1 The New Jersey Parent-Teacher

Parent-Teacher

Family Engagement in PTA

Male Engagement Conference

Membership Awards

Take Your Family to School Week

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PRESIDENT Debbie Tyrrell

PRESIDENT-ELECT

Rose Acerra

VICE PRESIDENT OF ADVOCACY Cathy Lindenbaum

VICE PRESIDENT OF

COMMUNICATIONS & PROGAMS Linda King

VICE PRESIDENT OF

LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT Doris Harris

SECRETARY

Bamby Bergeron

TREASURER Robert Acerra

REGION I DIRECTOR

Jason Quinn

REGION II DIRECTOR Denise Crawford

REGION III DIRECTOR

Lisa Falco

REGION IV DIRECTOR Amelia Choe

REGION V DIRECTOR

Lois Testa

REGION VI DIRECTOR Sharon Roseboro

The New Jersey Parent-Teacher EDITOR

Robert Acerra magazine@njpta.org

DEADLINE FOR JULY—AUGUST ISSUE

Monday, June 30

DEADLINE FOR NEXT ISSUE:

Monday, November 3rd

Family Engagement 3 A Message from our New Jersey PTA President Kudos Korner 4 Thank Your For Your Commitment 5 Involving Males In Your PTA… A Woman’s Perspective 6 Warren County PTA News 8 Using Social Media...Part I 12 Remember Proper Elections Procedures 13 What is Family Engagement? 14 Five Social Media Tips for Fab Fall Fundraisers 15 Take Your Family to School Week 16 Call for Resolutions 2015 17 Meet One Of Our Strongest Advocates 18 Youth Leadership Summit 19 Membership Awards 21 Board of Directors Directory 23

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A synthesis of research by Henderson and Mapp (2002) concluded that there is a positive relationship between family engagement and improved academic achievement. This is true across socioeconomic, racial/ethnic, and educational background for students of all ages (Mapp, 2004). Today's call for families to become more involved in their children's education both at home and at school is not new. For decades, federal programs such as Head Start, Follow Through, Chapter One/Title One, and Special Education have mandated that parents/family be closely involved. Teachers Involve Parents in Schoolwork (TIPS) has shown positive effects on student achievement at the middle school level. Unfortunately, in many cases there is no partnership between home and school. Schools and school systems which are successfully involving families began by responding to the qualities, characteristics, and needs of the parents in order to overcome the barriers which interfere with communication. These barriers include parents' level of literacy; language preferred for reading, listening, speaking, and writing; daily commitments and responsibilities that may affect the time, energy, and attention available to devote to school; and parents' level of comfort in becoming involved in their children's education. The National Parent Teacher Association (PTA) (1998) has identified the following benefits of family engagement in education:

When parents are involved, students achieve more, regardless of socioeconomic status, ethnic/racial background, or the parents' education level;

The more extensive the parent involvement, the higher the student achievement;

When parents are involved in their students' education, those students have higher grades and test scores, better attendance, and complete homework more consistently;

When parents are involved, students exhibit more positive attitudes and behavior;

Students whose parents are involved in their lives have higher graduation rates and greater enrollment rates in postsecondary education. Different types of parent/family involvement produce different gains. To have long-lasting gains for students, parent involvement activities must be well planned, inclusive, and comprehensive;

Educators hold higher expectations of students whose parents

collaborate with the teacher. They also hold higher opinions of those parents;

In programs that are designed to involve parents in full partnerships, student achievement for disadvantaged children not only improves, it can reach levels that are standard for middle-class children. In addition, the children who are farthest behind make the greatest gains;

Children from diverse cultural backgrounds tend to do better when parents and professionals collaborate to bridge the gap between the culture at home and the learning institution;

Student behaviors such as alcohol use, violence, and antisocial behavior decrease as parent involvement increases;

Students are more likely to fall behind in academic performance if their parents do not participate in school

events, develop a working relationship with their child's educators, or keep up with what is happening in their child's school;

The benefits of involving parents are not confined to the early years—there are significant gains at all ages and grade levels;

Junior and senior high school students whose parents remain involved make better transitions, maintain the quality of their work, and develop realistic plans for their future;

Students whose parents are not involved, on the other hand, are more likely to drop out of school; and

The most accurate predictor of a student's achievement in school is not income or social status, but the extent to which that student's family is able to

create a home environment that encourages learning;

communicate high, yet reasonable, expectations for their children's achievement and future careers; and become involved in their children's education at school and in the community.

Continued on next page.

Debbie Tyrrell, NJPTA President

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National Standards Implementation Guide The benefits of family-school-community partnerships are many: higher teacher morale, more parent involvement, and greater student success are only a few. That is why PTA developed the National Standards for Family-School Partnerships Implementation Guide, a tool for empowering people to work together with an end goal of building family-school partnerships and student success. For each of the six National Standards for Family-School Partnerships, this online guide provides:

An explanation of each standard and its importance

Insights to help convince educators of the standard’s value

A success story from a school community

Action steps for your school community Resources to enhance your understanding The full guide, downloadable as a PDF, provides additional details, background, research, and success stories. Who should use this guide? Anyone with a stake in improving schools and student achievement can use this tool: PTA leaders, parents, school administrators, school board members, community organizations, and more. How to use this guide This guide can assist organizers with implementing programs and policies that encourage these family-school partnerships. Used with the supporting resources, it can help organizers educate their communities about the importance of family involvement and direct the development of effective partnerships. These materials are best used after the formation of an action team focused on promoting family involvement. This team can include parents, other caregivers and family members, school staff, community

members, and even students. To get started, go to “First Steps” below and then examine the online components for each of the National Standards, also listed below. First Steps What you or your organization needs to do first to establish a family-school partnership Standard 1 - Welcoming All Families Actions for making families feel welcomed, valued and connected to each other and the school. Standard 2 - Communicating Effectively The building blocks to effective communication between parents, schools and parent groups Standard 3 - Supporting Student Success Encouraging parent involvement to heighten student achievement Standard 4 - Speaking Up for Every Child Methods for becoming an effective advocate for children and their education Standard 5 - Sharing Power Ways to share power between families, students, teachers, school staff and the community Standard 6 - Collaborating With Community Resources for connecting the school with the community

Debbie Tyrrell 2014—2016 New Jersey PTA President Sources: National PTA & National Dropout Prevention Center Network

NJ PTA wants to give your local unit the Kudos it deserves for a “Job Well Done”. Share your success stories and triumphs with us and watch for your unit to be highlighted in future issues of NJ PTA. Tell us about your successful Back to School Night, parent involvement program, book fair, membership drive or any other program that your PTA was most proud of. Tell us how you involved more dads, eased the transition for bilingual families, assisted the school in championing Common Core standards, and other great ideas your local was responsible for and we’ll champion your PTA for its success! Everybody can use more positive feedback and we all grow when we encourage our peers. My name is Ruthe Lewark and I am the new Media Relations Chair for NJ PTA and I would like to give your local unit Kudos from the State. Please submit your accomplishments, along with contact information, to my attention at: RLewark@NJPTA.org or MediaRelations@NJPTA.org. Watch future issues of our online newsletter for your unit’s Kudos, and don’t forget to add it to your historical yearbook. Good luck and may the Kudos Kommence!!

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Doris Harris, Vice President of Leadership Development Thank you all for your commitment, to the children in New Jersey. As most of us are aware, this is election season. Please read your bylaws under Article III: Basic Policies. The organization or members in their official capacities shall not, directly or indirectly, participate or intervene (in any way, including the publishing or distributing of statements) in any political campaign on behalf of, or in opposition to, any candidate for public office; or devote more than an insubstantial part of its activities to attempting to influence legislation by propaganda or otherwise. We are as individuals, entitled to our own opinion, please if you are giving an opinion, for some reason make sure it’s well known you’re not speaking on behalf of the PTA. As a 501(C)3 organization there are documents required by the IRS and the State of New Jersey. Your local PTA must file taxes to the IRS. It’s due 5 ½ months after your fiscal year ends. If you don’t know the date, it’s in your bylaws. If your fiscal year is July 1st to June 30th, taxes need to be filed on or before November 15th. If your local’s total gross income was $50,000 or less, you can file the Form 990N postcard. If it’s over $ 50,000, you need to file the Form 990EZ. These filings need to be done yearly, once done go on the NJPTA website and send the office the verification form of your IRS filing. If your local does not file for three consecutive years, your 501(C)3 status will be revoked and your local can’t operate as a 501(C)3, until it’s reestablished as one. This is not a PTA rule, it’s an IRS rule! Yearly, as an non-profit in NJ, a charitable registration form needs to be completed. Which form depends on your local’s gross income…If it’s under $10,000, your local just needs to send a letter stating this with your CRI num-ber, on your PTAs letterhead. Please call your County President or Region Director if you need help and they will direct your call to the correct personnel. Membership dues are due to the State office by the 15th of the month, starting October 15th. In order to receive Early Bird Membership Award, your membership count should be 85% of last year’s total membership. Also your membership payment needs to be made by November 15th, along with reaching the 85%. This year, the only membership awards that need to be applied for are 100% Teacher Membership, Focus on Males Award and 100% Membership. Remember, membership is a full year, on-going drive. An audit of your treasurer’s book need to be done yearly. Please complete it as soon as your fiscal year has ended. Once it’s completed, please submit to the state. It also needs to be done if a signer on your checking accountant changes. An audit can’t be done by a signer on the checking account. Please remember if this an election year for your local, nominating committee needs to be approved by the General Membership. Your bylaws also need to be renewed every three years; they also need to be approved by the General Membership. Seems overwhelming, this is why procedure books for Officers and Committee chairs are important. Please download Local PTA Handbooks from www.njpta.org/resources and learn what your position on PTA entails. As always if your County has a Council and you need help reach out to them. No Council, there is an advisors or Region Director to help. Our information is on the NJPTA Website. Once again thank you for all you do for the children of New Jersey.

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Rose Acerra, President-Elect

I recently attended the National PTA Male Engagement Conference in Atlanta, GA. As a female PTA leader I was a bit apprehensive about attending this PTA leadership opportunity, but felt that representing NJPTA would empower me with great resources and ideas to share with local PTAs in New Jersey.

This is probably the first PTA event that I ever attended where as a “PTA mom”, I was in the minority. The Males and Dads in attendance were very welcoming, very encouraging but more importantly they taught me a lot about why it was very important to have males involved in your PTA.

There are many barriers, that males feel they face when they are trying to get involved in their child’s school. A few of these barriers include:

Lack of Time, Not being welcomed, Not being asked and not having any programs specific to males.

Here are some quick, easy solutions to break down these barriers to make YOUR PTA more “Male” friendly!

Value a male’s time: hold meetings during lunch hours or have afternoon dinner meetings

Have Dad Ads: Have your fliers and communication geared toward men and their interests.

Ask! Ask males to be involved in the meetings, in events and don’t just assume they want to do the “manly” jobs of your PTA.

Be Male Specific: Have more “male” specific events…”Donuts with Dad”, “Lunch with Him”, “Daughter and someone special dances”

After a weekend with the “Great Males of PTA”, I realized that males are just as caring and passionate about our children and their education, they just have a different way of doing it. Make it a goal to make your PTA stronger by engaging more males.

Visit these sites for more ideas:

pta.org

Watch D.O.G.S (Dads of Great Students)

Strong Fathers, Strong Families

PTA MORE (Men Organized to Raise Engagement)

Also feel free to contact your leadership team at NJPTA for any assistance.

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Warren County PTA held its Fall Meeting on

Wednesday, October 1st at Warren Hills Regional

High School in Washington, NJ. More than 50 people

came to the meeting to hear a discussion of Social

Media- What Every Parent Should Know. The

presenters were Kelly Anne Shelton, Assistant Warren

County Prosecutor and Steven Speirs, Director of

Security at Hackettstown School District. The

audience was amazed about what can happen when

social media is not monitored by parents. After the

presentation, the county PTA held its

fall business meeting. Refreshments

were served by the Warren Hills PTSA.

Steven Speirs and Kelly Anne Shelton discuss Social Media with Warren County Parents.

Parents listen attentively to a presentation on Social Media at

Warren Hills High School.

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Ada Gallicchio, Legislative Activities Chairman

Social media is a wonderful tool to help communicate with and grow your PTA. Many Locals use social media and email to keep their members and community at large informed. Left unmonitored, however, social media can poison your Local and its membership. Social media outlets that allow uncontrolled posting and commenting can allow what is commonly known as playground chatter into invade your Local.

Take for example either an open or closed group PTA Facebook site. Even in a closed group, any group member may post whatever they wish to the group. Suppose that a member posts that she is unhappy with her child’s teacher and makes untrue statements about the teacher on the PTA Facebook page. Left unmanaged, this will more likely than not quickly develop into a conversation that is not appropriate within the bounds of the PTA and certainly not within its mission. Moreover, the “playground discussions” will most likely turn off other members or potential members, who may incorrectly believe that this behavior is representative of the Local as a whole. Finally, the teacher may elect to take legal action against the author of the post as well as the PTA for publishing and endorsing slanderous content.

It is for this reason that social media sites must be regularly and routinely monitored on a daily basis. Any inappropriate content must be removed immediately. Additionally, Locals must advise members that the forum can only be used for PTA and related content and should not be used to discuss school or community politics or propaganda.

If possible, avoid social media that allows members or the public to post. By allowing the Board or a few key members to control the content of social media, Locals can ensure appropriate content on their social media. This allows for the dissemination of information and avoids the need to constantly monitor social media. Remember that the social media that you use is a reflection on your PTA and its members, so keep it positive and reflective of PTA’s mission.

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Ada Gallicchio, Legislative Activities Chairman

With election season upon us, please remember that as a 501(c)(3), your PTA Local is not allowed to conduct partisan activities to support or oppose any candidates for public office. Your Local may not endorse a candidate or make campaign contributions. Your Local may hold a candidate night or forum where all candidates are invited to attend. (It is okay if not all candidates attend, as long as all candidates are invited.) You may not, however, only invite one candidate to speak. Your Local may advocate on issues that further our mission and goals as well as support or oppose specific referendum items on the ballot. You

may even send information to all of the candidates educating them on why your Local supports a specific issue or referendum. Your Local is also permitted to provide voter education and participate in nonpartisan get out the vote by reminding the public to vote and the importance of voting.

For more information and resources on proper PTA election practices, please see National PTA’s website. Under advocacy there is a section for election guides, which provides numerous documents and resources on election practices.

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Kirk Corless, Family Engagement Chairman What does family engagement mean to you? In the dictionary, family is defined as “a group consisting of parents and children living together in a household” and engagement is defined as “an arrangement to do something.” When it comes to New Jersey PTA, our President Debbie Tyrell’s theme is NJPTA…The Essential Piece” Her design is a piece of a puzzle, coincidently National PTA has puzzle pieces representing the National Standards For Family-School Partnerships. Welcoming all families: The first piece to getting families to be involved with a PTA is when they walk into the school, it should be a place where they belong; the schools policies and programs should reflect, respect and value the diversity of the families in the community. I would like to give an example, I recently attended a conference over the summer break in Trenton called, “Transforming Our Schools Together Parent and Family Conference” which had workshops in five areas ranging from workshops in Spanish, health and wellness and so many more. The conference was free and was presented by local schools, health care centers, community centers, etc. Communicating Effectively The second piece to create regular opportunities for open and honest dialogue, while having a website, newsletters, etc. is great tools to reach out to families, but it’s also just as important to attend PTA meetings where they can be informed from the principal, teachers and staff about important issues regards to the school, the district and state. Supporting Student Success What are ways to get engaged in a student’s achievement? First, families should be fully aware of their child’s progress as well as how well the rest of the school is doing. Secondly, families should have opportunities to learn how to be active participants in the child’s learning not only at school but also at home, be it to be invited to observe the child classroom or to be connected with opportunities for afterschool learning. Speaking up for Every Child Having a partnership with the schools and the PTA is an important contribution in making sure that all students have an advocate. NJPTA Vice President of Advocacy Cathy Lidenbaum along with her committee work tirelessly to bring about changes in laws, policies and programs for the benefit of all children. New Jersey PTA (njpta.org) also has tools and resources available to empowering families to their own child’s success in school. Sharing Power All parties have an equal say in important decisions. This is what it means to share power. Families must be full partners in making decisions about issues affecting their children and their community as well as a having a broad based parent organization like a PTA where having opportunities about discussing topics with each other along with school leaders. Collocating with the Community Both parent and schools should reach out to and work closely with neighborhood associations, government, businesses, etc. to strengthen the school. It’s also important to build trust amongst each other for the greatest impact that will benefit families and link to student learning. These are the pieces of the puzzle that makes up family engagement. For more information, pta.org has information, tools and resources that are available and in the coming months, I along with my committee will be holding workshops about family engagement from these pieces of the puzzle. If you would like to know more about the Family Engagement Committee or want us to visit your PTA, please feel free to contact me at kcorless@njpta.org.

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What's your PTA’s big fall fundraiser - a carnival, book fair, chili cook-off, garage sale? Whatever it is, using popular social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram can rally parents, extend your reach, recognize sponsors and boost profits!

Plan it! Starting 4-5 weeks before the event, map out a detailed Social Media Plan. Identify who will be posting, on what platforms, and when. Get specific – e.g.

One week before: Ann will post photos of Silent Auction Baskets on a Pinterest Board and post links to it on PTA Facebook and Twitter.

Morning of: Rosa will post this on PTA Facebook and Twitter - Don't miss Principal A. in the dunking booth at 2pm! Big fun @ #EastElemCarnival. Thx 2 our sponsor @BigStore!

Tag it! Designate a hashtag for the event and print it on all pre-event communication (newsletters and flyers) and prominently on programs and signs during the event. For example, if a parent forgot the school Carnival on a Saturday afternoon, seeing her friends posting #EastElemCarnival on Facebook and Instagram will trigger her to gather the kids and get to the school playground pronto. {Be sure to post your PTA’s full social media addresses too so parents don’t have to guess if your Twitter handle is @EastElemPTA or @EastElementaryPTA.}

Staff it! Recruit volunteers quickly and easily using VolunteerSpot’s free online scheduling tool. Plan your needs and post a sign-up link right in your social media feeds. Parents will pick a shift and sign up from any device, then VolunteerSpot will remind them when it’s their turn to pitch-in. Bonus: Get a FREE Premium upgrade when you register your account at http://volunteerspot.com/NJPTA

Buzz it! Ask social-media active parents to post fun comments and photos in the days leading up to the event. E.g.

Look what I made for the Cake Walk tomorrow! #EastElemCarnival {cake photo}.

Kids can’t wait for Movie Night @EastElemPTA! #FrozenSingalong

Reward it! Set up incentives to get people posting. E.g. :

Get a free popcorn when you check in on Facebook.

Take a selfie with the school mascot using the hashtag #WestHSFair and get a bonus raffle entry.

“Like” our PTA Facebook page and our Gold Sponsor’s page to get 5 extra game tickets.

We hope these social suggestions get your creative juices flowing and make your event more fun and profitable and boost your online communities. Please let us know what you try and learn over on our VolunteerSpot facebook page. Happy Fundraising!

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National PTA’s Take Your Family to School Week will be from February 16-20, 2015. Held annually in celebration of PTA’s Founder’s Day, this year’s theme will be Supporting Student Success, focusing on family engagement solutions that are proven to help prevent the risks associated with high school dropout.

The AXA Foundation, the philanthropic arm of AXA US, is the proud sponsor of PTA's Take Your Family to School Week. Its signature program, AXA Achievementsm, helps students and parents take the next step toward college. The AXA Foundation has been a proud National PTA sponsor since 2005. New this year – National PTA will ship a PTA Take Your Family to School Week Kit to a total of 200 PTAs including: · The first 150 PTAs that sign up to host an event and

· 50 PTAs that receive a $1,000 grant for hosting at least two events

All kit and grant recipients must be in good-standing with their State PTA and be a 501(c)(3). Below are the steps: View the event sign up and grant application form to prepare for an online submission. Visit www.PTA.org/tyftsw to see the 2014 toolkit and consider the type(s) of event(s) PTAs can host. Complete event sign-up form by Monday, November 3 to be considered for the kit shipment. Click “YES!” to answering a few more questions on the event sign-up form and apply for a $1,000 grant. Grant application deadline is Monday, November 3, 2014. Applicants that do not receive a grant but were among the first 150 sign-ups will receive the free kit. Celebrate Take Your Family to School Week with hundreds of other PTAs across the country February 16-20, 2015 and be featured on National PTA’s interactive map and in promotion tools. All PTAs are encouraged to celebrate PTA Take Your Family to School Week! In December, National PTA will promote a master list of events and interactive map at www.PTA.org/TYFTSW.

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Emmy Hunter, Resolutions Chairman December 20, 2014 is the deadline for local PTAs, county councils, and members of the NJTA Board of Directors to submit resolutions for consideration at the 2015 PTA Annual Meeting. A resolution is PTA action, as determined by the delegates to the Annual Meeting, for implementation by the state, county, and local PTAs. Resolutions deal with state and nationwide issues. Questions regarding the submission of resolutions should be directed to the Resolutions Chairman, Emmy Hunter, 856-854-2716. PROCEDURE FOR SUBMITTING RESOLUTIONS 1. Resolutions must conform to the policies and practices of the National PTA and the New Jersey PTA and be at least statewide

in scope. You may contact the Resolutions Chairman if you need to know the Status of Resolutions and if you need assistance in developing a resolution.

2. Resolutions must come from a local PTA in good standing ( bylaws current and approved, dues paid in full, and up-to-date audit report filed), from a county council, or from the State Board of Directors.

3. In the case of resolutions submitted by local PTAs or county councils, the local PTA or County Council must take action to support the proposed resolution prior to submission.

4. Resolutions must be postmarked no later the December 20, 2014 so that the committee can review, edit, and approve them for submission to the 2015 NJPTA Convention delegates. Resolutions should be sent to: New Jersey PTA, Attn: Convention Resolutions Chairman, 8 Quakerbridge Plaza, Suite F, Mercerville, NJ 08619.

5. Resolutions must be accompanied by documented background information sufficient for the Resolutions Committee to make a decision. One newspaper article or editorial is not sufficient information. Resolutions lacking sufficient information cannot be considered.

6. Resolutions must be typed double-spaced, and in the proper form. See the example in Roberts’s Rules of Order or the New Jersey PTA Handbook.

7. The group or individual; submitting the resolution must provide the Resolutions Committee with ten copies of the resolution.

8. The submitting group must have a member prepared to speak to the resolution when it is presented to the convention delegates for action. The State Chairman or Services Vice President in whose field the resolution belongs shall also be alerted to speak, if necessary.

9. A resolution, which is not approved by the Resolutions Committee, but is still deemed of great importance by the submitting group, may be brought directly to the Convention body by following the Emergency Resolution Procedure listed below.

CRITERIA FOR RESOLUTION PRESENTATION Resolutions should be submitted in a loose-leaf binder, which contains the following: TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION (Reason for originating the resolution) A REFERENCE SHEET identifying the pages which provide documentation or support information that substantiates the “whereas” paragraphs. Support information should include endorsing letters, research information and/or statistics. NEWSPAPER EDITORIALS AND INFORMATIONALS alone are not adequate documentation. TEN (10) copies of the resolution NAME(s), address (es), and phone number(s) of the submitter(s) of the resolution Resolutions that usually receive the most favorable consideration by the committee and the Annual Meeting delegates are those that have been well thought out, have resulted from thorough study, are well documented and have substantiating background information accompanying them. Emergency Resolutions may be brought to the Annual Meeting floor for action by a two-thirds vote of the delegates present and voting. Emergency Resolutions brought to the Annual Meeting floor must conform to the established criteria for resolutions and be signed by at least 50 voting delegates representing all six regions of the NJPTA. Delegates wishing to bring a resolution to the convention floor must provide four copies of the signed resolution to the Resolutions Chairman before the start of the General Session where the Resolutions will be presented. Delegates presenting emergency resolutions must provide 350 copies of the proposed resolution to the delegates for consideration.

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Lynette Howard, New Jersey PTA Federal Legislative Chairman At the recent National PTA Convention in Austin Texas Andre' was awarded the prestigious 2014 Excellence in Advocacy Award by United States Army ROTC Cadet Command commanded by Major General Combs headquartered at Fort Knox, Kentucky. Recently Andre' was appointed to represent National PTA to the Department of the Army's Strengthening Americas Youth Committee (SAY). The Strengthening America’s Youth (SAY) Leadership Committee was established in 2010 to bring together a group of action-oriented leaders and organizations whose primary mission is to support and advance the success of students and young people across the United States. The committee participates in vigorous discussion and information-sharing about the challenges facing the Nation’s youth including the crisis in education, childhood obesity, and workforce readiness. Additionally this past summer Andre' was awarded the coveted Rotarian of The Year Award, by the Rotary Club of Willingboro, New Jersey for humanitarian, civic and community involvement. Mr. Daniels presently serves National PTA as an elected Member Representative on the National PTA Board of Directors serving his second two-year term and Chairs the Resource Development Committee and has traveled extensively as a National Representative representing National PTA to State PTA conventions around the country to include this summer’s Western States CLASS Conference 2014 in Bismark, North Dakota. Additionally, Andre formerly was a member of the Field Service Committee, At-Large Member of the National Council of States, Youth Involvement and Membership Committees as well as an inaugural NJPTA delegate to the first Emerging Minority Conference in Detroit. Andre served as Chair of NJPTA’s Legislative Activities Committee for four years and also served as a member of Long Range Planning, Resolutions and the newly formed Common Core Curriculum Standards Initiative Committee and the Internal Audit Committee. Former committee membership includes Procedures and Bylaws, NJPTA Delegate to NPTA Convention 2006, and served as the first Chair of NJPTA's Male Involvement Initiative and founder of NJPTA PRIDE Initiative (Participation & Responsibility Involves Dad's Everywhere). Mr. Daniels has also served his local PTA as its President. He led the Westampton PTA in winning seven State Awards and has also served as Chair of the Ways and Means Committee for Burlington County Council PTA. His life of service and commitment to Country and Community began as a United States Air Force Veteran who served honorably and with commendation during Desert Shield/Storm has prepared him to be not only an advocate for children and youth but a civil servant to the community at large. As an elected official, it is his personal belief that service and duty to community is a privilege born out of our responsibility as American Citizens who enjoy rich freedoms paid by the men and women who have served and continue to serve our Country and Community. While stationed at Tyndall AFB and McGuire AFB. Mr. Daniels’ was very involved in community outreach efforts and was president of the Airman’s Action Committee as well as a member of the coveted Honor Guard detail receiving General officer endorsements on his Airmen Performance Evaluation reports as well as an AF Commendation Medal and many Department of Defense, Department of the Air Force and Air War Weapons Center recognitions. After being discharged for medical reasons in 1991 he worked for the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia as manager of Supply Processing and Distribution, The City of Philadelphia as a Procurement Specialist, State Representative W. Curtis Thomas of the 181st Legislative District in Philadelphia. In 1994 he was diagnosed with FSGS Focal Segmental Glomeruli Sclerosis and was told one day he would need dialysis. After several efforts to save his kidneys he eventually went on dialysis. During those long painful sessions over 4 ½ years he made a promise that if he ever had an opportunity to receive a transplant he would make the most of it. Faith in God and the hope and opportunity of medical science he was blessed with a kidney transplant on June 10, 2002.

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Seven days after being released from the hospital he got a call that his daughter forgot her lunch and as fate would have it he drove to her school still fresh from surgery where he was simply asked by a parent, “Would you consider volunteering for PTA?” He credits that moment as a pivotal point in his life where he began his life journey to repay the debt and blessing borne from his opportunity at a second chance at life. Andre' is the former Executive Director of the Boys and Girls Club of Burlington County having attained the designations of Youth Development and Management Professional from The Academy of Boys and Girls Club Professionals. In addition to those listed Mr. Daniels serves on a host of other statewide and national boards and committees. C. Andre Daniels has proudly served his community as a Committeeman/Councilman since 2009 after being elected to 2 terms as a member of the Westampton Township School Board earning the designation of Certificated Board Member. In addition he was appointed to serve as a member of the NJ SBA Legislative Committee serving the 7th Legislative District as an Alternate and also served as an active member of the Burlington County School Boards Association. He was honored to have chaired the Student Affairs & Community Relations, Policy and Legislative committees and have also served as a member of the Buildings and Grounds committee. Andre’ is also a proud Rotarian having received a Paul Harris Fellowship Award in 2009, in addition to being awarded a Vocational Service Award by The Willingboro Club in June 2011. Andre’ served as President of the Willingboro Rotary Club for the year 2011-2012 and is a graduate of The Rotary Leadership Institute and also is a Trustee of Rotary District 7500 Gift of Life Committee. Presently Mr. Daniels serves Burlington County as a Board Trustee to BCCAP Burlington County Community Action Program and sits on the Burlington County Gang Prevention Task Force chaired by Sheriff Jean Stansfield and the Burlington County Chamber of Commerce's Government Affairs Committee and the YMCA of Burlington & Camden Counties as an Advisory Board Member. Mr. Daniels keeps on giving even although He is a retired, 100% disabled Persian Gulf Veteran, who with wife Celestine have raised six children and is proud to help support his 7 grandchildren in everything they do. You just might know him and if you don't I know you will meet him soon. He's the type of guy that keeps on giving!!!

Hey All! I’m Cynthia Tyrrell and I am the Youth Leadership Summit Chair. What is a youth leadership summit you ask? Well it’s sort of like a mini convention for teenagers where they learn all new sorts of ways to improve skills and help out their PTAs. We will be having the first ever Youth Leadership

Summit in April at the 2015 Leadership Conference and Annual Meeting held in Atlantic City! So please get the word out to all the teens you know and tell them to come and have a fun new experience! Thank You and if you have any questions about the summit please don’t hesitate to contact me at my email ctyrrell@njpta.org . I hope you can attend!

20 The New Jersey Parent-Teacher

21 The New Jersey Parent-Teacher

PDF version of Membership Awards Packet In order to qualify to receive Membership Awards, your Local PTA must be in Good Standing:

Be current with your dues payment.

Have filed an Audit Report for the previous year.

Have Bylaws approved within the last three (3) years with no gap. Early Bird Award Payment of at least 85% of 2013-2014 dues (last years) must be paid by November 15th, 2014 - For example if last year your membership total was 100 members, to be eligible you must have at least 85 members paid for by November 15, 2014. Your Local PTA must be in Good Standing to receive the award! No Application Necessary! Must reach 85% of the previous year’s membership total by the November 15, 2014 Dues Payment! 100% Teacher Membership The 100% Teacher Membership Award is an award presented to PTA units to recognize the value of teachers as stakeholders advocating for all children through PTA membership. This includes all teachers that work 100% of their time at your school (where the teachers get their paychecks). CLICK HERE for Application Oak Membership Growth Awards Your Local PTA must be in Good Standing to receive the award! Acorn Award – Largest New Unit (Unit must have been formed during the School Year.) Red Oak Award – Membership Increase of 25-50 Members White Oak Award – Membership Increase of 51-99 Members Mighty Oak Award – Membership Increase of 100 or More Members No Application Necessary! Focus on Male Members Award Presented to all PTAs that recruit and report 25% or more male members. CLICK HERE for Application 10% or More Increase in Membership This would be a 10% or More Increase in Membership from the 2013 – 2014 School Year. No Application Necessary! 100% Membership To be awarded 100% Membership Local Units must apply and have one paid membership for every child enrolled in the school associated with that local unit. For example: if your school has 600 students, you must have 600 PTA members! CLICK HERE for Application Highest Percentage of Membership Growth The Highest Membership Growth Award will be awarded to one Local PTA/PTSA/SEPTA in each of the New Jersey PTA’s six Regions who achieves the highest percentage of Membership Growth for their final Membership totals for the 2013-2014 School Year. The winners will be selected by Region. An award certificates will be given out by the following School breakdown: Preschool, Elementary, Intermediate, Middle School, High School No Application Necessary! Highest Number of PTA Members The NJPTA Top Membership Award will be awarded to the top Local PTA/PTSA/SEPTA with the largest Membership total for the 2013-2014 School Year. This award will be given out by the following School Breakdown Preschool, Elementary, Intermediate, Middle School, High School No Application Necessary!

22 The New Jersey Parent-Teacher

23 The New Jersey Parent-Teacher

New Jersey PTA Board of Directors

Board Officers President Debbie Tyrrell dtyrrell@njpta.org President-Elect Rose Acerra racerra@njpta.org VP/Advocacy Cathy Lindenbaum clindenbaum@njpta.org VP/Communications & Programs Linda King lking@njpta.org VP/Leadership Development Doris Harris dharris@njpta.org Secretary Bamby Bergeron bbergeron@njpta.org Treasurer Rob Acerra r.acerra@njpta.org Region Directors Region I Director Jason Quinn jquinn@njpta.org Region II Director Denise Crawford dcrawford@njpta.org Region III Director Lisa Falco lfalco@njpta.org Region IV Director Amelia Choe achoe@njpta.org Region V Director Lois Testa ltesta@njpta.org

Region VI Director Sharon Roseboro sroseboro@njpta.org Chairman Diversity & Inclusion Natalia Suarez nsuarez@njpta.org Education Emmy Hunter ehunter@njpta.org Family Engagement Kirk Corless kcorless@njpta.org Health and Wellness Kyra Swinney-Darby kswinney@njpta.org Legislative Activities Ada Gallicchio agallicchio@njpta.org Membership Development Sally Fowler sfowler@njpta.org Media Relations Ruthe Lewark rlewark@njpta.org Procedure and Bylaws Laurie Palmer lpalmer@njpta.org Reflections Lee Etta-Sutton lsutton@njpta.org Safety & Juvenile Justice Grace Benson gbenson@njpta.org Special Education Marie Clark mclark@njpta.org

Youth Representative Cynthia Tyrrell ctyrrell@njpta.org County Presidents Bergen County Denise Ingallinera dingallinera@njpta.org Burlington County Michele Patty mpatty@njpta.org Camden County Lynette Howard lhoward@njpta.org Cumberland County Kathleen Pearce kpearce@njpta.org Essex County Lyndon Brown lbrown@njpta.org Hudson County Lorri Bradow lbradow@njpta.org Mercer County Stephanie Bowe sbowe@njpta.org Sussex County Rhodi Teufert rteufert@njpta.org Union County Jenn Jaskula jjaskula@njpta.org Warren County Paul Rinaldi prinaldi@njpta.org

24 The New Jersey Parent-Teacher