Do you know if your school district has a school wellness policy, and if so, what’s in it and what the district is doing to implement it? If your district participates in the National School Lunch and School Breakfast programs, they are required to develop such a plan and to permit parents to participate in … Continue reading School Wellness Policies—Is Your PTA at the Table?
That Google Doc May Not Be Your Kid’s Homework
Today’s teenagers aren’t passing notes in class any more—at least not physically. And while it looks like your kid is diligently working away at their homework, they may actually be chatting with friends. That’s because kids are now getting around the inability to have their phone out in class, the use of blocking software at … Continue reading That Google Doc May Not Be Your Kid’s Homework
Start Planning Your Teacher Appreciation Week Now
Next to their parents, teachers probably have the largest effect on the lives of children. Many of us can still remember a teacher who made a difference in our lives years ago. This year, Teacher Appreciation Week is May 6-10, 2019, and National PTA has created a toolkit to help PTAs celebrate their school’s teacher … Continue reading Start Planning Your Teacher Appreciation Week Now
Help Answering Your Kid’s Tough Questions
Every parent has dealt with tough questions from their child. And they often pop up unexpectedly—when you’re tucking them into bed or when that little voice pipes up from the back seat. National Public Radio (NPR) has partnered with Sesame Workshop’s child development experts to create a podcast called Parenting: Difficult Conversationsto help you answer … Continue reading Help Answering Your Kid’s Tough Questions
5 Tips to Get Your Volunteers to Follow Through
Running a PTA is not an easy job, and managing your volunteers effectively is one of the hardest parts. As a PTA leader, you can do everything you can to make your volunteering for your PTA a pleasant experienceand thank your volunteerswhen they’re done, and still sometimes struggle with that volunteer who doesn’t get the … Continue reading 5 Tips to Get Your Volunteers to Follow Through
3 Mistakes to Avoid When Talking with Your Tween
Middle school is a challenging time for kids, and talking with your tween about what’s going on in their life is especially challenging for parents. Dr. Atilla Ceranoglu, a child and adolescent psychiatrist at Harvard Medical School, explains the challenge with pets. Infants and toddlers are puppies—you can cuddle and hug them endlessly. But teenagers … Continue reading 3 Mistakes to Avoid When Talking with Your Tween
Parliamentary Procedure for Beginners
As a PTA leader, you probably know that you are supposed to use parliamentary procedure in your meetings, but looking at the more than 800 pages of Robert’s Rules of Orderin the PTA materials the previous PTA president passed on to you might have you thinking, “Really?” Yes, really, but parliamentary procedure isn’t nearly as … Continue reading Parliamentary Procedure for Beginners
Help Your Child Spring Ahead
Illinois PTA has often highlighted the resourcesand researchdone by Learning Heroes. As the annual state assessment, now known as the Illinois Assessment of Readiness (IAR), approaches, Learning Heroes has released a new resource for families called Spring Ahead. Spring Ahead provides tools and information to help families support their child as they get ready for … Continue reading Help Your Child Spring Ahead
One Voice Illinois 