A website for East Ridge Elementary PTA (6.10.14) in Woodinville, Washington.
Announcements for:
May 14th, 2013
We have a few things brewing on the horizon, keep on the look out:
Golden Acorn Award Nominations
Please consider nominating a fellow parent volunteer for a Washington State PTA Golden Acorn Award. These awards go to several outstanding volunteers each year. A nomination form should be coming home via kidmail, or download and print one to send in. Nominations due May 22nd.
PTA Budget Committee Meeting
Believe it or not this is the best PTA meeting of the year. Join us on May 29th as Redmond Ridge IXTAPA as we hash out next year’s PTA Budget (subject to membership approval). Or, if you are a committee chairperson, submit your budget requests and suggestions to Denise (treasurer@erpta.org), and she will share your figures with Budget Committee Members.
Online PTA Survey
To take the 2012-2013 PTA Survey please follow the link provided. This survey will be used to help us make decisions about the 2013-2014 Budget.
Art Walk and Ice Cream Social – Thurs, May 30th!
We look forward to showcasing our student art work at this very popular event. Art Docent projects from through-out the year will be displayed as well as other classroom projects. We will also enjoy ice cream, pizza by the slice, and popcorn. This is always a fun event and a nice way to visit before the year is over. More info will be coming home via kidmail.
PTA Newsletter coming home soon!
Be on the look out for our final printed newsletter of the year. It is in the works and should coming home through a back pack near you.
Volunteer Opportunities Abound!
Haven’t had enough? Well, our Watch DOGS program is still seeking volunteers until the end of the school year. Take a look at their webpage to sign-up for a date. Also, we will need a small army of volunteers for Field Day (June 18th). So, please mark your calendars!
NSD Survey on Weekly Instructional Planning changes
Officers who attended the May 13th Northshore Council PTSA Meeting had a chance to discuss the NSD decision to give “Weekly Instructional Planning” to our teachers in the coming year. Here is a quick summary of what Janice Quinn (NSD School Board) explained about the process. She said the decision to give weekly planning time has been a part of a confidential discussion with the teachers’ union, as they are in the midst of a bargaining season. The teachers have put the need for regular planning as a top priority in their bargaining efforts. The School Board has conceded the need for this, yet they have retained the ability for parents to state their preferences for when the time will be allotted in the weekly schedule. We hope you will all take the time to complete the brief survey that the NSD has made public. We have until May 27 to complete the survey, and we are led to believe our feed back will be used as a determining factor in the final decision. As always feel free to send comments to the school board members, they are eager to address your concerns. Follow the link to complete the NSD survey.
Well, that is all for now! Enjoy your week!
April 21st, 2013
PTA General Meeting, Tuesday, April 23rd at 6:30 pm
Officer Nominations and Elections and Parent Ed Presentation
Our Nominating Committee has been hard at work recruiting and receiving nomination for our 2013-2014 PTA Executive Board. Here is the slate of officers they will be recommending for election:
President – Kit Topaz
VP of Fundraising - OPEN
VP of Events – Sue Bowden
VP of Programs – Margaret Hughes
VP of Publications – Krystie Pilukas
Secretary – Christina Phillips
Treasurer – Christa Ciffelli
At the election meeting (Tuesday, April 23rd at 6:30 pm) there will be a chance for nominations from the floor. So it’s not too late to throw your hat into the ring. As you can see, we are still in need of an officer to oversee our fundraising efforts for next year. Also, we would like to thank our Nominating Committee members: Kit Topaz, Sue Bowden, Jessica Smith, and Margaret Hughes (alternate) for participating in the process.
Parent Ed Presentation
We are excited to host parent speaker, Jo Langford (www.beheroes.net) to come to our upcoming General Meeting and speak on the topic of Internet and Social Media Safety for kids. With so many of our students using cell phones, e-readers, and tablets – we would be naive to think they don’t have access to media that could harm them. Even parents of our youngest students will benefit! Jo is a therapist, educator, and dad who has many years of experience in sex education field, as well as insights and resources to share on keeping our kids safe in this digitally saturated world. He was recommended to us from parents at other Northshore schools, and we are happy to bring him out to East Ridge Elementary. Please save the date for this event! Childcare will be provided through YMCA.
Prior to Jo’s talk, we will conduct a very brief PTA General Meeting, which will include our 2013-2014 PTA Officer Elections.
Chess Club – 4/25 through 6/13
East Ridge PTA is happy to host Chess 4 Life, as they provide a beginners Chess Club for our students. The cost will be $99/student. Classes will be held on Thursdays at the school. Look for more info to come home via kid mail. Thank you to Richelle Strom for helping to bring this idea to the PTA Board!
Chinese Culture Club – 4/25 through 5/30
We are also thrilled to welcome back our PTA mom Lingyun Parati as she (and other ER Parents) facilitate the Chinese Culture Club. This after-school club is for students in grades 3-6, and is a free program provided by the PTA. More info will be coming home via kidmail.
Please make “Safe Arrival” phone calls -
Our office staff has asked me to remind our parents to please make “Safe Arrival” phone calls to our East Ridge Attendance Line if you child is sick or will be late for school. I’m sure we have all forgetten to call in a time or two. However, we should all try to remember that it takes time to track down our absent children, so let’s help our staff out! East Ridge Attendance Line – 425-408-4410
Watch Dogs Update
We are happy to announce that we had a huge turn-out of dads at our April “kick-off” meeting. Our Watch DOGS will begin working at the school starting April 1st. So far we have over 35 Watch DOGS signed up to visit the school in-between now and the end of the school year. It’s not too late to get involved! Dads and other “father-figures” can get more info about the program on our PTA website. They can also drop a line to our Top Dog – Paul VL via email (watchdogs@erpta.org).
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February 7th, 2013
Box Tops Collection – February 11th – 15th
Send in those Box Tops next week! This will be our last collection opportunity this school year. And don’t forget, the classroom that has collected the most Box Tops this year will win an ice cream party.
Jump Rope for Heart – Wednesday, February 13th from 3:15-4:30
It’s not too late to sign up for this year’s Jump Rope for Heart event. You should have received a registration form in via kid-mail. So fill it out and send it in. Our students will have a great time jumping rope and learning about heart health with our own Mrs. Lucke on-site to lead the way. For more information or to volunteer at this event contact Mrs. Lucke at nlucke@nsd.org. Jr. High volunteers are also welcome to assist, if you have a teen looking for volunteer hours.
Yearbook order forms coming home soon!
Keep an eye out for your 2012-2013 East Ridge Elementary Yearbook order forms. Yearbooks will cost $11.00 each for online orders, and $13.00 each for check/cash orders. They will also have options for personal customization. More info coming via a backpack near you!
Other PTA News -
PTA General Meeting Report – January 29th
We enjoyed a visit from NSD Superintendent Larry Francois. Mr. Francois gave a thorough report on the upcoming changes in our school district. Within the next few years we will likely see the NSD transition from a junior high to a middle school configuration. It’s also possible that we will see some school boundary adjustments. If you missed the meeting and would like more info, take a look at the Northshore School District website, or feel free to contact your East Ridge PTA Legislative Reps at advocacy@erpta.org.
Watch DOGS (Dads of Great Students)
We also heard a presentation from one of our East Ridge Dads about a popular volunteer effort for dads. Watch DOGS is a program that encourages Dads to volunteer their time in a way that provides mentoring opportunities as well as adding to the security of our school. East Ridge PTA unanimously voted to support and sponsor this program and it’s development this spring. More info will be coming home soon. In the mean time, contact Paul Van Lierop (watchdogs@erpta.org) if you have any questions or would like to join.
Last but not least -
Reflections Art Program a great success!
We just wanted to thank our Reflections chairperson, Heather LaVallee, for coordinating a successful Reflections program this year! We had 7 beautiful art submissions this year, and hope to add more to the group next year. Names and awards are listed in the January PTA Newsletter. Thanks Heather for your hard work!
A digital copy of the January Newsletter has been posted. Go to the “Newsletter” tab above to see this newsletter and others.
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January 10th
East Ridge Spelling Bee
It’s not too late to register for the Spelling Bee! Print forms here and return to the school ASAP.
All students are invited to participate in this free, fun, low-stress, Spelling Bee. Practice words are available here. Feel free to download and print from your own computer.
Jan 16th – 1st and 2nd
Jan 23rd – 3rd and 4th
Jan 30th – 5th and 6th
Registration is open now! Check your student’s back pack for more info, and email Donna Wagner (vpevents@erpta.org) if you have any questions.
January 24th – Washington State PTA Focus Day!
FOCUS DAY! Come carpool with us to Olympia and let our legislators know your thoughts on education. The event is free and you can register here.
Tuesday, January 29th – PTA Parent Night with NSD Superintendent Larry Francois
East Ridge PTA is happy to host our Northshore School District Superintendent Larry Francois from 6:30 to 8:00 pm. Mr. Francois will be sharing information on the NSD School Board’s recent decision support the EDTF (Educational Demographics Task Force) decisions. (For a summary of this decision, take a look at this slide show prepared by our PTA Legislative Reps.)
For more information contact Angela Van Lierop (president@erpta.org).
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December 16th, 2012
PTA Cares
You might not know this, but East Ridge has a small line item in our budget called “PTA Cares”. This money was set aside so that in the event of a crisis or illness, our PTA could purchase flowers or a greeting card to extend care and support to community families. After the tragic shooting last Friday at Sandy Hook Elementary, your PTA Board of Directors is considering sending those funds to Newtown, Connecticut.
I think most of us, if we are totally honest, are stuck in the very awkward and frustrating place of wanting to watch the traumatic events unfold before our eyes and wishing we could fast forward to a time when we can’t even remember the name of this town. But then, there is something about this event that causes me to want to never, ever forget. And there is also something about this event that makes me want to explore a real solution to school violence. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we never had to see another news report about the senseless murder of our nation’s greatest treasure – our youth?
Well, in the meantime, we are working on determining exactly which non-profit organization to which we will send our support. There is a “Sandy Hook School Support Fund” (United Way), and there is also the Sandy Hook PTA. Our Board of Directors will continue to research which organization would be most appropriate for our gift. If you would like to add additional funds to our donation, feel free to send a check to East Ridge PTA and write “PTA Cares” in the memo line. You can send in donations Monday or Tuesday of this week.
Also, we will set up a PTA table in a discreet location at the front of the school Monday and Tuesday afternoon (3:00-3:30) this week. You can come sign a card for Sandy Hook Elementary Families and Staff, and we will send it along with our donation. We will not disclose any information about the shooting, so that our younger children aren’t exposed to any confusing or frightening information.
I would also recommend taking a look at these National PTA resources on School Violence. There are parent guides and prevention tips listed here. If you have any thoughts, or suggestions that you would like Northshore Schools to take into consideration, don’t hesitate to voice your opinion. Or if you would like to talk with other concerned East Ridge PTA members, let me know. I would be happy to facilitate a discussion.
Best wishes for safe, merry holidays, and a peaceful winter break!
On behalf of your East Ridge PTA Board of Directors,
Angela Van Lierop East Ridge PTA President president@erpta.org
