Dear Members,
I love the new year. That was not always the case. In my youth, when my life was focused on science and mathematics, I thought that all of the falderal around the new year was just silly. Didn’t people understand how the calendar works, that it is all just arbitrary? The year just happens to be 365.25 days because it just happens to take that long for us to revolve around the sun, which just happens because we are 93 million miles away from the sun and Earth happens to orbit it at 30 km per second. (You may recognize the obnoxious teen that I was.)
Having traveled around the sun many times now, I recognize our need to renew. The new year is a chance to restart, to again commit ourselves to what is important in our lives. While I was never one for resolutions, I do like to look back and think about how I got where I am. Mustering up gratitude, I then recommit to my purpose and life goals. No resolutions. Just a desire to be better and do better.
Washington State PTA exists to make every child’s potential a reality. We strive to be a powerful voice for all children, to be a relevant resource for families, schools, and communities, and to be a strong advocate for the well-being and education of all children. That is what we have been doing, that is what we continue to do.
Last summer, the board of directors prepared a strategic plan that is meeting the needs of our members and leaders. In the fall the office staff put together a plan to improve our services and our infrastructure that is aligned with the board’s goals. Together, we will continue to be better and do better in service to our local and council PTA members and leaders.
We are changed by what happened in 2020. We can and will choose to learn and grow from it. Thank you for continuing on this journey with us.
Andrew L. Estep
WSPTA Executive Director