CT PTA President's Letter
January, 2002

Happy New Year! I hope that you and your families had a wonderful and joyous holiday season.

There have been many changes at Connecticut PTA in the last month. It was with great regret that I accepted the resignation of Tom Halligan, Vice President for Membership due to health issues within his family. We wish Tom and his family our best in the coming year. Tom will continue his commitment to Connecticut PTA as he works on various committees. Arlene Liscinsky has agreed to take on the membership duties and we look forward to officially voting her into the position at our January Board of Directors’ meeting. Arlene has served as the Treasurer of the Connecticut PTA for the past two years.

Also, many thanks go to Fran Marcinczyk for accepting the position of Reflections Chair. Fran has been very involved with the Reflections program in Trumbull and will bring her enthusiasm and expertise to the state level. Many of you may know Fran as the Connecticut Local Unit/Council Bylaws Chair. 

We became aware in November of the possibility of our convention hotel, the Sheraton Waterbury, closing. Melinda Formica, our Convention Business Manager, immediately started researching our options. I am pleased to announce that by late November, we were able to secure a new convention hotel, the Ramada Plaza Hotel in Meriden. The Sheraton officially announced their closing in mid-December. Thank you to Melinda for her hard work in quickly securing another excellent location for our convention.

Mark your calendars now! The Connecticut PTA Convention will be held Friday, May 10 - Saturday, May 11 with the Reflections Banquet on Thursday evening, May 9. You can look forward to wonderful keynote speakers, informative workshops, award presentations, and leadership training as well as the opportunity to network with fellow PTA members from across the state. During the general sessions, you will be voting for new Region Directors as well as bylaws changes and resolutions. Don’t forget that convention and leadership training are legitimate PTA expenses. Start planning now to send delegates to the convention so that your PTA has a voice in determining the direction of the Connecticut PTA. Watch for information in the mail soon. If you cannot wait, check out our website.

Does your PTA have an issue/position that they would like the Connecticut PTA to consider supporting? Is it a statewide issue? Now is the time to let us know. The Legislative Committee is presently developing their platform and planning for Connecticut PTA Day at the Legislature in March. If you would like to serve on that committee, please contact the office. Does your PTA need assistance in developing a resolution for our members to consider for adoption at convention? Sally Boske, Resolutions Chairperson, can help you through the process.

As many communities and Boards of Education are in the process of developing their budgets for the 2002-2003 school year, it is time for your PTA to take a close look at those budgets and advocate for the programs, equipment, supplies, etc. that are necessary to provide a good quality education and learning environment for the children. Provide your members with the opportunity to learn about the school budget through your newsletters. Sponsor an informational meeting so that your members can hear what will be included/excluded from the school budget. Inform them of the pubic hearings on the budget. Advocate for your children - you are their voice!

During our Leadership Workshops in the fall, we mentioned that we were developing an e-mail list so that we could provide our members with timely information from our office as well as valuable information from National PTA which you might not normally receive. Thanks to Jerry Belanger, Connecticut PTA Webmaster, as well as our office staff, the Connecticut PTA Electronic Communiqué is up and running. If you have not already been contacted and would like to be added to this list, please contact Jennifer France in the State PTA Office, or click here.

Last, but certainly not least, I know you would like to join me in extending our heartfelt thanks and appreciation to the many people in Connecticut who went to New York City and helped them in their efforts to recover from the tragedy of September 11th. I would especially like to thank a few people who serve on the Connecticut PTA Executive Board. First to Mark Princevalle, Region II Director. In addition to his PTA work, Mark serves as the Chair of the board of the American Red Cross of Southeastern Connecticut. During these past few months, Mark spent countless hours coordinating the support efforts needed to ensure that all the rescue workers were adequately provided for with the necessary supplies and equipment. I would also like to thank Pete Massey, State PTA Treasurer, and George Gomola, State PTA Secretary, who went to New York and spent many hours helping with the recovery efforts. I cannot thank them enough for the time and effort that they devoted to the City of New York.

And to all of you, thank you for the time and effort that you selflessly provide each and every day to our children and communities. I wish you all a Happy New Year and want you to know that the Connecticut PTA board and staff are here to support and help you in your efforts. We’re only a phone call (or e-mail) away!

Donna McGuire
President, Connecticut PTA