As I’m reflecting on my time as Council President, I can’t believe how quickly the last two years have gone by! As a school community, we’ve gone through some unprecedented, challenging and uncertain times over the last few years. I can’t adequately express how honored and humbled I am to have served with my fellow Council members. They are some of the most talented, selfless and dedicated people I’ve ever met. With an average of 9 years of experience (including one member with 37 years!) there’s no shortage of creativity and a willingness to step in and offer guidance and support. When our world turned upside down, they didn’t miss a beat with figuring out ways to take our committees and advocacy work and make them happen virtually. With the exception of the beloved chili cook-off, we were able to not only continue all of our programs and committees, but also create new ones to keep students engaged. A simple thank you isn’t enough, but I am incredibly grateful for their hard work. Another thank you goes to all 22 units, who have been diligent in their efforts to promote the PTA mission and think outside the box to find creative ways to reach their students and families. This year, we have somewhat returned to normalcy, and we were grateful to be able to gather in-person for our recent officer training as well as the upcoming audit party and MI PTA convention. I look forward to continuing to serve on Council under Andrea’s leadership, as well as taking on new roles at the elementary and high school levels. I hope you have a chance to relax and recharge over the summer, September will be here before you know it!

Mandy Gerstenbrand

Frost Staff Appreciation
Frost Middle School did staff appreciation differently from the traditional week-long celebration. Staff said they liked when we spread out the celebration throughout the month, so we designated Wednesdays during the month of May to celebrate our incredible staff.

Our theme was "You Shine Like the Sun." We kicked off the first week with decorating the staff lounge with sun décor and bright yellow throughout, and provided all staff with a goodie bag. Week two, staff received Dairy Queen Blizzards. Week three, staff received coffee and cookies, and we closed out the month with amazing quiches from Alicia's Quiches!

We asked our families to help out with either monetary donations through MemberHub or providing materials through a Signup Genius. Our families stepped in to provide an incredible month of goodies to our incredible staff.

Although celebrating was a bit different since it was throughout the month, it was a good reminder to 1) always take feedback from staff and 2) not be afraid to do things differently!

Kennedy Teachers and Staff Raise the Bar

Our teachers and staff go above and beyond every day, and while we try to recognize them as often as possible, we love to spoil them during Teacher Appreciation Week. This year we hosted numerous "bars." On Monday, we had a coffee and bagel bar. On Tuesday, we did a yogurt bar with fixings. On Wednesday, we had a supply bar and flower bar. Teachers were able to select flowers and create their own mini bouquets. We also had bags with school supplies in them and then more supplies set out for teachers to choose from. We had families donate quite a few of the supplies through SignUp Genius. On Thursday, we had a "Nacho Average" Teacher lunch and PTA members provided the meats. We also gifted each teacher and staff person a gift card that our Kennedy families donated. Lastly, on Friday, we set up a snack bar. Another treat that we provided for our teachers/staff was chair massages, which they really enjoyed. We really appreciate our teachers and staff!

We tried real hard to spoil our staff during the first week of May for Staff Appreciation Week. They enjoyed messages of thanks on the sidewalks, snacks and a beverage cart, ice cream sundaes, a taco truck, a catered lunch paid for by a staff member's husband, gift cards, homemade toffee, and thank you notes from families.

Sarah Pelletier, Webster PTA

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.

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