No Fuss Fundraising Campaign One-Third to Goal of 100 Donors

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Our No Fuss Fundraising campaign has already found 32 community donors, contributing over $2300 towards our fundraising effort.

Every donor counts, regardless of donation size, so join us in our mission to support Cedar Park this year!

OUR GOAL:

100 individual donors by December 16th. We are 32% there!

DONATE NOW:

Use your PayPal account or any debit/credit card to support the CDL efforts of Cedar Park PTC in as little as 30 seconds. Let's come together to KEEP CEDAR PARK AWESOME! Each individual donor (regardless of donation size) takes us one step closer to our goal.

NIKE/ COLUMBIA/ INTEL FAMILIES: 

Feel free to donate directly to the Cedar Park PTC via the Benevity portal.  Forward the confirmation to president@cedarparkptc.org.

NIKE DOUBLES THE MATCH ON GIVING TUESDAY, 12/1:

Once again, Nike will supercharge employee contributions by offering a 2X match on all employee donations made on Giving Tuesday, Dec. 1, through Give Your Best, up to $25,000 this calendar year (up from $10,000). Double your donation to the Cedar Park PTC by giving on 12/1! Forward the confirmation to president@cedarparkptc.org.


FUNDRAISING NEWSLETTER:  

Check out our No Fuss Fundraising newsletter to learn more about:

  • Where the Money Goes

  • Sponsorship Opportunities

  • Matching Funds info

ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS:

Email PTC President, Bettina Jeszenszky (president@cedarparkptc.org).

MATCHING FUNDS Make the Difference

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Unsure if your company matches? Head to www.cedarparkptc.org/matching and use the “Double the Donation” search engine to look up your company.

Nike/Columbia/Intel Families: 

Feel free to donate directly to the Cedar Park PTC via the Benevity portal. Forward the confirmation to president@cedarparkptc.org.

***Remember to submit matching funds requests to employers for your donations promptly as some employers, such as Intel, have only a 60 day window to submit.

Need a conforming receipt for matching fund purposes? 

Here's a generic one you can fill out, or contact president@cedarparkptc.org and ask for a Matching Funds receipt.

Cedar Park BIPOC Parent Group: Next Meeting on Wed, 11/18

Cedar Park's new BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) Parent Group will be meeting on Wed, 11/18 from 6-7pm. Their purpose is to better inform Cedar Park's school decisions and to further Cedar Park's and BSD's commitment to becoming an Anti-Racist school. ALL PARENTS are welcome & invited.

If you are interested in being a part of this group, please email Shannon_anderson@beaverton.k12.or.us

Sponsorships Available for Valuable Cedar Hills Boulevard Signage

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This year’s Cedar Park PTC fundraiser may be greatly simplified, but corporate sponsorships are still available to support the students and staff of Cedar Park Middle School.

Since our marketing is subsequently simplified, our offer to sponsors is streamlined as well.  To account for that, please note that sponsorship amounts have been reduced by 30% than in previous years.  Valuable banner space on Cedar Hills Boulevard will still be provided, and sponsors will be named in all our emails to our community and social media. 

See below for sponsorship levels. Contact Bettina (president@cedarparkptc.org) if you are ready for your business information to be seen by 20,000+ vehicles per day!!

Platinum Sponsor - $1,750

  • 4’ x 6’ sign hung along Cedar Hills fence line

  • Logo/name on all outreach and social media

Gold Sponsor - $700

  • ½ of a 4' x 6' sign along Cedar Hills fence line 

  • Logo/name on all outreach and social media

Silver Sponsor - $350

  • ¼ of a 4' x 6' sign along Cedar Hills fence line

  • Logo/name on all outreach and social media

Bronze Sponsor - $175

  • Business name on fence signage

  • Logo/name on all outreach and social media

PTC funds are still vitally important in this new landscape.  Now, more than ever, we need to reach out to students and support their middle school experience.  We’re working hard to stay responsive to the needs of our community, and your support would be invaluable to us as this time.

Find out more about our No Fuss Fundraising campaign at www.cedarparkptc.org/fundraising.

Donate Now to KEEP CEDAR PARK AWESOME!

No games. No gimmicks. No fuss.

This year, Cedar Park PTC is launching the easiest fundraising campaign ever: a link to PayPal.

Use your PayPal account or any debit/credit card to support the CDL efforts of Cedar Park in as little as 30 seconds. Let's come together to KEEP CEDAR PARK AWESOME!

Any level of giving is welcome & appreciated. Let's work together to fund this unique year!

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In this school semester alone, the PTC has already purchased:

  • 900+ science kits (for every student)

  • 400+ art kits (for every art student)

  • Student Whiteboard/marker sets (for Math enrichment)

  • 6th Grade welcome t-shirts

  • Additional OBOB books

Looking into 2021, the PTC is projected to purchase another round of science and art kits, carts for teachers and additional PE supplies (should we move into hybrid), and continued library, staff, and student support.

Looking for the nitty-gritty financial details? Check out our revised 2020-21 budget.

Wanting to dive even deeper into where the money is spent? See it all right here.

Inspired? Take 30 seconds to donate now.

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November 2020 Community Meeting Minutes & Treasurer's Report; Student Stress Presentation Recap

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Last Wednesday, the Cedar Park PTC welcomed Kristopher Damiano, BSD TOSA for Socio-Emotional Learning to present on ways to identify & manage student stress (recap below).

Additionally, Dr. Anderson provided a quick CPMS update, Bettina Jeszenszky, PTC President, ran through several PTC items and Skye Kutansky, Treasurer, presented our YTD numbers.

Items of note included:

A full recap of the night's info & presentation is available HERE or in a translatable smore.

**A video of the night’s presentation will be available soon on Cedar Park’s YouTube channel.


Helping Your Student Identify, Address & Manage Stress with Kristopher Damiano

Kristopher Damiano, BSD TOSA (Teacher on Special Assignment) for Socio-Emotional Learning,  began his presentation asking attendees to write in the chat how they are feeling.  Responses ranged from stressed, drained, overwhelmed, done etc.

Kris shared that a recent international poll found the same thing-- when asked that same question, over 95% of responses were negative. That’s telling of the emotional and mental strain our world is currently experiencing.


Identifying Challenges Facing Our Kids:

  • Change in Routines: Adolescents coming into a social tension stage are now being asked to be socially distant; day-to-day routines are drastically different from usual school routine

  • Break in continuity in learning: No after school activities/programs, change in structure, inequity of resources and access/connectivity 

  • Break in continuing in health care:  Kids/families are missing well checks/immunizations/oral health care, creating downstream effects, such as speech therapy or OT; loss of momentum in development

  • Missing in Life Events: Zoom birthdays, vacations, homecoming, 8th grade celebration, no first day of school for 6th graders (fun experience missed)

  • Losses of security/safety: Students now online all day; adolescents gravitate to risky behavior (needed to calibrate well-being in life); developments surrounding them creating insecurity,  disorientating landscape

  • Withdrawal: Moody teens are the norm, but when we start to see them withdraw (spending little time with us) that creates bigger challenges


Pressure vs. Stress

Stress is a catch-all description (even for adults).  For tonight, we’ll define stress as a response to too many demands and not enough resources to meet those demands.  Students are being pushed up against increasingly adult issues and they don’t always have ability/resources to deal with them.

This is opposed to pressure, which is the perception that something is dependent on their performance. Students may often say that they are stressed by school work, but more accurately defined as pressure.

Recognize & Address Fear & Stress

Stress can manifest itself in behavioral changes (moody, rude, cranky, acting out, withdrawing), emotional changes (increase or decrease throughout the day), physical changes (stress eating & less active, getting sick more often) and thinking (negative thoughts, less optimism).

Parents are being tasked to be clinicians to recognize so much, but it’s okay to not to be perfect, but keep trying.  

Some symptoms of stress that you may notice include:

  • Perseverating fear and worry

  • Changes in sleep or eating patterns

  • Difficulty sleeping or concentrating

  • Difficulty making decisions

  • Chronic health/mental health problems worsen

  • Substance use/abuse

  • Educational issue and/or change in socialization

Kris shared the powerful YouTube video (above), “Student Reflections on Remote Learning.” (Yes, the screen is meant to be black). After listening to the video, Kris challenged attendees to imagine our own children saying these statements.  What is one step you’d take to provide support?  Answers ranged from “listen, remind them we’re on a team, ask them to walk away, have them set boundaries, etc.”

Though adults and adolescents are going through these world experiences in similar ways, our adult brains are fully developed.  An adolescent brain is still under construction, including the prefrontal cortex, which is responsible for much of our reasoning & ability to avoid thought distortion. Students are relying on parents as a teammate to bring to them what they need, and to do that, parents need to listen, listen, listen.

What Can We Do as Parents: Steps for Stability & Support

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  • Talk: Answer questions & share facts about COVID-19 in a way that children can understand; No need to pretend to be an expert

  • Reassure them in an honest way to their concerns (and not just our own); share how we deal with our own stress

  • Social Media: Limit exposure to current events/information; however, have a replacement for the time they might have spent on social media (such as video games, which are providing a social aspect & a collective time together virtually). Don’t take away something without having a plan on how to replace it.

  • Routines: Create a visual schedule for learning and relaxing that provides boundaries and structure to the day, as humans thrive on predictability (schools provide visual cues in hallways/classrooms); Possibly have a checklist/whiteboard with goals for the day.

  • Model effective coping skills by taking breaks, getting enough sleep, having healthy habits & connecting with family & friends; easier said than done. Set up reminders to call/connect with friends & family.

  • Time together: Meaningful activities like reading, walking, board games, etc. Find something that works for your family & their personalities.

Reducing Suffering

Kris shared the video (above) “PxR= Suffering: Brad Chapin,” which discusses the idea that Pain multiplied by [our] Reactivity equals Suffering (PxR=Suffering). When we improve our self-regulation skills, we can greatly reduce reactivity, therein reducing suffering. 

Similarly, the Cedar Park staff have been reading the book Onward by Eleanor Aguilar that touches on the importance of the space between a negative experience and our reaction to it. The greater that space, the more we can reduce the gravity and strain of our reaction. 

Ultimately, when parents give good counsel and provide effective coping strategies to adolescents to deal with pain or negative experiences, our students can see improvement in their amount of suffering.

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Here are some examples:

  • Care: For ourselves & for others, showing care can reduce stress; taking care of a sibling or participating in outreach can alleviate stress.

  • Regulation: Is just a fancy word for calming down; development of emotional regulation means keeping yourself as calm as possible in a “socially tolerable” way.  It’s okay to be angry, but not screaming out of control etc. (Obviously this is a much larger topic and a quick google search can provide additional resources).

  • Parry: A martial arts metaphor describing how you move to allow a stressor to go past you; a cognitive strategy of “dodging a bullet” 

  • Mental Health readiness: This can be a range from the smallest area (knowing your feelings) to extreme (getting your adolescent therapeutic help) and everything in between.

  • Optimism: Cultivating a positive attitude is an underrated skill in combating stress; thinking  three good things, however simple, even putting a visual reminder on a mirror to think of three good things.

  • Recreation: “Winter is coming,” so find whatever we can do to help.

Two Ways to Build Resilience:

  1. Three specific actions are better than 1000 intentions:  When things around you are crumbling, it’s way better to have three tangible actions that you KNOW will make you feel better (example: running, playing guitar, skateboard).  Knowing these items ahead of time (for you and your adolescent) will help in stressful moments and make it easier to cope.

  2. Keeping up your pandemic hygiene: (Wash hands, wear masks, avoid close contact, stay active, & hydrate) Remaining vigilant and continuing to support our health and our community’s health will only be positive.


BE THE SQUIRREL THAT SAVES ALL THE NUTS-- it’s getting nutty (with winter coming). Get strategies organized now, so that when we need them, we are ready to cope and help our students.

If your student is experiencing stress and you would like additional resources: Contact our Cedar Park counselors


Next PTC Meeting: January 13, 2021 @ 6:30 PM