Florida PTA     1747 Orlando Central Parkway     Orlando, Florida     32809     407-855-7604     800-373-5782
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As we approach the end of the school year, I hope you can look back on the year and reflect upon the positive work of your PTA. One way to tell your success is to look at the faces of the teachers and the students. Was your PTA/PTSA effective? Did you meet the needs of your school and community?

As I am completing the final term as your President, I have found it exceptionally rewarding. I have experienced this through the interaction I had with all of you. As I traveled across the state and met many of you, I was able to see for myself the positive work your local units did to help put smiles on those faces. I encourage you to continue the work even as we go into the summer.

One way to do this is to participate at the 2016 Leadership Convention #FLPTALeadingTheWay on Thursday, July 14 thru Sunday, July 17 at the beautiful Innisbrook Golf and Spa Resort. There are always new workshops, exciting programs, the election of new state officers, Health and Wellness Fair, and our always popular Exhibitors Hall, Scholarship Fun(d) night, and so much more. Stay tuned for information about keynote speakers and all happenings.  Please join me in welcoming the new incoming President for the 2016-2018 years, Cindy Gerhardt. She is ready to introduce to you her platform that will continue our work as an association as well as bring new resources to our membership.

If you have not already registered, please do and be part of the most exciting Leadership Convention yet.  www.floridaptaevents.org

Thank you, and see you at Leadership Convention!

Mindy Haas
Florida PTA President
Register now for Leadership Convention 2016!
Registration fees are $85 per person until June 1st, then go up to $105 per person.  Don't delay!  Visit our website for more detailed information!  



Healthy Children, Healthy Future...Being the Best You!
#FLPTALeadingTheWay
Do you have a talent?  It doesn't matter if you like to sing, lip-sync, dance, or you want to perform a skit, we have the perfect opportunity for you!  

Join us at our Leadership Convention for "PTAs Got Talent" and help us raise money for the scholarship fund.  This year we are also challenging each County Council to come with a check in hand.  That doesn't mean local units and individuals are left out.  We want you to join in on the challenge.  Join together and bring what you can whether that is $20 for $200.  It all goes to a great cause - helping a student go to college.  We want to be able to give out more scholarships each year than we did the year before.  Are you up for the challenge?

Sunshine State PTA
Sunshine State
I am a proud member of many local unit PTAs, but I am most proud of my membership to the Sunshine State PTA. 
 
According to our bylaws, we will be holding our annual General Election Meeting and renewing our bylaws on Saturday, July 16, at 1:00 PM at the Florida PTA's Leadership Convention at Innisbrook Resort.  The Sunshine State PTA reaches beyond the traditional school house walls; we reach out to all those who believe in the Mission of PTA. Membership is for everyone: grandparents, aunts, uncles, friends, businesses and community advocates! Joining SUNSHINE STATE PTSA shows your support for all children and for Florida PTA.  As a member, you can speak out, inform, and educate others about issues related to the education, health, safety, and welfare of children.
 
Remember, we are a membership based association.   When you join, you become a part of a large group of advocates who speak on behalf of every child with one loud voice! Our State President, Mindy Haas, sits on numerous committees throughout the state speaking for our children on many important issues. Being a member of our PTA will give you all the benefits of any other local unit.  You will be able to log in to the membership only part of our website, webinars, trainings, Florida PTA and National PTA Conventions, legislative updates and position statements.
 
Best news yet is that you can join or renew for only $10 by stopping by our membership table at Leadership Convention!  Not able to attend Leadership - no problem!!!  Just visit our Florida PTA website. Easy as one, two, three!  If you don't have a PayPal Account, download the form and send your $10.00 to the state office. We will mail back your membership card ASAP!
 
My term as President of Sunshine State PTA comes to an end at Leadership Convention and I would like to thank the Executive Committee and all the dedicated members for their support. Please join our new SSPTA President, Mindy Haas, and become one of the 300,000 Florida PTA Members.
 
General Meeting Agenda -

Review and renewal of bylaws
Elections of Officers
Nominations will be taken from the floor for:
VP of Outreach & Development
Treasurer
Secretary
According to our bylaws:
President- Mindy Haas
VP Membership has one more term - Katrena McMahan
 
Your voice and membership will provide A Healthy Future for all our children!

By Eileen Segal
President, SSPTA
Regions & Councils Retreat
From May 13 - 15, 2016 County Councils Presidents, Region Representatives, and guests descended upon Orlando for specialized training at Florida PTA's annual Regions and Councils Retreat. All fourteen County Councils and three out of five Zone Areas were represented. With over forty attendees, the Annual Retreat's training helps our councils, region representatives, and other leaders better serve the local units with continuing education for our leadership.

"For this year's retreat, we did something new. We listened to our councils about training their boards and opened an invitation to all council board members to receive this specialized training," said Tammy Weaver, Vice President of Regions and Councils.

Specialized training included: TEAM Building; Audits...Oh It's About the Audit; Volunteer Management and Development; Treasurer's Time; How to Work with the Florida PTA Office; Leading by Example; Bylaws and P&P Review; Legislation and Advocacy; Chartering a Local Unit; and an EC and Staff Panel Discussion.

Our next Regions and Councils gathering will be at Florida PTA's Leadership Convention July 14 - 17, 2016, at Innisbrook Golf and Spa Resort in Palm Harbor, Florida.
Legislative Note...
Did you know that every single State Senate and House seat are up for re-election this year?  That's right, every single member in both chambers will be asking for your vote in August and again in November, but before you head to your precinct you should get to know the person who will have the privilege of receiving your vote.  Make them earn your vote.  I encourage you to meet with every candidate in your district this summer.  They will be more than willing to meet with you because as I mentioned they need your vote.  Meet with them at their campaign office or over coffee and bring friends.  Make sure you share the Florida PTA Legislative Priorities and ask them where they stand on these positions.  Ask them if they support 20 consecutive minutes of daily recess.  Plan a Candidate Forum in your area or host a meet and greet and invite all the candidates.   As PTA leaders, we need to engage our members and we need to educate them how to be informed voters.  Enjoy your summer!

Hot Off The Presses!
Just released from National PTA is the Parents Guide To New Assessments in Florida. Please take the time to familiarize yourself with the assessments and evaluations your child will be taking as a student, as well as learn about the benefits and expectations of the new assessments.  This guide is currently available in English and Spanish.  

In addition, please visit the Florida Department of Education's website for the  Parent Guides to Florida Standards. As parents and family members, understanding what it's like for your child to learn under the new Florida Standards is important. These resources and information will help prepare your child for success in each grade level.
Spotlight On...
Jean Ribault Senior High Lady Trojans basketball team in Jacksonville, Florida is an example of how a quality, public education is still effective. Many of these players are scholar athletes. We realize that it takes a village to support our children. We're ecstatic to have been a part of their support system. PTA efforts extend from advocacy, programs, athletics, academics, and so much more. So as a PTA school, Florida PTA felt it was important to celebrate these players and coaching staff's success on achieving a national championship and provide them the recognition they so richly deserve. We were elated to be a part of Lady Trojans' Day on April 12.

Jean Ribault Lady Trojans with Florida PTA Vice President for Membership Development, LaTasha Green-Cobb (seated, middle right).  
How Does Your Garden Grow?
"School Garden Summer Workshop" is scheduled for Tuesday June 14 - Wednesday June 15 at Bok Tower Gardens in Lake Wales in Polk County. The workshop is geared to formal and informal educators who teach students in kindergarten through eighth grade, and whose gardening abilities range from beginner to advanced. For more information and to register for the workshop, please visit   Summer School Garden Workshop Page. Registration is limited to the first 90 registrants. There is a $30 registration fee. To see a draft agenda for  Day 1 click here  and for  Day 2 click here.
Volunteer Florida and Summer Literacy
Governor Scott and Volunteer Florida Present Champion of Service Awards

Volunteer Florida is the Governor's lead agency for volunteerism and national service in Florida , administering more than $31.7 million in federal, state, and local funding to deliver high-impact national service and volunteer programs in Florida . Volunteer Florida promotes and encourages volunteerism to meet critical needs across the state. Volunteer Florida also serves as Florida 's lead agency for volunteers and donations before, during, and after disasters. For more information, visit their website.  

The Champion of Service Award was established in 2013 by Volunteer Florida to honor individuals and groups for their outstanding efforts in volunteerism and service. Nominations are accepted on an ongoing basis and stay active for a calendar year.  Nominate a Champion of Service today!
Summer Literacy Adventure

First Lady Ann Scott welcomed more than 35 students from Kate Sullivan Elementary School to the Governor's Mansion to kick off the Sixth Annual Summer Literacy Adventure. The Summer Literacy Adventure encourages students to make a reading pledge and visit their local library during the upcoming summer break. In the coming weeks, First Lady Ann Scott will hold fun-filled events at Florida state parks to encourage students to read this summer.

For more on the Summer Literacy Adventure, click here.

Awareness!

Summer camp season is quickly approaching. As you begin to staff your camp, please be reminded of the state law requiring all summer camp staff to complete Level 2 background screening within 60 days of the start of camp. Summer camp personnel that are required to be screened include: owners, operators, employees, and volunteers that provide care for children.  Volunteers providing less than ten hours of service per month do not need to be screened, as long as they are always within sight of a person who has met the screening requirement.  

The Florida Department of Children and Families offers a free voluntary summer camp listing on their website.  This tool assures parents that camps listed are aware of the statutorily mandated background screening requirements and the expectation that they must adhere to those requirements.  In order to be approved for the listing, the program must have a user account in the Background Screening Clearinghouse and actively use the system to screen their personnel.  
Director Ruston turned the camera on her own family and others-revealing stories that depict messy struggles over social media, video games and internet addiction.  Examples include Hannah, a 14-year old victim of social media bullying and Andrew, a straight-A student whose love of video games spins out of control when he goes off to college, landing him in an internet rehab center. Interwoven into these stories, are cutting edge science and insights from thought leaders such as Peggy Orenstein, Sherry Turkle, Simon Sinek, as well as leading brain scientists who present evidence on real changes happening in the brain. SCREENAGERS goes far beyond exposing the risks of screen time, but reveals multiple approaches on how parents and educators can work with kids to help them achieve a healthy amount of screen time.
The Florida PTA Store has many great items to help build your PTA spirit!  Click on the picture to see all the great promotional items you can use as awards and incentives!