The Newsletter for PTA leaders in San Diego and Imperial Counties

September 2023

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A Message from our President

Thank you for bringing PTA (and PTSA) back to school!  I am thoroughly enjoying watching our social media posts for the units that have reached 100 members, or other milestones.  We will start celebrating PTA birthdays this month, so be sure to follow our social media to help celebrate.

With so many PTAs (and PTSAs!) reaching 100 members or more, please be sure you are participating in the California State PTA Membership Drive!  There are milestones for every month and some involve cash prizes!  The more members we have the more powerful our voice locally, regionally, throughout California and nationally! Membership Road Map

And if you haven't made it to a membership milestone yet, don't worry!  Visit the National PTA website and find MANY ideas to help grow your membership.  https://www.pta.org/home/run-your-pta/membership-resources/membership-mania

Shawna Straw

President

Ninth District PTA

National PTA School of Excellence Recipients

• Barnard PTA
• Franklin Elementary PTA
• Hillsdale Middle PTA
• Mesa Verde PTSA
• Palmer Way PTA
• Riverview International Academy PTSA
• Tierra Bonita Elementary PTA

To learn more about how your Unit can become a National PTA School of Excellence CLICK HERE

The California State PTA Leaders Website has many great resources for you. There you will find resources, articles, and checklists for Leadership, Membership, Finance, Take Action, Communications, and Programs.

Check out our YouTube Channel for PTA training webinars

Don’t forget to subscribe to help us grow!

Please contact Anne Emfinger, Leadership Director for questions

Important Treasurer Reminders

Membership:

Please remit any membership dues (the kind that did NOT go through Totem) to Ninth District PTA as often as you like, but at least monthly. 

Taxes:

Get your documentation ready to file all taxes and renewals before the due date (November 15 for most). Be sure there is supporting paperwork (payment authorizations, receipts, approved in the minutes) for ALL expenditures and the forms are signed by the appropriate officers. Ninth District Treasurer, Steph Cole will be in touch with Council Treasurers and Out-Of-Council Unit Treasurers soon for tax filing guidelines and assistance.

Insurance:

Insurance premium information is here! Insurance premiums are paid directly to AIM, after the President and/or Treasurer receives the email with the link to pay. Expect this email in early October. The Workers' Compensation portal will open in December, and all Units must submit the report even if they did not pay anyone.

• Insurance rate of $282 per unit for the policy year beginning January 5, 2024, and ending January 4, 2025.
• Insurance rate of $195 per council and district for the policy year beginning January 5, 2024, and ending January 4, 2025. 
• Workers’ Compensation surcharge rate of 5% for the policy year beginning January 5, 2024, and ending January 4, 2025.  



Questions? please contact Steph Cole, Treasurer treasurer@ninthdistrictpta.org

Your membership leaders can find information in the California State PTA Toolkit. Download the chapter on Membership at http://downloads.capta.org/toolkit/print/Membership.pdf You can also find resources to help them set goals, promote, and use the tools that are already available to them. Please visit the CAPTA Leaders login and visit the Membership section to learn more about membership incentives and challenges.

Don’t forget, all units must have a minimum of 15 members remitted through the proper channels by October 15th! 

If you need help, please reach out to your Council or Ninth District Membership Director, Lori Fentress at member.services@ninthdistrictpta.org.

If you need membership supplies like envelopes, more membership cards, etc. you can contact the Ninth District Office at office@ninthdistrictpta.org 

Elevate Your Membership with Totem!

Ready to supercharge your membership management? Join us for "Totem Basics" on Thursday, September 28, 2023, at 6:00 PM via Zoom.

Discover how Totem, the user-friendly Electronic Membership tool, can save you time and energy while boosting your membership growth.

Learn:

What is Totem?

How to set it up and make the most of its features.

Streamlining with TOTEM & Membership Envelopes

Don't miss this chance to revolutionize your membership efforts.

Register: https://capta.org/totemtraining23

Have questions? Reach out to membership@capta.org.



Let's make membership management a breeze with Totem!

Secretary Key Roles

The PTA/PTSA Secretary is one of the three required officers of the association.

The Secretary is charged with several important roles. Over the term, those important roles

will be reviewed.

Here is the first list of important roles:

• Take minutes at board and association meetings
• Sign formal papers with the President
• Take care of PTA correspondence as directed by the President
• Maintain and preserve PTA records and important documents to pass on at the end of the term

Sue King

Secretary 2023-2025

Historian

Historian Information



If your Unit, Council, or Out-of-Council has a historian, it is extremely important for you to reach out to all the members of your board and collect those volunteer hours. If you do not have a Historian, don't fret, the responsibility falls upon the President to collect those precious volunteer hours. Remember volunteer hours consist of any time spent doing PTA activities. If you are driving to and from a PTA meeting, that is part of your volunteer hours. If you are reading this newsletter, that is part of your volunteer hours. If you are helping at a PTA event, that counts as volunteer hours. If you are speaking about the PTA at a Coffee with the Principal, that counts as volunteer hours. Remember the reason we collect this information is because it helps the PTA maintain its federal tax exempt status. There is more information available on the Ninth District website about the Historian position along with links to forms for Historian Reports. 

Please contact Sonya Vargas, Ninth District Historian at historian@ninthdistrictpta.org for any questions or information.

Register for the 2023-2024 Reflections Program

Let National PTA know you are participating in the Reflections program through your PTA! The theme for next year is "I am Hopeful Because ...". Your registration helps National PTA show the reach and impact of the program. 

Enroll your school Here.



There is one more training coming up from California State PTA regarding Virtual Judging. This training will walk you through the process of preparing student entries for judging. Click on the link below to register.

Virtual Judging

Tuesday, Sept 26 @ 7pm

https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZAsc-yqrj8rGNMc2ijoazCt-MSUL4GZcTON

Family Engagement