PTA Local Leader News Biweekly Newsletter Volume 1 Number 7 Tuesday, October 4, 2005 Responding to Hurricanes Katrina and Rita The past few weeks have been very difficult for the children and families who live along the Gulf Coast. The devastation caused by the hurricanes this season is more than anyone could have imagined. National PTA assembled a special task force of National PTA officers, board members, and staff to develop short- and long-term relief efforts through which PTAs can help communities affected by the hurricanes. To keep our national network connected, these programs have been posted on the National PTA website, www.pta.org. The Hurricanes Katrina and Rita Adopt-a-PTA program connects PTAs nationwide. The program allows PTAs from across the country to adopt PTAs in disaster-stricken areas and assist PTAs that have taken in displaced students and families. National PTA also developed the Kids of Katrina Fund, a joint effort with National PTA Proud Community Partner Office Depot, to help children in the affected areas. The donation form can be accessed through the websites of several organizations, including National PTA, Office Depot, and the U.S. Department of Education. In addition, the National PTA website has a special bulletin board where members can share ideas and stories about their relief efforts. Visit the website regularly to learn about National PTA's latest efforts, to find out how to contribute, and to read stories about how others are helping. PTAs across the country have been active in these relief efforts. Thank you for all that you are doing to meet the needs of displaced families and children. Thank you for your caring and concern. —Anna Weselak, National PTA President Evaluating Your School's Health The Child Nutrition and WIC (Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children) Reauthorization Act of 2004 requires local education agencies (school districts) that receive federal funds for their school meals programs to establish school district wellness policies before start of the 2006-2007 school year. In addition, the law states that local education agencies must involve parents in the development of the policies. This means that your PTA has a unique opportunity to make sure that children have access to healthy foods and sufficient physical activity at school. Each local PTA should get involved in the creation of its district's wellness policy-as well as a wellness policy or plan specifically for its school. First, do your homework and find out more about the school environment and what is already happening in your district and school. Here are a few tips to get you started: Find out who is working on the wellness policy. Has a wellness committee been established? Are they reaching out to parents, as required by law? Ask how the PTA can be involved in the development of the policy. Join kids at lunch for a day. (Ask the school for permission first.) Pack a healthy lunch or eat what the kids eat. Find out what choices are available at the school, and what they taste like. What do kids pick from the menus, how long do they have to wait in line, and how much time do they have to eat? Talk to students about the food at school. They will definitely have opinions about the time they eat lunch, whether they are rushed, what the food is like, and what they would like to see changed. Also, it's important to get students' support for healthy changes in the school environment. Meet with the school food service staff and learn about their daily challenges in preparing meals and their suggestions for healthy improvements.Write their ideas down. Take a look at the school's playground and athletic facilities. Test the equipment. Does the school do a good job of providing students with an environment that promotes physical activity? Ask the principal and teachers how much time is provided each day for physical education and recess. Once you have gathered information about the state of nutrition and physical activity at the school, speak up about what changes are needed. Schedule a meeting with the wellness committee, and enlist the support of the principal, food service staff, and teachers. Each local unit leader was sent a copy of the Healthy Lifestyles at Home and School Notebook in the Back-to-School Kit in August. The notebook contains more information about how you can make your school a healthier place, a survey to help you evaluate your school, and details about the wellness policy requirement. Selections of the notebook are now available in the Local Unit Leaders area of National PTA's website. If you would like PDF files of the notebook pages to be sent to you via e-mail, send an e-mail to HealthyLifestyles@pta.org. Question of the Day: What Limits Do You Put on Your Child's Use of Technology? Whether they're logged on to an Internet chat room, watching TV, talking with friends on their cell phones, or playing video games, kids and teens today are continually using technologies for entertainment and socializing. National PTA wants to know how you manage your child's use of technology. If your response is selected to be published in National PTA's Our Children magazine, we'll send you a $25 Barnes & Noble gift card. Share your experiences and help other parents determine how they can direct their families' use of technology. Deadline for submissions: Tuesday, October 11, 2005. When submitting your response to forum@pta.org, please include Your name, The ages of your children, The name of your PTA, Your position in the PTA, and Your home mailing address so we can send you a gift card if your submission is published. By sending an e-mail, you'll be granting National PTA the right to publish your response, which may be edited for grammar, length, and/or clarity. Disney Teacher Awards Isn't it time to give our best teachers the recognition they deserve? How about a black-tie gala in their honor, a week of celebration at Disneyland, monetary awards, and an opportunity to share their talents with other teachers? If you know an extraordinary, creative teacher who inspires a joy of learning in students, nominate him or her for the 2006 Disney Teacher Awards-and he or she could receive all of this. Nominations will be accepted through October 15. Teachers in public, private, and parochial schools, of prekindergarten through 12th grade, are eligible to be nominated. To nominate a teacher, visit the DisneyHand website or call (877) 282-8322. Honorees will be celebrated at an awards gala in July, will be featured during a Disneyland Main Street Parade and Ceremony at Sleeping Beauty's Castle, will attend VIP events and receptions, and will share teaching strategies with their fellow award-winning teachers. During the gala, four honorees will be awarded as Outstanding Teachers and one will be named the 2006 Disney Teacher of the Year. Each honoree will also receive $10,000, as well as $5,000 for his or her school and a six-day professional development institute with his or her principal at Disney World. For more information about the Disney Teacher Awards, visit http://disneyhandteacherawards.go.com/. Check Out These Great Ideas Parents and principals working together The Northern Middle School PTA in Owings, Maryland, approached its school leadership with an idea for a program that would assist parents as their children went through the transitional middle school years. After receiving the support of the principal, who welcomed the opportunity to collaborate with the community, the PTA invited school administrators, school counselors, a school psychologist, a law enforcement liaison, and a pediatrician to speak at the event. The counselors and school administrators explained to the parents in attendance the importance of having a strong partnership between families and the school, and suggested ways to make that partnership more successful. Other speakers described the changes students in middle school are going through, particular behaviors they exhibit, and how to respond to those behaviors. The program not only provided parents with information that would help them guide their children through middle school, but also helped the community understand the importance of parent involvement. Involving more parents Highlands Elementary School PTA in Shawnee Mission, Kansas, hosted the Highlands Lighted School Program to offer an evening of classes to the school's families. The school was "lit up" from 6:15 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. as adults and children participated in how-to classes on topics such as resume writing and stock investing (for adults), exploring the Internet (for children), and cooking and entertaining Italian-style (for both adults and children). There was also a show-and-tell about favorite exotic pets for children. Many of the presenters were dads who, because of their work schedules, were unable to come to other school events. This program provided them with an opportunity to contribute, and many have continued to volunteer at the school. PTA Great Idea Bank These and other examples of effective PTA programs can be found in the new PTA Great Idea Bank. Visit the PTA Great Idea Bank regularly to search for ideas and to deposit your own. Contact information is provided with each idea so you can contact PTAs to discuss project ideas. Make your school year more creative and successful with the PTA Great Idea Bank. You'll find a wealth of knowledge! Notes and Dates Keep up to date on what's happening in Washington DC. Stay abreast of developments in legislative issues that affect families, schools, and communities, and know what National PTA is doing to advocate for public education and children. Sign up for National PTA's This Week in Washington e-newsletter, distributed each week when Congress is in session. In This Issue Responding to Hurricanes Katrina and Rita Evaluating Your School's Health Question of the Day: What Limits Do You Put on Your Child's Use of Technology? Disney Teacher Awards Check Out These Great Ideas Notes and Dates Additional Resources Linking to Your State PTA Disaster Relief Information Center Leadership Bulletin Board Getting Men Involved in PTA © 2005 National PTA, unless otherwise noted.