by Dolores Winchell,

Greetings!

We are actually more than halfway through the school year, but don't start doing that happy dance just yet! I hope you have either had or are in the process of electing your nominating committee as most units' bylaws require the slate to be voted on at their annual meeting in March or April. Also let me remind you that your slate must be announced to your association 30 days prior to the election, which would be at the meeting the month before the election. For many of us February is that month. Please pay close attention to your bylaws and verify that your unit is in compliance. This is an area that has and potentially can cause a unit many problems.

For those of you who missed last month's meeting, I am pleased to report that our council voted to support Measure B. I know that many of you have already had Measure B presented to your association and have received the support of your unit by way of a motion. Great job folks! I have received questions about PTA donations to the Measure B campaign. If your unit votes to support Measure B, then your unit may motion to contribute up to $1,000 to the Friends of Saddleback for campaign expenses. This is a legitimate PTA expenditure and is referenced on page 108 of the Toolkit. There are a few units who have already given up to $1,000 to this important cause.

I know that most of you are not serving as the site coordinator for Measure B at your unit. That's good because this was an excellent leadership opportunity for another individual to serve on behalf of the entire unit. That being said, as unit presidents, you are generally the folks with the most influence and visibility within your school community. Please do whatever it takes to assist your site coordinator in their recruitment efforts to get volunteers to the phone banks. The Friends of Saddleback committee is experiencing difficulty with respect to phone bank volunteer staffing. Every school in the district had the opportunity to sign up for two to three phone banking three hour time slots and schools who didn't sign up were assigned evenings. Many schools are only providing a couple of volunteers or not sending anyone at all.

If phone banks are consistently short on volunteers, the campaign committee may need to resort to hiring professional telemarketers at the rate of $1 to $1.50 per phone call. Although a couple PTAs have made contributions to the campaign, they are running on a shoestring budget. What a sad commentary on behalf of our parent community. If parents don't care enough to spend three hours to promote the passage of Measure B for all the children of Saddleback Valley, well then they don't fully appreciate and understand the benefits to every school in the district. Ask every parent you know to vote yes on B, and communicate why!

I can't help but believe that the lack of phone bank volunteers is because folks haven't been personally asked and/or don't understand the far-reaching consequences and dismal future of our school facilities if Measure B fails. Everybody is busy, but folks need to make time for this critically important bond measure. There was an excellent PBS documentary broadcast February 5. It was all about the education funding problems in California and was called "First to Worst." I have ordered the DVD and will be showing it at the council meeting on February 26. You will not want to miss this meeting! This documentary explains Proposition 13, its effect on education and many other issues related to California's shortfall in the funding of education.

Please plan on attending the Candidate Forum on Education Issues on Wednesday, February 11, from 7:00 to 9:00 PM at Mission Viejo High School. This is an excellent opportunity to advocate for education and ensure that candidates understand what a priority education is to this community. Make sure all the parents in your community receive this special invitation.

Wednesday, February 23, Capistrano Council will be hosting Dr. Fred Bradley at the Laguna Hills Holiday Inn, and his topic will be "Loving Your Teen Without Losing Your Mind." Since we all have many families with pre-teens and teens as well as elementary children, get the word out about this fabulous speaker! This is a very costly speaker to hire, and $5 presale or $8 at the door is a real bargain. I hope to see you there!

FEBRUARY 26 , 2004 COUNCIL MEETING:
SVUSD BOARD ROOM, 7:30 PM

ITEMS TO BRING TO THE MEETING:

1. Adopted Audit for Period Ending 12/31/03 - two (2) copies - Auditor's folder
2. Copy of 990 Filing or Letter Requesting Extension - Treasurer's folder
3. Per Capita Dues received since last meeting (submit check w/ Remittance Form) - Treasurer's folder
4. Items for Incentive Chart - Vice President's folder (if not otherwise noted)
5. Your unit's newsletters (any not already submitted) - three copies (3) President's folder

If not previously submitted:

1. 1) Association Approved Goals for 2003-04 School Year - President's Folder
2. 2) Annual Financial Report - Two copies - One for President's and Treasurer's Folder

UPCOMING EVENTS - MARK YOUR CALENDARS:

• Mon., Feb. 16 Feb. Recess - Schools Closed
• Tues., Feb. 17 Feb. Recess - Schools Closed
• Wed., Feb. 18 Feb. Recess - Schools Closed
• Mon., Feb. 23 Dr. Michael Bradley, 6:30 PM, Laguna Hills Holiday Inn - "Loving Your Teen Without Losing Your Mind"
• Tues., Feb. 24 School Board Meeting, 7:00 PM - SVUSD
• Thurs., Feb. 26 PTA Council Meeting, 7:30 PM - SVUSD
• Tues., Mar. 2 Election Day - Vote Yes on MEASURE B, Prop 55, & 56!
• Tues., Mar. 9 School Board Meeting, 7:00 PM - SVUSD
• Wed., Mar. 10 Reflections Awards Ceremony, 7:00 PM - SVUSD
• Thurs., Mar. 18 EdSource Education Forum, Manhattan Beach
• Wed., Mar. 24 Superintendent's Forum, 9:30 AM - SVUSD
• Thurs., Mar. 25 PTA Council Meeting, 10:00 AM - Rancho Caņada Elementary School
• Thurs., Mar. 25 4 District PTA Administrators Dinner, 6:30 PM - Irvine Hilton
• Tues., Mar. 30 Sacramento Safari, Sacramento
• Wed., Mar. 31 Sacramento Safari, Sacramento

#######################################

As a reminder, please include the following when tracking volunteer hours:

• Attendance at meetings, workshops, and other functions your members attend representing PTA.
• Convention attendance (except time eating and sleeping)
• Travel time to and from PTA activities
• Telephone and/or email time regarding PTA business.
• Time spent writing PTA agendas and minutes.
• Correspondence, reports, newsletter articles, etc.
• Time spent with PTA related activities within your community or at school.

For more information and the Annual Report form refer to your Toolkit, pages 36 & 52. The hours on this report need to reflect the period beginning July 1, 2003 through June 30, 2004. Remember all hours from April 29-June 30, 2004 need to estimated.

Please have your unit Historians begin working on this task in order to avoid the mad rush as the March 25 deadline approaches. For more information encourage your Histo- rians to visit http://www.svpta.org/forms/AnnualReport-Historian.pdf.

If you have any questions, please feel free to call Gabrielle Rankin at 949-588-7354, or email at historian @ svpta.org.

#######################################

Don't miss your opportunity to attend the State PTA Convention, held May 3-6, 2004.

The State PTA Convention is a great opportunity to understand what PTA is and how it can help your school. Conference classes can help train your new officers and give new tips to returning officers. General sessions allow delegates to help change the legislation in California and learn more about what is happening in our state. It is a great place to network with other schools, have fun, and get new ideas.

You can register by mail before April 10, 2004 or on site.

Depending on the membership of a PTA unit the number of voting delegates may vary from 2 to 5. The returning or new president is eligible to attend. All other delegates must be elected by the PTA membership.

Registration changes can be made through Kim Henderson, council convention chairman through April 15th or on site. Changes can be made to delegate names, voting status, conference choices. etc. Please email them to secretary@svpta.org.

Hotel rooms must be reserved before April 1, 2004. Each unit is responsible for their own hotel reservations. A $150 deposit per room is required. Rates vary between $120 and $195 per night depending on hotel and number of people. Cancellation fees apply after March 1st.

Delegates will also incur food, parking, and various expenses. Each unit must decide how to handle these expenses and must vote on it.

Delegate Orientation will be April 23 at Costa Mesa Community Center at 10am.. All delegates should attend.

#######################################

On Tuesday, March 2, 2004, there will be several items on the ballot that are supported by PTA. These are:

• Measure B - Will raise $180 Million for SVUSD to be used for upgrade and repair of facilities.
• Prop 55 - Will raise 12.3 Billion for upgrade and repair of facilities statewide.
• Prop 56 - The budget Accountability Act, will require budgets to be approved on time.

The PTA has not taken a position on:

• Prop 57 - Statewide bond issue to raise $15 billion to balance the current budget.
• Prop 58 - Provides for a budget reserve of 3% to help in low revenue years.

EARLY VOTING PROCESS: Upon arriving at the site, each voter's eligibility and signature are verified before he/she is allowed to vote. NO IDENTIFICATION IS REQUIRED. Computers at each site are connected to the Registrar of Voters centralized voter registration files. The voter's record is updated at the time of voting, thus preventing a person from voting twice. The Direct Record Electronic (DRE) voting system will be used at all early voting sites. These machines provide ballots and instructions in English, Spanish, Vietnamese, Chinese and Korean. The new voting system also includes integrated features to allow independent voting by visually impaired, physically disabled and literacy challenged voters.

On Friday, January 30, the Fourth District PTA held a legislative Roundtable. Representative Lynn Daucher and William Habermehl, County Superintendent of Schools spoke on several topics. There were several things they mentioned which are very important for us to keep in mind. Lynn Daucher said that Representatives are influenced by what they perceive as powerful forces. If we want our Representative to support our agenda, we need to make sure we give a consistent message, and show our strength in numbers.

William Habermehl talked a little about his exposure to some of our current representatives, and candidates currently running for office. He said that many of our representatives are not really aware of Prop 98 or how educational funding works. He gave two examples. One was a conversation he had with a current Representative who asked "why does Irvine have so many financial problems in education, when they are such an affluent area". Bill must have been flabbergasted! It was clear this guy did not understand how funding for education works! The other item was a candidate's forum they had last month in Orange County for people running for state representative. It was clear during the forum that some of these people did not even know what Prop 98 was, and how it all affects our schools. His point was that we need to have people in Sacramento that understand education, and how it is funded.

In another interview, Bill said that when he goes to Sacramento and asks for more money for education in Orange County, they look at him and laugh, saying why do you need more money, test scores are good, and everybody down there drives a Mercedes! This is what he faces when he speaks with people who are responsible for providing funding for our school district!

It is important that we elect people who are supporters of education, and understand how it works. When it comes time to go to the polls, choose a candidate that will help us, not hinder our efforts to improve education in California. If you attend a forum, or have an opportunity to hear candidates, try and find out where they stand on education. Once people are elected, remind them of what they said, and make sure they understand how important it is to keep those promises. It is really up to us to keep them on the right track, and to do that we need a consistent message, and use our collective power to get them to take action.

That's why when an issue comes up, and we send out an e-mail requesting you to send a letter, or an e-mail, or a fax, it is important that your voice be heard. You might not think that your one correspondence makes a difference. Your one letter alone might not, but collectively, it can make a huge difference. I want our Representatives to call us and ask us to stop with the faxes and e-mails, that they get the message. This has happened before, and I would like to see it happen more often. All long as our primary funding comes from Sacramento, it is important that they get the message, and it is up to us to help deliver that message.

--Dennis Walsh, Legislative Rep, Saddleback Valley Council PTA

#######################################

A child's sense of self-worth is a major factor in deciding your child's future. How they feel about themselves will affect their choice of friends, how they get along with others, and how they develop their potential. Their self-esteem influences all aspects of their lives.

Your child's self-esteem is a precious thing and should be handled with great care. It is crucial for your child's healthy development and future well being. It is also has a great deal to do with how your child behaves now and later.

Here some helpful hints to foster a sense of self-worth while protecting a child's self-esteem:

• Don't call children names or label them with derogatory words.
• Don't use sarcasm.
• Avoid talking about your children within their hearing. Even if the story is cute, it might be embarrassing to your child.
• When things go wrong, focus on the behavior that is unacceptable, not the child.
• Compliment, praise and encourage.
• Praise without words. Smiles and hugs are always well received by young children.
• Avoid compliments with riders, like, "You did this well but[0]" or "Fine, now if you would only[0]"
• Use praise that lets children know that they have been helpful.

Here are some helpful hints to help you build confidence in your child:

• Cherish child's individuality.
• Avoid comparing a child to other children.
• Don't do things for children that they can do for themselves.
• Let children answer some of their own questions.
• Spend time with them & let them see that you enjoy being with them.