Katy Council Dues invoice

Katy Council

Katy PTAs don’t forget to pay your council dues for 2018-2019.

Council Dues Invoice 2018-2019

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Nominated Officers for 2018-2019

Katy Council

The Nominating Committee submits the following nominees for the year 2018-19:

President  Georgia Strickland
VP (Programs) Leah Wilson
Secretary  Theresa Wilkinson
Treasurer  Shannon Kim

Voting will take place on March 5th during our regular Council Meeting at Legacy Stadium. A special thank you to the Nominating Committee of Shelley Keating (Chair), Lynell Duncan, Dawn Goodwin, Cathleen Pittman and Tina Seaman for all their hard work!

2017 Founders Day Celebration

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This year, Katy ISD Council of PTAs held their annual Founders Day Celebration at Palacio Maria on February 16th.  Lisa Holbrook, Texas PTA President, decided to wrap up her trip visiting the Platinum level “Voice for Every Child” Award recipients by attending the celebration.

Founders Day is the annual celebration of the founding of PTA.  It is traditionally held in February.  At the dinner, PTAs in Katy, celebrate their Life Membership and Extended Service Award recipients.

In 1909, Texas PTA created the Texas PTA Honorary Life Membership as one of the highest honors presented to individuals for outstanding service to children and youth.  The only requirement for receiving a Texas PTA Honorary Life Membership is that the recipient is making or has made a worthwhile contribution to the wellbeing of children and youth.

In 1987, the Texas PTA Board of Directors developed the criteria for awarding a Texas PTA Extended Service Award to those people who have continued to give outstanding service to Texas PTA.  The recipient must have been actively involved in the Texas PTA for 10 years and be a Texas PTA Honorary Life Member.

This year, Katy ISD Council of PTAs decided to award Rebecca Fox with a Life Membership Award and Lisa Johns with an Extended Service Award.  The following awardees were recognized February 16th with a Life Membership Award:

From Beck Junior High:  Carrie Gay, Lori Schusterman, Kevin Weber, and Rebecca Fox (Extended Service).

From Beckendorff Junior High: Michael Chuter, Jamie Bailey, Kimberly Warwick, Jennifer Alcoser, Rikke Jagdev, and Amy Parsons.

From Bonnie Holland Elementary:  Carrie Breaux and Kim Greene.

From Cinco Ranch High School:  Anita Kuhlmann, Dana Mathis, Cindy Braaten, Rob Culp, and Kerrie Culp.

From Cinco Ranch Junior High:  Doug McRorey, Jody Cook, Shelly Linderman, and Kathryn May.

From Exley Elementary:  Wendy Watson Hanne, Cristina Manty, Tammy Mendenhall, and Juan Zapata.

From Fielder Elementary:  Heather Martin, Dawn Sapp, Beth Bishop, and Scott Greene.

From Franz Elementary:  Michelle Dawkins and Jasmine Sharifi.

From Garland McMeans Junior High:  Sharon Parker (Extended Service), Steve Kalke, Amy Williams, and Jennifer Roth.

From Hutsell Elementary:  Dawn Woytek.

From Jeannette Hayes Elementary:  Sharon Dworaczyk, Amy Fowler, and Kathy Odom.

From Katy Junior High: Georgiann Belton and Lori Naegeli.

From Keiko Davidson Elementary:  Lynne Katapodis, Shelly Lorenzo, and Cubendri Back.

From King Elementary:  Bernadette Kingsley and Vandana Rastogi.

From Maydell Jenks Elementary:  Lucia Madero and Kash Aleem.

From Memorial Parkway Junior High:  Cecilia Bell, Thomas (Glen) Dewease, Jamie Borham, Laci Costagliola, and Catherine Huvar (Extended Service).

From Michael L. Griffin Elementary:  Lisa Shott, Robert Teehan, Yvonne Trevino, and Emily Lutz.

From Morton Ranch Elementary:  Robert French.

From Morton Ranch Junior High:  Shawna Pippin and Katrina Williams.

From Nottingham Country Elementary:  Christie Barker, Laci Costagliola, Rachel Ross, Terri Ruocco, and Linda McCormack.

From Odessa Kilpatrick Elementary:  Patricia Gilarranz (Extended Service), Regina Stumpf, Carla Cosper, and Leigh Childs.

From Pattison Elementary:  Dianna Polnac, Laura Sanders, Pennylane Lara, Erin Silkenson, Jamie Bingham, and Matt Schomburg.

From Randolph Elementary:  Reinaldo Gomez, Leah Wilson, and Dana Metz.

From Roosevelt Alexander Elementary:  Shannon Kim (Extended Service), Erin Baumgardner, Ruth Ann Irwin, Lisa Cardina, Jana Olivas, Evelyn Follis, and Chris Simank.

From Seven Lakes Junior High:  Sarah Thai and Patty Martinez.

From Shafer Elementary:  Alicia Leung and Dr. Shilpa Chandiwal.

From Stanley Elementary:  Sara Martinsen and Terri Goodlett.

From Tays Junior High:  Cindy Kissell, Michelle Renaud-Lanteigne, David Calfee, and Dr. Kris Mitzner (Extended Service).

From Tompkins High School:  Crystal Janczak, Julie Donnelly, and Sue Stefani.

From Wolman Elementary:  Melissa Baker, Rachel Parker, and Cynthia Mally.

From WoodCreek Elementary:  Nadia Vaid, Shelley Gross, and Theresa Warren.

From WoodCreek Junior High:  Kendra Larson, Anne Guess, and Debbie Conaway (Extended Service).

Pictures of the event were taken by Joana Agnese.

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Parent Teacher Conferences

Katy Council

It’s that time again – time for the first Parent Teacher Conferences of the year!  Yay!  These meetings can be stressful for everyone involved.  Students can be nervous about what teachers might tell their parents.  Parents can be nervous about what they are going to hear.  And, teachers can be nervous about what they need to say or how it is going to be received.

As a parent, if you go in with a list of questions that you would like answered, you are more likely to leave your conference with a clear picture and plan of how to continue moving forward for the rest of the year.

Here are some questions that I like to ask that don’t have a lot to do with basic academics:

  1. What would you like to know about my child?  The teacher may have only known your child for a few weeks.  Let the teacher know what makes your child different – motivators, behaviors, strengths and weaknesses.  If teachers know their students, they have more tools in their toolbox to help the student succeed.  Let the teacher know if you have had any changes at home recently, since life changes affect children, too.
  2. Is my child currently meeting your classroom expectations regarding behavior? Be prepared to hear a range of answers.  We all have perfect angels, but sometimes, they make their own choices.  Also, take a picture of your child, just in case.  I heard some super surprising information at my youngest’s Kinder conference and asked the teacher to verify we were discussing the correct child.  (For the record, she knew who he was, his quiet and compliant behavior was just shocking to me.)  Also, let the teacher know if there are other students in the class that will bring out different behaviors in your child.  (For instance, if Nick sits at a table with all girls, he will flirt with them all day long which could be distracting.)
  3. Is my child fitting in with the class socially?  Sometimes we, as parents, forget that student success is not always determined by their learning ability.  If your child is caught up in third grade girl drama, their schoolwork will be impacted.  Kids don’t always tell their parents they are being bullied.  And, rarely do kids tell their parents they are a bully.  Make sure you have a clear picture of how their school days are going so you can guide them in the right direction.
  4. My child spends (fill in the blank) seconds/minutes/hours/days/months on homework.  What was your expectation of the time it should take them to complete their homework?  If you child is not doing homework, you might find out that they are receiving homework.  If their homework is literally taking years off your life, the teacher might not be aware of that and might want to revamp their plans.  This is a time that y’all can work together to find a compromise.
  5. How many projects are you planning on doing this year and will there be any special supplies needed?  Look, if you are going to need lots of poster paper, it’s nice to know early so you can go ahead and buy stock in it as well.
  6. Are there any websites or applications can my child use in their spare time to help support your lessons?  Let’s be real – kids use technology.  Rather than spend their time running mazes or crushing candy, have them download apps or visit websites that will reinforce classroom skills.
  7. My preferred mode of communication is text/email/phone call/Batsignal.  What is the best way for me to contact you and when is the best time to contact you? If your teacher’s conference period is during a time when you are unavailable, let them know.  You don’t want a miscommunication to cause problems.
  8. What can I do that will help you help my child be as successful as possible?  Parent-Teacher partnerships are powerful.  Talk with your teacher and find out what they need.  Do they need someone to cut out lamination?  Do they need someone to sharpen pencils?  Do they need a Diet Coke?  Y’all are a team – sometimes team members need help and encouragement.

After meeting with your new teammate, shoot them a quick email or note recapping the meeting from your perspective and thanking them for the fellowship.  And, of course, talk to your child about your discussion.  Let them know what was discussed and the game plan for the rest of the year.  Once your student realizes everyone is on the same team, your student will feel more comfortable at school and will be more successful!