NYS PTA Appears on Capital Tonight

President Gracemarie Rozea and Executive Director Kyle Belokopitsky appeared on the televison show Capital Tonight discussing testing, school aid and concerns with the pending appointment of Ms. Betsy Devos as Education Secretary. You can watch here.

Get Your Advocacy Newsbriefs Here! 

This month's Advocacy Newsbriefs is hot off the presses!

Highlights include information on special education and wellness updates, including safe drinking water plans.

And save the date! The 2017 NYS PTA Lobby Day will be held on Monday, Febraury 13, 2017.

Message from MaryEllen Elia, NYS Education Commissioner

Dear Parents,

The holiday season is quickly approaching, and I'd like to take a moment and express my admiration and appreciation for the work you do to support New York's schools and communities. Your involvement and feedback provides the local support and crucial input that the State Education Department needs in order to ensure a high-quality education for all of our students. Thank you for your continued commitment to education.

Click here to read more.

If you missed the 120th Annual Convention, you can still watch the general sessions!

Check out the NYS PTA YouTube Channel here for general session videos.

A number of resolutions were retained and approved. Please see here for the 2016 Resolutions passed.

Calling All Volunteers: Leadership is in All of Us!

Advocating for our families and making every child's potential a reality takes the passion of our volunteers.

Are you interested in volunteering for a state level office, role, project or committee? Then say Yes to Leadership!

Click here to learn more.

What's the best gift you can give? The chance to make a difference in the life of a child.

Give the gift of membership to someone you love and help support your unit at the same time. And don't forget, membership in Empire State PTA is open to all!

Share your #WhyPTA!

And don't forget to share your #WhyPTA on Facebook and Twitter! Please write your why onto this document and take a selfie! Post it to Facebook and Twitter and tag us @NYSPTA!

Member Benefit - Save with Platinum Royalties!
Restaurant and more discount cards available for NYS PTA members at a reduced rate of $20 (normally $30)! Go here and use Coupon Code NYSPTA20.

Member Benefit - Discounts with Ticket Monster Exclusive to NYS PTA Members!

Movie Tickets, Bills/Jets/Giants, Knicks/Nets, Broadway shows, hotels and so much more! Get it all here. Proud partner of NYS PTA.

Member Benefit - Grom Social

As a NYS PTA member, you can sign up your children for a FREE Grom Social account!  Grom Social is a safe alternative to other social media and gaming sites designed especially for children. Check out more information here and log in here to launch your child's imagination.

Check back often as we revise and update membership benefits here!

A message from NY State of Health:

"As good community stewards, we would like to see all children thrive at school to ensure brighter futures for themselves, and our country.  We know that healthy kids are better learners and having health insurance coverage is an important part of that equation. Getting to a doctor to take care of common health issues helps children to be less likely to miss school and focus more in class. 

For parents and school staff who want to make sure students have access to quality, affordable health care, NY State of Health, the official health plan Marketplace is the place to go. In addition to providing a safety net for children and their families if they get injured or become ill, all plans offered on NY State of Health cover preventive care, like routine doctor visits and screenings, at no additional cost."

See here for more information on the NY State of Health Marketplace.       

NYS PTA released its Annual Report at the 120th Annual Convention in Saratoga in November.  We are happy to share our Annual Report here.

Highlights include an update for members, important advocacy efforts, summary of key programs and awards like Reflections, and a fiscal report for the association.  

You an also view National PTA's Annual Report here.

And if you haven't yet taken the new membership survey, please think about completing the survey.

Do you know a high school junior or senior who "demonstrates outstanding volunteer community service and displays humanitarian principles by word and deed?"

Please encourage them to apply for the NYS PTA Youth Humanitarian Award in Memory of Stanley Marcus.

For more information and the award application, click here. The deadline is January 31, 2017.

Social media has become a big part of our kids' lives. Check out these social media apps parents should know about.

With the holiday break around the corner, do you need ideas for family game night? Here are some ideas!

Sometimes we need to limit our kid's time on digital devices. See this article discussing benefits of digital learning and play with limits on time.

Does your teenager seem allergic to talking to you? Find out how to get beyond your teen's one word answers here.

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