Our next Regular Meeting Date is Wednesday, March 12, 2008

Councils provide opportunities for local units to meet and share knowledge and information, receive training and coordinate efforts.  A council is the key link in communication among state, area and the local units.  Councils provide support and guidance to the local units, while serving as a role-model to their membership.

Texas PTA Council Presidents' Supplement, 2007

Hugs and Kisses aren't just for Valentine's

Hugging your kids for their health!

A hug is a warm circle of embrace that is a signal of acceptance and inclusion. Family or group hugs reinforce togetherness and belonging. People who give and receive hugs daily have reported reduced stress, a sense of invigoration and joy, and they enjoy better health. Hugs boost the body's immune system and are beneficial to both the giver and the receiver.

Children need to be touched and hugged on a more regular basis. They need at least five or six hugs a day for survival, really! If you want your kids to thrive, make sure that they get hugged a lot.

We may prepare food for our children, drive them around, take them to the movies, buy them toys and treats, but nothing registers as deeply as a simple squeeze, cuddle, or pat on the back. There is no greater reassurance of their lovability and worth than to be affectionately touched and held. By giving our kids appropriate physical contact, we send them into the world with renewed inner strength to cope with the multitude of challenges they'll daily face.

Interestingly enough, many parents rely more than they are aware on words to convey their love and affection to their children. In research done by the University of Pittsburgh in which they observed families on the beaches of Greece, the Soviet Union, and the United States, psychologists noticed that when it came to punishing or retrieving children, the amount of touch was very similar. But when it came to soothing, holding, and play, American children received significantly less contact than those of other cultures.

We need to combine both verbal and nonverbal messages in communicating our good feelings and love for our children. Holding your son's hand, gently stroking your daughter's face, hugging, and kissing often speak louder than our words. Some of the best loving touching falls under the heading of tenderness. We are tender toward our animals, our gardens, our cars, and our jewelry, yet we're often so hard on ourselves and our children.

Tenderness doesn't take any extra time and can be easily given while other activities are going on. As you walk through your house, you can gently pat your child on the back as you pass by. It takes no extra time to gently stroke your child's face as you are scrambling to get off to work in the morning.   These things convey the message, "I'm glad you're here."

Although early childhood may be the most crucial period for affection, both boys and girls never outgrow the need for physical contact.

Happy Valentine's - and keep up the hugging!!!

For invitation and details Click here

The Nominating Committee for the LISD Council of PTAs is now accepting nominees for the 2008-2009 Council Officers. If you are interested in one of the offices below, or would like to nominate someone, please contact one of the members of the Nominating Committee.

President
1st VP Programs
2nd VP Membership
3rd VP Budget and Finance
4th VP Leadership Development
Secretary
Treasurer

Nominating Committee Contact Info

Here's what Texas PTA did for you this 2007 legislative session:

Last month I wrote the following article thinking that by the time the newsletter was published the Awards Ceremony would be over.  Well I was wrong.  So here it is again with some minor corrections that reflect the event more accurately.

Congratulations to all the children who participated in the National PTA Reflections Program. The PTAs in our school district collected 2096 entries! Wow! Our sincere thanks go out to all the hard-working Reflections chairmen for handling all those entries, and to the parents for encouraging their children to participate in the program.

Over 530 entries were received and judged at the Council level. Council members and Reflections committee members were very busy over the holidays getting everything ready for the Council's Annual Reflections Reception at Flower Mound High School. The reception was attended by 72 award recipients and their guests bringing the attendance to 254.  Mr. Dean Tackett, LISD Public Information Officer, Dr. Marcia De Avila, LISD Executive Director Academic Improvement Services and our very own LISD Council of PTAs, President, Kris Vaughn all helped out with the presentation of the awards.

The judging at Area 16 included 107 of our council's entries and took place the day before our awards ceremony.  From there the advancing entries will go to the state level and then on to National. (We hope to know who is going to State shortly before this article is published.)

If you have not done so already, be sure to take a moment to recognize the children who participated in Reflections at your campus and encourage them to keep participating in years to come. Watch the Texas PTA website for details about next year's Reflections theme "WOW".  Now is not too early for students to start their entries and then they can refine them over the summer.

Now I would like to give a special thank you to all those who helped out at the Awards Ceremony.

See council website for more details on calendar

Now that the new year is here it is time to think about the Environmental Contest.  Some of you may have gone ahead and held your contests in the fall and that's fine- if you have not held your judging you need to do so now.  The rest of you should be preparing your contest and getting it up and running.  All advancing entries are due to Council on March 3^rd   (I am giving an extra weekend).  They need to be sent by interschool mail or delivered to Donald Elementary by that date.  This year is different in the fact that up to THREE entries per category per grade can advance. Entry forms, contest rules and judging criteria can be found on the Texas PTA Website.

Hard copies were passed out at the Council meeting January 16^th.  Please pay special attention to the criteria for each category as entries will be disqualified if they are not followed.

Once I have received the entries they will be judged and passed on to Area judging by April 1^st.  Winners and reception information will be sent out the first week of April.

If you have any questions, feel free to contact me.

Thanks,

Patti Pollok

Jeanell Spearman, Hebron HS Cluster Advisor 

• Born and raised in Odessa, TX where my family owns a 100 yr. old ranch
• Graduated from Permian High of "Friday Night Lights" fame
• B.B.A. from Baylor University in Business-Journalism then a career as a meeting planner
• 2 Hebron High students - Frazier (17) and Melanie (15)
• Returned to the working world after an 18 year hiatus - now in sales at The Container Store
• Enjoy reading, hiking and all travel - my bags are always ready to go! 

Linda Boyer, Historian

• Four children - Richard, Darrell, Laurie, and Candice
• Four handsome, intelligent, and talented grandsons: Gannon-7, Grant-4, Brice-5 and Camerion-2
• Married to Glenn 40 years and recently celebrated on a Caribbean cruise
• Foster Parents to over 25 babies and adopted three of them
• Taught adoption classes for the Dallas County Dept. of Human Services
• Special Education teacher in Lancaster, TX
• Moved to The Colony in 1999

Don't forget to check out the 2007 - 2008 Texas PTA Awards Criteria and deadlines for submission.  Be sure to enter and include all the wonderful things your PTA has worked together on this year.    

For more info, go to www.txpta.org/members/awardforms.html

·        Educate local units about council support and resources

·        Provide training and exposure for all PTA leaders and volunteers

·        Actively include and encourage all local units to be involved with Council activities

Communicate

Advocate

Rejuvenate

LISD Board of Trustees meetings

are held in the Board Room of the William T. Bolin Administrative Center, 1565 W. Main St., Lewisville, at 7 p.m.