6:45 – 8:00

Session 1

President 101 – 1^st year

This class will help first time Presidents understand their roles and how to use the "team" to support their position.  Learn PTA structure, how to plan meetings, the importance of communication and working with your volunteers. Ahn Lee Horn & Janine Kotan

President 102 – 2^nd year

For 2^nd year presidents who are ready to go beyond the basics. Learn the key elements of leading and being a member of a responsible and professional board of directors.  Topics include team dynamics, responsibilities, legal requirements, and the best practices for running board meetings.  Heather Gillette

Advocacy/Legislative 101 – beginning

Learn all the basics of a legislative advocacy program. Hear about the importance of local advocacy.  This class will cover the role of the legislative chair as well as the variety of resources available and avenues of effective advocacy. Recommended for all PTA members, especially legislation chairs. Cathy Renner

Advocacy/Legislative 102 – advanced

This class is designed to be two-fold: to provide information on the regulation of PTA activities when participating in persuasive advocacy activities and candidate community forums and to provide suggestions how to effectively communicate in these situations. TBD

Money Matters for Treasurers

This class will teach the Treasurer the financial management responsibilities they will need to be fiscally, financially and legally sound. This class will teach the duties, responsibilities and obligations. Wendy DeLong

Money Matters for Everyone

T he entire Board is just as responsible to make sure their PTA is operating fiscally, financially and in a legally sound manner. This class will walk you through all you need to know about Money matters. Suzanne Weaver

Membership

Why is it important to belong to the PTA? Many of the events and programs at our schools are funded by PTA dollars. Learn about the membership campaign and how to encourage participation. Become knowledgeable on the tools available to you and learn how to optimize these resources. Caroline Brown

Secretary

This class will touch on all aspects of being a successful secretary! Learn the what, how, and why of keeping records, what does and does not go into minutes, and how to assist in preparing meeting agendas. Kimberly Montague and Barb Martin

Outreach

Do you want a stronger, more effective PTA with increased volunteer and resource support? Then create a quality Outreach Program. Join others from across the region to learn how. You’ll also receive pertinent information about the Outreach efforts at the national and state levels, and become an integral part of developing and implementing Region 2’s Outreach Program. JMarie Johnson-Kola

8:15 – 9:15

Session 2

Engaging Volunteers

Volunteers are the heart and soul of the PTA organization.  How to reach out to as volunteers, how to move passed the obstacles seen as reasons not to volunteer, and how to engage and honor your volunteers. Linda Mui and Jennifer McLellan

Standing Rules

What are standing rules, and why should your PTA have them? In this session you will review the reasons behind standing rules and what standing rules should cover. Bring copies of your own standing rules to discuss and share. Kimberly Montague

PTA Programs and Awards

A brief overview of WSPTA’s awards and recognition program. This includes the Reflections program, volunteer awards like the Golden Acorn, and local unit awards like Standards of Excellence.  Learn about resources available from WSPTA and how to apply them to your local unit’s programs. Caroline Brown

Communications and Technology – how to use effectively

Communication is key to an effective organization both internally and to your membership. This class will talk about different communications methods such as newsletters, websites, social networks and more. Barb Martin

Magic of Conflict/Board Responsibilities

Learn strategies for avoiding PTA conflicts, reducing tension, handling toxic behavior, creating win-win  situations, resolving conflicts, and moving forward in a positive light.  Communicating in a positive way, conflict can magically build a stronger PTA team. Janine Kotan and Ahn Lee Horn

Elementary Roundtable

This is a great networking opportunity to share ideas and ask questions concerning your local unit.  Discussion will be led by the hot topics of the group. Topics may include volunteers, events, creating a PTA identity, or fundraising issues. Laura Tisdale and Jenn Fisher

Secondary Roundtable

This Roundtable discussion for secondary PTSA's will include finding and retaining officers, funding goals, volunteering - and retaining volunteers.  Bring your questions and ideas for discussion - great for Jr High/Middle School and High School local units. Cheryl Lewis

Recognizing and Preventing Theft

Does PTA theft really occur? Absolutely – and it can have devastating effects on your PTA programs and membership. We’ll discuss how PTAs are vulnerable, simple ways to prevent theft, and what steps you should take if it happens to you. Suzanne Weaver