Our first Parent Advisory Board meeting of the year occurred on October 16th as a conference call from across the state.  Parents are excited to use the Personal Learning Plan during Parent Conferences!

PAB members in Tampa

 Meetings were held across the state including the Step Up offices in Tampa and Jacksonville.

PAB members in Lake City

Thanks to the following host schools:

The Broach School in Bradenton

Epiphany Catholic School in Lake City

Holy Cross Lutheran School in North Miami

Ibn Seena Academy in Orlando 

PAB members in Bradenton

 FREE ONLINE TOOLS FOR TEACHERS!

Ms. Melendez viewing her student avatars on her iPad.

 Classdojo.com, a free behavior management and communication tool

takes advantage of two free online programs to make her parent communication more successful. Classdojo manages student behavior with avatars and points, and allows 

Class Jump allows Ms. Melendez to develop her own classroom website - for free!

http://classjump.com/m/mmelendez/

 Spotlight on Deltona Adventist School

Similar to Starbucks, Deltona Adventist School  has initiated a punch card system for their parents to receive points towards a $10 gift card if they attend seven of the eleven "Parents Involved in Education" (PIE) events. Events include: school picnic, poetry night, church program, parent-teacher conferences, fall festival, Success Partners Module 3, science night, Thanksgiving Feast, Christmas program, Khan Academy night and pancake breakfast.  

 Spotlight on St. Paul's Catholic School

         After completing the first two modules of Success Partners, St. Paul's Catholic School in Jacksonville hosted a Family Reading Night where they had 50 parents and children gathered one evening to read the book, "The Rainbow Fish", and complete family-oriented activities using the themes within the children's book (see picture). Because it was such a hit, they are planning more family events, including a Family Math Night.           

 Spotlight on Trinity Christian in Apopka 

Trinity Christian in Apopka kicked off their Parent-School Partnership Plan this fall, and one of their parents responded in a big way. He started a parent service organization called PCS @ TCS (Parents Committed to Serve at Trinity Christian School). He has organized workdays with detailed supplies needed, optional hours to work, project descriptions and "stations". Some of the teachers have volunteered to join his workdays as well!

 Spotlight on Winter Haven Adventist

Vicki Turner, principal/teacher at Winter Haven Adventist has come up with a new way of assigning homework. She gives families a homework menu at the beginning of each month. The menus differ based on the grade level. The student (and families) must complete one project per week. Before the month is over they should have picked one project per column. All projects match the school's theme for the month. Last month the theme was the ocean.  

Spotlight on Kingdom Academy working on the Success Partners Modules!  

The Success Stories newsletter is brought to all educators in Success Partners to share

the good news of parent partnerships and to recognize continuous improvement as educators

 grow in their appreciation of family engagement. 

It is always comforting to me to be able to take some time out of my busy schedule and hectic family life to pause for some personal reflection. Recently, I had such an opportunity as I did something that many Floridians rarely take the time to do. I visited the beach!

It was there on the beach that I was able to grasp how vastly different my life has become and look back on the journey that brought me to where I am today. It was there that I understood on a deeper level the steps of change that have molded me into who I am.

Change is something that very few people are able to embrace, yet when we look all around us it happens so easily and effortlessly. Even though it is limited, we are able to see some leaves falling in Florida during this time of year. We also see some other things in our lives such as our students physically sprouting up without much thought, technology advancing so fast that it leaves some of us in the dust, our personal children becoming young people or even parents themselves, leaders being replaced by new people, and many other things that we may not even notice.

Change can be good if we will just look at it from a different perspective sometimes. Try looking at the other side of the coin when you find yourself in a situation of change. Growing students are becoming more mature and may not have as many issues as they had in the past, technology can help improve our lives and lengthen our life spans, our children give us grandchildren whom we can spoil and then send them home with a little retribution for the things they put us through as parents, new leadership brings new ideas and can invigorate us as professionals and even make us better people, and just think about all the things we haven't noticed yet that will keep life interesting and enjoyable.

So, the next time you are faced with a situation of change, flip the coin to the other side and see what it has in store for you!   ~ Dr. Scott Beck, Coordinator in the Office of Student Learning  

Most teachers and parents recognize the importance of effective parent-teacher communication. Few, however, gleefully anticipate the actual occasions of that communication. If only we understood each other better! To help, Education World asked the teachers and parents we know, "What do you want your child's teacher -- or your student's parent -- to know about you?"

What you should know before and during your parent-teacher conference.

What Parents Want Teachers to Know About the Conference

Over the years, teachers around the world have asked for an easy way to help parents connect with their children's learning on Khan Academy. We're excited to share a brand-new resource to help you reach out to parents! 

Download Khan Academy parent kit  

Our new parent kit includes a printable handout as well as a presentation that's perfect for back-to-school night or any other parent event. The kit is a great way to show parents how you're using Khan Academy in your classroom and how they can encourage their children's learning at home. We hope you find it useful!

Healthy Kids Grants from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation- We seek funding opportunities that allow us to make progress in ensuring all children grow and reach optimal well-being by living in secure families, having access to fresh, local healthy food, physical activity, and access to quality health care.

Availability: All States    Average Amount: $75,000.00 - $5,000,000.00
Total Amount: $200,000,000.00 Address: One Michigan Avenue East Battle Creek, MI 49017-4012
Telephone: 269-969-2329  Email: [email protected]
 Website: W.K. Kellogg Foundation
 Eligibility: Public School, Private School, Higher Education, Other
 Program Areas: At-Risk/Character, Community Involvement/Volunteerism, Family Services, General Education, Health/PE
 Deadline: Ongoing

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N-Vision a Brighter Future Grant from the Westinghouse Electric Company- Schools and teachers who want their students to learn more about STEM through a hands-on project should apply for this grant. The kinds of projects that will be considered are any creative hands-on project dealing with STEM. Grants may be used to compensate experts who come to work with students, but not to pay teachers or staff. Funds may also be used to purchase equipment or to provide field trip transportation, but not when these are ends alone. Equipment and trips should be just one component of a well-planned project, integrated with other curriculum materials and activities.

Availability: All States   Average Amount: $1,000.00 - $3,000.00
Email:  [email protected]       Website: Westinghouse Electric Company
Eligibility: Public School, Private School
Program Areas: General Education, Math, Science/Environmental, STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math), Technology
Deadline: 11/14/2014