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Registration Packet

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NJPTA 114th Annual

Leadership Conference

WHY YOU SHOULD ATTEND THE NEW JERSEY PTA

LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE

o Leadership Education. Workshops are the best way for new PTA officers to get the leadership training they need to have a successful year, and for returning officers to advance their training as PTA Leaders.

o Be Inspired. The Leadership Conference is the place where PTA Leaders go to be inspired, understand the issues, and learn the skills needed to be powerful and effective leaders and advocates.

o Network with Other Leaders. Get to know PTA leaders from around the state and your county, and spend some time bonding with your own board.

o Leadership Conference is Fun. It’s fun to get away from your normal routine and spend some time in an environment bursting with enthusiasm and energy.

o Giveaways and Special Offers. Exhibitors offer some great giveaways, plus there are fantastic door prizes given out at General Meetings.

o Validation. PTA Leaders work hard for the PTA. At the Leadership Conference you will learn more about the mission of making every child’s potential a reality, meet others with a common passion for improving the lives of children, and feel validated and energized in your role as advocates for children.

Registration Packet Contents Page Schedule at a Glance 3 Conference Speakers 4 Conference Information 6 Registration Information 7 Conference Workshops 8 Registration Form 9

Leadership Conference

Celebration

Join us to celebrate this past year of PTA advocacy, programs, and leadership!

Featuring Entertainment by:

Help the Hungry! Please donate a non-perishable food item to the

St. Nicholas of Tolentine Food Pantry of

Atlantic City- see details at the bottom of page 6.

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Schedule at a Glance

Friday, April 24

9:00 AM – 5:30 PM Delegate Registration Registration Booth B 9:00 AM – 3:30 PM Information/First Timers’ Table Atrium 9:45 AM – 10:15 AM Region Breakouts 10:25 AM – 11:25 AM Workshop Session #1 11:25 AM Exhibit Hall Grand Opening

Exhibit Hall will remain open till 2:45 PM Dennis & Bally Rooms

Reflections Showcase PTA Merchandise Store 12:00 PM – 1:30 PM Box Luncheon in Exhibit Hall* Diversity Luncheon* Berkshire & Tivoli Rooms 25 Year Group Luncheon Arturo’s 1:45 PM – 2:45 PM Workshop Session #2 3:00 PM – 5:15 PM General Meeting #1 Marlborough Room 5:45 PM – 6:45 PM Exhibit Hall Reception Dennis & Bally Rooms Reflections Showcase PTA Merchandise Store 6:45 PM Leadership Conference Celebration Atlantic Meeting Room

Saturday, April 25

7:00 AM – 8:00 AM Buffet Breakfast* Blenheim 8:00 AM – 3:00 PM Delegate Registration Registration Booth B 8:00 AM – 3:30 PM Information/First Timers’ Table Ballroom Foyer 8:00 AM – 11:00 AM Exhibit Hall Open Dennis & Bally Rooms Reflections Showcase PTA Merchandise Store 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM Workshop Session #3 12:15 PM – 2:30 PM Recognition Luncheon Blenheim 2:35 PM – 3:35 PM Workshop Session #4 3:45 PM – 4:45 PM Membership Workshop Blenheim 4:50 PM General Meeting #2 Marlborough Room

Sunday, April 26

11:00 AM – 2:00 PM Reflections Student Art Show & Awards Ceremony

Blenheim

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Conference Speakers

Sophia Waugh, National PTA's Secretary-Treasurer, was re-elected to the National PTA Board of Directors at the June 2013 National PTA Convention in Cincinnati, Ohio. She previously served a two-year term on the National PTA Field Service Committee. Waugh continues to serve on the California State PTA since becoming a member in 1989 as a District PTA President. She serves on its board of managers as a member of the Education Commission bringing her wealth of knowledge and partnership building.

When her eldest son entered kindergarten in 1974, she joined PTA and held many positions

including chartering PTAs in schools her sons attended. She was elected in 1989 to serve a two-year term as the District PTA President; having many years in PTA her passion and conviction in her beliefs of PTA have never wavered.

Waugh brings her knowledge, leadership skills, collaboration and partnership building from more than 15 years as a member and president four times of the largest county board of education in the nation. She has also served on the California School Boards Association Board of Directors, California County Boards of Education as its president, and serves currently on non-profit boards.

Waugh is a champion for the disengaged; she understands how important it is to reach out and connect parents and families who have been ignored for too long. She has advocated for ways to involve the most at-risk families, thinking outside the box, and chartering non-traditional PTA units in community schools, incarcerated youth camps, and juvenile hall. Her most exciting PTA charter is with the Head Start Super Grantee, the largest Head Start Grantee in the nation. She believes that we must engage Head Start/pre-school parents before they transition or we lose the best opportunity to empower them as members in the very early years before they transition into K-12.

Waugh and her husband Fred have two sons and four grandchildren.

For almost 20 years, Dr. Steve Constantino has captivated thousands of teachers, administrators, school board members and business people from the United States and around the world. His amazing keynote presentations and workshops have been featured in local, state, regional, national and international conferences. But, Steve didn’t start out to be a voice for family engagement. As a high school principal in 1995, he stumbled across research about the effects of family

engagement on student learning and was immediately convinced that this was the missing ingredient in helping all children learn. Using his high school as a laboratory, Steve began to read more and more research and more importantly, figure out ways to apply it to his school. Steve’s work quickly gained national prominence and soon he began traveling the United States speaking and working with all types of educators, school board members, and businesses to promote sound practices in family engagement that result in increased academic achievement for all students. His natural gifts as a captivating speaker coupled with his knowledge and practical experience make him the most sought-after speaker in the field of family engagement. As a result of his experiences and his practical approach to engaging families, Steve has authored three books on the subject. His first book, Making Your School Family Friendly (NASSP, 2002) was published after being selected by the National Association of Secondary School Principals and the MetLife Foundation to create the first ever family friendly schools workshop, held in Washington DC.

Sophia Waugh GENERAL MEETING #2 National PTA Secretary-Treasurer

Dr. Steven Constantino RECOGNITION LUNCHEON Speaker-Author-Leader

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His second book Engaging Every Family (Rowman and Littlefield, 2003) soon followed. This book expanded on the conceptual framework of the four domains of family engagement. In 2008, Steve released his third book 101 Ways to Create Real Family Engagement (Engage Press, 2008). Steve is presently working on his fourth book that introduces the Five Simple Principles to Engage Every Family and is designed as a field book for educators. Steve uses his unique gifts of storytelling and humor to weave a compelling argument for all educators to embrace the notion that families are the first and most influential teachers of their children and harnessing that power results in tremendous gains in student learning outcomes. Steve began his career as a teacher and moved through the ranks. In addition to teacher, assistant principal, principal, deputy superintendent and Superintendent, Steve has also been in the business world, launching a company devoted to family engagement training. He has held positions as a college professor and has authored numerous articles and blogs. Today, Steve is the Superintendent of Schools in Williamsburg, Virginia and still travels the globe bringing his unique message of family engagement as well as his practical processes to engage every family. The nation’s leading practitioner still practices what he preaches.

Mark Mautone earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Teacher of the Handicapped from Kean University and received a Master of Arts in Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) from Caldwell University. Mark began his journey in the field of special education when working for Bergen County Special Services in 1995 as a one-to-one aide for a child with Angelman Syndrome. This experience provided Mark with the ambition to pursue a life-long career in special education. Throughout his teaching career, he has educated children with mild-to-severe disabilities.

He is currently the lead preschool teacher in the Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) program for children with autism at Wallace Elementary School in the Hoboken School District. As an autism teacher, Mark works very closely with the parents of his students. He gives hope to families who sometimes feel hopeless and helpless with their child's diagnosis. His goal is to bring education, dignity, and independence to children with autism. He offers workshops and parent trainings within the classroom and in the home as well as to citizens and business owners of Hoboken. Mark is available to the families and community at any given time. Accountability is paramount to the overall classroom structure and ethical manner in the way he educates his students. All of his students have IEP's that have an average of 25 goals. He goes one step further and creates an individual assessment aligned to the IEP that tests 965 areas of academic and functional skills. Student specific goals are then set based on the outcome where he sets a high benchmark of meeting 90% to 100% of the criteria from the assessment. Mark then continuously collects data, monitors and assesses his students weekly so that if any data indicates a student is not progressing, a new teaching procedure is immediately implemented. The evidence of learning for his students is depicted through data collected weekly on all lesson plans. When Mark is not teaching he shares his knowledge with organizations, parents, and educators locally, nationally, and globally. He has presented for Apple, Macworld, Autism Speaks, Autism NJ, and the Aruba Autism Foundation, among other groups. Since 2012, he has generously offered his expertise to design a mobile app for the National Catholic Partnership for People with Disabilities in Washington DC. This app will be used globally for individuals with autism and developmental disabilities to participate in religious education. Mark has authored numerous articles and lent his expertise for interviews to media outlets. In 2016, Mark will be a featured teacher in the college textbook, "Exceptional Children: An Introduction to Special Education".

Mark Mautone GENERAL MEETING #1 2014 – 2015 NJ State Teacher of the Year

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Dr. Lawrence S. Feinsod, an educator and public school advocate for more than 40 years, was selected as the ninth Executive Director of the New Jersey School Boards Association in September 2012. The organization's 26-member Board of Directors approved the appointment unanimously, following a nationwide search. As executive director, Dr. Feinsod manages the day-to-day operations of the organization, which as a 73-member staff with an annual operating budget of about $10 million. NJSBA serves more than 4,800 school board members in 586 local districts, as well as approximately 60 charter schools. Dr. Feinsod has served as chief school administrator in the Cranford, Madison and

Mount Arlington school districts. Since 2008, he was the state Department of Education's executive county superintendent for Essex County, assisting and overseeing 23 school districts with strikingly diverse needs and challenges. He began his career as a special education teacher in Linden. In addition, he served for approximately 20 years as a member of the Board of Education of the Morris-Union Jointure Commission, including a term as the board's president. Dr. Feinsod is a former president and co-founder of the Garden State Coalition of Schools, a grassroots advocacy group of school administrators, school board members and parents, established in 1992. He holds a Doctor of Education degree from Rutgers University, a professional diploma in Educational Leadership from Fordham University, and a B.A. and an M.A. from Kean University. He is a recipient of the Outstanding Educator Award from the Newark affiliate of the National Organization of African American Administrators (2012), the Outstanding Service Award from the New Jersey Association of School Administrators (2008), and the Education Leadership Award from the New Jersey Coalition of Educational Leaders for the support and advancement of women in leadership positions (2004). Dr. Feinsod has been involved extensively in community and civic activities. He was a long-term member of the service organization Rotary International and was presented with the New Jersey State Vocational Service Award for his contributions to education from the president of Rotary International. Dr. Feinsod and his wife, Sharon, reside in West Orange. They have two adult daughters.

GIVING BACK - New Jersey PTA is helping the St. Nicholas of Tolentine Food

Pantry in Atlantic City by holding a Food Drive during our Leadership Conference. The St. Nicholas of Tolentine Food Pantry feeds over 35,000 men, women and children each year and is part of the NJAHC (New Jersey Anti-Hunger Coalition) who is working to end hunger in New Jersey through education, advocacy and activism. Isn’t that what NJPTA is all about?

Y OU CAN HELP! Delegates will receive a door prize raffle ticket for every non-

perishable food item or personal care product they bring to the Registration Booth during the length of our conference. So when you’re packing your overnight bags, pack an extra one with some “love” for those who go hungry each year across our state. Personal, financial donations may also be made to the St. Nicholas of Tolentine Food Pantry.

Dr. Larry Feinsod GENERAL MEETING #2 Executive Director, New Jersey School Boards Association

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Leadership Conference General Information

Workshops Workshops cover a wide variety of leadership education topics that will help new PTA leaders as well as seasoned leaders. There are four sessions scheduled: Friday, April 24 Workshop Session I 10:25 a.m. - 11:25 a.m. Workshop Session II 1:45 p.m. – 2:45 p.m. Saturday, April 25 Workshop Session III 11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. Workshop Session IV 2:35 p.m. – 3:35 p.m. No tickets are required for admission to workshops. Seating is on a first-come, first-serve basis. Exhibit Hall and Sponsors New Jersey PTA Leadership Conference exhibitors provide PTA delegates with valuable products and services, including fundraisers, school assemblies, field trip ideas, book fairs, playground equipment, school photos, enrichment opportunities and much more! Please take this opportunity to thank our exhibitors and sponsors - their support is vital to the success of our Conference. Exhibit Hall hours: Friday 11:30 a.m. – 2:45 p.m. 5:45 p.m. – 6:45 p.m.- Exhibit Hall Reception Saturday 8:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. Information and First Timers If this is your first state Conference, our Information and First Timers’ Table will be the place to get your questions answered. We will also have many of our latest NJPTA Handouts and Information. The table will be open Friday 9:00 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. and Saturday 8:00 a.m.- 3:00 p.m. PTA Store You will find additional new items along with your old favorites such as pins, mugs, totes and buttons. With a new vendor this year, be sure to check out the sample Local PTA customizable materials. Our staff of volunteers will be happy to assist you with your purchase by cash or check or credit card. (Please remember PTA checks require two (2) signatures.) The PTA Store is located in the Exhibit Hall. PTA Store hours: Friday 11:30 a.m. – 2:45 p.m. 5:45 p.m. – 6:45 p.m.- Exhibit Hall Reception Saturday 8:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.

Reflections Art Gallery Visit our exhibit of student artwork from the PTA Reflections Program. A collection of the New Jersey PTA award winners are on display throughout the conference. Reception Friday evening from 5:45 p.m. to 6:45 p.m. there will be a reception in the Exhibit Hall. Recognition Luncheon Celebrate the achievements of the State PTA’s top award recipients and other honors including membership awards and Reflections Honors during our Recognition Luncheon beginning at 12:15 p.m. on Saturday. Reflections Student Art Show and Awards Ceremony For nearly 50 years, the National PTA Reflections Program has encouraged students across the nation to explore their artistic talents. PTA believes that children of all ages and abilities deserve a quality arts education and encourages students to pursue artistic expression through participation in the annual Reflections Program. Join us for the Annual Reflections Awards Event as we honor and recognize our talented students. The students’ artwork themed around “The world would be a better place if...” will be on display throughout Convention weekend and the students will be our honored guests at this event. The event will take place on Sunday morning from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Voting Information All PTA Members that attend the 2015 Leadership Conference and are current members in good standing for at least 15 days prior to the election, will be granted voting delegate credentials. Please refer to the NJPTA 2015 Delegate’s Guide, which contains all the information your PTA needs to know about selecting voting delegates and voting procedures, as well as information your PTA needs to make informed decisions on how you would like your Local PTA’s delegates to vote on the business conducted at this year’s Conference. The Delegate’s Guide includes: proposed bylaw amendments, proposed resolutions, proposed legislative actions and/or priorities, nominating committee report, candidates’ statements, and voting delegate information. Voting Delegates should attend all General Voting Meetings and participate in all voting during the Conference. There is no specific “Voting Delegate” registration form. All delegates (both visiting and voting) will register using the same form.

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Registration Information

Register Early Take advantage of early registration fees. By registering in advance, you’ll save time in the registration line. Your registration fee covers entrance into all general voting sessions, workshops, exhibit hall, complimentary ticket to the Recognition Luncheon on Saturday afternoon, Exhibit Hall Reception on Friday evening. Pre-registered delegates will receive confirmation of their attendance. All pre-registered delegates will pick up their Conference materials, including delegates badges, meal tickets, and ribbons at the pre-registration booth on the Sixth Floor of Bally’s. Deadlines No advance registrations accepted after April 10. The Early Bird Deadline (Saving $5) will end on March 30. No refunds will be given for no-shows, an alternate may be sent. Credit Card/Check Payments All registrations/reservations must be paid in advance by a credit card or by sending a check for the total as indicated on the registration form. Credit card payment

can be accepted, only through our online registration by accessing the New Jersey PTA website at www.njpta.org and clicking on the link to the NJPTA Leadership Conference Registration. Purchase Orders Purchase orders are not accepted.

Meal & Hotel Packages

Due to the success of our 2014 Convention Packages, New Jersey PTA, once again, is offering delegates the opportunity to register for money-saving and convenient Conference meal and hotel packages. Look over each package below and choose the best one to enhance your 2015 Leadership Conference Experience!

**ALL ROOMING RESERVATIONS MADE AFTER MARCH 30 MUST BE MADE WITH BALLY’S AT THEIR REGULAR RATES.**

Package Includes Double Occupancy Room Pricing

(2 people + in a room)

Single Occupancy Room Pricing

(1 person) PACKAGE A-

The Ultimate Conference Experience

Two Night Accommodations Friday- Choice of Lunch &

Conference Celebration Saturday- Breakfast & Recognition Luncheon

$240.00 Savings of $144.00

$370.00 Savings of $283.00

PACKAGE B-

The Full Conference Package One Night Accommodation Friday- Choice of Lunch &

Conference Celebration Saturday- Breakfast & Recognition Luncheon

$164.00 Savings of $49.00

$220.00 Savings of $89.50

PACKAGE C-

The Hungry Delegate Package

Friday- Choice of Lunch & Conference Celebration Saturday- Breakfast & Recognition Luncheon

$80.00 Savings of $36.00

PACKAGE D-

The Friday Package One Night Accommodation Friday- Choice of Lunch &

Conference Celebration

$144.00 Savings of $21.00

$195.00 Savings of $65.00

PACKAGE E-

The Saturday Package One Night Accommodation

Saturday- Breakfast & Recognition Luncheon

$97.00 Savings of $123.50

$175.00 Savings of $216.00

To register and for more information visit www.njpta.org/registration

Early Bird Discount – Postmarked on or before March 30

Full Conference $75.00 One Day $55.00

Registration Fee – Postmarked between March 31

and April 10 Full Conference $80.00 One Day $60.00

On-Site Registration Fee – Full Conference $100.00 One Day $75.00

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Leadership Conference Workshops

Workshop Session #1 Friday – 10:25 AM – 11:25 AM

Cruise Through the Bylaws Laurie Palmer, New Jersey PTA Procedure and Bylaws Chairman

Cyber Empowerment Patti Crimaldi, New Jersey Child Assault Prevention

PTA Finances by the Numbers Nancy Wallace, Bergen County PTA Treasurer

Does Your PTA Have a Pulse? Mary Jo Neil, National Service Representative

Workshop Session #2 Friday – 1:45 PM – 2:45 PM

Parliamentary Procedures, Easy As ABC Mary Scout, New Jersey PTA Parliamentarian

Special Education Topics Mark Mautone, New Jersey State Teacher of the Year

You’re on the Local PTA Board…Now What? Doris Harris, NJPTA Vice President of Leadership Development &

Lois Testa & Lisa Falco, New Jersey PTA Region Directors Physical Activity Rejuvenates Cognitive Content

Jackie Malaska, Executive Director, NJAHPERD

Workshop Session #3 Saturday – 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM

Making the Case For PTA Mary Jo Neil, National Service Representative

PARCC Bari Erlichson, Chief Performance Officer, New Jersey Department of Education

Sustainable Jersey for Schools Heather McCall, Sustainable Jersey

Advocacy Yvonne Johnson, Past President, Delaware PTA

Preventing Theft in Your PTA Sophia Waugh, National PTA Secretary-Treasurer

Workshop Session #4 Saturday – 2:35 PM – 3:35 PM

Engaging Every Family: Five Simple Principles Dr. Steven Constantino, The Constantino Group

Local PTA President and Vice President: Building a Successful Board Rose Acerra, New Jersey PTA President-Elect

Diversity C. Andre Daniels, National PTA Board Member & Lynette Howard, NJPTA Federal Legislation Chairman

Reflections Mary Jo Neil, National Service Representative

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2015 Leadership Conference Registration Form

Make all checks payable to New Jersey PTA. TOTAL ENCLOSED: ___________________ Mail this registration form and full payment to: New Jersey PTA; 8 Quakerbridge Plaza, Suite F, Mercerville, NJ 08619

Preferred Method of Registration: www.njpta.org/registration

IMPORTANT: You MUST fill out this form in its entirety or your registration will not be processed.

Name: ________________________________________________________ Address: ______________________________________________________ City: ______________________________________ Zip: ________________ Phone # (_____) __________________ Cell # (_____) __________________ Email: _________________________________________________________ Local PTA: ___________________________________________________________ County: __________________________ Position: ____________________________

Check all that apply:

o First Time at Leadership Conference

o NJPTA Life Member

o 25 Year Group Member

o National Lifetime Achievement

o Local PTA President

o EML Participant

o NJPTA Board Alumni

Registration (PTA Member):

o Full Conference (postmarked on or before 3/30/15) $75.00

o Full Conference (postmarked between 3/31/15 and 4/10/15) $80.00

o Friday or Saturday Only (Circle Day) $55.00 (postmarked on or before 3/30/15)

o Friday or Saturday Only (Circle Day) $60.00 (postmarked between 3/31/15 and 4/10/15)

o Reflections Award Ceremony (Sunday) FREE

No Hotel Rooms Guaranteed for on-site registrations or any registrations postmarked after March 30

th, 2015!

Hotel & Meal Packages Package A- Choose Two Nights

o Single Room $370.00 ___ Thurs ___ Fri ___ Sat

o Double Room $240.00 ___ Thurs ___ Fri ___ Sat

Package B- Choose One Night

o Single Room $220.00 ___ Thurs ___ Fri ___ Sat

o Double Room $164.00 ___ Thurs ___ Fri ___ Sat

Package C-

o No Rooming $80.00

Package D- Choose One Night

o Single Room $195.00 ___ Thurs ___ Fri

o Double Room $144.00 ___ Thurs ___ Fri

Package E- Choose One Night

o Single Room $175.00 ___ Fri ___ Sat

o Double Room $97.00 ___ Fri ___ Sat

Additional Night- Choose One Night

o Single Room $152.50 ___ Thurs ___ Fri ___ Sat

o Double Room $76.25 ___ Thurs ___ Fri ___ Sat

Individual Meal Prices: PURCHASE ONLY IF NOT BUYING A PACKAGE!

o Diversity Luncheon (Friday) $22.00

o Box Lunch in Exhibit Hall (Friday) $22.00

o 25 Year Group Luncheon (Friday) $25.00

o Conference Celebration (Friday) $46.00

o Breakfast Buffet (Saturday) $21.00

o Recognition Luncheon (Saturday) FREE