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Florida PTA e-News
April 2020
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Dear PTA Family,
I know this continues to be a very stressful time filled with uncertainty and anxiety. Thank you for all you are doing to keep yourselves, your families, and your communities safe and healthy. I know that every one of you has been touched by this and some even have family members that have been personally battling this disease.
- Some of us are out of work and may be struggling ourselves with food security.
- Some of us are first responders working directly with those suffering with a Covid-19 infection.
- Some of us are educators trying to navigate the digital divide to prevent learning loss.
- Most of us are serving as facilitators of our own children’s distance learning experiences.
- We are all trying to support family, friends, and colleagues across time and space.
Through all of this I know that each of you remains dedicated to the mission and purpose of PTA. In the scheme of things, PTA operations are not a priority right now and so I want to especially thank all our local leaders and members so much for your ongoing commitment to Florida PTA and to all we do.
“Every
problem
challenge
is an opportunity in disguise.”
This is a quote that you may have heard from me before. Adapted from the words of John Adams, I prefer to substitute the word ‘challenge’ for ‘problem’ and so in the context of the COVID-19
challenge
, I'd like to share a few of the opportunities that have emerged. Some of these were communicated by respondents via the surveys in last week’s e-blast, some are observations expressed directly to me by some of you.
Our PTAs are finding new ways to connect with and engage their communities. They are promoting food distribution opportunities, hosting virtual spirit events, and creating Facebook community platforms for families to connect. They are partnering with new advocacy allies to introduce new learning and engagement resources and social-emotional supports. This situation is also shining a spotlight on the lack of access to equitable resources to support learning for our under-resourced families, families where English is a second language, and families with children with special needs or disabilities.
And so while each of us and the communities we serve are working through this unprecedented challenge, I am confident that we will emerge with an even greater sense of purpose and commitment to ensuring every child reaches their full potential. It is our hope at Florida PTA that what we learn now will forever change our association for the better.
With warm regards,
Linda Kearschner
President | Florida PTA
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Social and Emotional Support
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We are all working hard to help meet the needs of our families and our communities during these challenging times. We must also be diligent in taking care of our own physical, social, and emotional well-being so we can better take care of our loved ones. Here are some tips on how you and your family can be safe and find support.
How to reduce anxiety and stress:
- Keep up with regular routines. While schools are dismissed, create a schedule for learning, relaxing or fun activities.
- Sleep is necessary for good brain health and survival in general.
- Physical exercise -The vitamin D we get from the sun supports physical health and well-being. Look for outdoor activities you can do as families.
- Seek appropriate ways for children to connect with others based on suggested safety guidelines.
- Talk to your children, share age-appropriate information
- Eat healthy, well-balanced meals.
- Answer questions and share facts about COVID-19 in a way that your children can understand.
- Be mindful of exposure to continuous news coverage of the event, including social media. Children may misinterpret what they hear and can be frightened about something they do not understand.
- As parents, be a role model. Take breaks, get plenty of sleep, exercise, and eat well. Please refer to the following link for additional information on Mental Health and Coping during COVID-19 – Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
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From National PTA:
We talked with psychologist, author, and professor Dr. Earl Turner about how to stay happy, healthy and learning during this difficult time. He shares tips for setting routines, managing your mental health and coping with uncertainty....
Listen Now.
We encourage you to talk to your children about the facts around COVID-19. Here are some links that will help:
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Distance Learning Survey Results
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Thank you to all who participated in our previous survey to help us gauge where our communities stand with the transition to distance learning. The graphs below provide a quick snapshot of the nearly 300 responses received earlier this month.
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Florida PTA remains committed to sharing the most up-to-date information about Coronavirus. Please see our
website
for the most updated guidance on how to conduct the business of your PTA during the pandemic, as well as resources on distance learning and social emotional supports.
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Welcome to Workshop Wednesdays!
Florida PTA is thrilled to bring you Workshop Wednesdays (WW) beginning this week! These virtual learning and sharing opportunities will be designed to help you navigate the rest of your PTA year during the Covid-19 challenge. We have some great WW being planned already but want to hear from you about what topics would be the most help to you and your PTA colleagues. Please send your ideas to us at
communication@floridapta.org
. #FloridaPTAWorkshopWednesdays
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We’ll be kicking off Workshop Wednesdays with a little “Membership Madness” hosted by our own Florida PTA Membership Chair Naomi Frierson and members of the Florida PTA Family Engagement Committee. Get tips, inspiration, challenge info and more! This workshop will be participant driven, discussion based, and topics may include:
- Virtual/Socially distant Engagement ideas
- Planning for next year - social and economic impacts of prolonged quarantine on PTA membership
- Membership plans - thinking outside the box, planning ahead
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Register for one of our calls!
April 22, 2020
11:00 AM
Eastern Time (US and Canada)
OR
April 22, 2020
7:00 PM
Eastern Time (US and Canada)
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It’s FAMILY FRIDAYS!
Florida PTA is excited to launch “Family Fridays” to share information and ideas to support family well-being during the Covid-19 challenge. We are looking to share fun resources and activities that families can enjoy together at home. We’ll be posting these on Fridays via our Facebook and Pinterest channels. If you have ideas that could be helpful to other PTA families, please send them to us at
communication@floridapta.org.
#FloridaPTAFamilyFridays
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Thank you to our Legislative Chair, Dr. Danielle Thomas, and her entire committee for their hard work in tracking bills and advocating in Tallahassee on behalf of Florida's children and families.
Click here
to review a summary of the relevant bill activity during Florida's Legislative session.
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Proposed Florida PTA Bylaws Changes
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Thank you to everyone that was able to join us for our Bylaws webinars. These webinars were offered to provide information on the proposed Bylaws amendments coming forward for membership approval at the 2020 Leadership Convention.
If you were unable to join us, no worries! You can click
this link
to view the recording from the April 7
th
webinar.
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In April, Florida PTA Treasurer Karen Mazzola led a Treasurer’s Meet Up Zoom with the County Counsel Treasurers and Region Representatives answering some important questions regarding our Treasurer work during this unusual time. The goal is for the advisers closest to the local units to provide any needed training and guidance. Please please feel free to email Karen at
treasurer@floridapta.org
if you have any questions.
What should Treasurers be doing?
1.Prepare for a possible electronic General Meetings.
- Consider providing the Treasurer reports in advance of the meeting and sharing them electronically during the meeting.
2.Review the Budget to Actual:
- Is there any future income through June 30th and in the Interim period?
- What are the expenses through June 30th and in the Interim period?
- Do adjustments need to be made?
- Remember your Interim Budget (i.e., what you will need from July 1st through the first budget approval in the new school year). Remember that registration fees to attend Leadership Convention are an appropriate expense.
3.Review any pending contracts, especially fundraising. There should be a clause regarding acts of nature or states of emergency. If you have any issues in this area about getting the contract cancelled, please contact the state office.
4.Start getting your notebooks ready for the audit if you have not kept up. Organize it by the categories on the Florida PTA Audit form. If we are still not meeting, consider how the audit will occur, scanning in documents for review with a final review after we are back to normal.
Gift Cards:
We are still getting questions about purchasing gift cards for teachers/staff in light of Teacher Appreciation Week coming up. The answer is still no. The IRS has not relaxed its mandate on this issue and we cannot purchase gift cards with PTA funds.
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Apply for Florida PTA Awards Now!
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We want to hear from you! Please apply for our Awards so we can hear about, and then showcase, the great things your PTA/PTSA is doing! Visit our
website
for more information and applications.
The deadline to apply for a Florida PTA Award is May 1st.
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April is the Month of the Military Child
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April is designated as the Month of the Military Child; a time to honor the sacrifices made by military families worldwide, with an emphasis on the experience of the dependent children of military members serving at home and overseas.” Here are a few ways you can promote military families:
* Military Designated Days. Promote on social media links to assist military families.
* Military Spirit Days or a specific week in the month of April to wear Purple in support of military families.
* Host an art contest celebrating military kids in your community or have an essay contest and ask students to interview someone in their family who has served in the military.
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Leadership Convention 2020 - Let's Get Ready to Register!
Registration is now open for the Florida PTA Leadership Convention 2020! Though Early Bird pricing runs through Monday, June 1st, we encourage PTAs to register as soon as possible. Early registrants will find more available options with our lodging partners, Innisbrook Golf & Spa Resort and Hampton Inn.
Though you will not know for certain the members of your 2020-21 board until after your PTA's elections, go ahead and register those your anticipate returning next year. You can always add registrations later - including on-site at Innisbrook. If a registrant's plans change, Florida PTA will transfer the registration to another of your PTA's members FREE OF CHARGE.
Once your PTA has decided who to register, you'll need to collect some information from each attendee. Click
here
to see what is needed.
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Top Five Reasons to Attend Leadership Convention
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Is Leadership Convention Expense Approved?
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Scholarship Committee Needs Your Support!
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College Awaits…
Right now our thoughts are racing as we grasp for plans. We are working towards positive outcomes and still stand in support of our student’s futures. This committee is still working to support scholarships for our students. Our children will still graduate and will need our help to pay their tuition. We are planning for Leadership Convention and with that are all the events that fund the scholarship program. We need everyone’s help; it can be in small ways to significant ways. We are planning our basket raffle; you can donate a basket or buy a ticket to win one our many baskets. We are planning our annual talent show and dance party: you can perform an act, make a donation, or just come and show support. We are so grateful for all of your support and look forward to a better tomorrow.
Thank you,
Robin DeVault & Scholarship Committee
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We are so excited to work on this fabulous event again this year at the Florida PTA Leadership Convention, Saturday, July 18
th
. We want to share the many ways that you can help and hope you can join us!
- Buy a ticket and join us for the fun! Advance purchase is $15.00, on-site purchase is limited and will cost $20.00.
- Sign up to be one of our fantastic talent acts and perform for your friends.
- Enjoy dressing as your favorite celebrity, cruise member, or favorite cruise apparel.
- Please donate to the scholarship fund to help our graduating seniors. Every donation that we receive from your local PTA, County Council, or personal donation is restricted for our scholarship fund ONLY.
We hope to see many of you at this amazing event that directly affects our students.
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National PTA's School of Excellence enrollment will begin on June 1st (slightly delayed due to COVID-19). Please visit
this website for more information on the program and what you need to apply.
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Florida PTA Staff - We Are Here For You!
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As of March 23, 2020, the Florida PTA office in Orlando has implemented a Remote Work From Home plan for staff. We are anticipating a return to the state office on May 1, but will adjust this date in response to further instruction from our federal, state, and local leaders, as well as the Governor's office and the Florida PTA Personnel Committee.
We expect to provide our volunteers and members with the same level of attention and service as always. Staff will continue to be reachable on their floridapta.org email addresses, and messages left on their office voicemail will continue to be responded to in a timely manner. For a list of our phone extensions and email addresses, visit
this page
on our website.
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Follow us on social media!
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ShopPTA.com sells official PTA and PTSA logo apparel, membership items, awards, gifts and more. All products are offered through each of the participating State PTA organizations. Visit
shoppta.com
for all your PTA needs!
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