The Newsletter for PTA leaders in San Diego and Imperial Counties

May 2023

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Unit and Council Leaders celebrate their "just desserts"

Over 80 unit and council leaders gathered at Ninth District PTA to enjoy an array of delicious desserts and celebrate their accomplishments for the 2022-23 year. Awards were given out for membership, communication, programs and legacy. To see the complete list of honorees, click here.

National PTA Proposes Dues Increase

National PTA is proposing a $1.75 dues increase to go into effect on October 1, 2023. This would increase the portion of the dues going to National PTA from $2.25 per member to $4.00 per member. California State PTA has emailed a survey to find out how a dues increase will affect your unit.

Learn more.

Members of the National PTA voting body will have the opportunity to vote on the new proposed dues rate at the virtual National PTA Convention to be held June 15-24. California has 530 voting delegates. If you would like to attend, register here.

Local Student Recognized at National PTA Reflections Program

Seohyun "Ellie" Bae from Sycamore Ridge Elementary School PTA in the North Coast Council received an Award of Merit winner at the National PTA Reflections program. The theme this year was "Show Your Voice" and Ellie titled her undersea artwork "My Rainbow Voice." She received the award in the Visual Arts Category, Intermediate Grades 3-5. Congratulations Ellie!

Jean Catherine Taylor

AUGUST 31, 1940 - APRIL 29, 2023

Jean Taylor, former Ninth District PTA President, passed away at the age of 82. Jean served as Ninth District PTA president from 1999-2001.She was also president of San Diego Unified Council. of PTAs. During her term, Jean was known for her conflict resolution skills, her financial acumen and her great smile.

Five Things You Didn't Know about Shawna Straw

We all know Shawna Straw, the incoming Ninth District PTA president, is a dedicated PTA volunteer who has devoted countless hours advocating for children. But there’s more to Shawna than PTA. Here are five things you might not know about Shawna.

Have you turned in the following items?

• Mid-Year financial review (audit) for FY 2022-2023
• Historian report due May 1
• Officer Rosters due May 15

For a complete list of due dates for the year, Click Here.

Wanted: 2022-2023 PTA Board Rosters

As soon as your election is over, we need your roster. This ensures your Council, District, State and National PTA can connect with your PTA. We also need the president's home address so he or she will receive the all-important summer mailing from California State PTA.

Two ways to upload your roster. Do it yourself at the myPTEZ website or email your roster to Ninth District PTA at office@ninthdistrictpta.org and we'll upload for you.

End of Term Financial Review

I’m sure you're thinking “the end is in sight!” just like I am, but remember that per the Toolkit, “The outgoing auditor is responsible for conducting the audit at the end of the term of office”. Now is a good time to start planning and collecting data for that one

last time.

This is also a good time to meet with the incoming Financial Review officer, if that person has been elected or appointed. You might ask your President to appoint the incoming person to your Audit Committee so they can better familiarize themselves with the district’s financial situation.

Don’t forget to sign up for our Ninth District PTA Summer Leadership Conference 2023. We are back, live and in person for this event! There are 24 fabulous workshops being presented, including the classic, Fast & Furious Financial Reviews. Encourage whoever will be the Financial Reviewer for the next fiscal year to sign up and you can join other workshops. You can still register online.

Questions? Michael King, Auditor

How many Volunteer Hours did your PTA contribute this year?

The 2022-2023 Historian Reports were due to Ninth District on May 1st. If you have not done so already, please submit your volunteer hours for the year. You can use this Google Form to notify us of your hours.

Questions? Anne Emfinger, Historian 

Mental Health Awareness Month

Mental Health Awareness Month has been observed in the U.S. since 1949. Every year during the month of May, NAMI, the National Alliance on Mental Illness, joins the national movement to raise awareness about mental health. Together, we fight stigma, provide support, educate the public and advocate for policies that support the millions of people in the U.S. affected by mental illness.

Learn more.  



Questions? Diana Godfrey, Health Director

Governor's May Budget Revise

Zoom Call May 30 7-8 PM

Governor Newsom has unveiled his updated 2023-24 California state budget proposal — commonly known as the May Revise. You can read California State PTA's response to the revise here. California State PTA will be holding a Zoom call to explain how the May Revise will affect children and public education. If you're a Unit Legislation Chair or just want to understand the budget process, tune in to the call. All PTA members welcome to this free event!

Register here.

Breakthrough Junior Challenge

Students ages 13 through 18 are invited to create a short (up to two minutes) video explaining a challenging concept in physics, mathematics, or the life sciences in an engaging, illuminating, and creative way. It's a chance to win a $250,000 college scholarship for students, a $50,000 prize for your teacher and the school will get a new $100,000 science lab!

Learn More.