Springfield Council of PTAs Monthly
Volume 3, Issue 5/May 2019
Please Make Every Effort to Attend Our SCPTA General Meeting THIS WEEK!
Our meeting will be held at Harrison Elementary School. We're hoping new unit officers can attend tomorrow. Remember, you are welcome to bring your executive committee or any other PTA member who would be interested in attending with you!
Wednesday, May 1, 2019, 09:00 AM
David Harrison Elementary School, West Kildee Lane, Springfield, MO, USA
WE WON!! WE WON!! WE WON THE BIG HAT FANTASY EXTRAVAGANZA!!
We are thrilled to announce that The PTA Clothing Bank received the most votes in the Big Hat Fantasy Extravaganza that concluded Sunday evening
during the live event at the Old Glass Place!
Thank You to Our Heroes
There She Is...Miss Sock & Underwear Girl
All in the Family
A Letter from Your Council President
By Becky Volz
Happy May to all of us! We have had a very busy school year that included school bond campaigning, hosting informational meetings for SPS, and celebrating an exciting win. In addition to all the amazing things you’ve done for your teachers and students, I’d like to encourage units to reach out to Portland PTA as their school will be closing and their PTA merging with Sunshine PTA. Every event at Portland this year will be a special memory to document. Let’s help them celebrate! Also, Delaware Elementary will be relocated while their new school is being built and their PTA could use some extra support while in a temporary facility during this next school year. If your PTA is looking for a service project or opportunity to lend a hand, contact Portland and Delaware units to find out where they or their school may need support.
The end of the year brings with it all of those “wrap it up” lists. Handing over procedure binders and necessary files to the next officer is critical and respectful. Remember, all PTA materials belong to PTA, not to the individual officer or member. Here are a few things that should be on your checklist:
- Make sure to submit all your officers and chairperson's and their contact information to MOPTA at office1@mopta.org and SCPTA by using the google form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfOmkCHUTA6JYZfEt1blEOw3ERtUCuhxVuwXaIyocG9hCStnQ/viewform
- If installing new officers, be sure they have all records by the end of May. Procedures, documents, etc. can be kept on a google drive. However, physical copies of financial records are required to be kept by the treasurer including bank statements, checkbook registers, and expense records.
- Change signatures on your PTA bank account(s) to the new treasurer, secretary, and president.
- Your unit membership should vote on next school year’s budget in May if possible, or be prepared to do that in August.
- Your treasurer should pay all bills, settle all accounts, and have records ready for the financial review. A financial review committee should be appointed to review the treasurer’s books by the end of July or sooner. Treasurer also prepares an End of Year Report after your books are closed (by June 30). You can file your 990N (as soon as books are closed) at www.file990.org. IRS deadline for 990 is November 15.
- Double check that your bylaws are current and that your fiscal year is set to be July 1 to June 30. If you have questions on this, contact Tori Sallee at toris@mopta.org.
- Start on your master calendar that includes the above deadlines, your school’s events and important dates, SCPTA citywide meetings (first Wednesday of each month during school), MOPTA convention, School Board meetings, and no school dates for SPS. See SPS calendar link at https://drive.google.com/file//1f1Sp5mJa60ElbcArHIA7LBS3nMMUC_cf/view
Remember to register your kiddos to EXPLORE so they can attend as your family schedule allows. Students can also register for LAUNCH to do classes online. This is helpful for students who want to earn extra credit or take classes to make up their credits, or simply learn more! Ask your counselors about this.
It has been an honor and a pleasure, and a learning experience, to be your SCPTA president these last two years. I would encourage you to step out of your comfort zone--I sure did--and join the executive board and be a voice for the future of SCPTA!
Reports from 2019 Missouri PTA State Convention
It was a pleasure to attend the MOPTA state convention held right here in Springfield this year. I volunteered at the registration table meeting PTA volunteers and officers from all over Missouri! It was especially awesome to get to know our state Board of Managers and work beside them. Getting to know other people who do what you do and have the same challenges and successes is very affirming. When you share a passion with someone, as we do in PTA, it is instantly bonding.
I was a Reflections student group wrangler and led a group of young creatives to the stage area to receive their awards. Aren't little people so inspiring just being themselves?! I was invited to share in awarding our SPS Superintendent the Missouri Distinguished Service Award at the Awards Banquet. I was able to attend a couple of workshops in between my volunteer posts. So much interesting and critical information was made available to us. I had an invigorating conversation with a veteran PTA leader, Bonnie Cannon, and took pages of notes! It was an enriching and inspiring time well spent with other volunteers advocating for children and dedicated to training and supporting any PTA/PTSA unit that asks! Thank you SCPTA and MOPTA!!
Respectfully submitted,
Becky Volz
It was my pleasure to attend the Missouri PTA 2019 Annual State Convention April 5-7 right here in Springfield. Saturday morning began with workshops. I participated in The Key to a Good Meeting workshop presented by Dr. Leonard M. Young which focused on parliamentary procedure. The second-morning workshop I attended was lead by our MOPTA President Susan Rupert entitled, The Keys to Being President. We learned about the keys that will help unlock a successful first year as president.
Our delegation then attended the General Meeting & Recognition Luncheon. Every unit and council is required to hold an annual meeting and so is Missouri PTA. During this time they conduct important business before the general membership. After the working lunch, I attended a workshop by Dorothy Gardner entitled, The Board Knows Best-Right? We learned how a board should work together. The next workshop was Creative & Captivating Communication by Andrea Battaglia. Communication is the key to improving member understanding and engagement!
The last event on Saturday was the Awards Dinner, and our very own Dr. John Jungmann was our guest speaker! I attended two workshops on Sunday, the first was Leading the PTA Way by Denise Sultz and the second was Leave It Better Than You Found It by Susan Rupert. My biggest take away was learning that PTA is truly about child advocacy and that no other child advocacy organization does what we do with a focus on EveryChild OneVoice and that PTA is the key. Brave Advocates * Big Voice * Bold Purpose #MOPTA2019. We DO make a difference! Thank you SCPTA for the opportunity to attend!
Respectfully submitted,
Julia Spiva
The Missouri PTA Convention was an impressive showcase of talents and love. Such an honor to be a part of an organization that knows how to create a turn-key experience. The workshops were relevant and taught me quite a bit about pushing forward and becoming my BEST alongside my PTA family. I enjoyed the experience of an official parliamentarian meeting. The convention indeed carried out this year's theme and gave us nuggets to share and become the PTA KEY. It is inspiring to know that ALL PTA units are BRAVE advocates with BIG Voices for our BOLD purpose--ALL KIDDOS!
Thank you Springfield PTA Council for the opportunity to be a part of this memorable event. Thank you MOPTA for putting together a top-notch convention that made a first-timer want to be a long-timer. I truly enjoyed all of it.
Respectfully submitted,
Toi Allen
Congratulations to our 2018-19 Membership Award Winners
We are pleased to announce that 24 PTA/PTSA units have increased their membership this school year!! Congratulations and thank you for your efforts!
Below are this year’s recipients of the Golden Gavel Awards:
- Unit with Highest Numerical Increase: Disney Elementary PTA
- Unit with Largest % Increase: Reed Academy PTSA
- Unit with Highest Total Membership: Disney Elementary PTA
- Unit with Highest Membership based upon School Enrollment–
- (0-250) Delaware Elementary PTA
- (251-350) Wanda Gray Elementary PTA
- (351-600) Disney Elementary PTA
- (601-999) Cherokee Middle School PTSA
- (1000+) Glendale High School PTSA
SCPTA WINTER CHALLENGE Unit with the most memberships gained from January 1 to March 1, 2019: Portland Elementary PTA
Historian Reports
President's Report--Becky Volz
Council activities started on August 6, 2018, with our Officer Orientation at the KAC. Council executive board meetings began on August 22nd and then each 3rd Wednesday of the month after that at the KAC. I was chosen to be on the Community Task Force to study the SPS facility needs which met from June to October, twice a month. My activities and involvement for this past year are offered below in a list format for the sake of space.
As the president for SCPTA, I:
chaired the quarterly meetings of the School Crossing Protection Committee;
attended board meetings of the Foundation for SPS as an ex-officio member;
sat on the Prosper Springfield Education Committee and Advisory Council;
set the master calendar for the year and secured monthly meeting locations for our 1st Wednesday meetings;
attended School Board meetings; provided training for new officers one-on-one as requested and did financial reviews and support for good standing status; volunteered at the clothing bank;
participated in MOPTA monthly conference calls for council presidents; sat on Founders Day committee; attended various PTA & PTSA unit meetings;
presented an SCPTA update to the School Board; arranged for the Council to meet with MSU archivist and see all SCPTA records from 1913 to present;
gave hosting principals a PTA gift;
VP of Promotion's Report--Julia Spiva
Membership Report: Total Council memberships for 2018-2019 are 4303 individuals and 168 businesses. Total: 4471 Four units were given cash awards for the highest increase in memberships by November 30. Eight units increased their membership from January to March with Portland Elementary PTA being #1 with 23 new members in 2019. Thank you for being a member! PS: Just nine years ago our Council had 12,000 members. We can do it again. Remember to ask people to join!
Founders Day Report: Founders Day Banquet was held on February 11 at Central High School. The theme was “Make Your Mark on History” highlighting the rich history that is housed at Central. Emcees were Malia Morgan and Decker Ames. Entertainment was provided by the Central High School Orchestra with a prelude followed by the Central High School Kilties, Chamber Choir, and Central High School Jazz Band. The Program was a compiled performance from the Central High School Theatre and Choir entitled “History, Heart, Home.” We celebrated SCPTA past presidents who were in attendance, and of course, we recognized and gave a gift to the Volunteers of the Year.
Hospitality Report – Heather BucknerI coordinated the purchase of two cases of apples from Kiwanis in the fall to show appreciation for the KAC Administrative staff and Bentley building staff. Each month, I coordinated and assisted PTA/PTSA presidents of host schools during our general membership monthly meetings. I also helped with setup for Founder’s Day Banquet at Central High School.
Treasurer's Report--Leslie Norman
I have: managed the responsibilities of Treasurer and kept records to provide budget reports to the executive committee, overseen approval of line item changes, made timely deposits and keet current with payments due and timely reimbursements. I have modified the Request Form to include check off for Money Minder entry and to account for deposits and transfers. I regularly supplied chairs with transaction reports by specific category. I served on the Founders Day committee; chaired the Nominating Committee; and chaired the Budget Committee presenting a proposed budget for 2019-2020. I have also guided unit Treasurers when requested.
Vice President of Health & Public Services--Allison Lawson
The PTA Clothing Bank served SPS students during a total of 2,313 shopping visits from August 2018 to April 2019. Students took home 9,429 tops • 5,680 bottoms • 1,476 jackets • 819 coats. This school year, students were able to select new socks and underwear twice during the school year and took home 8,995 pair of underwear (1,799 packages of 5 per student) & 9,030 packages of socks (1,806 packages of 5 per student). Bombas socks continued their grant of new socks and donated an additional 2,000 pair of new socks. We expanded our fundraising efforts this year to include a jewelry sale, Major Saver card sales, and the Big Hats Fantasy Fundraiser, and The PTA Clothing Bank received generous support from direct donations from individuals, companies and PTA units.
Our partners at the Kiwanis Shoe Bank provided 1,108 new shoes to our SPS students from their location inside The PTA Clothing Bank.
We are excited to welcome Mandy Mitchell as the 2019-2020 Springfield Council of PTAs Vice-President of Health & Public Services and our next leader at The PTA Clothing Bank! A long-time supporter and friend of the clothing bank, Mandy has already been an integral part of the team serving as co-chair this year along with Patty Dunn. We are so grateful for both chair people and their dedication and hard work this year. We are in good hands!
Thank you for the teamwork and caring that made The PTA Clothing Bank an excellent place for one more year! The fun will continue this SUMMER for two days in June!
VP of Organization & Development--Jennifer Penny
We were so grateful to have 14 schools participate in the Major Saver discount card fundraiser and combined they raised almost $40,000. The 14 participating schools’ principals received $200 each as an incentive for participating in the fundraiser and the school that sold the most cards received a $500 check for their school site. Major Saver also gifted the Clothing Bank $2,800--$200 for every participating school.
We were also delighted that all 31 eligible elementary schools received CARE Scholarships at our February general meeting. And, all 12 qualifying middle and high schools received McBride Scholarships. We have increased our fundraising efforts this year by seeking out businesses and individuals to underwrite scholarships and meetings. We have received $2,500 to completely fund the high school scholarships and $3,100 to completely fund the CARE scholarships. We couldn’t be more pleased with the effort and hope to continue this trend next year.
The Board voted in March to propose also offering a $500 high school scholarship to Study Alternative Center, as well as the CARE and McBride scholarships. The general membership was all in favor of this addition and we were so pleased for the opportunity to come alongside Study.
Legislative Report--Donna Petiford
SCPTA hosted members of the Community Task Force on SPS Facilities at our November 2018 meeting. Task force members described their process for selecting the most pressing needs of the buildings in the district and their recommendations for a $168 million bond proposal on the April 2019 ballot. Task force members also answered questions from our members attending the meeting.
SCPTA passed a resolution to support the $168 million bond at our February meeting. Members were encouraged to educate and inform PTA members throughout the district to support the passage of “Proposition S.”
In March, SCPTA hosted a candidates’ forum for the April 2019 school board election. The three candidates participated in the forum, Shurita Thomas-Tate, Alina Lehnert, and Charles Taylor. In April Lehnert and Taylor were re-elected to the board.
In April 2019 voters approved the 168 million dollar bond, an 18-cent increase to the debt-service levy to fund 39 high-priority projects identified by the Community Task Force on Facilities. The proposed projects include renovations or reconstruction for six schools, creating safer entrances at 31 schools, plus adding classroom space to expand pre-school services in northwest and southwest Springfield, addressing key PTA issues of safety, accessibility, pre-k education, quality, and equity for all students.
Tips from The Treasurer
By Leslie Norman
2 Do List for the 2019-2020 Year Set-Up
I highly recommend doing the following before the end of the fiscal year:
- Change/Add new officers to Bank Account Signature. Bring in minutes from the meeting when officers were elected.
- Outgoing & Incoming officers meet to propose the budget for the 2019-2020 year.
- Set a deadline for reimbursements to be turned in and stick to it.
- Have all deposits and payments completed.
- SET A GOAL to have cleared everything before June 30th as the end of the fiscal year.
- Put a Financial Review committee in place to audit books and get the contact information to Treasurer(s). Once the financial year ends, the outgoing Treasurer should complete year-end reports in a timely fashion. Aim to turn over the books in early July so the committee can finish by August 1.
- I recommend no bank activity in the month of July while books are audited and you are preparing your end of year report.
- Once your audit is completed, file your 990 — no need to wait until the deadline.
Email me if you have any questions.
Please Submit Your 2019-2020 Officers to SCPTA
Congratulations to all new and returning PTA/PTSA Unit Officers and thank you from all of us for your gift of time and dedication!
Now it's time to submit your unit's officer information for the 2019-2020 school year USING THE GOOGLE FORM BELOW.
We will use this information to communicate with Presidents and board members throughout the year by email, text and the REMIND app, so please submit as much as you can.
IMPORTANT NOTES:
- Please submit officers even if they are the same for the next school year
- If you have not yet filled all positions, please send in the officer information for the positions that are filled. You can always add others when they are voted in.
National PTA Would Love to Hear Your Story
We want to hear all about how being a part of PTA has impacted you. Why did you join PTA? How has PTA changed your child’s life? With your story, we can inspire others to join our PTA family. Submissions will be displayed at #PTACon19! Submit your story!
The First 30 Days In Office -- The Definitive Guide
Our National PTA has some excellent resources, but The First 30 Days may be one of the best! You'll want to share this with your executive committee and even your board, especially if anyone is new to PTA to get off to a great start!
The following information is from the National PTA website:
http://www.ptakit.org/PTA-Leaders/Getting-Organized/First-30-Days.aspx
Congratulations! You've just been elected to be a leader of your PTA!
If your team takes each of the following steps in (roughly) your first month in office, you'll be off to a fantastic start! These are great things to do during the summer months as you prepare for the school year.
#1: Reach out. Your state PTA and National PTA are here to help and support you. Getting connected right away will make your job much easier! Here's how:
- Contact your State PTA. Provide your state PTA with names and contact information for you and your fellow officers. Ask who to call if you have any questions. Find out what training opportunities have been scheduled for the near future that can help you and your board get off to a good start. Visit your State PTA website.
- Explore National PTA resources. This Local PTA Leader Kit is a great place to start. After you've read this, you can learn more from National PTA through eLearning courses, National Programs (like Reflections), the One Voice Blog, e-Newsletters, and Our Children Magazine.
- Get Social.
- Facebook: Follow the National Parent Teacher Association to get updates and connect with other PTAs.
- Twitter: Follow @NationalPTA for updates on education-related issues and PTA efforts.
- Pinterest: Follow National PTA for the latest parenting and leadership ideas.
- Instagram & Flickr: Follow National PTA and share photos from your own events.
- YouTube: Check out the National PTA channel for informational webinars and get inspired by other PTAs and #PTAProud stories.
- For even more ideas and connections, search for your state and other local PTAs on your favorite social media platforms.
#2: Listen. Before you begin planning, it is important to understand your unique community's strengths and needs. You will do more of this in the months to come, but for now:
- Talk to the outgoing president and officers. What worked last year? What did not? Thank them for their work and ask if they can help you arrange meetings with key teachers, administrators, and community leaders. Who do they see as volunteers to encourage and grow?
- Introduce yourself to the school personnel and administration. Ask about their priorities for the year and tell them you are interested in helping them achieve their goals. If your PTA is a community or district-wide PTA, reach out to district and community partners in your area and offer to work collaboratively.
- Introduce yourself to families and members of your PTA. Ask what they think is working or not working. It is important for members to see a smooth transition and to feel that new leaders welcome their questions, ideas, and participation in the year ahead. A great way to start is with a survey. Every interaction is an opportunity to encourage members to renew and new families or teachers to join.
- Your PTA's Bylaws. You and your board are responsible for following the bylaws, so you need to know what they say. If they are old and no longer relevant, one of your first moves should be to establish a bylaws revision committee to start the work necessary to make the document work for your current PTA. Your State PTA can help.
- PTA Procedure Book or "Board Book". Whether it is an electronic file, a cardboard box full of papers, or a binder thick with documents, get up to speed on what has happened in the past.
- The most recent audit. You may need to talk to the treasurer about this. If an audit did not occur after the latest transition of officers, make sure to get one done as soon as possible. You will want to start fresh with a new set of books, so be sure the previous accounts are "closed" or "zeroed out" and audited.
- Bank statements and electronic access. Make sure you have the usernames and passwords, documents, accounts, etc., to access your PTA's financial information.
- Your unit is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit (all PTAs are), so ask your outgoing president or treasurer for the most recent IRS Form 990 filing. For more info, see Your 501(c)(3) Status.
- Change the signatures on your PTA's bank accounts. You will want to be sure previous officers no longer have access to your financial accounts. A transition letter from the outgoing treasurer to the bank may be necessary to enact this change.
- Ask your state office if you are required to have insurance and when the payment is due. Insurance can protect your board members, events, and PTA property.
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