Membership Drive:  Why Join PTSA?

Today, more than ever, schools are challenged to provide every child with the best education despite growing limitations. Budgets are tight—in most cases, shrinking—while government requirements are growing. The Number One reason to join PTSA is to benefit your child. In doing so, you’ll also help your school. Here are five reasons you shouldn’t let the school year go by without becoming a member.

1. Get connected. There’s no better way to know what’s happening in your school than by joining PTSA.

2. Discover great resources. The National PTA website is http://www.pta.org/.

3. Watch yourself grow. By volunteering with our PTSA, you put your skills and hobbies to good use for a good cause—your child and all children in the community.

4. Witness improvement. By getting involved, you’ll be part of the solution.

5. Be a role model. As a PTSA member, you’ll be demonstrating to your child the importance you place on education, and you’ll be teaching them about giving back to the community.

A membership form has been sent home for you to conviently join PTSA.  Please complete the form and return to school along with $5.00 per membership.  For questions e-mail nphsptsa@gmail.com .

Membership Form

Follow NPHS PTSA on Facebook at www.facebook.com/pages/North-Paulding-PTA

PTSA OFFICERS

Tonya Westbrook, President

Angie Rodgers Co-Vice President

Olga Mills, Co-Vice President

 Shannon Stahl, Treasurer

Ruth Wittenbrook, Secretary

Sex, drugs, and rock n' roll often are considered risky to teens' safety.  However, the biggest threat to teens is parked just outside of your home.

Nearly 6,000 young people die in car crashes annually and another 300,000 teens are injured in car crashes each year.  49% of parents incorrectly believe that most teen crashes result from drunk driving, while the main causes are driver error, speeding, and distractions.

Learning to drive is a critical milestone in a teen's life and one in which parents should play an active role.

What can you as a parent do to help increase the odds of your teen driving safely?  These tips are suggestions from State Farm Insurance:

* Make sure your teen and their passengers always wear seatbelts.
* Make sure they stick to the speed limit.
* Never allow driving under the influence.
* Limit their nightime driving.
* Limit exposure to driving in bad weather, congested traffic, and similar situations as these can be difficult for inexperienced drivers.
* When you have teen passengers in your vehicle, be a role model and demonstrate good driving habits yourself.
* Teach your new driver the two second rule for following another vehicle.  When the car ahead passes a stripe on the road or another stationary object, your teen should be able to count to two or higher before passing that same object.
* Inform teens about the dangers of distractions (reaching for someting while driving, looking for vehicle controls, rowdy passengers, playing with phone, radios, etc.)
* Place limits on the number of passengers they can have.
* Adopt a parent-teen contract which clearly describes these expectations and the consequences of not following them.
* Give your teen a code word, that way, the can signal to you to come and pick them up if they ever get into an awkward situation and don't want to explain it in front of their friends.
* Please talk with your teen about their friends and their driving.

Practice what you preach.  Your teen is more likely to be a calm and courteous driver, wear a seat belt, and follow the road rules if they see you doing them also.

Source:  Pat Giuliani, Georgia PTA Youth Services Chair