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Florida PTA e-News
May 2021
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Happy May everyone!
I know May usually brings us many events, however this year continues to bring us many changes due to the pandemic. Across our state and country, signature moments in our children's lives have been modified to have in some way or even worse, cancelled. This time of year our social media and conversations are usually filled with pictures from Proms, Graduations, Moving on Ceremonies, Teacher Appreciation Week celebrations, end of year events, and so many more. These times affect each of us differently, especially our children. Children might be reaching out to you for someone to talk to; let's listen, they need us. While we continue to navigate our way through these difficult and trying times, stay strong and please continue to push through for All Children.
Florida PTA is hard at work getting ready for Leadership Convention. We hope you will join us, in-person or virtually. With over 70 workshops, networking opportunities, exhibitors, Resource Fair, Awards Luncheon, Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Breakfast, PTAs Got Talent and more, there is sure to be something for everyone! We have a new format this year and will have 4 (four) General Meetings and Friday after General Meeting II your Board of Directors will welcome you to the Family Reunion Picnic at Inverness Hall! We are looking forward to seeing you there, in-person or virtually!
My word for this month is:
per·se·ver·ance
/ˌpərsəˈvirəns/
persistence in doing something despite difficulty or delay in achieving success.
Jennifer "Jen" Martinez
President | Florida PTA
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This Wednesday check out our past Get Engaged Wednesday Sessions
Did you know Florida PTA has a web page with training videos available for you to use with your county councils and local units? Check it out for some fun and entertaining, yet full of PTA information, for you:
Save the dates for our next sessions:
5/12: Student Engagement
5/19: Final ZOOMing into Membership
Thank you,
Florida PTA
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Leadership Convention 2021 |
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ARE YOU READY FOR FLORIDA PTA’s BIGGEST FAMILY REUNION?
One awesome event, Two ways to experience it!
Announcing our 2021 Leadership Convention will be a Hybrid event.
You may choose to attend in-person or virtually!
There are only 200 spaces remaining for in-person attendance.
Virtual attendance is unlimited.
If you have not already provided a line item in your budget to attend the 2021 FPTA Leadership Convention (July 15-18), you still have time! Here are the prices for this incredible event and please remember training is a legitimate, approved expense!
Early bird: $90 (expires June 1st), Regular: $105 (until June 30th),
Students 21 & younger: $50
Non PTA-members: $150
*Fees are the same regardless of how you choose to attend
There is no onsite registration.
We can’t wait to see you there!!!
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Turn passion into action; now more than ever!!!
Florida PTA (FLPTA) Legislation Committee
The Florida Legislative Session is complete, and bills have been heading to the Governor’s office.
The work of our FLPTA Legislation Committee began well before session with the committee weeks that began in January. FLPTA had committee members in Tallahassee for all committee weeks and the entire session! Here are some stats to share with you regarding our work on your behalf:
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152: Committee meetings: these were meetings where committee members (we) testified, supported, or opposed proposed bills or amendments based on PTA Resolutions and/or Position Statements
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52: Representative/staff Meetings: this was where we had one on one meetings
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42: Coalition/coalition partner meetings: these are meetings where we are involved with like-minded organizations such as No place for a Child, Gun Safety Coalition, Child Advocacy, We are Florida Policy
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7: Sessions attended
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3: State Agency meetings
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2: Press Conferences
Click here for the status of the top bills your FLPTA has been following this session.
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The Florida PTA Audit Form has been updated and ready for use. You can find the new Audit Form, as well as other Compliance requirement information by visiting this link:
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The deadline to apply for Awards has been extended to May 8, 2021! |
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In this not-so-typical year, we on the Awards Committee are guessing that you hosted some not-so-typical programs. Don’t forget to apply for awards for those programs and check out more awards that you can apply for on the Florida PTA website https://floridapta.org/florida-pta-awards/. We bet there is something that your unit qualifies to apply for. If you have any questions, please feel free to email [email protected]
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Diversity, Equity & Inclusion |
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As we draw the academic year to a close and begin to look forward to a fresh start in the 2021-2022 school year, now is the time to deeply consider the ways in which you can make your PTA more accessible to the families you serve. Ask yourself these questions: does your PTA membership reflect the demographics of the students? Or the larger community? In what ways does the PTA connect with families who cannot volunteer in ‘traditional’ ways, or perhaps are non-English speakers? Does your board bring together a variety of backgrounds, perspectives, and identities? No matter where your answers land, there is always an opportunity for our organizations to become more equitable, inclusive, and accessible. Here are a few tips to get started! Click here to finish reading the article.
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The Florida PTA Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion team is looking for K-12 students to share what it means to be a light to the world.
We would love to hear from your child(ren) regarding who they consider the light in their world or what it means to be a light to the world.
Video clips are limited to no more than 15 (fifteen seconds) in length. Deadline for submissions is May 9, 2021, at 12:00 pm.
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Florida PTA is so proud of all of our amazing artists. Special congratulations go out to the following artists who received Award of Excellence or Award of Merit recognitions at the National PTA level! |
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Registration for next year's Reflections program is now open! Please click here to register your school. The theme for next year is "I Will Change The World By..."
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School of Excellence Now Open |
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How well does your school make families feel welcome?
National PTA School of Excellence is a recognition program that supports and celebrates partnerships between PTAs and schools to enrich the educational experience and overall well-being for all students. What can you do now to begin the process of becoming a School of Excellence?
The 2021-2022 National School of Excellence Program is now OPEN! Enroll Now.
Build a team of PTA, school, and community leaders who will work together to set goals for school improvement. Your team can begin to look at current family engagement methods used by your school and discuss ways families can be further empowered to take part in education.
What resources are available for help?
Once you apply for the National PTA School of Excellence program, National PTA will begin to provide you with ongoing support and resources to help your PTA achieve a stronger family-school partnership. Your Roadmap to Excellence will be tailored to fit the goals you've chosen to make improvements to your school.
Florida PTA will have a workshop devoted to this wonderful program so you can learn more about it. Be sure to check back on the Florida PTA website and your inboxes for e-blasts for updates as the new school years begins!
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Congratulations to our STEM Grant Winners! |
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The Florida PTA Healthy Child Committee reviewed the STEM grant applications received. After reviewing all applications, the committee members narrowed the programs down to the final twenty.
Out of the 61 STEM grant applications that were reviewed, 38 (62%) were from south Florida. Miami Dade County submitted 27 applications (44%), Broward County submitted 5 grant applications and Palm Beach County submitted 6 Grant applications.
Thank you to all local units that completed the STEM grant application. We wish everyone success with their STEM Program. PhaRMA sponsored these grants, and the programs selected will receive $5,000 each for the creation or continuation of the STEM program they submitted.
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National PTA Center For Family Engagement |
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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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