Member-to-Member

The member-to-member email list is a great way to keep informed about current issues and how to act on them, especially with what's going on at the legislature.

From the Utah PTA Web site, here's how to join:

Join the Utah PTA Member-to-Member Network today and enjoy the benefits of regular updates on all legislative matters during interim meetings, advance notice of legislative events and the opportunity to really make a difference in the lives of our children during the session.

Email cheryl@utahpta.org to become a member of the Utah PTA Member-to-Member Network.

National PTA Member-to-Member Network. You may also join National PTA's Member-to-Member Network. Find out more info at www.pta.org.

Alpine School District Update

Here's our weekly update from the district:

The first week of school is always a challenge for both the transportation and nutritional services departments. Every year for the first few days of school, bus drivers and supervisors are busy analyzing and changing bus routes and safe walking paths for students. We are pleased to announce that all students arrived to and from school safely. Thank you transportation department. A similar process happens in the nutritional services department. Three schools started the year by serving sack lunches. Shelley Elementary, Sage Hills Elementary, and Lakeridge Junior High School have now moved into their new lunchrooms and are serving regular lunches. Thanks to our great nutritional services department.

We will continue to have a wellness program this year both on the district and the school levels. However, because of budget reductions, we will not be offering the city recreation center passes through the district office. The district is encouraging schools to work with their local recreation centers to offer discounts for school employees. It is important that we all strive to be as healthy as we can be, and in doing so we will perform better for the students of Alpine School District.

Flu season is quickly approaching. We are being proactive in working with the Utah County Health Department in preparation for the H1N1 virus. We appreciate our maintenance department and our custodial staffs for keeping our schools clean and sanitized. If students or employees are showing a combination of flu-like symptoms, they should not attend school for at least 24 hours after the symptoms are gone. Symptoms include fever, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, body aches, headache, chills, fatigue, diarrhea, and vomiting.

Your Legislative Budget

Your position as Leg VP is not an expensive one, but there are times you'll need to spend some money. Here are some things to think about as you plan to submit your budget request to your board:

• Conferences--this could include Utah PTA Legislative Advocacy Conference (October), Critical Issues Conference (October), PTA Day at the Capitol (February), and Utah PTA Leadership Convention (May) $125 for conferences should about set you up for all of them. If your board is not supporting the expense for others to attend some of these conferences, especially Critical Issues and the Advocacy Conference (which will benefit everyone on your board), consider adding in the cost of a few extra registrations so you can take people along.
  
• Meet the Candidates--if you plan to do one on your own, find out if you will have to pay for a venue. You'll need paper and pencils to pass around for people to write questions on, and water bottles for the candidates and moderator. If you want to purchase a small gift for the moderator, add that in. Think about what you want to do for advertising. A low-budget MtC night in a free venue might cost around $15.
• Travel expenses--If you're planning on taking very many trips up to the capitol, or to other conferences outside Utah Valley, consider having your board help out with expenses. One 75 mile round trip to the capitol could be reimbursed at .35/mile or whatever your board feels is fair. If you're only going to make one trip up this year, don't worry about expenses, unless it is a hardship for you. It's totally legitimate, as long as you budget it in the beginning.
• Copies--hopefully you can do most of your work online, which will cut way back on expenses. If you anticipate needing to make copies for any reason, add that in to your budget.
• Food--If you plan to be at the capitol for a day other than a scheduled conference, you can purchase lunch for about $9. If you want your board to pay for it, add this in to your budget.
  

Remember, we need to be wise stewards of PTA funds, but ask for the amount of money you'll need to do your job effectively. Keeping parents informed and advocating for children is one of our main purposes!

Alpine School Board Meeting

I receive these highlights from the School Board after each meeting. I include them here for your information. You can find meeting agendas and minutes here. Minutes for Tuesday's meeting are not yet available. I'll let you know when they are.

The Board of Education met in a study session prior to the regular board meeting on Tuesday, August 11. The purpose of the meeting was to review the 2008-2009 year-end budget, review construction projects, and follow up on the strategic plan discussion from the recent board retreat.

There was one action item in the regular board meeting. The board voted to approve the Lehi City EDA.

The board discussed and reviewed assignments and plans for the employee celebration, which will be held at each of the cluster high schools on Tuesday, August 18.

The next board meeting will be held on September 8 in the board room at the district office.

National PTA Takes Action Newsletter

Do you receive this newsletter? You can check it out online and you can have future issues sent directly to your email. It's a brief look at what NPTA is doing to advocate for kids in Washington. It's a good idea to stay informed so we can speak intelligently about what NPTA does for us, especially when questions come up, such as why it's important to send a portion of our dues money away from our schools.

Welcome to the Legislative VP Support Blog

I hope to be able to give you extra support here by blogging regularly on local issues as well as offering training spots.

If there is anything specific you'd like information on, please let me know--through the comments section, or by email. I'll research if necessary, and share what I find with the group.

Here are a couple of ways to make sure you get updates:

• Follow this blog by clicking on the link in the sidebar.
• Set up your Google Reader to alert you when there's a new post (subscribe to this blog).
• Become a fan of Utah PTA, Region 9 on Facebook
  

If you have something that's worked for you, let us all know. Together we can successfully advocate for the children of Region 9!