NATIONAL PTA PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE

Feb - April 2008

Our Members, Our Leaders-in-Training

You don't have to be PTA national president to see the passion of this organization's members. I knew long before I took office that it was our membership's commitment to children which has propelled PTA forward for over a century. But an organization doesn't thrive for 112 years on enthusiasm alone. Membership has enabled PTA to grow for generations because they are inspired and because they want to inspire others—that's how our membership becomes our leadership.

Nurturing our emerging leaders is important not only for the seamless operation of units from term to term, but it's also the means by which PTA remains relevant to the evolving masses that make up our nation's school communities. Developing leaders from within our membership ensures that our organization has a constant influx of new ideas worthy of the PTA mission.

It's never too early or too late to begin developing the next generation of PTA leaders. Newly elected PTA presidents can begin cultivating successors right away. By identifying several promising candidates and assigning roles or tasks which give them an opportunity to show their leadership potential, the entire unit can see who rises to the challenge. It is important not to favor any one candidate over another, however; there should always be a democratic process, rather than an “anointing,” for choosing our new leaders.

Current leaders late in their terms can help develop leaders, too. Any time a PTA president has a meeting—with a school board member, state PTA leader, or potential community partner—that's a chance for an emerging leader to make new contacts or personally witness new, higher-level strategies.

Connect with the future of PTA: develop new leaders in your unit today! The destiny of a great organization is truly in your hands.

Jan Harp Domene

PTA National President

August 2007

Connecting to the Lifeblood of PTA... You!

You are the lifeblood of PTA. Yes, you. The mom who makes sure her child has a healthy breakfast before school. The father who plays catch with his child in the park. The parents who participate in school events. The PTA president who makes membership a priority.

All of you together make up the millions of members who are the lifeblood of PTA and work tirelessly to make a positive impact on the life of as many children as possible across the country. Our membership gives PTA the force it needs to help every child succeed.

As your new national president, I will see to it that we connect to our membership, and I urge you to help strengthen it. We will continue supporting great PTA programs and look at ways to help them positively connect to and affect families everywhere. We will get to know our membership, what they need from us, and provide relevant resources that apply to today's parent.

Millions of other parents, and most importantly children, are not benefiting from the force of our lifeblood. We promise to connect to you ... and we need you to connect to them. Make the connection with other parents so that they too can help their child and the PTA succeed. Why? Because the facts don't lie. Parent involvement equals student achievement, which, in turn, leads to a better world for future generations. As a mother and grandmother, this is as important to me as it is to all of you.

I encourage you to write to me at jdomene@pta.org . Tell me what's important to you, what changes you would like to see, how we can connect with you better, how you are connecting to other parents, and how we can help. Together, we can create a more resounding voice nationwide, help all children, and create a better world for them.

Jan Harp Domene

PTA National President

March -April 2007

Teacher Appreciation Week—Renewing a Partnership

Teachers are very special people, and PTA has long promoted the partnership of parents and teachers. One of PTA's premier events of the year is Teacher Appreciation Week, when we celebrate the contributions of these dedicated women and men.

PTAs across the country recognize Teacher Appreciation Week this year from May 6–12, making it the perfect time emphasize the importance of parent-teacher partnerships. Plan events to show appreciation for the contributions teachers and school staff make to children's lives.

Try a few new ideas this year. Ask students to draw pictures or write thank-you notes to their teachers and add in thank-you notes from parents, too. Consider putting flowers in the teachers' lounge. Stock the staff lounge with gourmet coffee and teas, or plan a special teachers-only breakfast served by parents and students . For more ideas, go to PTA's Great Idea Bank at www.pta.org.

Teacher Appreciation Week is a wonderful time to honor teachers and renew the partnership between parents and teachers that helps students achieve success.

Anna Weselak
PTA National President

Jan - March 2007

Advocating for Children through PTA

One of the important roles PTA plays on the local, state, and national scenes is as an advocate for children and education to lawmakers. Throughout PTA's 110-year history, advocacy has been an important cornerstone of our work—one that helped create kindergarten, the national school lunch program, and most recently, the parent involvement component of the school standards of excellence required by the No Child Left Behind Act. As PTA leaders, it is important for you to help influence lawmakers, school boards, and others to take positive action for children and education.

Perhaps entering the political process to pursue a goal or cause seems like a daunting task, one that will require too much of your time and effort. Please consider for a moment the time you take to volunteer at school, attend awards assemblies, participate in parent-teacher conferences, or cheer at your child's athletic events. Each of these actions shows your support for your child and their school. You are, in fact, already acting as an advocate. Legislative advocacy can take as little or as much time as you might devote to one of these other advocacy events.

PTA is recognizing the week of February 19, 2007, as PTA Advocacy Week. During this week, please consider ways that you might be able to participate in the legislative process. With the changes that occurred during the elections this past November, PTA leaders and members will need to get to know a new set of lawmakers. Visit the local office of your federal legislators, as well as those of your state and local officials and present the case for children and education as a priority. Now is the time to get involved and help achieve your PTA's goals.

Anna Weselak
PTA National President

August-September 2006

Back-to-School Made Easy

Now that we are in the midst of Back-to-School season, I hope you have found a lot of uses for the tools PTA has provided to make membership recruitment and retention a fun and easy process. Every year, PTA works to improve our services to you. We support your local efforts to improve the lives and education of the children in your communities as you bring more parents on board to share in the effort and reap the rewards.

This year's Back-to-School kit contains many great recruitment tools, including brochures, posters, and a membership outreach guide in English and Spanish. Membership chairs also will find a wealth of useful information in the Membership Quick-Reference Guide found in the kit. The updated CD-ROM that was sent to all local units as part of September PTA Membership Month, includes many customizable forms, posters, and reproducibles. You don't have to reinvent the wheel in coming up with membership recruitment ideas. PTA gives you a big head start with proven, successful strategies with suggestions to carry them out.

Your states also have a number of excellent tools and resources for your use. Just contact them and ask what they have available for you. Whether you're concerned about membership, fundraising, programs, or any other activity for your PTA, your state and national offices stand ready to serve you. Make this back to school time an easy way to kick-off your year-long PTA membership drive!

Anna Weselak

PTA National President

July 06

Have a Healthy Summer Break

Every parent wants his or her child to be happy and healthy, and PTA is committed to helping to build healthy families and healthy communities. According to a new survey supported by PTA, one in four parents of young teens are extremely or very concerned about their young teen's health during the summer months.

Heat exhaustion is the top health concern for 35 percent of parents, and 75 percent will insist that their young teens wear sunscreen to ensure their child has a safe and healthy summer. In addition, almost 30 percent of parents believe it is extremely or very important to take their adolescents to the doctor for a summer health visit, and almost two out of three believe it is extremely important for their young teens to get vaccinated against infectious diseases.

Encourage your local units to provide information about these important health issues to parents. In addition, ask them to remind parents to ensure their children take needed medications and other precautions to prevent allergy flare-ups and insect bites.

Let them know that encouraging physical activity is important for boosting the immune system, maintaining emotional well-being, helping growing bodies develop, and getting children ready for school. Studies have shown that children's physical well-being has a significant effect on their learning and long-term success.

With a little thought and planning, families can enjoy a wonderful summer filled with fun, safe physical activities for keeping active and fit.

Anna M. Weselak

For April 06
Celebrate Your Successes!

Now that we're at the end of another school year, it's time to reflect on the year past, recall all the experiences we've gone through, and most important of all—CELEBRATE! As National PTA President, I look back on the accomplishments of National PTA in 2005–2006 with a great deal of pride.

PTA's very first Take Your Family to School Week was a tremendous success. The Online Membership Data Reporting (OMDR) system now is available to PTA local leaders. NASCAR racer Carl Edwards is PTA's newest Ambassador for Youth. Our first Commitment to America's Children gala was a wonderful event.

Most of all, the compassion, generosity, and teamwork shown by the entire PTA family to help the victims of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita will be a shining moment that I and everyone connected with that effort will always remember.

Take stock of your own year and celebrate all of your accomplishments. Whether you reached your membership goals, got more parents than ever involved in your PTA events, helped families navigate the maze of college entrance requirements, or found new ways to keep kids safe and healthy, give yourselves a round of applause.

Use your accomplishments to help set the bar for next year. PTA's focus will continue to be on Membership, Diversity, and Leadership. Keep those targets in mind as you set your goals and plan your programs for next year. Pledge to increase your membership by an additional 5 percent. Promise to plan an event that will appeal to the diverse ethnic groups in your community. Act to mentor newer members into leadership roles to continue the growth and success you've already achieved.

Celebrate that all of your good works are helping children!

Anna M. Weselak

March 06
Get Ready for Summer, Get Ready for Learning

The school year has gone by fast! When summer vacation arrives, children will have many choices about how to spend their time. Parents need to ensure that their children enjoy a fair share of their summer engaged in outdoor physical activity.

PTA encourages regular, active play for children. Studies have shown that physical activity has a positive effect on children's performance in the classroom.

It's also important to give children room for unstructured playtime with their friends. Playtime is what being a kid is all about! Parents must avoid programming activities to the point that their children never have a chance to simply play. Unstructured play allows children to develop socially and emotionally, use their imagination, and get the exercise they need to keep fit and healthy.

Of course, playtime during the summer must continue during the school year. Recess is the all-important break in the school day that allows children the same unstructured playtime they had during the summer. Recess is endangered in our schools. Nearly 40 percent of American elementary schools have either eliminated or are considering eliminating recess.

National PTA and Cartoon Network have launched a campaign called Rescuing Recess that champions the importance of recess for kids. Details can be found on our website, www.pta.org .

Every parent wants his or her child to be happy and healthy. With a little thought and planning, parents can ensure that their children can begin a wonderful summer of play that continues all year long.

Anna M. Weselak

Teacher Appreciation Week Is a Time to Give Thanks

Every young mind needs a spark to light the way to a brighter future through learning—and teachers are that spark. In 1985, National PTA established Teacher Appreciation Week, which is May 7–13 this year, to honor the dedicated men and women who lend their passion and skills to educating our children.

National PTA has long promoted the partnership of parents and teachers, recognizing that when parents and teachers work together, all children under their care benefit. Teacher Appreciation Week is a special time that gives parents the chance to show how grateful they are for the many excellent teachers who nurture the intellectual and social development of their children. The week also gives parents the opportunity to rededicate themselves to the parent-teacher partnership.

I encourage you and your PTA to recognize all that teachers do to contribute to the lives of children through expressions of appreciation from students and parents that say “thank you.” Teachers, in partnership with parents, truly make a difference.

Anna M. Weselak

Last updated 28-Feb-2008