Mideastern Region PSEA
April 2024 Newsletter
Our region represents 15,219 public school educators across the 35 school districts, two intermediate units, one comprehensive technical high school, healthcare worksites, and a virtual charter school. Thank you for being a member!
Workshop with Author J.A. White
After a visit to Salford Hills Elementary in Souderton and Diebler Elementary in Pennridge, author J.A. White will head to our office in Montgomeryville on Tuesday, April 16th for an educator workshop open to any EA or ESP member in the region/division.
At this event, he will discuss his approach to teaching writing and how any writing skill can be taught in a fun, creative way. Topics will include writing exercises, themed journal entries, story diagram puzzles, grammar, utilizing First Chapter Friday selections as mentor texts, writing conferences, imaginary informational essays, and revision strategies. A catered dinner will be provided at this FREE in-person event at our office in Montgomeryville from 5-7pm and attendees will receive a FREE, signed copy of Nightbooks. Please register here.
Best in Show
Anagha Kannurpatti from Council Rock High School North won First Place Best of Show at our "Touch the Future Art Show" with her Black and White Drawing, “Infusion.” Anagha’s art teacher is Jim Biglan.
Second Place
Souderton Area High School’s Tommy Mackey won Second Place Best of Show at the “Touch the Future” Art Show with a “2D Mixed Media piece, “Will He Be Proud.” His teacher is Sabrina Pistoria.
Third Place
Sadie Van Tassel of Hatboro-Horsham High School, whose art teacher is Leah Eilert, won Third Place Best of Show at the “Touch the Future” Art Show with the Color Drawing, “Divisive Dinner.”
Scripps Regional Spelling Bee
Congratulations to all our spellers in the Scripps Regional Spelling Bee held on Saturday, March 16th at Wissahickon High School - and especially to our champion who will be headed to the National Bee in Washington, DC! We appreciate all our community and Association partners who helped to make this event a success again this year.
National Library Week
Calling all librarians! National Library Week is coming up on April 7-13 and we have FREE bookmarks for you and your students! Please send an email to besenavaitis@psea.org with the quantity that you would like and they will be available for you to pick up at our office in Montgomeryville.
Montgomery County PSEA-Retired Susan K. Castle Memorial Scholarship Fund
The retired educators in Montgomery County (PSEA-Retired) offer scholarships to rising college juniors or incoming seniors who have graduated from a Montgomery County public high school and plan to earn an education degree and teaching certificate.
Click here for additional details and to complete the application.
PSEA Member Benefits Helps You Shop for Insurance
A proud PSEA partner, Liz works hard to find you the best insurance coverage, for a price that meets your needs. Check out your PSEA Member Benefit savings by safely sharing your current insurance coverage with Liz here. Or, give her a call directly on her mobile phone: 267-278-1432. You won’t regret it!
Purchase Prize Winners
Each year at our “Touch the Future” Art Show, PSEA-Mideastern Region selects a few pieces of art to purchase to display at our office in Montgomeryville. Over the years, the collection has grown considerably, and visitors to the office often remark upon the fantastic works of student art on display.
This year, three works of art were selected for the permanent display: A painting, “At The Pier On Thirteenth” by Annabelle Schu of Council Rock High School South, who is taught by Michael Catalano; a silver print photo, “Electric Roller Coaster,” by Jesse Rivero of Harry S. Truman High School, who is taught by Mark Morgan; and a 3-D single medium sculpture, “Turtle,” by Maggie Jacobs of Central Bucks High School West, whose art teacher is Alison Thompson.
Thank you for sharing your talents with us!
How Can I Transfer My Old VHS Tapes?
The Bucks IU W.O.W. (We're Outstanding Workers) Program can convert your older media to DVDs or thumb drives!
Students participating in this Bucks IU Life Skills Transition Program receive job training by providing various services throughout the school year. All services are provided under supervision as part of the student being able to learn and practice employment skills they can use in the future.
Save your memories and get your old photos and materials transferred to DVD or thumb drive!
- Photographs or slides - $10 per 100
- Documents - $10 per 100 1-sided pages
- VHS, 8mm film, mini tapes - $5 per tape/film
To order, please email the program at WOW@bucksIU.org or call 215.529.2601. All orders will be available for drop off/pick up at the Bucks IU Perkasie Square, near Landis Market (529 Constitution Ave, Perkasie, PA).
Educator Open House at the Michener
Please consider joining us at the annual PSEA-CAPS Spring Educators Open House at the Michener Museum on Thursday, April 25th, 4-7pm. This annual event is a fun professional development opportunity for regional educators of all grade levels. Experience the Museum with fellow educators and learn more about available resources. Participants enjoy access to all Museum galleries, including a guided tour of CFEVA at 40: Four Decades of Supporting Contemporary Art. Attendees will have the option to join a hands-on workshop in the museum’s studio with a special guest presenter. 21+ refreshments provided.
Curator Tour:
- In conjunction with the special exhibition CFEVA at 40: Four Decades of Supporting Contemporary Art, participants will engage in a gallery tour and conversation with the Chief Curator at the Michener Art Museum, Dr. Laura Igoe. They will learn more about the history of the Center for Emerging Visual Artists in Philadelphia, and how contemporary artists are supported by the organization. They will explore a variety of media and creative perspectives from our region, including social and political criticism through 2D and digital media, photography, and sculpture. Teachers will discuss ways in which mentorship impacts emerging artists, as well as the potential ways that exhibition content can connect to their curriculum and grade levels.
Studio Workshop:
- In conjunction with the special exhibition CFEVA at 40: Celebrating Four Decades of Supporting Contemporary Art, this workshop demonstrates one way to introduce students to the basics of mold making and casting. This session is facilitated by a professional artist and Visual Arts Professor whose work is featured in the exhibition. Participants will receive a lesson plan that introduces concepts of positive and negative space and will share ideas about how they can connect plasterwork with concepts related to decoration, pattern making, architecture and printmaking.
CTE Corner
These are the five best ways you can show support of Career and Technical Education (CTE) in PA:
- Share the facts about CTE
- Invite visitors to see your CTE program in action
- Increase stakeholder involvement in career and technical student organizations
- Spread the word on social media
- Make CTE a priority in your district
Epilepsy in School: Training for Teachers and School Personnel
This training, via the Epilepsy Foundation of Eastern PA, will acquaint school staff with new seizure classifications, seizure first-aid, and latest treatments and devices to allow them a better understanding of epilepsy and implications for care. The training will also present the social, psychological, and cognitive impacts that epilepsy may have for a student. There will be time at the end for an interactive Q&A. A certificate of completion and epilepsy resources will be emailed after the training. For questions, please contact Janette Locke at jlocke@efepa.org. Click here to register.
Join Us for Advocacy Day in Harrisburg!
Advocacy Day in Harrisburg for our region is on Tuesday, June 25!
Here's the scoop:
Drive to Harrisburg the evening before (or on the day of - PSEA will pay your room and mileage in accordance with fiscal policy)
Meet at PSEA headquarters in the morning to learn the issues of the day
Head directly across the street to meet with your PA House Representative or Senator (the appointments are made for you). You likely will not be meeting alone - there will be other people from the region there who have the same elected officials.
Head back over to PSEA headquarters to tell us how it went.
Go home - and maintain a relationship with your elected officials!
Yes, if you are attending from our region you must attend on June 25 and not the other days - the feedback that we have from legislators is that they do not want to have four meetings about the same thing, which we can appreciate. Click here to register!
Who Are Your Beneficiaries?
Nominating and Updating Beneficiaries
Have the circumstances of your life changed recently? Or maybe in the 20+ years since you first completed PSERS paperwork? Take a few minutes to make sure that your PSERS and life insurance beneficiaries are up to date.
It’s a best practice to update your beneficiaries when:
- You or your beneficiary divorces or marries
- One of your beneficiaries passes away
- One of your beneficiaries has a name or address change
- You have a child or adopt a child
- A minor beneficiary reaches age 18
Additional information from PSERS: https://www.psers.pa.gov/Active-Members/Pages/ChangingBeneficiaries.aspx
Minority Affairs Committee
Update Your Information with PSEA
Is it time to update your PSEA profile? Consider taking a minute to provide your updated information if:
PSEA emails are going to your school email and not your personal email (huge )
PSEA emails are going to an old email address that you no longer check regularly
Issues of The Voice magazine are going to your parent's house or a former apartment because that's where you lived when you first began working for a public school
The landline you got rid of six years ago is still listed as your primary phone number
You're at a different school or teaching in a different subject area than you were when you began working
To update your profile, go to www.psea.org and follow these steps:
- Click on "My PSEA Log In"
- Log in using your credentials
- Scroll down and click "My PSEA"
- Click "Edit" on your profile and confirm it's you
- Update anything that is need of an update
- Click "Update"
Thanks for taking the time to make sure your information is accurate and up-to-date!
PSEA Welfare Grants
The PSEA Education Foundation provides financial assistance to PSEA members who are experiencing dire hardship through illness, disability, and/or financial need. Applications are submitted to the PSEA Retirement & Welfare Committee, which reviews the applications and makes recommendations to the PSEA Education Foundation.
For more information or to apply, please scroll to the bottom of this page.
Stretch Your Dollars!
Stretch your dollars with the MyDeals app from PSEA member benefits! You can use the program to search by location - within a few miles of our office in Montgomeryville it is listing:
- $60 savings on Disney theme park tickets
- $5 off at Red Lobster
- $10 off at LA Fitness
- $30 off at Costco for new members
- Discounts on new and used Ford vehicles
- 15% off at Brooks Brothers
- 20% off at Men's Warehouse
To access savings, download the MyDeals app on your mobile device, or visit the website below. To register, use 8875 + your PSEA member number (found on the back of your membership card). If you don’t know your member number, contact your local president or call 1-800-944-7732 x3001.
How Much Are You Saving?
Special Program: PSEA Personal Legal Services
PSEA has a Personal Legal Services Program for members and their families. The program provides discounted rates and two 30-minute consultation sessions free during each membership year with the designated law firms below. The areas of concentration are:
- Personal Injury (Cordisco & Saile)
- Workers' Compensation (Cordisco & Saile)
- Domestic Relations (Susan Levy Eisenberg, Esq)
- Criminal Law (Neff & Sedecca)
- Wills & Estates (Martin Herring)
Stay Connected
Mideastern Region PSEA
Bill Senavaitis, President, Central Bucks EA
Bill McGill, President-Elect, Perkiomen Valley EA
Debbie Lee, Vice President, Abington EA
Sue Brown, Treasurer, Wissahickon EA
Jen Dan LoStracco, Secretary, Bucks County IU EA
Alan Malachowski, Past President, Montco Retired
Theresa Prato, PACE Director, Bucks County Technical High School EA
Maria Bennett, NEA Director, New Hope-Solebury ESPA
Colleen Brodbeck, NEA Director, Pennsbury EA
Website: www.psea.org/mer
Location: 601 Bethlehem Pike, Building C, Montgomeryville, PA 18936
Phone: 215.853.2100
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/PSEAMER
This message is intended for PSEA members and members of their immediate households.