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Florida PTA e-News
November 2021
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Happy November everyone! November seems to bring the rush of the Holiday season and before you know it, we will be in 2022.
As the season of thanks is here, I want to personally THANK all of you for all that you do each day for ALL Children. Whether you are a PTA member, volunteer, or leader, we appreciate you. Your membership, time, talents, and treasures are what make us stronger. We are better together and need to remember that PTA is for everyone. The connections we make can last a lifetime and are what make us family.
We also need to be mindful that while we are in our PTA Family, we might not always agree on everything and that is okay. However, we need to remain respectful and courteous to all of our members, volunteers, and leaders. Even in our differences, we must remain dedicated to the PTA Brand, encompassing and embracing each other’s uniqueness. Our differences make us inclusive, our inclusivity makes us powerful, and together we are united to achieve the PTA mission.
When you find yourself in the middle of a situation, ask yourself these questions: how is this helping a child, how will this make a difference for All Children, how will this help our community? Then remember your WHY and it will always lead to helping us achieve the PTA mission.
Jennifer "Jen" Martinez
President | Florida PTA
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How Do You PTA Today? Leadership Summit
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Join us for our first How Do You PTA Today? Leadership Summit!
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We invite all county council, regional, and local unit leaders and members to join us at our Leadership Summit series.
This year, each Leadership Summit will have different topics, workshops, and speakers.
We will be utilizing one ZOOM meeting so you will only need to register for one link for each Summit.
We will have breakout room sessions for all attendees to select the room they wish to visit for information and Lunch & Learn speakers!
You can visit our website for more information as the date is closer:
Scan the QR code, click the image or click here to register!
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LegCon 2022
8 Spots remain for in-person registration!
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Join us for our LegCon 2022 - January 30-February 1. In-person registrations are almost full but we have unlimited space for virtual attendees!
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Schedule:
January 30: Meet & Greet Dessert Reception
January 31: Workshops and advocacy training
February 1: Tour the Capitol and meet with legislators
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Leadership Convention 2022
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Florida PTA Leadership Convention
July 21-24, 2022
The Omni Orlando Resort at ChampionsGate
The resort is located at:
1500 Masters Boulevard, Championsgate, FL 33896
Due to the location and popular demand of this resort, hotel reservations are now open so members attending can reserve their room(s).
Click this link to the Florida PTA special pricing page.
Please use the link to make reservations to ensure your PTA discounted room pricing. Booking through the resort online or directly with the resort you might not receive the discounted pricing.
Average room prices will range from $159-$309, depending on size, location, and style. You can arrive early or extend your stay with the reduced rates depending on
room type and availability
Parking is free for those staying at the resort and for anyone that lives close and choses to drive over daily.
The resort fee has been reduced to $9 and when you book your hotel room it will be reflected in the pricing.
All workshops, ticketed events, exhibitors and General Meetings will be in one building located within just steps of each other.
This hotel has ELEVATORS and lots of restrooms!
We know that sounds silly, but it is a refreshing change of pace for us.
Stay tuned for more details and information!
We look forward to seeing you there!
#FindYourPath
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We are looking towards our future and want to take you along the path of PTA with us! One of the most exciting paths YOU can take begins with the FIRST step of planning for your PTA to attend the 2022 Florida PTA Leadership Convention in Orlando July 21-24, 2022, at the Omni Orlando Resort at Championsgate.
This step includes making sure you have this Convention written into your budget as training. Next, you need to encourage your board and members to make the commitment NOW to attend as this is an event you do not want to miss. These are the most important steps you can take on your path for your PTA, as there is so much offered at our Convention. Last year we had 83 workshops, four General Meetings, and a great selection of hands-on training opportunities, which engaged, inspired, and empowered PTA members to be more effective leaders and advocates.
Stay on the path, and we'll SEE YOU THERE!
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Call for 2022 Leadership Convention Workshops
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Do you have a workshop that you would like to see and/or offer at Leadership Convention? If so, please click the link below to complete the Google Form “Call For Workshops and Presenters” for our 2022 Leadership Convention.
If you have any questions please email Maxine Lewers, Vice President for Leadership Development at [email protected]
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All forms and instructions for this year's Reflections program are on our website, as well as due dates for each county. Please join our Facebook Reflections page to join in the conversation, ask questions, make suggestions, and bounce ideas off of each other!
In order to participate in this program, you must register your local unit with National PTA. Click here to start!
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Did you know that even though MemberHub calculates the local unit membership dues, you still have to click "Submit"? You must be the president or treasurer in order to submit dues. It’s simple when doing through MemberHub; just click the submit button. If you prefer, you can still use the dues form found in the Kit of Materials. All you need to do is fill it out and include a check when sending to the Florida PTA state office.
One thing to keep in mind…it may take a few weeks to process your dues payment. The amount received must be verified by the state office before it will be updated on your MemberHub site. Please be patient. If it has been a month or longer since your dues submission, you can reach out to [email protected] to verify that they received the payment.
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To view our Resolutions Procedure Guide, please click here.
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E-Learning Opportunities/PTA Insurance
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Membership Has Its Benefits!
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There are many benefits of becoming a PTA/PTSA Member. But many times we look at the “What do I get out of being a PTA/PTSA Member?”
While National PTA offers discounts to Members, It’s great to come up with benefits at your Local Unit!
Here are some Ideas that you may find beneficial:
- Create Partnerships within your local community that will benefit your PTA/PTSA Members.
- Offer Membership Perks to Families for Free Entry or Discounted Entry to PTA/PTSA hosted events.
- Give PTSA Student Members a discount on School Events.
- Host a School Wide Incentive and/or Class Incentives for reaching a Membership Goal.
- Provide the Teachers and Staff within your school a sign for their door to proudly display that they are PTA/PTSA Members.
- Offer Grants to the Teachers and Staff for Joining.
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What Makes the "PTA Difference" So Much Better for Schools?
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The Power of PTA: PTA Makes a Difference
Over 120 years, PTA has helped solve some of the biggest issues facing America’s children. Many of the structures all children benefit from today—child labor laws, universal kindergarten, the National School Lunch Program and the juvenile justice system—were accomplished as a result of PTA members’ advocacy.
And it’s not just at the national level. Our state and local PTAs change lives too. Florida PTA members helped to defeat a piece of state legislation that would allow for-profit management companies and other corporate interests to take over public schools, keeping children’s educations from effectively being bought and sold. Washington State PTA worked to secure the passage of several major state education reforms, improving the day-to-day lives of children across the state. The impact of PTA is felt far and wide across our country.
Click here to learn more.
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Where in the World is Jen Martinez?
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Meet "Flat Jen"!
Where in Florida is Jen Martinez? The real Jen Martinez is on the move, visiting PTAs across the state. As our Florida PTA President, Jen would love to be everywhere and participate in each of your PTA events; unfortunately, there’s only one Jen, but we found a solution - Meet Flat Jen! Flat Jen is our fun way to make sure that President Jen never misses an event, meeting or PTA function. We want PTAs across the state to include Flat Jen, and her trusty sidekick Flat Miss Mary, in your trainings, take her to your meetings, and make her a part of your parent events. Keep Jen on the move year-round and take pictures. Post your pics on social media using hashtag #FLPTAJEN so that we know where Jen has been spotted - make sure to share your local unit name!
The unit that has the most hashtag appearances with Flat Jen will receive a special award at the 2022 Florida PTA Convention. If you didn’t receive a Flat Jen during our convention this year, you can use the template attached and create your own happy cutout. All participants are encouraged to keep Jen going! Let’s make sure that Flat Jen has an educational, fun, interactive and inclusive experience this year!
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Native American Heritage Month
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November is American Indian/Alaska Native Heritage Month
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It's a time to recognize the many sacrifices, contributions and achievements of Native American people, as well as celebrate their rich and vibrant cultures. Heritage Month is also an opportune time to educate and to raise a general awareness about the unique challenges of the Native American Alaskan Native people.
Click here for the full article.
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Mark your calendar for these upcoming Florida PTA Dates. Watch for more details about each event as the date comes closer.
11/6: Leadership Summit (virtual)
11/12: Reflections Theme Search Deadline
11/15: IRS 990 due on or before
1/11/22: Florida Legislature begins
1/14/22: Reflections due to the state
1/30-2/1/22: Legislative Conference and Capitol Visits, Tallahassee, Hybrid event, limited in-person attendance
1/30-2/4/22: Children's Week in Tallahassee
2/1/22: Scholarship Applications Due
2/17/22: Founder's Day
2/19/22: Leadership Summit (virtual)
3/12/22: Leadership Summit (virtual)
4/23/22: Student Reflections Celebration (virtual)
6/14-6/19/22: National PTA Convention with the Legislative Conference, National Harbor, Maryland
**7/21-7/24/22: Florida PTA Leadership Convention, Orlando, Florida (new dates and location!)
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We look forward to seeing you throughout the year at our various events, whether in-person or virtual, there is sure to be something for everyone! If you have any questions about any of the events, please do not hesitate to reach out to us at: [email protected]
This upcoming year is also an election year for Florida PTA. If you're interested in being nominated for an elected officer position for the 2022-2024 term, please click this link for detailed information!
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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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