Hello everyone,

What a strange week that was!  Hopefully the gas shortage will ease and we will have a normal week!

At Tuesday's PTA, we elected officers for the 2021-22 school year.  Your PTA Executive Board next year will be 

• President -- Marie Dexter
• Vice President 1 - Deborah Killion
• Vice President 2 - Sarah Wohldmann
• Treasurer - Dana Boyer
• Secretary - Lauren Nicholls

It has been a privilege to serve with these officers last year.  They have worked so hard not only to juggle their families but to think of ways to strengthen and connect to our larger community this year.  They already have ideas about how we can connect and build relationships next year (especially considering that we didn't get to meet many of our new families!).

If you are interested in becoming an officer in the future, we invite you to shadow an officer this year.  Shadowing will help you understand the responsibilities of the position before committing!  If you are interested in shadowing an officer, contact any of these officers.

We also reviewed the summer budget.  This budget lists expenses that might incur before we officially approve the 2021-22 budget at our first general membership meeting in September.

Here are the minutes from the meeting.

Thank you for ALL you do to keep our Swift Creek community strong!  We hope you have an uneventful week!
​Marie, Deb, Sarah, Dana, and Lauren

In this year of constant change and ups and downs, it is very easy to focus on what we weren't able to do this year.  However, I'd like us to take a moment to reflect on what we DID!  (Although admittedly, I am sure that I have forgotten something important. :-)

Next to each event is the person who organized this activity.  If you have an opportunity to express your thanks, please give them a shout out or pat on the back. 


Communications:

• Monthly general membership meetings (Thank you to our executive board!)
• Weekly PTA newsletters
• Frequent reminders on FaceBook

Staff Assistance:

• At the start of the school year, the PTA provided a $125 gift card to every classroom teacher, specialist, counselor, AIG, speech, Literacy Coach, and IRT
• $4100 was spent in grade level grant money
  • $500 to each grade level
  • $300 to specials teachers
  • $300 to Special Education

Staff Assistance is THE largest line item in our yearly budget.  The PTA wants the staff to have the supplies they need to teach our children.  YOUR Fun Run donations make this possible!  So give yourself a BIG pat on the back.  Thank you!!!
​

Staff Appreciation:

• We celebrated many, many appreciation weeks:  Teacher Appreciation, Counselor, Custodian, Office Administration, Bus Driver
• Monthly treats for staff including:
  • 2 lunch visits from a taco truck
  • Pies for every staff member in November
  • Pizzas for each staff member during Teacher Appreciation Week
  • $10 holiday gift cards for every staff member in December
• Monthly decoration of school grounds (Thank you to all the volunteers who came and brightened the mornings for our teachers.)

Staff appreciation events were coordinated by Hospitality chair, Sarah Wohldmann.  In this challenging year, Sarah thought out of the box and created new ways that we could hold events such as lunches (see the taco truck)!  We appreciate her dedication over this past year.

Thank you to all the families who donated pies and gift cards as well!  The staff loved these November and December treats.

All of these events were paid for through YOUR Fun Run donations!  

Family and Student Activities:

• STEM Night (Thank you, Lauren Nicholls and Ashley Elliott)
• Science Fair (Thank you, Ashley Elliott)
• Fun Run.  We raised $12,000, which exceeded our $10,000 fundraising goal.  (Thank you to Annie Pilz!)
• 2 (virtual) Scholastic Book fairs (Thank you, Kristen Sherman and Mrs. Wils)
• Grounds clean up in November (Thank you to Landscaping chair, Tracey McCloud, and to all the hardworking volunteers who showed up that day!)
• Reflections (Thank you, Carrie Fernandez.)
• School Supply Kitz, a quick and easy way to get your school supplies for next school year (Thank you, Laura Monaghan!)
• 5th grade t-shirts (Thank you, Erin Galloway, for finding a new way to connect and celebrate our 5th graders.  Thank you to all the families who donated money or attended the Ruckus spirit night to pay for these shirts.  Because of your generosity, every 5th grader received a shirt.)
• Continuation of recycling programs.  (Thank you, Megan Holler!)  Here are our recycling numbers for the year:
  • Squeezable pouches: 63.5 pounds
  • Foil-line snack wrappers: 19.5
  • Plastic film: 73 pounds
• Yearbook and yearbook cover contest (Thank you to Sarah Wohldmann for designing the yearbook and to all the families who sent pictures!  Also thank you to all the families who donated to the Care & Share program.  Because of your generosity, we will be able to provide yearbooks to students in need.)

School Partnerships:

• Paid for continuation of Positivity Project ($1400)
• Paid for software licenses Reading A-Z and Brain Pop ($3000)
• School garden
  • Fall and spring plantings in the vegetable garden
  • New cover for the strawberry garden.  (Thank you, Matt Howard, for this design and construction!)
  • Creation of pollinator garden, which is officially designated as a Monarch Way Station (Thank you, Megan Holler, for the idea and your dedication to making this happen!)
• Cultural Arts Events (Thank you, April Bartley, for coordinating these events!)
  • Storyteller Donna Washington -- a virtual program for all students
  • Japanese storyteller and origami -- a virtual program for all students.  The PTA provided origami paper in a materials distribution so all students could participate in this program.
  • Billy Jones -- 2nd grade workshop on sound
  • Michael Beadle -- 4th grade writer in residence

Community Partnerships:

• Macedonia United Methodist church delivered groceries weekly to our families in need.  So many Swift Creek families made generous donations of time, items, and money to help these families.  Thank YOU!  The church also supported our staff with treats and lunches throughout the year.
• Swift Creek Exchange Club donated $200 to help purchase books for students in need during the book fair.
• To create the Pollinator Garden, we partnered with:
  • Field to Cottage nursery, who designed the garden, laid out the garden, and gave us a discount on the plants
  • Onyx Boutique who donated money to pay for the plants
• Papa Murphy's Take and Bake Pizza held 2 spirit nights for us and provided $5 pizzas during Teacher Appreciation Week!
• Flavors Ice Cream hosted a spirit night!  What a yummy treat!
• TreeRing is our yearbook vendor.  For every yearbook that we purchase, they plant a tree.  This year, they will be planting 158 trees!

​

If you have any questions about testing, please contact your child's teacher or our school's testing coordinator, Mrs. Mailhot at smailhot@wcpss.net.

Here are the scheduled testing dates:

• 3rd grade
  • Reading: 5/19
  • Math: 5/20
  • Read to Achieve: 6/4
• 4th grade
  • Reading: 5/24
  • Math: 5/25
• 5th grade
  • Science: 5/28
  • Reading 6/1
  • Math: 6/2

Students can receive free breakfast.  We will have teachers stationed throughout the building to help VA students get to where they need to be.  They should come with a fully charged Chromebook from school, if they have one.  If they don't have one, we will provide a school device.
​
Students should arrive between 8:45-9:15. Testing will start promptly at 9:30. 

Thank you to everyone who participated in our Spirit Night at Flavors Ice Cream on May 4.  We raised $168 for the PTA and enjoyed some VERY yummy treats!

Hello everyone!

Happy Mother's Day to all our Swift Creek mamas -- our moms, guardians, aunts, grandmothers, sisters, teachers, and community members.  We thank you for all you do to help our Swifties bloom and grow every day!  You keep our community the warm, caring place it is.  We hope you have a beautiful day!

​Thank you to EVERYONE for all the love you shared during Teacher Appreciation Week! You flooded our staff with sweet treats, beautiful cards, and homegrown flowers.  I heard from several staff members how much it meant to them.

The PTA this week treated the staff as well.  Every day, the staff received a special treat in their mailbox and on Thursday, each staff member took home a Papa Murphy's Take and Bake Pizza for dinner!  Thank you to Hospitality chair, Sarah Wohldmann, for working so hard to organize these events and shower our teachers with love.

Hard to believe that the last day of school is a month away.  We will have our May PTA meeting on Tuesday at 6:30pm.  This will most likely be the last meeting of the year.  We need your attendance so we can vote on officers for next year and review the summer budget.  The meeting should be short so please attend if you can.  See more information below.

Also remember, Thursday, May 13 is now an asynchronous day!  Check with your teachers for details about that day.

We hope you have an incredible week!  If you need anything, please let us know!
​Marie, Deborah, Sarah, Dana, and Lauren

This is the final week of the Positivity Project for this school year.  This week, students will be reviewing the year and reviewing the components of the Other People Matter mindset.

THANK YOU for making the Positivity Project possible at the Creek!  This program is paid for by the PTA and your Fun Run donations!  This program has made a significant impact on our school, and we are so happy that we can support our school and our students in this way!  We couldn't do it without YOU!

Be on the lookout for our last Celebration of Brilliance later this month!
​

To join (by Zoom), click https://tinyurl.com/scesPTAMeet 

Here is the agenda for Tuesday's PTA meeting:

• Election of officers for 2021-22 school year.  Here is the list of nominees.  If you are interested in being an officer next year or you have someone to nominate, please contact Nominating Committee Chair Sarah Lewis at  sarahlynnlewis@gmail.com  ASAP.  Nominations will also be taken from the floor during the meeting.
  • President: Marie Dexter
  • Vice President 1: Deborah Killion 
  • Vice President 2: Sarah Wohldmann 
  • Treasurer: Dana Boyer 
  • Secretary:  Lauren Nicholls
• Review of Summer Budget
• EOG Testing Dates
• Principal's Report

To vote, we need quorum (at least 20 people) at the meeting.  Please join us!


​


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Our gardens are growing!  New vegetable plants, a new pollinator garden, upcoming sweet potatoes in the second grade garden means that we need help watering and weeding this summer.

If you are interested in being a Garden Gnome one week this summer, sign up NOW at ​https://www.signupgenius.com/go/30e0f4da8af2ca6fe3-garden

Our New Pollinator Garden
For several weeks, you've heard me talk about the new pollinator garden.  This weekend, our garden champion Megan Holler and volunteer Maggie Howard planted over 100 plants in the new garden!  The plants are still small but they will grow quickly!  Next fall, they should be quite impressive for our students.

We have so many people to thank for making this new garden possible:

• Megan Holler, our pollinator garden champion
  
• the school garden committee
• Field to Cottage nursery who helped pick the plants, lay out the design, and gave us a discount on the plants
  
• Onyx Boutique who donated the funds for the garden
  

Here are some Before and After pictures for you to enjoy!

​Before:

Now!

If you have any questions about testing, please contact your child's teacher or our school's testing coordinator, Mrs. Mailhot at smailhot@wcpss.net.

Here are the scheduled testing dates:

• 3rd grade reading: 5/19
• 3rd grade math: 5/20
• 4th grade reading: 5/24
• 4th grade math: 5/25
• 5th grade science: 5/28
• 5th grade reading 6/1
  
• 5th grade math: 6/2
  
• 3rd grade Read to Achieve: 6/4

Students can receive free breakfast.  We will have teachers stationed throughout the building to help VA students get to where they need to be.  They should come with a fully charged Chromebook from school, if they have one.  If they don't have one, we will provide a school device.

Students should arrive between 8:45-9:15. Testing will start promptly at 9:30. 

​Parents should plan to pick up students around 12:30pm in the carpool area if they indicated that they were picking their child up after testing.  Students may need additional work time beyond the normal testing time, so we ask for patience during pick up.  

Macedonia United Methodist Church is restocking its food pantry for May.  These items are delivered to several of our families in need.

If you are interested in donating, sign up at https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c0d4badaa23abf58-swift7.
​Or if you are interested in donating money, contact Marie Dexter at mariecdexter@gmail.com.

You can order your school supplies for next year NOW and have them delivered to the school in August.  Teachers at each grade level have reviewed and approved these lists, so you know you will be getting what your child needs.

To order:
1. Open www.shopttkits.com
2. Enter School Code 38021

The last day to order is June 11!

​There is still time to register for Camp Invention at Swift Creek this summer!  You have in person or virtual options.  Camp is the week of June 21-25.

Register by May 26 and save $25 with code CREATE25.
Sign up today!

If you have questions about Camp Invention, contact Camp Director Monica Coles at mcoles@wcpss.net.

Celebrating Our Diversity
Happy Eid to our families who will be celebrating on Wednesday and Thursday!  Eid al-Fitr also called the "Festival of Breaking the Fast"or simply Eid is a religious holiday celebrated by Muslims worldwide that marks the end of the month-long dawn-to-sunset fasting of Ramadan.

HB 362:  Revise Personal Leave Costs for Teachers

North Carolina teachers are a step closer to not having to pay for a substitute to cover their classes when they take a personal day.
Currently, teachers who use personal leave on days when classes are in session are charged $50 to help schools cover the cost of finding a substitute teacher. But the state House unanimously passed legislation on Thursday that waives the “required substitute deduction” for teachers if they provide a reason to their principal for taking personal leave.

If House Bill 362 becomes law, teachers who don’t provide a reason would be charged the full cost of hiring a substitute, which could be more than $100 a day. The bill now goes to the Senate.

North Carolina is one of the few states that requires teachers to pay for their substitutes.

Source: N&O

Hello everyone,

This is one of the best week's of the year, in my opinion.  Our teachers do so much for us all year and this week we shower them with love.  We have suggestions for every day so everyone (both in person and VA students) can participate.

Please remember to stop by Flavors Ice Cream (in the Food Lion Shopping Center) between 3-8pm this TUESDAY!  They are hosting us for a Spirit Night and a portion of all sales will go to the PTA.  Some of their treats look sooooooooooo yummy!

If you have any questions or need any assistance, please feel free to reach out to any PTA Executive Board member.

We hope you have a wonderful week!
Marie, Deborah, Sarah, Dana, Lauren

This week in the Positivity Project, students will learn about the character strength of  Leadership.
​
What It Means
You value each member of your group and inspire people to do their best.

​Why It Matters
For individuals, leadership is a way to achieve what you know is important, as groups of people invariably achieve more than individuals. If you want to achieve your vision for the future, you need to inspire others to join you. As an individual’s ability to lead develops, so does that person’s confidence and sense of self-efficacy. However, common dangers to guard against are egotism and arrogance.

A group’s effectiveness and sense of inspiration is tied directly to the leader. Study after study shows that leaders (and managers) have the biggest influence on group success and morale. Leaders can be developed and it starts with character.

For family resources, see the P2 website.  The password is P2.

• PreK-2
• 3-5

This event starts at 3:00pm so you can swing by after you pick up your child from school.  Flavors is in the Food Lion shopping center so it is close to the Creek as well.

​Hope to see you there!

At our May PTA meeting (in ONE WEEK), we will be electing officers for the 2021-22 school year.
Here is the slate of nominees from the Nominating Committee:

• President: Marie Dexter
• Vice President 1: Deborah Killion 
• Vice President 2: Sarah Wohldmann 
• Treasurer: Dana Boyer 
• Secretary:  Lauren Nicholls

If you are interested in being an officer next year or you have someone to nominate, please contact Nominating Committee Chair Sarah Lewis at  sarahlynnlewis@gmail.com  ASAP.  Nominations will also be taken from the floor during the meeting.

To vote on officers, we need quorum (at least 20 people) at the meeting.  Please join us!
​

One of Swift Creek's annual traditions is the 5th grade Talent Show!!!!  We don't want our 5th graders to miss out on this tradition, so we will have the show virtually.

Is your child interested in participating?!?!?!?  Sign up now at https://forms.gle/QarkQdAToYGBk3ie6.

Students can sing, dance, show off a sports skill, share a drawing, tell a story!  The ideas are endless.  All videos will be shared through FlipGrid.  

Is your child interested but unsure where to start?  Contact Ms. Sutton jsutton3@gmail.com for assistance!

NOTE:

• Parent permission is REQUIRED for a student to participate.  (See the Google form to give this permission.)
• If there is any music in the performance, you must provide the words to the song to Marie Dexter at mariecdexter@gmail.com for approval.  Please use school approved versions of any songs.
• All videos will be reviewed and approved before the Talent Show.  If there are any issues with a video, we will follow up with you before the Talent Show.
• The last day we will accept videos is June 1!!!!

Our gardens are busy!  We have new plants in the vegetable garden and this week, we will be planting the pollinator garden.
That means we will need help watering and weeding this summer.

If you are interested in being a Garden Gnome one week this summer, sign up NOW at ​https://www.signupgenius.com/go/30e0f4da8af2ca6fe3-garden

NCPTA Legislative Priorities for 2021-22

The NCPTA has announced their legislative priorities for the 2021-22 session.  In last week's newsletter, we covered School Funding and Teachers and Administrators.  Check out the priorities for this week.

In keeping with the North Carolina PTA’s mission and support of our existing and long-standing policies, the North Carolina 2021 – 2022 State Legislative Advocacy Priorities are as follows:

School Funding
Teachers and Administrators
Parent, Caregiver Family & Community Engagement
Special Education
Health and Wellness
Food Security & Child Nutrition
School Technology
Early Childhood Education
Equitable Education Opportunities
Accountability
State Assessments
A-F Accountability System
Reopening of Schools

For more information, see NCPTA Advocacy Priorities at ​https://ncpta.org/index.php/advocacy/pta-advocacy-priorities/?fbclid=IwAR1TSgeeuIYzY4TWlz7M7ztmYY57nU_Wkr1IDO9A6ExlfOt-KrdiTP75LZ4


EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION

It is critical to North Carolina PTA’s mission to empower all families with the tools and practices they need to effectively engage in their child’s education and development, starting at the earliest stages.

High-quality pre-kindergarten programs are critical in preparing high-risk children for success in grades K-12.

The advantages of attending Pre-K last throughout elementary school, holding steady for both high and low-income students. Research has shown clear benefits, but many children cannot enroll due to insufficient funding and fees required. Only 23% of four year-old children in NC have access to Pre-K. This percentage is below the national average.

There are nearly 33,000 children who are eligible but not enrolled due to lack of access. Experts suggest that many more eligible children do not even apply due to the long waiting list.

Several lower-income counties are forced to refuse state funding because they do not have the funds to cover the difference between what the state pays and the programs’ cost.

North Carolina children need universal access to high-quality pre-schools to prepare them to enter kindergarten and provide a strong foundation throughout school. Universal Pre-K provides lifelong, positive results for children, their communities, and our state.

See the full document.

EQUITABLE EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES
The basis of equality of opportunity is the belief that every American child deserves a fair start in life no matter the circumstances of their background. Public education can give even the most impoverished child a chance to excel through hard work, individual initiative, and excellent teachers’ nurturing guidance.

The Leandro case remains one of the biggest education policy issues in North Carolina. Per the NC Supreme Court ruling in the Leandro case in 1997 and 2004, NC has a constitutional obligation to ensure all children have access to a sound, basic education. This includes equitable access to resources and opportunities, well-trained teachers, and adequate per-pupil funding. The state continues to fall short of this mandate.

The WestEd report included eight recommendations for how North Carolina can comply with the directive
they have been given.

See the full document.


ACCOUNTABILITY
North Carolina PTA will support initiatives as well as encourage and advocate for legislation and
policies that will:
● Guarantee public funds are not diverted to any private school choice proposal and/or voucher system, including tax credit scholarship programs.
● Robustly fund public schools to ensure students have access to a well-rounded education and receive high-quality instruction from well-prepared teachers.
● Ensure all public-school choice and public charter school programs are accountable to the public, open to all students, comply with federal health and safety and discrimination laws, and are supported by public funds that do not divert funding from non-charter
public schools.

See the full document.

STATE ASSESSMENTS
North Carolina’s accountability system should undergo a comprehensive review to develop its
defined purpose(s) and revamp the testing program to achieve the stated goals.
● Advocate for a reduced emphasis on state-mandated testing that penalizes the student
rather than guiding instruction and identifying learning problems.

See the full document.

A-F ACCOUNTABILITY SYSTEM
Monitor legislation impacting the state’s A-F system. Advocate for an accountability system that more broadly reviews school performance and includes a family engagement component.

See the full document.

National PTA Diversity Calendar

It's May.  Here is the multi-cultural calendar from the National PTA.

Welcome to the last week of April!

The rest of this school year is flying by and summer will be here before you know it.  The first week of May will be a BUSY week!  We are celebrating Teacher Appreciation Week, which is always so much fun!  Please remember to thank our specialists (art, music, PE, and media teachers) and Instructional Assistants (formerly called Teaching Assistants) during this week as well.  

Also, we have a FUN spirit night planned at Flavors Ice Cream on May 4.  The event starts at 3pm so you can swing by right after school.  The flavors look soooooo good.  I am very curious to know what is in the Exhausted Parent! ;-)

Two important deadlines for this week:

• If you want to order a yearbook for your child, you must do it by Wednesday in order for them to get it by the end of the school year.  Yearbooks will be available from the TreeRing website after April 28, but the yearbook will be shipped directly to your house and you will have to pay for shipping.
• If you are interested in the Camp Invention program at the Creek this summer, the deadline for the $30 discount is this Friday!  My girls LOVE this camp and Mrs. Coles has done an AMAZING job as the director over the past couple of years.  This year, you can choose to send your child in person or attend virtually.  If you have any questions about this camp, I am happy to share my personal experience!  Contact me at mariecedexter@gmail.com.

Thank you for all you do to make Swift Creek such a wonderful school community.  I feel lucky every day to be part of this community.  The generosity, kindness, and love in this family always blows me away.

If you have any questions, have suggestions, or have questions, please contact any board member.  We are here to serve you!
Marie, Deb, Sarah, Dana, Lauren

This week in the Positivity Project, students will learn about the character strength of  Purpose.
​
What It Means
You have beliefs about the meaning of life and your life’s purpose. You seek to be part of something greater than yourself.

​Why It Matters
Having a clear sense of purpose in life, and a belief that you’re connected to a larger meaning, gives individuals strength. It allows them to persevere and find courage in trying circumstances, or lead with kindness and love even when it’s not reciprocated. Those with a sense of purpose have more meaning in their life – and are more fulfilled.

On a group level, purpose can be a powerful aligning element. It gives people a reason to continue on in hope and optimism, despite difficult circumstances. The sense of connection between people further strengthens their individual resolve and focus, which fortifies the group. When a group of individuals believe in something higher than themselves, their work can be exponentially greater.


For family resources, see the P2 website.  The password is P2.

• PreK-2
• 3-5

Yearbooks for the 2020-21 school year are on sale through April 28.

Yearbooks can be purchased from TreeRing at tr5.treering.com/createAccount/1015281241841003

NOTE: We will NOT be ordering extra yearbooks so none will be available for sale at the school during the last week of school.  If you want your child to have a yearbook during the last week of school, you must order NOW. 

After our sale ends on April 28, you can order a yearbook at any time through TreeRing and have it shipped directly to your house.

Do you want to donate to our Care & Share Program?  This program helps the PTA purchase yearbooks for students in need.  To participate, purchase the donated yearbook through TreeRing.  For the student name, specify Swifty (first name)  Cougar (last name).

If you have yearbook questions, send them to Sarah Wohldmann at yearbookpics.sce@gmail.com.

Teacher Appreciation Week is only ONE Week Away! 

​Please remember to include our IA (teacher assistants) and  specialists (art, music, PE, and media) in your celebrations as well!!!
​
To help you plan for this special week, here are the suggested "to do"s for each day:

• Monday, May 3 -- "We DONUT know what we'd do without you" Send your card a homemade card or drawing
• Tuesday, May 4 -- "You are the HIGHLIGHT of our day" Send your teacher a supply for the classroom (paper towels are ALWAYS welcome!  Those school paper towels are flimsy!)
• Wednesday, May 5 -- "M&M Magnificent & Marvelous" Send your teacher their favorite sweet treat!
• Thursday, May 6 -- Give your teacher a flower.  This could be from your garden or a virtual flower.
• Friday, May 7 --  Dress in your teacher's favorite color.

For VA families, we plan to have a cart in the front of the school where you can drop off items during the week.

Don't know your teacher's favorite things?  No worries!  Our PTA has you covered.  If you need this information, please contact any Swift Creek PTA board member and we will send you that information.

• Marie Dexter mariecdexter@gmail.com
• Deborah Killion deborah.killion@gmail.com 
• Sarah Wohldmann swohldmann@hotmail.com
• Dana Boyer treasurer.swiftcreek@gmail.com
• Lauren Nicholls lauren.nicholls1@gmail.com

Note: We don't have this information available online to protect teacher privacy.

We will also be decorating the school grounds on Sunday, May 2.  Sign up to join us in the fun!  www.signupgenius.com/go/30E0F4DA8AF2CA6FE3-decorate

The NCPTA has announced their legislative priorities for the 2021-22 session.  In last week's newsletter, we covered School Funding and Teachers and Administrators.  Check out the priorities for this week.

In keeping with the North Carolina PTA’s mission and support of our existing and long-standing policies, the North Carolina 2021 – 2022 State Legislative Advocacy Priorities are as follows:

School Funding
Teachers and Administrators
Parent, Caregiver Family & Community Engagement
Special Education
Health and Wellness
Food Security & Child Nutrition
School Technology
Early Childhood Education
Equitable Education Opportunities
Accountability
State Assessments
A-F Accountability System
Reopening of Schools

For more information, see NCPTA Advocacy Priorities at https://ncpta.org/index.../advocacy/pta-advocacy-priorities/.​

Parent, Caregiver, Family, & Community Engagement
Over 40 years of data show that family engagement in schools has a drastic impact on student
achievement and school improvement. However, many states and school districts need to make more family engagement investments and ensure parents should have a seat at the table when decisions are made and work with parents and families as partners
throughout the school year.
All schools need support and engagement from parents, caregivers, families, and communities as they are all an integral part of a school’s success. North Carolina PTA will continue to help facilitate and further this engagement.

Special Education
There are over 203,000 children in NC identified as
children with disabilities. COVID-19 and the move to virtual learning has resulted in and caused significant and negative impacts on these students. Some children with disabilities simply cannot learn in an online environment. Many have lost access to helping professionals, therapists, and assistive technology when their schools closed. As these vulnerable students return to school buildings, they will require additional support due to lost instructional time and require help resetting their emotional and social
functioning needs.
North Carolina PTA supports these initiative:
* Remove the cap on special education funding to allow coverage for all eligible students
* Increase spending levels to fund special education service costs fully
* Increase funding for Parent Training and Information (PTI) Centers to teach families of
children with different abilities how to support and advocate for their child.


Health and Wellness
North Carolina PTA will support, encourage and advocate for policies at all levels of government as well as for school programs that help to maintain the health and wellness of all
children and policies that will bring health care to families who are in need of it, especially low income families, rural families, Black, LatinX and immigrant families, along with those who have been the most disproportionately harmed by the pandemic.
Recommendation: Address student mental health, suicide prevention, and physical health needs by appropriating at least $10M to decrease the dire shortage of school nurses in North Carolina.

Food Security and Child Nutrition
In North Carolina, hunger is a critical threat, and it was urgent before the pandemic.
* One in five children in North Carolina live in families that are considered “food insecure.” Food insecurity
can mean being worried about running out of food before your next paycheck, cutting the size of
children’s meals, or skipping meals entirely because there isn’t enough money for groceries.
* In North Carolina, we have the 10th highest rate of food insecurity in the nation, with nearly 480,000 children without enough to eat, and that was before COVID-19.
North Carolina PTA supports these initiatives:
* NC Farm to School program
* NC School Nutrition Indirect Costs Policy/Financial Solvency Initiative
* NC School Lunch Reduced Price Co-Pay initiative
* Categorial Eligibility School Mean Qualification Policy Initiative
* GAP Certification


School Technology
North Carolina PTA recognizes that much of learning today takes place online, and it is essential for every student to be able to continue their education at home. Unfortunately, there are still far too many children in North Carolina and the U.S. who lack access to adequate internet services when they leave school. According to a 2018 report from the Institute of Education Sciences (IES), nearly 39% of households in the U.S. with school-age children lack access to the internet.
North Carolina PTA will support initiatives as well as encourage and advocate for legislation and
policies that:
* Update current laws to improve the protection of student educational records and the
collection of information gathered online.
* Increases funding for technology in classrooms and technology-related curriculum
* Decrease the digital divide and expand student access to broadband services at home and
outside the school building.
* Increases access to high-speed internet for students and staff (Broadband, WiFi, and Internet) and that every child has access to 21st-century technology