PTA's Vision

Making every childs potential a reality by engaging and empowering families and communities to advocate for all children.

PTA's Mission

To be a powerful voice for all children, a relevant resource for families and communities and a strong advocate for the education and well-being of every child.

OUR PTA

Our PTA is made up of hard-working parents & teachers who pool their talents to provide practical support for our school.
Those listed below volunteered to provide leadership this year.  Get to know their names and faces, and feel free to ask them if you have questions. Interested in a board position?  Contact us!

2023 - 2024 Board Members

President - Jaime Bailey
1st Vice President / Membership - ​Julie Tipps
2nd Vice President / Programs - Heather Dixon
Treasurer - Sharon Boston
Secretary - Lisa Bergeron
Parliamentarian - Amanda Baxley
Council Delegate - Joy Peacock
Communications - Lindsay Rose
​Volunteer Coordinator - Leslie Price
Hospitality - Lisa Hutcherson
Concessions - Sara Niemann
Spirit Nights Coordinator - Kim Taylor
Spirit Wear - Lindsay Rose
Reflections - Jessica Bailey
Diversity & Inclusiveness - Shelly Green
Scholarship - Audrey Womack
School Supplies - Andrea Gamache
Watch DOGS Chair - David Biggs
Teacher Delegate - Kassi Cornwall
Principal -  Jeremy Martin

Northwest ISD PTA Council

Please follow the link below to find information regarding the NISD Council of PTAs.
NISD Council of PTAs

Internet Safety

First, there are a plethora of apps out there. Many we have heard of, and many we have not, but our kids have heard of them, are using them, and are probably misinformed about them.
  • Poof - allows you to add apps without icons appearing on your phone, so kids can hide their apps from you.  Search for poof on phone, and see what apps are turned off, or hidden.
  • YikYak - anonymous posting board.  According to ABC News: “Yik Yak works like an anonymous bulletin board, displaying messages from people in a user's area that can be voted ‘up’ or ‘down’ on the page.” Dr. Keith Ablow, Psychiatrist, says “Yik Yak can turn a school into a virtual chat room where everyone can post his or her comments, anonymously.  Untruthful, mean, character-assassinating short messages are immediately seen by all users in a specific geographic area…Psychologically, Yik Yak actually removes all pretense of being a person with empathy, genuinely connected to other human beings.”
    • So it is no wonder that Yik Yak has become the ultimate tool for bullies, especially at the high school level, who want to target another student or a faculty member, and without any consequences, whatsoever,  anonymously destroy that person’s reputation.
  • Askfm - users can ask each other questions with anonymity.  Has recently been linked to seven suicides per guardian.com.
  • Snapchat -“fast and fun mobile conversation” disappearing pics; Even though the pics “disappear”, it is possible to take a screenshot, and all pictures are stored on a server for 3 years.
  • Whisper - anonymous pics with captions; marketed as “If you have ever had something too intimate to share on traditional social networks, simply share it on Whisper!”  Has geolocation tracking.
  • Omegle - automatically turns on your camera when you turn on app.  Katie suggests NEVER allowing any app with this feature on kids’ phones. Picks someone at random and lets you chat one-on-one.  Able to choose who you want to chat with through FaceTime after viewing, and no guarantee what your child will see when viewing (perverts using this to target and exploit).

Katie’s Top Device Rules
  • If you do not have time to constantly check your child’s device, they should not have a device.
  • No devices in room at night.
    • Charge devices in parents’ room
    • Set time limits.
  • Smart phones Beware! Provides outlet to the world in their pockets
  • Check app appropriateness / age limits
  • Use parental controls
  • Disable location tracking for individual apps
  • Check text messages and Call logs
  • Can highlight major issues
  • Privacy vs. Safety   You pick
  • You pay for their cell phone, so you set the rules.
  • Start this from the beginning so it is expected.
  • Cyberbullying TRIPLED from 2013-2014.  
  • Spreads like wildfire - not the same as school yard bullying.
  • Child Pornography: 
  • Federal crime; Felony to create, possess, distribute child (under 18yo) pornography; 
  • Punishable with 25 years in prison, placed in sexual offender registry.  
  • This is the #1 thing she gets questions on from high school students (think sexting)
  • Law is discretionary; both parties - one sending and one receiving can be charged.
  • If you receive an image, turn phone off, give to parents, call police.

OLD FASHIONED RULES APPLY
  • Check, bug, annoy, check again…REPEAT!
  • Ask questions
  • Set limits
  • Limit usage and apps - i.e. One family apple account - download comes to all devices; create account for kid and you keep password.  Take time to investigate what each app is.  On apple, if you share a password, you can use settings to limit app time.
  • Control App downloads
  • Password protect
  • Itunes / android account
  • Age limits available.  Parental Controls help.
  • On social media, check friend / buddy / follower lists.
  • If they have 3,000 friends, it is likely they are not “friends” and are adding strangers.
  • TEAM UP WITH OTHER PARENTS to monitor behavior.
  • Check ipads, computers, game systems.
  • Monitoring/Filtering software can help with PC’s, but they are only tools to help you, not foolproof.
  • Top Rated Monitoring software for PC’s:
  • Cyber Patrol ($40/year); Safe Eyes ($50/ year); Net Nanny ($50/year).
  • Phones / Device monitoring
  • Not one app that Katie has seen so far which does it all and does it honestly.  
  • Beware that these apps may be selling your info to third parties.

If you would like more info from Katie Greer, her contact info is:
Katie@KLGreer.com
www.KLGreer.com
KL Greer Consulting (facebook)
@KatieLGreer (twitter)
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Real Talks
The idea of “Real Talks” is to encourage authentic conversation about topics affecting our children and youth.  As you see editions of “Real Talks," please make sure you take time to read what’s being discussed at school and how you can add to the discussion as a parent/guardian. “Real Talks” will provide talking points for you to initiate conversations with your kid(s) at home. As the proverb goes, “It takes a village to raise a child.” Northwest ISD, in partnership with you, will strive to facilitate healthy life choices for our students. For questions about Northwest ISD “Real Talks,” please contact Jamie Farber, Director of Guidance and Counseling, at JFarber@nisdtx.org.