Do you know an extraordinary person who gives selflessly to help improve the lives of others by performing good deeds largely unnoticed and wholly without expectation of recognition or compensation? If so, consider nominating that special person or group for one of the 2009 Governor’s Awards for Outstanding Volunteer Service.

The national, non-profit Pajama Program provides new pajamas and new books to children in need, many who are waiting and hoping to be adopted. Thousands of these children live in group homes and shelters and are shuffled often between temporary living facilities. Many of them have been abused or abandoned and have never enjoyed the simple comfort of having a mother or father tuck them in at bedtime and read to them. Since 2001, the Pajama Program has provided more than 700,000 pajamas and books to children in need nationwide.

PRs and Board members are out recruiting members to sign up for the legislative text messaging system. The legislative alerts will only be sent in emergencies, when action is needed immediately. You can also sign up on the website. Just go to “My Profile” and click “Manage” under text messaging. If you have questions, please contact Deputy Executive Director Erin Houston (erin.houston@jcta.org).

Resumes are now available for viewing in the members-only section of the website.

Last night the School Board passed a 2010-2011 and 2011-2012 calendars. The 2011-2012 calendar was passed with no changes from the committee’s proposal. The 2010-2011 calendar is a different story. It isn’t like the committee’s proposal or the alternate proposal.

Here is what it will look like:

Teacher Days: Friday, August 13 and Monday, August 16.
First Student Day: Tuesday, August 17
Parent-Teacher Conference Days: Afternoons of October 13 and 14 and February 14 (although all schools will have the option to move the February P-T Conference day to the afternoons of March 21 and 22)
Last Day for Students: Thursday, May 26
Last Teacher Day: Friday, May 27
Make-up Days: Tuesday, May 31 through Monday, June 13

All vacations and gold days stayed the same.

Check out JCTA President's interview about the Race To The Top grant.

As an active JCTA member, you now have access to a new communication dashboard that will display information customized especially for you.

Login
To login to your dashboard, enter your username and password in the appropriate areas in the top right hand corner of the site. Your username will be your first initial followed by your last name (e.g. Jane Doe = jdoe). Usernames are not case sensitive. By default, your password will be the last four digits of your social security number. You may update your password at any time by editing the “My Profile” section of your user dashboard. Your JCTA administrator will be able to retrieve or reset lost passwords.