The school year is well underway, and the kids are off to an exciting year ahead of learning and growing! Take a few moments to take that in. Don't forget to give yourself a pat on the back, as well as those who take time out of their busy schedules to step in and make your school and community a better place for children and families. We appreciate you!

Many thanks to everyone who took time out of their busy lives to attend Fall Training last Monday! We are in the process of gathering e-copies of training materials used at the workshops and making them available shortly. In the meantime, here is a compilation of topical programs shared by 17th District PTA (San Mateo County) in case you were interested in any of these hot topics.

The CAPTA site has been changing a bit lately. For your conveniece, below are direct links to forms that were referenced in the Treasurer workshop:

http://toolkit.capta.org/forms/running-your-pta-forms/

http://toolkit.capta.org/forms/finance-forms/

http://downloads.capta.org/toolkit/forms/ConflictWhistleblower.pdf

Did You Miss In-Person Training or Need a Refresher?

Nothing can take the place of live human interactions at in-person training. However, if you missed training at the recent CAPTA Convention or Peralta District PTA Leadership Training, PTA has your back with a multitude of other ways to help you be successful in your role and refresh/reinforce what you may already (maybe sorta) know. You may need to register for access to these sites.

California State PTA Training Center

California State PTA Online Toolkit

Thrive, National PTA Learning Community

National PTA eLearning

Peralta District PTA also plans on offering finance-focused training in October before the November 15 tax filing deadline, election-focused training before election season, and general leadership training in June for incoming 2024-25 PTA leaders.

Plan Ahead for Raffles

What is a raffle? A raffle is a type of lottery in which prizes are awarded to people who pay for a chance to win. PTAs must register with the Attorney General's Registry of Charitable Trusts before the raffle and must also file an aggregate financial disclosure report for all raffles held during the reporting year. Registration and reporting forms are available from the California Attorney General's website linked here.

Door prizes offered at a meeting or event where entry is free and there is no fee to participate, are not raffles. Door prize drawings are easy to run and are encouraged for increased attendance and engagement.

Steering the Course

If you find yourself getting overwhelmed with TMI (too much information), Peralta District PTA's Calendar and Due Dates document is designed to give PTA units the least you need to know in chronological order, so you can plan ahead.

Speaking of Planning

In case you haven't noticed, PTA is big on planning, and with good reason. Last-minute crunches are sometimes unavoidable, but oftentimes they are avoidable if you plan in advance. Avoid the stress that comes with last-minute demands with the help of California State PTA guidelines around event planning.

September 7th California State PTA Leadership Call

Are you ready to kick-start an amazing year with your PTA? Join the California State PTA Leadership Commission for insightful sessions where they'll dive into all things essential to ensure a fantastic school year!

About the Event:

Their Monthly Leadership Call brings you a dynamic discussion that will equip you with the knowledge and tools to launch your PTA endeavors with confidence. Whether you're a seasoned PTA veteran or a fresh face looking to make a difference, this event is tailor-made for you.

Topics to be Covered:

Navigating Board Approvals: Learn what key aspects you need to present to the board and association for smooth approvals.
Decoding Financial Reviews: Confused about the financial review from the outgoing board? They'll break it down for you.
Filling Board Vacancies: Discover effective strategies to fill those crucial board positions and maintain a strong team.

Highlights:

Engaging Speakers: Their expert panel will share practical insights and tips to set your PTA up for success.
Interactive Q&A: Have burning questions? They''ve got answers to ensure you're on the right track.
Networking Opportunities: Connect with fellow PTA leaders and exchange ideas for a thriving PTA year.

How to Participate:

Reserve your spot by registering – it's free! Register here

Whether you're a PTA president, treasurer, secretary, or an eager volunteer, this Monthly Leadership Call is your chance to gather the insights you need to make this year extraordinary. Let's embark on this journey of PTA excellence together!

Got questions? Feel free to reach out to the Leadership Commission at leadership@capta.org

September 14th Annual Insurance Webinar

Do you know what your PTA insurance covers? Do you need to purchase additional coverage because you are having a special event? Has your school district started asking you for the certificate for next year? Do you need to learn how to access the insurance portal so you can pay for it?

Join the California State PTA Leadership Team and AIM (Association Insurance Management) and get your answers!

Strength in Numbers

PTA would not exist were it not for its membership. Membership dues help support programs and training, but more importantly, member voices collectively influence how PTA advocates for children who don't have voices of their own.

Does your school community understand how PTA helps all children at their school? Now is a great time to work on messaging that clearly states what your PTA does for your school and what parents, teachers, and community members can do to help. Enlist your principal's help with introducing your PTA in his/her beginning-of-the-school welcome to all families.

How to Market PTA

Busy parents appreciate the convenience of online platforms such as Totem or FutureFund to learn all about your PTA and ways to engage, whether it be joining, donating, volunteering, or opting into newsletters. However you choose to onboard members, consider doing so at the beginning of the school year when everyone is fresh and ready to go in on what we can do to help make our child(ren)'s school year the best yet.

Summer Financial Review Time

A year-end financial review (formerly known as an audit) serves as an official examination of the financial records at the times specified in the bylaws and when there is a change in financial officers.

Now is the time to collect your organization's financial records and go through the financial review checklist for July 1, 2022, through June 30, 2023. It is critical that the entire fiscal year be reviewed to be covered by insurance.

Typically, the outgoing Treasurer hands over the books in mid-July to the financial reviewer (formerly known as the auditor). A person who is not a qualified accountant may be the financial reviewer, but their findings must be reviewed by a financial review committee. The financial review committee can be made up of a combination of non-check signers and check signers as long as the majority are non-signers. The treasurer/financial secretary should not be a member of the committee, as you cannot audit your own books. A financial review committee is not required if the financial review is conducted by a qualified accountant. A qualifed accountant is someone who has been trained or licensed to conduct audits and/or review accounting records, such as a Public Accountant or Certified Public Accountant (CPA).

The Financial Review Report with Recommendations is then presented to the board in August/September and then adopted at the following Association Meeting in September/October.

Don't have a financial reviewer? Consider partnering with another PTA unit in your community and trade treasurers to check the books for each other. You can also contact Peralta District PTA Treasurer Kristin Hergert at treasurer@pdpta.org. Once the financial review is done, don't forget to enlist a couple of officers and/or members to be on the financial review committee as required by our insurance. For more information, check out the PTA toolkit.

What You Need

Get IN on Reflections

Reflections is a voluntary PTA program that lets students, families, schools, and communities come together to support the arts. This 50+ year-old program helps youth explore their own thoughts, feelings, and ideas, develop artistic literacy, increase confidence, and find a love for learning that will help them become more successful in school and in life. To offer Reflections at your school site, all that is required to get started is a Reflections Chair. Most of the work for this program takes place during September/December. The rest of the time you will be keeping an eye on any artwork that has moved forward, communicate with your school and push next year’s theme.

Filling Board Vacancies

Whether your board has put out an open call for candidates or is actively searching your membership for just the right person to fill a position, each potential member of your board should understand PTA policies and your bylaws.

All candidates should be given the opportunity to develop a clear understanding of the role and responsibility of a position before committing (see Job Descriptions). Once a candidate is elected, be prepared to commit to working as a team. In the end, effective teamwork helps meet the goals of the group AND the individual.

Here are some ideas for filling board positions.

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