The Councilor Shawnee Mission Area Council PTA Newsletter Volume 91, Issue 4

November 2013

President’s Message

INSIDE THIS ISSUE 2

SMAC Officers for 2013-14 Elementary Roundtables Food Service ItAllCounts

3

SMEF donations Help our Nurses!

4

Clothing Center Schedule

It’s hard to believe we are already entering second quarter! I know that I enjoyed speaking with teachers at conferences. I truly cannot adequately express my awe at the talent and dedication that is represented in our teaching staff at SMSD. We have some of the most amazing people teaching our students! I encourage everyone to let those teachers know how much we appreciate them! We know they are not doing it for the amazing pay and bonuses, so please support them in ways that we can. Feed them, praise them, thank them! We had a great presentation at our General Meeting in October from Kansas PTA about the new College and Career Readiness Standards. I encourage all of you to find out more about the standards and help our teachers and students by dispelling the myths that are out there and help spread the facts. Kansas PTA has received a grant from National PTA to do just that! Please contact KS PTA to have them attend one of your PTA meetings to share the information from National PTA. If you are interested in receiving information to share in your newsletter or in hosting an informative session in your community please complete an information request web form found here: http://kansas-pta-legislative.org/?q=presentation-request. Information is also available on the National PTA website at http://www.pta.org/commoncore. During our meeting a question arose on a comparison between Kansas and the nation on College Degrees. Here is some information about how Kansas compares in terms of degrees and funding: http://www.higheredinfo.org/stateprofile/index.php?report=da2c153 3b16c9893998357021ed7ddee Link to Common Core App: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.masteryconnect .CommonCore&hl=en Lastly, start working on those nominating committees! It’s already time to start thinking about next year. Pam Hale SMAC PTA President

SMAC Calendar 5

Nominating Committees

6

SMAC Talent Form

7

Treasurers’ Reminders

8

Walmart Simple Giving

9

Reflections Contest Green Team Meeting

IRS 990 Filing Deadline: Nov 15th Send Dues to KS PTA Monthly!

The Councilor is published monthly during the school year and once during the summer. Articles may be submitted to Pam Hale by email at [email protected] , preferably in Microsoft Word format. Questions? 816-536-5862

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SMAC Officers 2013-2014 President VP/Administrative Asst. VP/Community Services VP/Cultural Services VP/Educational Services VP/Public Relations Treasurer Secretary Member-at-Large Member-at-Large

Pam Hale Julie Kyle Lauri DeNooy Linda Braly Molly Gray Tash Davis Tara Gatti Diane Johnson Monica Roy Diane Schmidt

Elementary PTA Presidents: This is Just for You!

Representatives SMSD Administration Dr. Jim Hinson Board of Education Donna Bysfield NEA-SM Nancy Fritz Elementary Principal Kristal Leiker Middle School Principal Jim Wink High School Principal Richard Kramer Bylaws/Parliamentarian Karen Wagner Elementary Coordinator Amy Polen Secondary Coordinator Lisa Kuhnke Immediate Past President Karen Wagner Region 8 Vice Field Rep Dawn Lalumondier

We are having some great conversations! Please join us for the next roundtable. This is a great opportunity for Elementary PTA Presidents to meet and share ideas. For more info, please contact: Amy Polen, SMAC Elementary Coordinator [email protected] or 816-547-7622 Currently Scheduled Roundtables:

Friday 11/15 – Panera – 75th and Antioch at 10:00am Elementary Presidents’ and Principals’ Exchange and Breakfast Wednesday, January 15th, 9:00 am Indian Creek Tech Center, Classroom A

FOOD SERVICE….Did you know………… Did you know some ways you can help encourage healthy meals for your student?  Explore – Encourage your child to try new foods at home and school.  Encourage breakfast – School breakfast fuels learning.  Know the options – Schools offer a variety of selections at meals. Talk with your child about healthy choices.  Encourage good nutrition – Encourage your child to take and eat the fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins, and low-fat milk offered in school meals.  Taste for yourself – Take time to visit your child at school and enjoy a nutritious school meal.  Be a healthy role model – Eat a wide variety of healthy foods with your children. Don’t forget – if your child receives free or reduced meals, they are eligible for one breakfast and one lunch per day as part of this benefit. All breakfast and lunch meal choices are available for all students regardless of eligibility status. The school breakfast menus, lunch menus, and other nutrition information are available on the district’s website at http://foodservices.smsd.org

We have had about half of our units sign up for their landing page. Please consider getting a page for your unit! There is NO COST to your unit. Simply advertise the program. Holiday shopping on the internet could make money for your school! Be sure to get your Unit’s landing page set up! Contact Terry “Shug” Schippers, Executive VP & Co-Founder, today! [email protected] (913) 596-0844 The Councilor 2

Support Shawnee Mission Education Foundation and the students of Shawnee Mission School District through your donations to United Way! Many of you may already participate in United Way giving through your employer. Now you can direct all or part of your donation to go to SMEF! It’s a little like casting a “write-in” ballot. Just choose “Non-United Way Agency” and fill in the required information below: Shawnee Mission Education Foundation 7235 Antioch Shawnee Mission, KS 66204 913-993-9360 FIN 74-2823938

Promoting innovative and challenging teaching and learning in Shawnee Mission schools. www.smef.org

Contact Linda Roser, Executive Director, Shawnee Mission Education Foundation, with questions. 913-993-9363 [email protected] | www.smef.org At the SMEF Breakfast, Dr. Hinson called for donations in response to the serious need in OUR district. This is the moment for OUR district to stand strong. Rise to the challenges before us. Don't let decreased state funding define our schools. This is the moment to build the foundation to give us local control that will keep our local schools strong. With SMEF there's no state-mandated formula to hold us back. We can control our own destiny. Excellence is up to us to fund. Choose excellence in this moment, and for the future. Donate Now - Make a difference for Shawnee Mission students!

Help Our Nurses, Help Our Students! Holiday Sock and Underwear Drive! SMAC PTA was approached by school nurses in the district about the possibility of the clothing center providing socks and underwear for their offices. While we would love to be able to help them, we just do not have that kind of stock. We can barely keep up with the demand we are seeing from the SMSD community! What a great opportunity for ALL of our units, to do something to benefit kids in their own buildings and maybe those that seek the assistance of the clothing center as well. We encourage and challenge each of our units to check with their nurse about their specific needs and sponsor a holiday sock and underwear drive! Be sure to specify that donations be new/in packages. And if you get so many donations, your nurse might have to store packages of socks in the freezer, the SMAC Clothing Center would gladly accept your excess donations! Thanks for helping our nurses help our kids!

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Contacts

SMAC Clothing Center

Volunteer Schedule 2013-2014 Arrowhead Administrative Bldg. 6601 Santa Fe Drive O.P. KS   

Co-ChairsMerrilyn Shobe Sarah Baker

913-244-3098 913-706-9958

Arrowhead Adm. Bldg.(Emergency only)Carol Murrill 913-993-9128

Each school is asked to send a minimum of 5 adult volunteers from 8:30-11am on their assigned day. SMAC representatives work on the assigned evening shopping days from 4:30-7pm. It is the responsibility of the volunteers to make arrangements for substitutes. Day/Date Monday, 11/4/13 Monday, 11/11/13 Monday, 11/18/13 Monday, 11/25/13 Monday, 12/2/13 Monday, 12/9/13 Monday, 12/16/13 12/23/13-1/3/14 Monday, 1/6/14 Monday, 1/13/14 Monday, 1/20/14 Monday, 1/27/14

Time 8:30-11am OR 4:30-7pm X X SMAC X X X X SMAC X X XSMAC X

Volunteer Source Sunflower SMAC Brookwood & Rosehill Rising Star & Overland Park Westwood View & Prairie SMAC Pawnee & Ray Marsh CLOSED-Winter Break Merriam Park & Tomahawk SMAC CLOSED-Martin Luther King Jr. Day Benninghoven

Important Dates Day

Date

Meeting Type/Location

Time

Friday

November 15, 2013

Elementary Roundtable

10:00 AM

Panera 75th & Antioch Thursday

November 21, 2013

Activity-Free Evening in Honor of Administrators (during NEA's American Education Week, November 18-22)

Wednesday

December 4, 2013

Executive Session Meeting

9:30 AM

McEachen Conference Room Wednesday

January 8, 2014

Executive Committee Meeting

9:30 AM

McEachen Conference Room Wednesday

January 15, 2014

Elementary Presidents' and Principals' Exchange

9:00 AM

Indian Creek, Room A Friday

January 17, 2014

Unit Reflection Winners Due to SMAC Indian Woods

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6-8 PM

Nominating Committee Guidelines Committee Work

Serving on a nominating committee is an honor and a privilege. This committee is your PTA’s most responsible, sensitive and deliberative body. The decisions of the nominating committee will impact the future of your PTA. It is the responsibility of the nominating committee to recognize and seek qualified nominees for the elected leadership of the PTA. The members of the committee therefore have tremendous influence on the future of the PTA and should be carefully elected. The bylaws should state how and when the nominating committee is elected. The president may not be an ex- officio member. Following the election meeting, the committee elects its own chair. When meeting, the committee should have a copy of the bylaws and a membership list. The committee should have an odd number of members so that a tie will not occur. The president never appoints members to the nominating committee or exerts any influence on the selection of nominees. The report of the nominating committee and election of officers is directed by the bylaws. Serving on the nominating committee does not preclude the member from being nominated for a position on the board. The member proposed for nomination should withdraw from the meeting while his/her qualifications are discussed and to allow for additional names to be submitted for consideration. The member may return to vote. Duties of a Nominating Committee

1. Members of the nominating meet as soon as possible to elect a chairman. 2. The chairman notifies each member of the meeting. 3. The first meeting should be held early enough to have a second and third meeting if necessary. 4. Consult the bylaws for the number of officers to be elected. 5. If a member is approached before the committee meets, be sure he/she understands he/she is giving permission for his name to be submitted as a suggested nominee. 6. All discussions in the committee are confidential. 7. Present one nominee for each office to be filled. 8. Examine carefully the qualifications of each suggested nominee. 9. Check membership list to be sure suggested nominee is a member. 10. Members of the committee may be nominees without resigning from the committee. 11. Vote by ballot if the committee cannot agree on a nominee. 12. Get consent of member before placing the name in nomination. 13. Outline duties of the office when contacting members as a nominee. 14. Give the member time to consider before making his decision. 15. All committee members agreeing with the final report should sign it. 16. The committee’s work is completed and it is automatically discharged when its report has been presented to the membership. 17. If a nominee withdraws before the election is held, the committee meets and presents the name of another candidate. 18. At the regular association meeting, the chairman of the committee reads the report and hands it to the presiding officer.

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Shawnee Mission Area Council PTA Talent Bank Form Would you be interested in participating at the council level? We are always looking for individuals to help on SMAC committees and the board. Tell us about your interests and background, because we would love to have your help in advocating for all children in our district!

Name Address Phone

email

Names and Grades of Children Schools PTA Offices/Chair Positions Held

Special Interests in PTA

What committees or positions would you be interested in?

Please return to Pam Hale, [email protected], or feel free to call my cell, 816-536-5862

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PTA Treasurers TO-DO List! SMAC Dues and Clothing Center Donations – oops they are overdue! KS PTA Dues – due monthly IRS Form 990 due by NOVEMBER 15TH! (& send copy to KS PTA) Thanks to all the units that have already turned in SMAC dues! Only a handful are left – please get those in! Almost all units in SMSD earned the Early Bird Membership Award from KS PTA; keep up the good work! Tara [email protected]

SMAC Dues and Clothing Center Donations Mail-in Form — DUE NOW! Unit Name: SMAC PTA Dues ($50.00 for each Shawnee Mission School)

$

Clothing Center Donation (For purchasing new socks/underwear)

$

(Suggested donation of at least $50 so that we can keep up with increasing demand)

Please write two separate checks made payable to SMAC PTA. Mail to:

Tara Gatti, SMAC Treasurer 5419 W. 100th St. Overland Park, KS 66207

Thank you for your continuing support!

990 INFORMATION ALL nonprofits must file a 990 return with the IRS. If your PTA has less than $50,000 flow through your PTA accounts, the PTA can file a 990-N(e-Postcard). DO THIS BEFORE NOVEMBER 15! Once done, forward documentation of your unit’s filing to the Kansas PTA office at [email protected] The link to the 990-N (e-Postcard) is http://epostcard.form990.org/ .

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Champions for Kids has designated Shawnee Mission Schools as recipients of personal care item donations.

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The PTA Reflections contest is in full swing! The Reflections Contest encourages students to explore their artistic talents by creating works of art for fun and recognition. Students in pre-school through high school are encouraged to enter works of art in six categories: Dance Choreography, Literature, Photography, Film Production, Musical Composition and Visual Arts.

The theme this year is: “Believe. Dream. Inspire.” All Reflections Contest info can be found on our website at http://www.smac-pta.org/committees-events/cultural-arts-resources/reflections 2013-2014 Important Reflections Dates Monday, January 6, 2014 is the RECOMMENDED DATE for All Reflections entries to be turned in to Local Unit Chairs (The local unit is the school). You may change your turn in date to suit your schedule, but no later than this date. You may choose to have this date before Winter Break. Reflections Contest District Level Deadline and Turn-in Friday, January 17, 2013 Your Unit (school) Reflections winning entries due to SMAC Indian Woods Middle School – Front Lobby 9700 Woodson, Overland Park, KS 66207 6-8pm Unit chairs need to turn-in all entries or make special arrangements prior to this date to drop-off entries early to Shelle Lewis ([email protected] or 913-706-3109). No late entries will be accepted. District Reflections Open House Wednesday, January 29, 2014 Shawnee Mission West High School - Art Gallery 8800 W 85th St, Overland Park, KS 66212 (Use north side Auxiliary Gym entrance) 6-8pm First place winners (Award of Excellence) from local schools entries on display. District-level winners announced at this event. (Snow date if needed will be January 30.) District Awards Ceremony at SM Board of Education Meeting Monday, March 24, 2014 ***DATE CHANGE*** McEachen Administrative Center 7235 Antioch Road, Shawnee Mission, KS 66204 6-7pm Reception in lower level conference room 7pm Board Meeting District Award of Excellence winners recognized by the SM Board of Education and receive their awards. These entries then compete in the state Reflections contest.

To all interested in Green Activities and Opportunities in SMSD: You are invited to join us at Broadmoor Technical Center Nov. 19th from 8:30 - 10am so we can see first hand some of the exciting green activities they are sponsoring. We will be able to tour their Recycling Center and view some of the Beautification Projects around the grounds!!! For those attending the meeting, please sign in at the Main Office and get a ‘Visitor” sticker before coming to Room 118. BTC’s address: 6701 W. 83rd Street, Overland Park, KS 66204 Luci Lee, Co-Chair SMAC Environmental Committee The Councilor 9