January 2021 Issue
Welcome to FCCPTA's newsletter, Top 10 on the 10th, where we bring you no more than 10 PTA-related news items on the 10th day of every month.
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In this Issue

  1. Financial Fitness
  2. Minority Student Achievement Oversight Committee | January 13
  3. VAPTA #VirtualRally | January 14
  4. Student Mini-Grants | January 15
  5. Spelling Bee | January 30
  6. Citizenship Essay Contest | February 1
  7. FCCPTA General Membership Meeting | February 3
  8. Parent Advocacy Handbook
  9. VAPTA 100th Anniversary Celebration and Annual Meeting
  10. National PTA Legislative Conference
Financial Fitness
Financial Fitness from the Treasurer
Dues were due to the FCCPTA on December 1. You can still pay them. To pay online through MemberHub.
You can also download our Dues Remittance Form and mail it to FCCPTA (our mailing address is on the form). Additional information on dues submission is located on our FCCPTA Website.
Please remember, Treasurers, we want to hear from you. If you have questions or need assistance on financial matters, contact Jaime Yarussi, FCCPTA Treasurer at treasurer@fccpta.org
Minority Student Achievement Oversight Committee
Minority Student Achievement Oversight Committee (MSAOC) Representative, Crystal Lamb invites you to learn more about MSAOC and attend their next meeting.

Committee Purpose

This committee advocates for minority student achievement by identifying, reviewing, and assessing issues affecting minority student academic achievement within the policies, curriculum, practices, and procedures of FCPS. The committee’s responsibilities also include:

  • making appropriate recommendations to the School Board
  • reviewing strategies and proposing solutions for closing the achievement gap
  • evaluating progress towards goals set by the School Board for closing the achievement gap
  • ensuring outreach to parents and guardians about resources available through FCPS.






For more information contact Crystal Lamb at msaoc@fccpta.org
#VirtualRally
Raise the bar! Join the rally!

  • Post a picture or a 10 second video sharing a top priority for you or your school PTA.

  • Tag a PTA and two friends.

  • Tag your legislators.

  • Share a post!



Student Mini-Grants
Fairfax County Council PTA (FCCPTA) is pleased to announce our 2020-21 Student Technology Mini-Grant Program.

Through a generous donation from the Fairfax County NAACP, FCCPTA is offering Fairfax County Public School students (in grades 3-11) an opportunity to obtain a $500 mini-grant for the purchase of computer or a technology-related device or equipment.

There are twelve (12) $500 mini-grants available. In order to apply, the students or their parent/guardian MUST be a member of a PTA/PTSA.

The application deadline is Friday, January 15, 2021

Questions? Please contact Michelle Leete at vp.communications@fccpta.org




Spelling Bee
Enrollment period extended!! 
2021 Virginia PTA Citizenship Essay Contest
Virginia PTA is committed to promoting a sense of citizenship and responsibility in the lives of our children – tomorrow’s leaders. To demonstrate the value that Virginia PTA places on good citizenship, we are proud to sponsor, support, and encourage Virginia students to write an essay for the 2021 Citizenship Essay Contest. This year’s selected theme is “How can we stand together when we are so far apart?”

WHO CAN ENTER?
All Virginia students in grades K through 12 presently enrolled in schools with active PTA/PTSAs in Good Standing may enter. A non-graded Special Writer Division is available and limited to students whose physical, cognitive, or mental health challenges meet ADA guidelines. Qualifying students entering this division create their own essay but may receive non-artistic accommodation and assistance from an adult.

CRITERIA:
In all categories, adherence to the theme as it relates to CITIZENSHIP, originality, clarity, thought and skill in standard written English will be judged. The theme must be used as the essay title and may not be altered in any way.

Submissions are due February 1, 2021


General Membership Meeting
Join us Wednesday, February 3 at 6: 30 pm for our Virtual General Membership Meeting. Hear from Dr. Brabrand, School Board Members and the FCCPTA team, and learn more about growing your PTA and helping your school community.

Topic: FCCPTA General Membership Meeting
When: February 3, 2021 06:30 PM

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

Please note the meeting will also be shared on Facebook Live

ALL ARE WELCOME!

Parent Advocacy Handbook
Did you know there is a Parent Advocacy Handbook available on FCPS’s website? 

The Parent Advocacy Handbook contains answers to many questions parents and guardians may have about the school system and how they can best advocate for their student. The Handbook was created by the Minority Student Achievement Oversight Committee (MSAOC) of the School Board. It is available in Arabic, Chinese, English, Korean and Spanish. 


VAPTA 100th Anniversary
We invite you to join us VIRTUALLY for our 100th Anniversary Celebration and Annual Meeting 2021. We are excited to recognize you, our local leaders. This year’s Annual Meeting will take place over 4 days with consecutive business occurring including elections for the 2021-2023 term, Resolutions, and Bylaws. Our time to celebrate the past 100 years as well as prepare for the next 100 years will be an event to remember. We hope you will join us for this momentous occasion. 

Registration is $20 and is open now!


Schedule of Virtual Events

Monday, 3/15
7pm-9pm – Annual Meeting Opening Session
          Business Session: Candidate Town Hall

Tuesday, 3/16
7pm-9pm – Business Session: Resolutions

Wednesday, 3/17
7pm-9pm - Business Session: Bylaws

Saturday, 3/20
9am-10am – 100 year Anniversary Celebration & Keynote Speaker, National PTA President Leslie Boggs

10:30am -1pm – Annual Meeting

For questions and more information please contact:
Sara Case
VA PTA 100th Anniversary Celebration & Annual Meeting 2021 Chair
#CelebratingTheStars #VAPTA100 
National PTA LegCon
Registration Now Open

Register now for the 2021 National PTA Virtual Legislative Conference (LegCon) March 9-11, 2021. Network with fellow PTA advocates, virtually meet with your members of Congress, hear PTA advocacy success stories and learn how to shape public policy on Capitol Hill and at home.




National PTA Capitol Hill Day 2021
We are thrilled to be able to offer a Virtual Hill Day to our LegCon attendees. Meetings with Members of Congress may look and feel different this year, but Hill meetings remain an enormously important advocacy tool. In fact, during COVID we have seen a 45% increase in offices that are willing to participate in video-webinars, and a 35% increase in Members of Congress who are participating in virtual meetings themselves.

National PTA has partnered with Soapbox Consulting to help ensure that your experience meeting with members and staff is seamless. To that end, if you register for LegCon 2021 by Thursday, Feb. 4, 2021, you will be automatically signed up to participate in Hill day.
Need anything? We’re here to help!


Kara Jenkins, president@fccpta.org
Shawna Garrett, vp.outreach@fccpta.org
La Guardia Myers, vp.advocacy@fccpta.org
Larry Mills, vp.programs@fccpta.org
Hamid Munir, vp.training@fccpta.org
Brett Fox, secretary@fccpta.org
Jaime Yarussi, treasurer@fccpta.org

Please share this newsletter with your PTA community