Thank You, Teachers Project

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Contact: Thank You, Teachers Project, 240-604-7384 Megan Scribner, [email protected]

NEW THANK YOU, TEACHERS PROJECT LAUNCHES WAVE OF
GRATITUDE FOR NATION’S TEACHERS

A heart-filled project to lift up teachers, one thank you letter at a time

WASHINGTON, D.C., June 2, 2016 — Every day in classrooms across the country, dedicated professionals put in long hours educating students, preparing lessons, grading homework, engaging with families, collaborating with colleagues, and overcoming obstacles. Their work is vital to children, parents, communities, and our future, yet rarely do teachers receive the thanks they deserve. The new Thank You, Teachers Project wants to change that by sending a wave of gratitude to teachers across the country, one thank you letter at a time.

“Teachers have one of the most challenging and important jobs in our country; they give their all but receive little recognition” said Thank You, Teachers Project Founder Megan Scribner. “The Thank You, Teachers Project offers a space anchored in gratitude, where individuals can take a moment to reflect upon and share the profound impact teachers have had on their lives, and where teachers, in turn, can be strengthened with pride, recognition and well-deserved kindness.”

The Thank You, Teachers Project provides an online space where individuals of all ages can post thank you letters to the beloved teachers in their lives (past and present). Participants are invited to remember the special teachers who mentored them from kindergarten through college….in the classroom, on the field, in the art studio, on stage, in the library, or even in the principal’s office. Parents are encouraged to help their children participate.

To send a letter to a teacher, visit the Thank You, Teachers Project online and fill out the Thank You, Teachers form. Letters will be posted on the Thank You Letters Gallery and on the Teaching with Heart, Fire & Poetry Pinterest site.

Visitors are encouraged to read the thank you letters posted on The Gallery and Pinterest pages. Participants can also follow the progress of the project via the Teaching with Heart, Fire and Poetry website, Facebook page and on twitter @poetry4teachers. Posts should include the hashtag #tyteachers.

On June 30th, the name of one lucky teacher will be drawn from the submitted thank you letters for a free gift copy of Teaching with Heart – a best-selling poetry anthology in which teachers reflect on their favorite poems and how these poems help them sustain their energy and passion for teaching.

All visitors to the Thank You, Teachers Project will have the additional opportunity to thank their admired teachers with the choice of two special gift packages. With the Thank You Letter Package, teachers will be mailed a printed copy of the thank you letter, fit for framing. A copy of the letter will also be sent to the teacher’s principal or supervisor to help the teacher receive proper recognition on the job. The cost for this gift package is $10.00, which covers the cost of formatting and posting the letters, shipping and handling – and helps to support this effort.

The Thank You Letter & Book Package includes all of the above plus an autographed copy of Teaching with Heart. The cost for this gift package is $30.00. These letters and gifts offer a heartwarming means of recognizing and thanking teachers at the end of the school year.

In conceptualizing this special gratitude project, Scribner drew on her experience as co-editor of Teaching with Heart, as moderator of the Teaching with Heart, Fire and Poetry website, and as an active leader in her community schools. Through all these efforts, she has worked to give voice to teachers’ hopes and fears, courage and heart – and, in turn, to help renew and inspire teachers.

“Teachers sustain our society by developing the next generation of citizens, thinkers, artists, professionals and parents,” Scribner said. “Yet, the demands and pressures can be overwhelming, and the burn-out rate is climbing. We want to give something back to them.”

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Thank You, Teachers Project:

The Thank You, Teachers Project provides an online space where people can post thank you letters to the special teachers in their life. By publicly thanking these teachers – recognizing the exceptional and difficult work they do each and every day – we honor and celebrate all teachers!

Teaching with Heart, Fire and Poetry:

Teaching with Heart, Fire and Poetry is an online community blog for teachers to share about their work and life. The online community was inspired by Teaching with Heart and Teaching with Fire, best-selling poetry anthologies where teachers reflect on their favorite poems and speak about who they are, why they do what they do, and how they keep their heart and commitment alive in their teaching.

Megan Scribner has three decades of experience as an editor, including co-editing three poetry anthologies: Teaching with Heart, Teaching with Fire and Leading from Within. She designed and moderates the Teaching with Heart, Fire and Poetry website and blog. A recognized community leader, she has held many leadership roles in local PTAs and, in 2012, received the Takoma Park Azalea Award for School Activist. She continues as an active volunteer in her community and committed to honoring and supporting teachers.


May is National Foster Care Month!

Dear PTA Family,
 
May is National Foster Care Month!  It may seem like just another “Awareness” month that clogs your social media feed but it’s important to bring to light a topic that seems almost taboo in our society.  Fostercare is also known as “Alternative Care.”  It is best known as the function of removing a child from those they trust most and everything they’ve known in order to return them to safety and wellness.  It is not something we care to dwell on, and that’s ok.  But today, I ask you to take time out and ponder the other side of parenting.  The side we wish didn’t exist, but we know it does.

Fostering is near and dear to my heart.  My husband and I have fostered 10 children, 3 of which we adopted last year.  Our bio children have been exposed to behaviors and stories that I would never wish them to experience.  Our foster children have tested us, doubted us, and even loved us… sometimes in ways that may not make sense to us because that is not how we were taught to love.

Fostering is an enigmatic, exhausting labyrinth and I’ve questioned my sanity more times than I care to share.  During this whirlwind of Wonderland-esque escapades, I’ve lost my place and even felt as if I could only muster strength enough to give up.

Yet, here I am, 4 years after signing my foster parent contract, begging all of you to spend 5 minutes reading this email and sharing this infographic.

I acknowledge, your time is valuable and precious and spending it learning about this system, these families, and these children is a wonderful use of such a precious gift.
Thanks for reading, pondering, and sharing National #FosterCareMonth!
 
-Kristina Wilmoth
Wife, Mom, Advocate
Missouri PTA Public Relations Chair
 
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MO Safe Schools Newsletter May 2016

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MSBA’s Center for Education Safety  www.moces.org
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TRAINING OPPORTUNITY
Joplin Disaster Recovery Summit



CES ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEETING
July 28, 2016
9:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
Missouri State Troopers Association Building
1729 East Elm Street
Jefferson City, MO 65101


CONTACT CES
Phone: 573-445-9920
Email: [email protected]
 
Paul Fennewald, ext. 339
MSBA Advisor
[email protected]
Gary Moore, ext. 200, then 415
Safety Coordinator
[email protected]

John Warner, ext. 311
Planning Coordinator
[email protected]

David Martin, ext. 200, then 419
Planning Assistant
[email protected]

Kara Sanders, ext. 369
Administrative Assistant
[email protected]

Jill Sappington, ext. 371
Grants Administrator
[email protected]

May 2016 Newsletter
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Please Update Your Information!

CES is updating contact information for School District Safety Coordinators. If yours has changed or needs to be update please email, [email protected] – with the new contact information.


Seeding Change in School Discipline: The Move from Zero Tolerance to Support


Is Your School’s Water Safe?

Resources from the Education Facilities Clearinghouse
Read Here


What are Colleges Doing to Improve School Safety?


You Don’t Have to Be an Expert to Maximize Your Campus’ Passive Fire Protection


Missouri 1Plan Tip for May 2016

Document your training drills! Click on the DRILL tab to manage your drill list. You can track drills and plan for future drills too.
Read Here


Follow CES on Twitter: @MissouriCES
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Contact CES
Phone: 573-445-9920 or 800-221-6722
Email: [email protected]   www.moces.org

© 2016 Missouri Center for Education Safety

Why Does My PTA Need Insurance?

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NPTA

Why Does My PTA Need Insurance?

One of the biggest questions that most PTAs face today is “Why does my PTA need insurance?” That’s a great question and one that every PTA should ask itself as an organization. There are many misconceptions about insurance when it comes to PTAs. Did you know that you, as an individual member of the PTA or an officer of the PTA could be held personally liable for an accident that occurs at one of your events?  Personal Liability means that your personal assets could be at risk if you were sued because of something that happened at one of your PTA events. Are you willing to put your checking account, your savings account, possibly your 401(k) or even your assets at risk for your PTA? 

Insurance not only protects your PTA, but also protects you as an individual, especially when there is limited coverage through your homeowner’s insurance. When thinking about your personal insurance policies, you wouldn’t expect your Homeowners Insurance Policy to pay if you were in an automobile accident. Nor would you expect your Health Insurance Policy to pay if your home burned down.

Each one of your personal insurance policies does something totally and distinctively different. The same thing is true concerning PTA Insurance policies. Officers Liability insurance doesn’t cover your PTA against embezzlement, nor does your General Liability policy cover if your PTA’s fundraising t-shirts are stolen. There are five different insurance policies offered to PTAs that have totally different objectives.  Those policies are:
  • General Liability
  • Accident Medical
  • Bonding (Commercial Crime)
  • Property
  • Officers Liability (Non-Profit Association Professional Liability)

To learn more, visit AIM’s booth (#2006) in Orlando!

Common Misconceptions:
  • PTAs are immune from liability because of their non-profit status
  • The school’s insurance covers the PTA for all of its events.
  • Liability protects the PTA from all risks.

Additional Questions
Should you have additional questions that we haven’t answered, please feel free to contact us through one of the ways listed below or come see us at booth 2006 at the Think BIG… Think PTA! 2016 National Convention & Expo!

Association Insurance Management, Inc.
PO Box 742946
Dallas, TX  75374-2946

This Sponsored Eblast is Brought to You By

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National PTA Headquarters
1250 N. Pitt Street
Alexandria, Virginia 22314
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Student Artists Honored Nationally for Letting Their Imaginations Fly in 2015-2016 Reflections Program

Students to be recognized at 2016 National PTA Convention & Expo in Orlando, Fla.

ALEXANDRIA, Va., (May 11, 2016) — National PTA is pleased to announce the winners of its 2015-2016 Reflections® arts in education program. Seven students from across the country have been honored with the Outstanding Interpretation Award, and nearly 200 students have been recognized with Awards of Excellence and Merit. The awards honor creative interpretations of the theme “Let Your Imagination Fly” in the areas of dance choreography, film production, literature, music composition, photography and visual arts.

“Participation in the arts inspires creativity and self-expression while building children’s confidence and sense of accomplishment. Involvement in the arts is also closely associated with students’ academic achievement, social and emotional development and civic engagement,” said Laura Bay, president of National PTA. “We applaud all of the students who participated in the 2015-2016 Reflections program, and we are thrilled to recognize the award winners for their talent and artistic ingenuity.”

During the 2015-2016 school year, nearly 300,000 students from more than 8,000 schools nationwide and in U.S. schools overseas submitted original works to be considered for PTA’s highest honors in the arts. Outstanding Interpretation Award recipients will receive an $800 scholarship to further their artistic talents. An additional $200 will be awarded to each Outstanding Interpretation Award recipient’s local PTA to support arts and cultural exploration in their community. Award of Excellence recipients will receive a $200 scholarship. All award recipients receive a medallion and certificate.

The following students have been recognized with the Outstanding Interpretation Award:

Micah Diana Williams
Old Town Elementary School, Round Rock, Texas
Special Artist: “No Limits With Imagination”

Effie Tutko
Sammamish High School, Bellevue, Wash.
Dance Choreography: “Everybody Rules Their World”

McKyna Woerner
Corner Canyon High School, Draper, Utah
Film Production: “Kou’s Crane”

Christian Foggie
Oakview Elementary School, Fountain Inn, S.C.
Literature: “Dan’s Adventure”

Camilo Gonzalez-Sol
Richard Montgomery High School, Takoma Park, Md.
Music Composition: “Study in Magenta: Songs for a Sunday Dream”

Roshan Muthugomu
Chamblee Middle School, Chamblee, Ga.
Photography: “Unleashing the Creative Side”

Mackenzie Smith
duPont Manual High School, Louisville, Ky.
Visual Arts: “When an Artist Imagines”

These students will present their works on stage at the 2016 National PTA Convention & Expo, Saturday, July 2 during an awards celebration. In addition to being recognized at the 2016 National PTA Convention & Expo, the 2015-2016 Reflections award recipients will also be honored in a ceremony on Jan. 10, 2017 at the U.S. Department of Education’s LBJ Building in Washington, D.C. The ceremony will open an exhibit of their artwork, which will be displayed in the building through the end of February 2017.

Each year, the National PTA Reflections program encourages students of all ages to explore and be involved in the arts in an educational way. Through the program, National PTA and PTAs across the country urge students in preschool through grade 12 to create and submit original works of art in the medium of their choice—dance choreography, film production, literature, music composition, photography or visual arts—that reflect on the annual theme. There also is a special artist division to provide all students the opportunity to participate in the program. Submissions are reviewed by visual, literary and performing art experts, and students are recognized for their artistic ingenuity in bringing the theme to life.

“The National PTA Reflections program has inspired millions of students to explore their talents and be involved in the arts for nearly 50 years,” added Nathan R. Monell, CAE, National PTA executive director. “National PTA remains committed to ensuring all students have the opportunity to experience the arts, as it is essential to helping them reach their full potential and preparing them for long-term success.”

About National PTA

National PTA® comprises millions of families, students, teachers, administrators, and business and community leaders devoted to the educational success of children and the promotion of family engagement in schools. PTA is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit association that prides itself on being a powerful voice for all children, a relevant resource for families and communities, and a strong advocate for public education. Membership in PTA is open to anyone who wants to be involved and make a difference for the education, health, and welfare of children and youth.