Family Matters—Fall 2017 Special Edition

JEFFERSON COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND POVERTY PROGRAMS

Fall 2017

A PUBLICATION OF THE 15TH DISTRICT PTA

Photograph by Jonathan Roberts TM TM

Building Community, The 15th District Parent Teacher Association (PTA) serves and supports nearly 150 PTAs and Parent Teacher Student Associations (PTSAs) throughout Jefferson County, including Jefferson County Public Schools (JCPS) and Anchorage Public School.

Families want to create strong foundations for children, and children need adults to advocate for their best interests. That’s exactly what supporting a school’s PTA will do for your child and for other children. You can express this support by joining a school PTA for a few dollars or by giving your time or resources to the 15th District PTA, which offers multiple opportunities for student and family engagement.

Clothing Assistance Program Since 1971, the 15th District PTA has operated the Clothing Assistance Program (CAP). Located at 319 South 15th Street inside the Central High School Magnet Career Academy (MCA) football stadium, CAP serves more than 10,000 JCPS students and their families each year. All students with a scheduled visit are eligible to receive a pair of new uniform pants and shirt, new underwear and socks, and a belt—and students are able to visit CAP twice each year. The families may also select clothing and accessories from our gently used clothing room. If you know a JCPS family who could benefit, ask your child’s school about scheduling a family visit. For more information, call CAP at 485-7062.

Twitter: @PTA_CAP

We’re working to create stronger families and better schools. We would be honored to have your help.

Reflections Each fall, JCPS students of all grade levels and abilities are encouraged to participate in their school’s Reflections Arts Program.

Students submit winning school entries into the district competition, which includes the categories of Dance Choreography, Film 2017-2018 Production, LiteraNATIONAL PTA REFLECTIONS® ture, Music Composition, Photography, and Visual Arts. The top winners from the 15th District PTA advance Entries from all grades and all to state and ultimately abilities welcome. national competitions.

The district recognizes as many as 240 DEADLINE FOR ENTRIES: students who are celebrated at a special eveFOR DETAILS, CONTACT: ning event where the art is displayed for famLearn more and get involved! PTA.ORG/REFLECTIONS ilies. Students receive a certificate, ribbon, and/or plaque. For more information, visit pta.org/reflections.

WITHIN REACH

Spelling Bee Each year, students in JCPS elementary and middle schools have the opportunity to prove their spelling abilities in school spelling bees. Each school advances one representative to compete in the 15th District PTA Spelling Bee, typically in February. This evening event offers a tense show for families as the competitors are narrowed to the top three winners, all of whom receive a monetary prize from the 15th District PTA. The top winner advances to the state competition, which is part of the Kentucky Derby Festival in March.

Advocacy Each school PTA membership also includes a membership on the state and national levels. This means that dedicated and knowledgeable advocates are fighting to keep family and student interests in the forefront of all pending state and national legislation. The 15th District PTA works closely with the Kentucky PTA to discuss concerns and needs with legislators, and the 15th District PTA provides updates to all members about current legislation and what it means for children and families. The 15th District PTA provides tools to help families contact legislators to express their concern or support about legislation. The 15th District PTA is a leader in student and school advocacy.

Twitter: @KY15thDistPTA

Enriching the Family Clothing Donation CAP provides clothing to thousands of families year-round and is always in need of new donations. An easy way to help CAP—and directly help students—is to donate your child’s gently used clothing and accessories. There are many worthy locations in Louisville to donate clothing, but CAP is the only one that will get the clothing to students and families who need them the most—and for free. Your donation may be tax-deductible. Donations are typically accepted from 9 a.m. through 4 p.m., Monday through Friday. For more information, call 485-7062.

Twitter: @PTA_CAP

Recycling Some of your office and school trash could be our treasure. Send us your empty printer cartridges. Donations of printer and toner cartridges from throughout JCPS and the Louisville area allow the 15th District PTA to ship them in bulk to recycling centers that pay for them. This money is a source of revenue that allows the 15th District PTA to offer special programs and opportunities for students and families. The cartridges can be sent through the JCPS Pony internal mail service, and cartridges from your business can be delivered to CAP, located at 319 South 15th Street. For more information, call 485-3535.

Training So you’ve joined your school’s PTA, and now you’ve been elected to serve as an officer.

Does this sound intimidating? Don’t let it. It’s all about helping students. The 15th District PTA exists to support each school’s PTA/PTSA. A well-functioning school PTA directly translates into benefits for students and family engagement. That’s why we offer training and guidance for new or experienced school PTAs led by our expert veterans, who can tailor training sessions about parliamentary procedures, auditing, bookkeeping, fundraising, and membership campaigns. Any question you have, we’ve heard before. Ask away. We offer online training courses and meetings to help your school PTA grow and prosper.

Volunteers The generosity, brains, and muscles of volunteers are what power the 15th District PTA CAP. The operation needs caring volunteers to process, sort, wash, tag, label, and hang clothing as well as work with families who visit for appointments. Each school is encouraged to send a group of volunteers twice each year. CAP also provides a great weekly volunteer opportunity for retired community members who want to make a positive change with students and families. You’ll find CAP listed at the top of Metro United Way’s community volunteer opportunities. We can also accommodate one-time volunteer groups of 40 people during local conventions or special events. For a tour of our operation or to discuss what your role could be, call 485-7450.

Shoes From the Ground Up! is a special account started in 2017 by the 15th District PTA to collect funds to purchase new sneakers for students in kindergarten through grade twelve. Working with a special vendor, every $50 that is donated will purchase four new pairs of shoes. This effort closes a gap for many students who do not have appropriate footwear for school. Donations may be accepted by check or through the yellow Donate button at 15thdistrictpta.org. All donations will be used for the purchase of new shoes. To schedule a speaker about the need for shoes and From the Ground Up! for your business, organization, or house of worship, call 485-7450.

Scholarships Scholarship money is available for graduating high school seniors who attend schools that have a PTSA in good standing. The Evangeline J. Sansome Scholarships are typically $1,700 and help high school graduates with college tuition. The application deadline is usually in mid-March, and the 15th District PTA awards the scholarships. For more information, call 485-3535.

Building Community, Enriching the Family Fundraising

Awards

PTAs/PTSAs host events throughout the year to engage families in their children’s educations. Start-of-school picnics, Donuts With Dad, and Muffins for Mom are great community builders, and they all come with a price tag. Your school PTA is able to step up and make these events possible. The 15th District PTA offers proven fundraising techniques to provide these special opportunities. Whether it’s Box Tops for Education, Kroger Community Rewards, or raising $25,000 at a walkathon, the 15th District PTA offers crucial information about fundraising techniques, compliance, and tax issues. Local businesses are frequently approached for donations and fundraising, and they are happy to support PTAs/PTSAs because they know those funds will be used to help students and grow school communities.

Each May, the 15th District PTA hosts an awards banquet to highlight the transformational work by those who give their time to help others. This festive evening offers a chance to enjoy a nice dinner while meeting other PTAs and PTSAs. JCPS administrators attend to offer thanks and encouragement. It’s an opportunity to see fellow school PTA leaders recognized for their important contributions and learn how they successfully advocate for families. There are great things happening each day in public schools thanks to the dedicated educators and volunteers. The 15th District PTA enjoys the opportunity to highlight some of the area’s brightest stars.

Communication We publish Family Matters, a monthly magazine that highlights PTA news, features, and upcoming events. If you’re a school or district PTA officer, you’ll receive this magazine in the mail. You’ll also receive an email each month with a link to the online version, which includes additional features and information. Anyone can subscribe to the email list, and we’ll also send out occasional news items and timely information about important upcoming dates. We post regular updates on 15thdistrictpta.org, and you will receive news and updates on Facebook (KY15thDistPTA) and on Twitter (@KY15thDistPTA and @PTA_CAP). The 15th District PTA is always just a phone call or an email away.

Membership The power of a PTA is in its membership. Every additional member amplifies the voice of your PTA when addressing a School-Based Decision Making (SBDM) Council, a school board member, or a local business that is considering a donation or partnership. The membership numbers of your PTA also add clout when you contact state and federal legislators.

With enough members, PTA can and does improve education, health, and safety for every child. Contact the 15th District PTA to learn proven methods to grow your PTA membership numbers.

Contact Us Facebook: KY15thDistPTA Twitter: @KY15thDistPTA Twitter: @PTA_CAP (502) 485-7062 jcpscap@jefferson.kyschools.us 15thdistrictpta.org