FIRST DISTRICT PTA BYLAWS

First District PTA will adopt the attached amendments to our district bylaws at a special Association Meeting on Saturday, June 10. At that meeting, we will also be adopting our updated Standing Rules. Please review the proposed changes and contact me if you have any questions.

Michelle Hurst, Parliamentarian

[email protected]

HONORARY AND LIFETIME SERVICE AWARDS

First District PTA honored our incredibly dedicated group of volunteers with Honorary Service Awards on Monday, April 24. These ladies have profound knowledge and expertise on everything PTA. They offer our councils and out-of-council units tremendous support and mentorship. They wholeheartedly support the mission of PTA and we can not thank them enough for all they have done for the children and families of the First District PTA.

2022-2023 First District PTA Honorary Service Awards Honorees:

• Kitty Cahalan, VP of Membership
• Sandy Russell, VP Community Concerns
• Michelle Hurst, Parliamentarian
• Patty Scripter, VP Legislation and Advocacy
• Christy Brown, VP Leadership
• Jessica Sheen, President

On top of honoring our incredible volunteers with Honorary Service Awards, we also awarded a Lifetime Volunteer Service Award to a special group of ladies for their dedicated service to the children and families of First District PTA.

First District PTA Lifetime Volunteer Service Award Honorees:

• Kitty Cahalan, VP Membership
• Sandy Russell, VP Community Concerns
• Michelle Hurst, Parliamentarian
• Patty Scripter, VP Legislation and Advocacy
• Christy Brown, VP Leadership

It was a memorable evening celebrating our incredible honorees. We are thankful to them for their contribution to bettering the lives of all of our children. We wish these amazing ladies the very best on their next adventures. 

Lenka Kendall, VP Special Events

[email protected]

JOIN US JUNE 10 FOR TRAINING

First District PTA is excited to invite you back to our District Leadership Conference for another year of learning and networking. Plan to spend the day with us as we offer entire board training to help prepare you for a successful PTA year. We have worked diligently to bring a wide variety of workshops that will benefit everyone on your board. We will also have exciting exhibitors with information about their programs, service and products. 

Registration, workshops, meals, and exhibits will be located at:

Edgewood High School Campus

1625 Durness Street

West Covina, Ca 91790

Please share this information with your board members, especially incoming board members, and encourage attendance. This is a legitimate PTA expense for your unit and council. This information is available at www.pta1.org.

Early Bird Registration - $30.00 per person, now through Thursday, May 18, 2023

Registrations after May 18, 2023 - $35.00 per person, from Friday, May 19, 2023 through Thursday, June 1, 2023

If you choose the "Pay by check" payment option through Eventbrite:

• All Early Bird checks must be in the First District PTA office by 1:00 pm on Thursday, May 18, 2023
• Checks for registrations after May 18, 2023 must be in the First District PTA office by 1:00 pm on Thursday, June 1, 2023

If you have any questions, please contact Christy Brown at [email protected].

CONVENTION RESOLUTIONS

Convention delegates had the opportunity to vote on four resolutions at this year’s 2023 California State PTA Convention in Sacramento! All four of these resolutions, which were supported by First District PTA, were considered as part of the business of the organization. The links are to the resolutions as submitted but the adopted amended versions will soon be available on the CAPTA website.

• EQUITABLE LITERACY FOR ALL STUDENTS
• INCLUSIVE EDUCATION FOR STUDENTS WITH COGNITIVE DISABILITIES 
• SYNTHETIC AND NON-TOBACCO-DERIVED NICOTINE PRODUCTS
• AID TO VICTIMS OF SEXUAL VIOLENCE AND THEIR FAMILIES 

One of these was an update to one of our oldest resolutions. The other three covered suggested tools and strategies to support students in the areas of literacy, synthetic and non-tobacco-sourced nicotine use, and access to the general education curriculum for all students.  All four of the resolutions were adopted and will be strong additions to California State PTA’s authorities for action on behalf of children and families.

DYSLEXIA RISK SCREENING BILL

California State PTA announced the cosponsoring of Senator Anthony Portantino’s bill on dyslexia screening at the State Convention. 

“Dyslexia is the most common learning disability and yet it often goes undetected,” states Senator Portantino. “Early identification and intervention with evidence-based strategies is key to helping children read and vital to their academic success. By screening all students for dyslexia early, we can help families and teachers achieve the best learning and life outcomes for all students, close academic achievement gaps, and help end the school-to-prison pipeline.” 

California State PTA strongly supports early screening for signs and symptoms of dyslexia and the use of appropriate accommodations to provide students with dyslexia equitable access to the general education curriculum as identified in the California State PTA Resolution, “Dyslexia: Addressing the Educational Implications in Public Schools.” Click here to read Senate Bill 691.

For more information about other bills with adopted positions, check out the CAPTA website here.

Patty Scripter, VP Legislation and Advocacy

[email protected]

MEMBERSHIP REMITTANCE FORMS

As of Sunday, April 16, 2023, First District had recorded 68,958 members, which is only 1,042 members short of our 70,000-member goal! Please remember to keep sending monthly membership reports and through channels membership dues into the First District office so we can reach our goal! Memberships need to be paid by June 12 in order for us to get them through channels in a timely fashion. 

AWARDS

At our awards dinner on April 24, we were pleased to recognize the following councils and out-of-council units for outstanding membership achievements:

The Bumper Crop trophies for council and out-of-council unit that had the greatest overall membership compared to 2021-2022 went to Rowland Council and iPoly High School PTSA. 

The Yield Per Acre trophies for council and out-of-council unit that had the greatest percentage of membership relative to last year's enrollment went to Arcadia Council and iPoly High School PTSA.

Thanks to all for this great membership year and for all the work on meeting our challenges. And please keep those membership dues coming!

Kitty Cahalan, VP Membership

[email protected]

Visit our website to see past issues of "You Heard it Here First!"