Saying no ought to be pretty easy. As parents, we tell our kids no all the time. But as PTA volunteers, chances are you have trouble saying no when someone asks you to do something. At a PTA training, the trainer asked the group what was the one characteristic that linked everyone at the training. … Continue reading Learning to Say No
10 School Planning Tips for a Child with Food Allergies
If your child has food allergies, it is important to form a partnership with your child’s school to support them. Kids with Food Allergies (KFA), a division of the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, has ten tips to help parents prepare for the school year with their child with food allergies. Communicate with the … Continue reading 10 School Planning Tips for a Child with Food Allergies
A Parent’s Guide to Dealing with Fortnite
If you have a video gamer in your house, chances are you’ve heard of Fortnite, the game that is dominating the gaming world with its recent Season 5 release and even showing up in major league baseball outfield celebrations. Even when they’re not playing it, kids are often talking about it with their friends, watching … Continue reading A Parent’s Guide to Dealing with Fortnite
Teaching Your Child How to Use 911
As parents, we’re constantly on the lookout for our children’s health and safety. But what if something should happen to you or happen when you are not around. Do your children know how and when to use 911? An article from Kids Health, available in both Englishand Spanish, walks you through the process. The article … Continue reading Teaching Your Child How to Use 911
News from National Convention—Membership
Membership is at the heart of PTA, so it’s not surprising that membership was the focus of several workshops and one big announcement at the 2018 National PTA Convention in New Orleans. The announcement? Every PTA leader who registers or logs in to the Local PTA Leader Kit(formerly the Back-to-School Kit) will receive a new … Continue reading News from National Convention—Membership
News from National Convention—Resolutions
At the 2018 National PTA Convention in New Orleans, delegates adopted one new resolution and amended another existing resolution. The first resolution addresses students with disabilities, while the second focuses on mental health programs and services. The links to the resolutions here are to the proposed text and amendments, which were only slightly modified by … Continue reading News from National Convention—Resolutions
News from National Convention—Grant Opportunities
At the 2018 National PTA Convention in New Orleans, numerous new grant opportunities were announced that PTAs (and in some cases, PTA Councils and PTA districts or regions) can apply for. These grants provide an opportunity for your PTA to implement new programs and grow your PTA. STEM + Families Science Festival Grants Deadline: August … Continue reading News from National Convention—Grant Opportunities
National PTA Statement on Family Separation
Last week, the National PTA Board of Directors adopted the following statement on the administration’s zero-tolerance policy and family separation. This statement was unanimously endorsed by the delegates to the 2018 National PTA Convention on Sunday, June 24thto demonstrate that the broad support for National PTA’s statement goes far beyond the Board of Directors. While … Continue reading National PTA Statement on Family Separation
Toolkit Helps Parents Advocate for Teacher Training on Special Needs
If you are the parent of a child with an Individualized Education Program (IEP) or Section 504 plan, you are probably used to advocating for your child. But there is one area that many parents overlook—teacher training or professional development. Understoodand the National Center for Learning Disabilitieshave created a parent toolkit to help advocate for … Continue reading Toolkit Helps Parents Advocate for Teacher Training on Special Needs
6 Ways to Keep Your Couch Potatoes from Sprouting This Summer
Summertime is a chance for kids to relax a bit, but you don’t want them turning into couch potatoes. To help keep your kids from spending all day in their PJs watching Netflix and playing video games, iMom has six ideas to help you out. Maintain normal hours. Set aside some tasks for the break. … Continue reading 6 Ways to Keep Your Couch Potatoes from Sprouting This Summer
Survey of Highlights Needs of LGBTQ Youth
In 2016, PTA adopted a resolution in favor of recognizing lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer/questioning (LGBTQ) individuals as a protected class, noting that LGBTQ youth are frequent targets of harassment and bullying and have higher rates of isolation, depression, and suicidal thoughts and attempts than the general student population. This month, the Human Rights … Continue reading Survey of Highlights Needs of LGBTQ Youth
Identifying and Treating Heat-Related Illnesses
Summer’s here and the weather is already getting hot. As we spend more time outdoors, heat-related illnesses become a concern. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has a helpful list of how to identify the symptoms of various heat-related illnesses and what to do when you or a loved one shows those signs. … Continue reading Identifying and Treating Heat-Related Illnesses
Understanding Childhood Trauma
Childhood trauma is a scary term for a parent, and when many parents hear the term, they think of exposure to violence in the community or abuse in the home. But childhood trauma is much more than just those experiences, and research shows that 20% to 25% of all children in the United States will … Continue reading Understanding Childhood Trauma
Keeping Your Family Safe Outdoors
Summertime means more time outside, and that’s a good thing for both kids and adults. It also means making sure your family is safe from concerns that aren’t a problem other times of the year. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have tips to keep your family safe outdoors dealing with: Sun Safety … Continue reading Keeping Your Family Safe Outdoors
Handbook Helps Local Leaders Engage Districts on ESSA
Local implementation of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) is the focus of many new resources for stakeholders, as school district begin to create their own ESSA implementation plan. One of the latest, which National PTA contributed to, is Meaningful Local Engagement Under ESSA—Issue 2: A Handbook for Local Leadersfrom Partners for Each and Every … Continue reading Handbook Helps Local Leaders Engage Districts on ESSA
Helping Your Kid Cope
Being a parent is stressful. Increasingly, being a child is as well. One of the skills we need to teach our children is how to cope—with setbacks, with disappointment, with feeling overwhelmed, and more. Coping skills are an essential part of becoming a resilient person who can deal with life’s ups and downs. To help … Continue reading Helping Your Kid Cope
Engage for Education Equity Toolkit
The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) and Illinois’s ESSA implementation plan emphasize family engagement as a critical piece for improving student achievement. To help empower parents, families, caregivers, students, and other community members, the Dignity in Schools Campaign, Partners for Each and Every Child, and the NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund have partnered to … Continue reading Engage for Education Equity Toolkit
Understanding the Barriers to High School Graduation
Today’s guest post comes from the Real Learning for Real Life Coalition, of which Illinois PTA is a member, and is by Stephanie J. Schmitz Bechteler, Ph.D., the Vice President and Executive Director of the Chicago Urban League. High school graduation is one of the most important milestones teenagers must achieve as they transition into … Continue reading Understanding the Barriers to High School Graduation
Your Advocacy Matters, Especially Now
The school year is winding down, and many PTAs and members are thinking about end-of-the-year parties and summer activities. But the end of May also marks the end of the Illinois legislative session, and many of the issues that the General Assembly still faces will have a significant effect on your child and their school. … Continue reading Your Advocacy Matters, Especially Now
10 Keys to Raising a Great Teenager
It can be difficult having a teenager in the house. At times, it seems like your kid has become a giant toddler, with every request from you met with “Why?” or “No.” And it’s not nearly as cute as it was then when they stamp their foot and pout. But this turmoil is also an … Continue reading 10 Keys to Raising a Great Teenager
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