September is Suicide Prevention Month. Suicide is the second leading cause of death in 15- to 19-year-olds. Northwestern School of Medicine has a resource page on teen suicide that will help you educate yourself and talk with your teen about the issue. In addition, a new law in Illinois will require school districts that issue identification cards … Continue reading Teen Suicide—What Families and PTAs Need to Know
Facing Fears, Supporting Students—New Mental Health Toolkit
Today’s guest post comes from Mental Health America, who have just released a new Back-to-School Toolkit to give families, teachers, and school personnel the tools and resources they need to support children’s mental health. This school year brings increased fear and trauma for many students after more than a year away from in-person learning. The toolkit, Facing Fears, Supporting … Continue reading Facing Fears, Supporting Students—New Mental Health Toolkit
Learning Heroes Helps You Team Up for Success
As back-to-school time means kids actually going back to school, Learning Heroes has a collection of resources to help families start the school year off right by partnering with their child’s teacher. Their Parent-Teacher Planning Tool helps you connect with your child’s teacher by walking you through the key information you should share about your child. And as they … Continue reading Learning Heroes Helps You Team Up for Success
Right to Play and Your PTA
In our wrap-up of this spring’s legislative session, Illinois PTA noted the passage of SB654, the Right to Play Every Day bill that guaranteed every kindergarten through fifth grade student 30 minutes of “supervised, unstructured, child-directed play” every school day. Governor Pritzker has now signed the bill into law, and its requirements take effect immediately. If … Continue reading Right to Play and Your PTA
PTA Membership Mythbusting
When asking people to join your PTA, you will likely hear a lot of reasons why they don’t want to join, and many of these reasons are myths about PTA. National PTA has created a flyer of 10 PTA Membership Myths & Truths that you can share with potential members to help with your membership campaign. The … Continue reading PTA Membership Mythbusting
Planning for Your PTA Year
Once again, PTA leaders planning for the coming year are faced with a lot of uncertainty. From the growing prevalence of the delta variant to breakthrough infections in vaccinated people and shifting recommendations on mask wearing, it is difficult to know how your coming school year will play out. Much of what Illinois PTA shared with … Continue reading Planning for Your PTA Year
COVID-19 School Guidance FAQs
Illinois has adopted the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidance regarding COVID-19 and schools for the coming school year. The guidance is aimed at helping school administrators provide in-person learning in a safe manner for students and staff. To support that guidance, the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) has provided a Frequently Asked … Continue reading COVID-19 School Guidance FAQs
Sending Your Special Needs Child Off to College
Parents of special needs children are sometimes referred to as the attack helicopters of helicopter parents, mainly because they have had to be strong advocates for their child to ensure they receive the support they are entitled to. When those children head off to college, the role for parents changes, but the need does not. … Continue reading Sending Your Special Needs Child Off to College
The Emergency Broadband Benefit
Internet access has been critical during the pandemic, and many of your school’s families may have struggled with obtaining devices or getting or maintaining internet service. The Emergency Broadband Benefit is a temporary program from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) that provides eligible households with discounts of up to $50/month for internet access and a one-time discount … Continue reading The Emergency Broadband Benefit
PTA Programs at Home
The pandemic has dramatically changed how we PTA over the past year. From virtual PTA meetings to running events and membership drives without face-to-face contact, PTAs have struggled to adapt to the changes brought on by the pandemic. National PTA has responded to this challenge by adapting several of its programs to provide at-home models. The … Continue reading PTA Programs at Home
10 Tips for Parenting Your Tween
Those pre-teen or “tween” years when your child hits double digits in age and suddenly wants nothing to do with you can be tough for caregivers. They’re busy testing limits and developing independence, and it’s a challenge to keep a strong bond with your child. The Child Mind Institute has ten tips to help you parent your tween … Continue reading 10 Tips for Parenting Your Tween
Celebrating 2021 Legislative Successes
The Illinois General Assembly finished up their spring session in mid-June, and there is a lot for Illinois PTA members to celebrate. Here are the highlights from the spring. Note that many of these bills still await the signature of the governor to become law. Budget By far, the biggest success of the session was … Continue reading Celebrating 2021 Legislative Successes
Safe Summer—Mosquito and Tick Bites
With nicer weather and the easing of the pandemic, families are heading outside again. Two common outdoor pests bring potential diseases with them—mosquitos (West Nile, Dengue, and Zika viruses) and ticks (Lyme disease). The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has tips on preventing mosquito and tick bites. Preventing Mosquito Bites Using the right insect repellent and other preventive actions … Continue reading Safe Summer—Mosquito and Tick Bites
National PTA Launches Healthy Minds
The pandemic has brought discussions of mental health to the forefront, but many families may be struggling with how to prioritize mental health for themselves and their children. National PTA, in cooperation with GoGuardian, Pear Deck, and the Allstate Foundation, has launched Healthy Minds, an ongoing collection of information and resources for PTAs and families regarding … Continue reading National PTA Launches Healthy Minds
Give Your Kid a Summer REcharge from Learning Heroes
To say the past year has been a challenge for families, schools, and students is an understatement. With the school year coming to a close, our friends at Learning Heroes have new resources to help families and students get a Summer REcharge. The Summer REcharge helps your family partner with your child’s teacher to develop a simple plan … Continue reading Give Your Kid a Summer REcharge from Learning Heroes
Safe Summer–Preventing Childhood Drowning
Today’s guest post is from the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS). As summer begins, DCFS is releasing a new public service announcement regarding childhood drowning prevention. Memorial Day marks the unofficial beginning of summer, and as the country begins to reopen following the COVID-19 pandemic, families will once again be heading to … Continue reading Safe Summer–Preventing Childhood Drowning
National PTA Launches Zooming Into Membership Toolkit
The pandemic has presented many challenges for PTAs—fundraising, online meetings, virtual events, and not the least, membership. National PTA has launched Zooming Into Membership, an initiative to support PTA Councils, districts, regions, and states in supporting local PTA membership efforts. The initiative is based on several years of work with different levels of PTA to develop … Continue reading National PTA Launches Zooming Into Membership Toolkit
PTA Funds and Tragedy
A beloved teacher at your school dies. A family’s house burns down, and while they all escaped safely, they are left without anything. A child at your school has a serious health issue, and the family is struggling to pay medical bills. Every school is a community, and every community faces tragedy now and then. … Continue reading PTA Funds and Tragedy
12 Things College Parents Should Know
Perhaps you have a child leaving the nest this coming fall and heading off to college, or perhaps you have one not leaving for a few years. In either case, an academic advisor from the University of Vermont has 12 things college parents should know about how to support their child when they head off, … Continue reading 12 Things College Parents Should Know
4 End of the PTA Year Essentials
There is no doubt that the past year has been a unique experience for PTA leaders. Now that your PTA year is wrapping up, here are four essentials to finish up your year. Take care of your final PTA business in a general membership meeting. Your bylaws require that your PTA members handle certain things, so … Continue reading 4 End of the PTA Year Essentials
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