Help us get the PTA message out that budget Cut$ Hurt Kids! — contact your legislators, plan a rally, and write a letter to the editor before May 13.

California PTA has endorsed the CTA (California Teachers Association) State of Emergency campaign, taking place May 9 – 13. CTA will send 300 teachers to Sacramento (leaving Monday morning, 5/9) to occupy the state capitol building for the duration of the week, hoping to be joined by thousands of other interested people.
You can spread the word and participate to the extent that the activities are within our guidelines.
On May 10, wear red – “Red for Ed(ucation)” and inform your community about the impact that cuts will have on your schools.
There is a rally scheduled on May 13 at SF’s Civic Center at 5:00 PM (and a Send-off Rally at 3:45 PM at the Millbrae BART station). View the Facebook Event »
Please encourage your units to support the plans of your local CTA through leafleting, rallying, phoning and letter-writing; those with relatives and friends in outlying counties or areas whose representatives are on the fence should be making calls to encourage their participation as well.

More ideas for taking action from our California State PTA Cut$ Hurt Kids! website:
1. Sign up to be on the PTA Legislative Alert list to stay up-to-date with the advocacy campaign. Urge 5 friends to sign up too.
2. “Like” us on the Cut$ Hurt Kids Facebook page and post about how cuts are hurting kids in your school and community.
3. Film a video, using your phone or camera, about the impacts of the cuts on the children in your school and community and upload it to the Facebook page.
4. Wednesday, May 11: Celebrate California Day of the Teacher by letting your child’s teachers know you appreciate them and take a moment to send an e-mail or call your elected representatives to tell them you value education. Sample message: “An all-cuts budget would be devastating to the education and well-being of the more than 9 million children of California. Please support a balance budget plan that includes tax extensions and new revenues as well as needed reforms.”
5. Friday, May 13: Participate in one of the rallies. Organize a rally in your own community.

Come to 17th District’s annual Spring Training Event, the perfect place to get your questions answered! Training workshops will be offered in each of the following areas:

• President & Vice President
• Treasurer & Financial Secretary
• Auditor
• Secretary
• Historian
• Advocacy & Legislation
• Communications
• Membership
• Parent Involvement
• Parliamentarian & Bylaws
• Reflections Art Program

We are also really excited to welcome five members of the California State PTA Board of Managers who will be helping us present many of our workshops:

• Carol Kocivar, State PTA President-Elect
• Carol-Ann Koch-Weser, State PTA Vice President for Membership
• Debbie Look, State PTA Director of Legislation
• Maggie Steele, State PTA Leadership Commission Member
• Colleen You, State PTA Vice President for Health

In addition to the training workshops, we will hold our May General Meeting in order to conduct the business of the organization. Our incoming 17th District officers will also be installed, and State PTA President-Elect Carol Kocivar will be our keynote speaker.

The Spring Training event is free to attend and dinner will be provided. It will be held on Monday, May 16 at 5:30-9:00 PM, located at Bayside STEM Academy at 2025 Kehoe Ave. in San Mateo (view map). You can register online, or contact Sara Otus-Green, Spring Training Chair for more information.

Download the Spring Training Event Flyer [PDF]

Registration begins at 11:00 AM, which will also feature a showcase of Reflections entries. The General Meeting will begin at 11:45 AM, concluding by Noon, followed by lunch and the program.

During the general meeting, we will approve financial reports and elect officers for the 2011-13 term. You can view the slate of officers here.

Our program will feature guest speakers Jo Loss, California State PTA President, Anne Campbell, San Mateo County Superintendent of Schools, and Rachel Andres, San Mateo County’s Teacher of the Year. 17th District will also be presenting its annual Honorary Service Awards in recognition of outstanding service to children and families.

Founders’ Day will take place on Tuesday, February 15 at Dominic’s Restaurant at Oyster Point, 360 Oyster Point Blvd., South San Francisco. The cost for the buffet lunch is $20 per person.

For more information and to RSVP, contact Kathryn Cross, Founders Day Luncheon Chair.

17th District PTA is co-sponsoring A Night for Abigail, a community conversation about foster youth and how to help them succeed in school. The event is presented by the Court Appointed Special Advocates for Children (CASA) of San Mateo County, and will take place on Wednesday, February 16 at 7-9 PM at the Menlo-Atherton High School Center for the Performing Arts at 555 Middlefield Rd. in Atherton.

Please RSVP on the event’s website, where you can also find more information.

This training event is free and will be held at the San Mateo-Foster City School District Office at 1170 Chess Drive in Foster City (view map). Dinner will be provided!

Agenda:

• 5:45 PM — Registration and Networking
• 6:00 PM — Dinner and training overview
• 6:30 PM — Training workshops begin
• 8:45 PM — Workshops end

Workshops will be provided for all of the following positions:

• President/Vice President
• Treasurer
• Auditor
• Financial Secretary
• Secretary
• Historian
• Legislation and Advocacy
• Membership and Outreach
• Parliamentarian/Bylaws
• Reflections Art Program

Please RSVP as soon as possible to Christine Semenza, San Mateo-Foster City Council President, and include your name, school, e-mail address, telephone number, and which training you’d like to attend. We hope to see you there!

Workshops will be offered for President/Vice President, Secretary Treasurer, Auditor, Financial Secretary, Historian, Legislation/Advocacy, Membership, Parliamentarian/Bylaws, Reflections, and Student Involvement.

The evening will also include 17th District’s May General Meeting and Keynote Speaker Jo Loss, California State PTA President. Also attending will be Carol-Ann Koch-Weser, State PTA Vice President of Membership, and Brenda Steffen, State PTA Finance Commission Vice-Chair and Resolutions Committee Chair.

Spotlight on PTA will be held at Ralston Middle School in Belmont (view map). Registration begins at 5:45 PM, and a free dinner will be served at 6 PM along with the program and general meeting. Workshops will begin at 6:45 and conclude by 8:45.

Please RSVP to Keiko Smith and Sara Otus-Green by Wednesday, May 12, indicating which workshop you would like to attend. For more info, you can download the Spotlight on PTA flyer [PDF]. (Or, download the Microsoft Word version.)

The 203 pieces that were judged at the district level will be displayed at a Reflections Art Exhibit on Thursday, March 18 at John Gill Elementary School in Redwood City (view map). The open-house exhibit will take place during 6-8 PM, and all are invited to come see the visual entries, hear the music entries, and watch the film and dance entries. Snacks and activities will also be provided for the kids.

NEW! Congratulations to the following winners at the California State PTA level! These two students will have their entries on display at the State PTA Convention in Sacramento:
Cameron Marsden, “Beauty is…”
Borel Middle School
Award of Merit in Middle/Junior Literature

Alice Zheng, “Beauty is World Peace”
Brewer Island Elementary School
Convention Display in Intermediate Visual Arts

Next year’s Reflections theme (2010-11) will be “Together We Can”. Students are encouraged to start thinking of ideas for next year! If your PTA is interested in starting a Reflections program next year, or if you have any questions about this year’s judging or the March 18 Art Exhibit, please contact Contessa Messiana, 17th District Reflections Chair.

The full list of winners from 17th District is below the jump.

Photography

Visual Arts

Literature

Music Composition

Dance Choreography

Film/Video Production

Please join us on Tuesday, February 9, and extend an invitation to your superintendent or principal, vice-principal, incoming PTA president, and site council chairman. Registration begins at 11:00 AM; the General Meeting will start at 11:45 AM, followed by lunch and the program at Noon. The event will take place at Dominic’s Restaurant at Oyster Point, 360 Oyster Point Blvd. in South San Francisco (view map). The cost to attend is $20 per person. Please make checks payable to 17th District PTA.

The deadline for reservations is Thursday, February 4. Please return the RSVP form [PDF] with payment to Olga Keeney, Founders Day Co-Chair; the address is indicated on the form. We hope to see you there!

Speakers at this year’s luncheon will include Jo Loss, California State PTA President and Dr. Jean Holbrook, San Mateo County Superintendent of Schools.

The luncheon will take place on Tuesday, November 24th at 11:30 AM-1:30 PM. It will be held at the Seaport Conference Center in the Port of Redwood City, 459 Seaport Court, Redwood City (view map). Unit presidents and members are asked to contribute $10 each to help defray the cost of the luncheon, which can be paid at the door.

Please RSVP to Christine Semenza. We hope to see you there!