Picnic Point PTA

Welcome to the Picnic Point PTA Website!

Upcoming dates:

Thursday Feb 4 ~ PTA Meeting 6:30-8 in the library ~ topic: Lighthouse Literature Program

Popcorn Friday!

Candy Grams on sale thru the 11th in the office & at lunch

Feb 11 ~ Sock Hop!

Feb 25 ~ Science Night/Book Exchange ~ POSTPONED UNTIL MAY 6th

Click here for the latest Panther Press Newsletter!

February 3, 2009

Important Information for Voters!

Voters in the Mukilteo School District are considering two school ballot measures:

· The renewal of an Educational Maintenance and Operations Levy that will expire at the end of 2010.

· A Capital Projects Fund Levy that will provide money to maintain and modernize school buildings.

You should have received your ballot in the mail, please take the time to fill it out & send it in by February 9th. You may also drop it off at the Mukilteo Library on Monday February 8 (10am-8pm) & Tuesday February 9 (7am-8pm). You may also drop it off in the 24-hour Ballot Drop Box at the County Campus at Rockefeller Ave. & Wall St. in Everett through 8pm on the 9th. Please call Snohomish County Elections at 425-388-3444 with any questions or for other ballot drop-off sites.

The following link will take you to the Mukilteo School District website and provides an explanation of the two levys: http://www.mukilteo.wednet.edu/departments/pr/info/levy/index.htm

Recently, the school district sent out the following message & link:

WHERE DOES THE SCHOOL DISTRICT GET ITS MONEY? Over the next several months, money is going to be a major topic in the Mukilteo School District and in school districts throughout the state. Last month we reported that Governor Christine Gregoire proposed a state budget that would make dramatic cuts in state funding for education. Meanwhile, Mukilteo voters will consider two ballot measures on February 9 that, if passed, will provide about 19 percent of the school district’s revenue and provide money to maintain and modernize school buildings. Do you know the difference between the state budget and the levies? Do you know which one pays for what? Are you confused about this entire topic? Here’s a quick review that might help you understand the talk that you’re likely to hear in the weeks ahead:

http://www.mukilteo.wednet.edu/departments/pr/info/lighthouse/100108/money.htm

Click here for a printable pdf copy of some of the information you can see at the above links.

5th Grade Fundraising/Party

The next committee meetings will be on February 2nd & 17th in the library at 6:30pm. All 5th grade parents are welcome to attend.

A flyer was sent home with the 5th Graders highlighting all of the important information regarding the fundraising & planning for the party, but if you have any questions you can contact Wendy Eike at wendy@eikedesign anytime.

Birthday Popcorn Parties

Would you like to provide treats to your child's class on your child's birthday but want an alternative to cupcakes?! Look no further! The PTA is now offering popcorn parties for classroom birthday celebrations!

For only $10, a bag of popcorn will be delivered to your child's classroom (we'll even throw one in for the teacher!). All you have to do is fill out a request form, submit it with payment & your party will be scheduled. That's it!

A HUGE thank you to Benjamin Barton for coming up with this fantastic idea!

Forms can be found in the office or print one right now!

Reflections Art Competition

Congratulations to this year's Picnic Point Reflections winners! These students will now be entered in the district wide competition:

In the Literature category: Delaney B., Hannah F. and Joshua G.

In the Photography category: Mandy S. and Joshua G.

In the Visual Arts category: Hannah F., Emma T., Erin M. and Sarah N.

The judges were: Nancy Stoaks, Master's in Art History; Kris Anderson, Ph.D., Jacob Lawrence Gallery Director; and Mary Wiggins, Art Docent.

Thank you to all who entered!

Join the PTA!

Memberships are $12 per person/$24 per family. Click here for membership form. On there you will find a brief summary of what the PTA does. Take a look around this site for more information on what we do at Picnic Point or for a bigger picture, go to the Washington State PTA site or the National PTA site.

Listserv

If you are not already aware, our school district and school have an electronic notification system called "Listserv". This is an email distribution system that parents can sign up for to have school district information and school-specific information sent to them via email.

If you are not already receiving email notices from either source you can register your email address on the school district's website: http://www.mukilteo.wednet.edu/community/community.cfm?ref=1&lref=112. Simply check the box for Picnic Point to be on our school's list. You can also check the box for Mukilteo School District Information. This is also the link you can use to unsubscribe or change your email address.

Some families find it helpful to enroll both parents, other family members or caretakers so everyone is in the loop!

Want to know all about PTA? Click here to go to the National PTA website to learn more about PTA.

While you're on the PTA site, make sure to sign up for the e-newsletter, the PTA Parent. It contains timely & informative information for parents. This month's edition discusses video games, summer safety, texting, current national PTA happenings and some great resources.

Where else can I get information about public education? We have several helpful links on education in Washington State and other education related issues. See our links page for a list of websites.

Would you like to find out more about the Washington State PTA's role in Legislation? Navigate over to their website at http://www.wastatepta.org/ - there is also a link on this page that takes you to an online petition in support of meaningful education finance reform as well as an "action center" where you can further address this topic to your specific representative(s).

To find out more about the Washington State PTA's campaign "It's Basic" please click here.