And in your spare time, now begins the process of building the relationships that will help us to accomplish our legislative priorities for the benefit our children, the children of Alaska.
With your holiday cards and the Alaska Legislature starting it's session in January, take this opportunity as a Local PTA leader to congratulate your newly elected representatives. Make yourself available for an appointment to discuss issues important to your local unit.

As a leader of your local unit, you may speak on behalf of your members and for the positions that they have adopted. You may also speak to the Alaska PTA Legislative Priorities that were adopted at this years Alaska PTA Issues Conference, and National PTA Legislative Positions. The legislative priorities can be found on the Alaska PTA Web Page at www.alaskapta.org.

One of the biggest reasons that PTA is non-partisan is that in order to achieve our goals we must be able to work with whomever gets elected, and although some of us are undoubtedly disappointed by the outcome of the some of the recent elections, now is the time to build bridges and repair fences so that our work may continue. Alaska PTA was very successful in accomplishing its Legislative priorities last year and we plan to be just as successful in the new year.

PTA has a powerful voice and Legislators know it, use your PTA voice and make sure it is loud and clear!

Alaska PTA Legislative Issues Conference October 22 & 23 Dimond High Auditeria, Anchorage Schedule
Friday, October 22, 2004 6-9 PM
Introduction
New Procedures
Legislative Leadership Panel Discussion on upcoming IssuesSaturday, October 23, 2004 8:30AM - 5 Pm
Proposed Priorities
Round Table Discussions
General Session ( Voting on Priorities)
Advocacy Training

Registration Form available online at http://www.alaska.net/%7Eakpta/advocacy.html

The Fairbanks Council of PTAs will be holding its Annual Training on Saturday, August 28.

Please see their webpage for more info:

http://www.fairbankspta.org/index_files/Page313.htm

The Annual Open House for the Alaska PTA Office is on Thursday, August 12. Membership cards and the National PTA Resources packet for your school will be available from 11am-7pm, at 619 E. 5th in Anchorage.

Bring us questions and problems to work on , members of the Alaska PTA Board of Managers wll be in and out all day to help you.

Alaska PTA Legislative Fly In-Please Join Us

March 17-18 2004
Goldbelt Hotel
51 Egan Drive
Juneau, Alaska
(907) 478-6909

Agenda
Wednesday March 17th
Welcome and orientation (Goldbelt Hotel) 10:30 –Noon
Lunch (on your own) Noon – 1:00 pm
Meetings with Legislators (Capital Building) 1:00 pm – 5:00 pm
Share experiences (Goldbelt Hotel) 5:00 pm – 6:00 pm
Dinner (on your own)

Thursday March 18th
More meetings with legislators All Day
Share experiences (Goldbelt Hotel) 4:00 pm – 5:00 pm
Return home

For more information, please check the web site or call the Alaska PTA office at 279-9345

Announcement- Please Join us in Juneau

Alaska PTA Legislative Fly In
March 17-18 2004
Goldbelt Hotel
51 Egan Drive
Juneau, Alaska
(907) 478-6909

Agenda
Wednesday March 17th
Welcome and orientation (Goldbelt Hotel) 10:30 –Noon
Lunch (on your own) Noon – 1:00 pm
Meetings with Legislators (Capital Building) 1:00 pm – 5:00 pm
Share experiences (Goldbelt Hotel) 5:00 pm – 6:00 pm
Dinner (on your own)

Thursday March 18th
More meetings with legislators All Day
Share experiences (Goldbelt Hotel) 4:00 pm – 5:00 pm
Return home

Check the web page for more information.

Hello All,

This month's Local Unit Mailing includes some very important items. Along with tons of information for you to share with your members there are a couple of other things.

First, is the Awards Packet. Alaksa PTA gives Awards for Educator of the year, Student of the year, and Local Unit Honorees. Please look at the packet and see who in your school should be nominated.

Second, is the Resolutions Packet. All resolutions of Alaska PTA are passed by the delegates of our Alnnual Convention. The Legislative Committe needs to hear from you on subjects that you feel need to be addressed. There is a deadline so check it out soon.

Last but certainly not least, Convention is coming! Look for Registration Information in the mailing and Call to Convention in a Special Mailing. Convention is an opportunity for training, help, networking and desicion making for the Alaska PTA and ALL of its Member Units.

See you there. :)

Wow! January is over, and its time to start thinking of Convention. The Convention pages on the web page have been updated and the Lesilative pages are being updated for the Legislative Fly-In to juneau in March. Please check out the web page at http://www.alaska.net/%7Eakpta/index.html

Hi and Happy New Year to you all!

Several things have been added and updated on the web site, the PTA Audit Form is on the forms page. The 2004 Convention Schedule is added to the News page and there is a link to Preparing for College on both the Teen and Parents Pages. It has some helpful links on how to pay for it all.

More information on the Convention is coming soon.