past president of the National Association of Professional Parliamentarians, and he regularly presents workshops at the Missouri PTA convention in the spring.
"Fundamentally, the parliamentary procedure defines how groups of people, no matter how formal or informal, can most effectively meet and make decisions in a fair, consistent manner—and make good use of everyone's time. Even a basic background in parliamentary principles can help you and your organization hold more efficient meetings."
I recommend memorizing some basic parliamentary procedures and practicing them at every PTA meeting. While I am not a professional, I can help answer most questions regarding the parliamentary procedure for PTAs. Please don’t hesitate to contact me.
Check you bylaws first, but here are examples of electronic votes using google forms:
School Crossing Protection Committee Begins its Important Work
The School Crossing Protection Committee is in full swing for the 2019-2020 school year. Our representatives for the school year are:
- Allison Lawson, Central
- Sarah Whitten, Kickapoo
- Becky Volz, Hillcrest
- Mike Seevers, Glendale
- President Julia Spiva who resides over the SCPC meetings
We are still in need of a Parkview feeder pattern representative! Our next meeting is on Thursday, November 14th.
All PTA units are urged to review their school walking maps at https://www.springfieldmo.gov/2114/School-Safety.
Please notice that purple shaded areas on the Walking Route Maps indicate that parents are strongly advised NOT to let children walk unescorted in those areas.
Please help share these maps with all parents of walkers in your schools.
We are still in need of a Parkview feeder pattern representative for SCPC!
From Missouri PTA President Susan Rupert
I wanted to alert you to a possible email scam that has been brought to my attention. PTA leaders are receiving an email from an individual stating they are affiliated with the St. Louis Women's Leadership Summit. Missouri PTA has done some checking, but we have not been able to validate this person.
Today a JC/DC Legislative Alert went out regarding universal background checks. If you are not receiving these notifications, please go to our website www.mopta.org to sign up and help make our voice louder than ever for all children.
I have listed below quick links to forms and resources that PTA leaders are often searching for. This includes the Reflections Program Theme Search.
· Local PTA Leader Kit & DIY Kit for Membership Growth
· Register for the 2019-2020Reflections Program
· 2019-2020 Missouri Reflections Local Leader’s Guide
Can We Help?! That's What We're Here For!
Your 2019-2020 SCPTA Officers & Chairs
President: Julia Spiva, president@scptamo.com
VP of Organization and Development: Jennifer Penny, orgdev@scptamo.com
• Bylaws: Tori Sallee, torisallee@gmail.com
• Legislation/Resolutions: Donna Petiford, petiford@sbcglobal.net
• Scholarships: Becky Volz, scholarships@scptamo.com
VP of Health and Public Services: Mandy Mitchell, clothingbank@scptamo.com
VP of Programs: Christi Matthews, programs@scptamo.com
• Reflections: Jessica Rosa, jessica@jrosaphoto.com
• Fourth-Grade Play: Breana Kavanaugh bnkavanaugh@spsmail.org
• RIF: Mary Christiano, mary@christiano.us
Secretary: Sarah Whitten, secretary@scptamo.com
Treasurer: Leslie Norman, treasurer@scptamo.com
Appointed:
Parliamentarian: Donna Petiford, donnapetiford@gmail.com
Diversity & Inclusion Adviser: Toi Allen, taocoach@yahoo.com
Administrative Assistant: Mattie James, Glendale High School
Advisors: Elementary: Stephanie Young, Delaware Elementary
Middle School: Andre Illig, Cherokee Middle School
High School: Chris Hunsaker Kickapoo High School
Superintendent Representative: Dr. Michael Methvin
Board of Education Representative: Gerry Lee lee@mosba.org
MOPTA Representative: Mandy Mitchell, mandym@mopta.org
MOPTA Office: 573-445-4161
National PTA Office: 800-307-4782
Springfield Council of PTAs
Council Goals
- To provide leadership development for local units and council board members
- To serve as a resource for education, parenting information, and legislative issues
- To encourage parent and public involvement in Springfield Public Schools
Email: council@scptamo.com
Website: https://scptamo.com
Location: 1458 East Chestnut Expressway, Springfield, MO, USA
Phone: 417-319-6075
Facebook: facebook.com/SCPTAs
Twitter: @SCPTAMO