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Biweekly Newsletter
Expert
advice and practical ideas for raising kids
and becoming a vital
part of their education.
Note: The PTA office will be closed December 24 through January 1 for the Christmas
and New Year’s holidays. The next issue of PTA Parent will be
delivered January 8.
Tuesday, December 4, 2007
This issue: Season of Giving
 A Gift for All Seasons
There is a reason why the holidays are also known as the season
of giving. We give our time to family and friends, we give presents
to those who are important to us, and we often give donations to
those in need. Whatever we give, it means a lot to those we honor
with our gifts, and this is just as true for parent involvement as
it is for handing out boxes with big bows.
While it’s easy to
see the excitement in a child’s eyes when they get a new toy, it’s
not always as obvious when a child is thankful for a family who’s
active in their lives. It may take a special event, like Take Your Family to School
Week, for their gratitude to show. Some day that weeklong
celebration may be an internationally recognized holiday, but in the
meantime, the important thing to remember during this season is that
you don’t need a special day to get involved in your children’s
lives. Their health, well-being, and education are reason
enough.
Seasons Greetings!
Jan Harp Domene
PTA National President
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Simple Ways Families Can Give Back
During the Holidays
Parents who wonder how they can instill a charitable spirit
in their children can employ some simple strategies this
holiday season. Not only will they be giving back to their
communities, they will be deepening their own family
connections.
Of course, one key to developing this volunteer attitude is
that giving back shouldn’t be reserved for just holidays.
"In the families we work with, charitable giving runs
through their being," says Steven Moore, associate director
for donor relations and regional giving for The Columbus
Foundation in Columbus, Ohio. "It’s not a one-time event. It’s
part of the fabric of their family. If parents want this to
stick, it has to be a message that is repeated often."
Moore offers these other tips for family volunteering for
children of all ages:
- Set up giving banks. Children who
receive an allowance can divide the money into spending
money, money for savings, and money for charity, all to be
kept in different banks.
- Have conversations about being
thankful. Promote the idea of giving back to the
community.
- Be a role model. Take your children
with you when you volunteer. Talk to them about your
donations.
- Join an Adopt-A-Family Program. Provide
a home cooked meal or donate some needed clothing items.
- Host a giving party. Invite friends and
neighbors over and have them bring "presents" for people in
need—food or clothing items, toys for impoverished kids,
money for relief efforts, or whatever is appropriate for
your theme. Giving parties can also be held in lieu of kids’
birthday parties.
- Gather unused toys to donate to
disadvantaged children.
- Really ambitious families can go on a volunteer
vacation where families (with children as young as
10) travel to areas in need to volunteer their time. Many
programs are international, but some exist stateside to
assist Habitat for Humanity and Hurricane Katrina victims.
Online Resources for Family
Volunteering
Books on Family Volunteering
The
Giving Family: Raising Our Children to Help Others by
Susan Crites Price, Publisher: Council on Foundations,
2003
The Giving Book: Open the Door to a Lifetime of
Giving by Ellen Sabin, Publisher: Watering Can,
2004 |
Celebrating Diversity in Your School During
the Holidays
Once December hits, parents and children are often faced with
endless images of Santa, snowmen, toy commercials, and "blockbuster"
department store sales. However, the deeper meaning of the holiday
season often gets lost. As parents and teachers, the challenge can
be how to appreciate the true meaning of the holiday season, while
at the same time, recognizing and celebrating the different holidays
that occur during this time: Hanukkah, Christmas, and
Kwanzaa.
Read
More
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Keeping Children Safe
The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children
urges parents not to let their guard down during the holidays.
Shopping and travelling require extra attention and
forethought to ensure children’s safety. NCMEC suggests
talking to children about safety issues before heading to a
crowded shopping mall or airport. Parents and their kids need
a plan in case they become separated, which can happen more
easily as crowds build through the holiday season. Some tips
from NCMEC:
- Designate a spot to meet in case you become separated.
- Teach children to look for people who can help such as
uniformed security officers or another parent with children.
- Never drop off older children at a mall or public place
without a clear plan for picking them up—where, what time,
what to do in case of a change in plans.
Look for more tips throughout this
newsletter. |
PTA Briefs
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A great holiday gift for teachers:
a
great big thank-you! |
- Career Planning and Financial Aid
PTA now
offers tools and resources that help parents and families plan
their children’s career goals and options for life after high
school. Ask your PTA leader for more information or visit
the PTA website at pta.org/goestowork.
- New Year…New Opportunities
PTA is offering
local chapters a toolkit to assist in a January membership drive.
Membership is everybody’s business—the stronger PTAs at every
level become, the more our children benefit. Toolkits were mailed
to local units, but resources are also available online at pta.org/newyear. This page
includes a campaign guide, stickers, fliers and more. Year-round
campaign materials can also be found at pta.org/marketing.
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Child Safety Tip #1
Remind children to remain in the area where they become
separated. |
- Cook Up Holiday Cheer With Campbell’s Labels for
Education™ and Help Your School
As you’re crafting
hearty holiday recipes during this festive time of year, don’t
forget that every UPC and beverage cap from participating Campbell
products can help earn more free stuff for your school!
Read More
- Save the Date! PTA Take Your Family to School Week,
February 10-16, 2008
Get connected to your child’s
school experience! Participate in PTA Take Your Family to
School Week, February 10-16, 2008.
PTA has worked
to bring families and schools closer together since its founding
on February 17, 1897. During the week leading up to PTA Founders
Day 2008, PTAs across the country will be celebrating our
founders’ vision with events and activities to help parents and
other family members get to know their children’s teachers and
schools. Put the week on your calendar and plan to participate
in—or even help out at—your school’s events.
Check in with
your local PTA later this month to find out if it’s one of the
recipients of the PTA Take Your Family to School Week
Awards—$1,897 awarded competitively to PTAs in good standing in
support of their activities for the week.
This year’s
PTA Take Your Family to School Week Awards are presented by PTA
Proud National Sponsor AXA Foundation, the philanthropic arm of
AXA Equitable. The Foundation’s signature program, AXA
Achievement(sm), provides resources that help make college
possible: access and advice. Visit www.axa-achievement.com.
 Find the Perfect Gifts For Everyone on Your
List!
Whether you're shopping for family, friends,
teachers, co-workers or clients, find the most popular gift ideas
in books, DVDs, and CDs–all at special savings up to 40% off when
you shop through the PTA custom online bookstore powered by Barnes
& Noble.com. Plus you'll save an additional 10%
from December 5 through December
18. And as an added bonus, on
Tuesday, December 4 all orders
will be discounted 15% for one day only! Go
to bn.com/pta. Shipping is
FREE when you spend just $25 on qualifying orders. (See site for
details.)
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PTA Book Club
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Child Safety Tip #2
Never dress children in clothing that displays their
first or last names, which might prompt unwelcome
attention from people looking to start a conversation
with your child. |
Traditional Native American Arts and
Activities
(Celebrating our Heritage)
By
Arlette N. Braman
Description
This book is an interactive
look into the culture of Native Americans. This book offers
readers the activities, art, music, and food of the early
North Americans. This book not only presents a wealth of
information and activities, it offers an incredible
exploration of the indigenous cultures of the Inuit
of the Arctic through the Tohono O’odam of the
Sonoran desert. Complete with stories, colorful pictures,
recipes, games and engaging activities, this book is a
wonderful resource for children ages 9-12.
Details
Publisher :
Jossey-Bass
Published : 09/01/2000
Format : Paperback,
128 pages
ISBN-10 : 0471359920
ISBN-13 :
9780471359920
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Child Safety Tip #3
If your child is traveling alone this holiday season,
specify that the child will be alone when you make the
reservation. Visit the airport or bus/train terminal
prior to departure so your child knows what to expect.
|
Hokusai: The Man Who Painted a
Mountain
By Deborah Kogan Ray
Description
This book offers a tribute
to well known Japanese artist Hokusai as told by artist
Deborah Kogan Ray. This is a beautifully illustrated book with
great biographical information, including drawings from
Hokusai’s sketchbook. This book presents its reader a tribute
as seen through the eyes of another artist. This book would be
ideal for students ages four through eight.
Details
Publisher : Farrar Straus
Giroux
Published : 10/01/2001
Format : Hardcover, 40
pages
ISBN-10 : 0374332630
ISBN-13 :
9780374332631 |
100 Ways to Help Your Child and School
Succeed
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Child Safety Tip #4
Encourage children, especially those travelling alone, not
to become too friendly with other passengers or reveal any
personal information. |
There are many ways that you can help your child succeed! Here
are a few that you can do this week:
- Make local agencies and businesses aware of what’s happening
at your school.
(Hagales saber a los organisimos y negocios
locales que sucede en su escuela.)
- Help coordinate and participate in events that support
community groups.
(Ayude a coordinar y participe en
acontecimientos que brindan apoyo a grupos comunitarios.)
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 PTA In the News
Jan Harp Domene, PTA national president,
visited the Sacramento, California PTA at Will C. Wood
Middle School to kick off California’s first statewide Family
Involvement Day November 15 in conjunction with National
Family Week, November 18-24.
Organizers hope to hold the event every year to create
awareness about the importance of parent engagement in their
children’s education.
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In
This Issue
A
Gift for All Seasons — Message from the PTA National
President
Simple Ways Families Can Give Back During the
Holidays
Celebrating Diversity in Your School During the
Holiday Season
Holiday Child Safety Tips
PTA
Briefs
PTA Book Club
100 Ways
In The News
Resources
in Spanish—
Recursos en Español
January
Membership Campaign Materials Now Available
(Recursos
para la campaña de membresía del mes de enero ahora disponibles en
español!)
Look
for these articles in the next issue:
Tips for
Parents of Preschoolers
Handling Food Allergies in Your Kids
Join
the PTA Reader Panel!
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