Eblast for November 15, 2020
Miami Palmetto Senior High School PTSA
Upcoming Events - ALL EVENTS AND DATES SUBJECT TO CHANGE:
*OPEN HOUSE is postponed- Stay tuned for updates
Nov 15: PTSA Survey DUE
Nov 17: AP Info Night (for 8th Grade Families), 6:30PM
Nov 19: Junior Parent Night, 6:30PM
Nov 25-27: No School/Thanksgiving Break
Dec 2: Prospective MPSH Student Info Night, 6 PM
Dec 8: Pinecrest Mayor's Education Advisory Council Meeting, 9:15 AM
Dec 10: Teacher/Staff Holiday Luncheon
Dec 15: Group Banner 1st Deadline (Bronze Sponsorship)
Dec 21-Jan 1: No School/Winter Break
Jan 14: General PTSA Meeting, 7PM
Jan 26: PSAT for 10th Grade (11th Grade Optional). TBD for 9th Grade
Jan 28 & 29 Picture Days (tentatively)
Mar 15: Group Banner 2nd Deadline (Bronze Sponsorship)

Resources:





CONGRATULATIONS SILVER KNIGHT NOMINEES!
THANK YOU PTSA Members and Sponsors!
As of 11/6 we have 749 members and have raised $30,816. Our GOAL is 1,500 members and $35,000. WE ARE GETTING THERE! A special THANK YOU to our sponsors. New banners for those sponsors who qualify will be hung on our school’s perimeter fence shortly.
 
Palmetto needs you more than ever. Please join and sponsor today! Scroll down for complete information. Quick link to sign-up: https://palmettopanthers.new.memberhub.store/store
Junior Parent Night:
To the class of 2022:

On  Thursday night (November 19th)  is our virtual Junior Parent Night. 
All Junior parents  and their children are invited to attend a live zoom meeting. 
This will be presentation about some of the upcoming topics
  • Graduation requirements
  • Planned fundraising and events for the class of 2022
  • Talking about the post-secondary plans
  • Scholarship programs
  • SAT/ACT
  • Updates  and
  • Getting ready for senior year.
  
With about 300 school days left until your child graduates from Miami Palmetto Senior High it is time to start. We hope we can answer most of your questions. 
 
Please join us at 6:30 p.m.
 
The zoom information is listed below on an email and can be seen on the PTSA website, our activities website, and all social media. If you are getting these announcements it should be accompanied by an email.
 
See you Thursday on the 19th at 6:30 right there on your couch!
 
Time: Nov 19, 2020 06:30 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
 
Register in advance for this meeting:

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
Class of 2022 Apparel & Palmetto Masks for ALL:
Testing Updates:

·        FSA ELA 11th grade PHY student will test from November 16th - December 3rd. MSO students will test in the spring 2021.
·        12th graders wanting to take the US History EOC for Scholar's Designation need to contact me so that I may put them in my list for December test date by November 20th. Study info-  https://www.flvs.net/student-resources/flex/eoc/us-history
·        Students who took Biology last year and want to take the Biology EOC for the Scholar's Designation need to contact me so that I may put them in my list for December test date by November 20th.  Study info- https://www.flvs.net/student-resources/flex/eoc/biology
·        Note: Students taking the Biology/US History EOCs in November were those students who specifically asked to take their EOC at the end of the school year and during the summer. They contacted me after receiving the registration information that I had sent out to all Biology and US History teachers.
·        Link is the study guide for PSAT/NMSQT test that will be held on January 26, 2021. https://collegereadiness.collegeboard.org/pdf/psat-nmsqt-student-guide.pdf
·        All 10th graders will be taking the PSAT/NMSQT on January 26, 2021. 11th graders will have to pay $17 to take the PSAT/NMSQT. Payments will be done through the OSP system. Limited seats.
·        More information on payment deadlines for PSAT/NMSQT will be posted in December.

Alejandra Valencia
Testing Chairperson
Co-AP Coordinator
Miami Palmetto High School
(305)235-1360 x2284
Girls Soccer Try-Outs:
Yearbook Info:
LAST CHANCE!!!
School of Excellence Survey EXTENSION- NOW DUE 11/15:
Due to a lack of response, we have a due date extension of 11/15. PLEASE TAKE SURVEY. Thanks. More details: 
 
Families, Administrators, and Teachers-
We need your help please. Please take 3 minutes of your time to complete an online, anonymous survey regarding your school experience. 
 
 
 
FULL PROGRAM INFORMATION:
 
Miami Palmetto Senior High School 
 
Help MPSH to become a PTA School of Excellence
 
The Miami Palmetto Senior High School PTSA knows that a strong partnership among our families, school leaders and community members is important to the success of our students and school. That’s why we are participating in the National PTA School of Excellence program, which grows partnerships between PTAs and schools to enrich the educational experience and overall well-being of all students.
 
At a National PTA School of Excellence, families feel welcomed and empowered to support student success, and PTSA is a key partner for continuous school improvement. We feel Miami Palmetto Senior High School and MPSH PTSA can achieve that together—and the result will be national, state and community-wide visibility for the positive impact we are making together at Miami Palmetto Senior High School.
 
We need your help! As part of the process, National PTA requests feedback from families, administrators, and teachers at two points in the school year—the beginning and the end. Your feedback will help us improve our family-school partnership and achieve excellence.
 
Please take 3-5 minutes to reflect on your experience at this school and complete the attached survey. Mark the box that most accurately expresses how you feel about your experience. This survey is completely anonymous. Please complete this survey on or before  Oct. 30th.
M-DCPS Parent Academy Schedule:
Senior Portrait Info:
Senior Portrait Info: Fox-Mar is still taking senior portraits. The last day for seniors to take their picture in order to be featured in the yearbook is December 5th. They can take their photo at any time, but that's the cutoff date (so far) to be featured in the yearbook. https://www.fox-mar.com

If you already took your senior portrait, but didn't submit your senior quote, please follow this link!
Scoir Parent Workshop:
Did you miss the District’s parent meeting about Scoir? You can watch it here:
Parents’ Guide to the District's New College Planning Tool (SCOIR) Webinar:
Passcode: t=6X%ann
Join Palmetto High’s PTSA TODAY! 

Direct Link to Online PTSA Membership/Sponsorship: https://palmettopanthers.new.memberhub.store/store

5 Reasons Why YOU Should Join Palmetto High PTSA Today:

1. You’ll Be Connected. Now more than ever communication is key to have a successful 2020-2021 year. Palmetto High PTSA will keep you informed all year on school updates and events. In addition, because we are starting school virtually, it is also the best way to meet and connect with other MPSH parents. 

2. You Are Helping the School. When you buy a membership, you are showing that you support Palmetto High and our PTSA, including financially. 100% of proceeds go directly back into our school. 

3. It Gives PTA/PTSA Legislative Power. Local, state, and national PTSA/PTA are constantly advocating for our children and our schools in legislative matters, and your membership fee contributes to their cause. 

4. You Are Your Child’s Role Model. By joining the PTSA you are showing that you are interested in your child’s school and their education is important to you. 

5. YOU Get a Vote. Every PTSA member gets a voice when voting on important Palmetto High PTSA decisions, including budget and spending decisions. 

In addition to buying a PTSA membership, we ask the Palmetto Community to consider an additional donation to our PTSA. At the web site above, please review the various sponsorship levels. All Sponsorships include PTSA Membership up to 4 family members.  

If you are a business and are interested in Business Sponsorship opportunities, please read our Sponsorship Letter and view our Sponsorship levels below.
Dear Potential Sponsor,

As President of the Miami Palmetto Senior High School PTSA, I am excited to announce that we are initiating what we hope to be a successful Fundraising Program this year in spite of the pandemic gripping our world. We are asking families, local businesses, MPHS alumni, and community leaders to participate. One hundred percent of the proceeds will go directly to fund essential student programs, teacher special projects, and technology improvements, just to name a few.

Our popular annual “Love Our Panthers Event” is now going to be “Love Our Panthers ALL Year Long”! We will still plan to hold our annual community mixer event and Silent Auction in the Spring, should conditions allow, however, this year we are centralizing all of our fundraising efforts to run continuously all year. Banners that promote businesses that support Panther Pride are now included at various levels. These banners can be hung on the sports fence along both 120th Street and 77th Avenue, which is highly visible to local traffic.

Your contribution can make a real difference at a neighborhood school. You may be aware that Florida school funding is among the lowest per capita. Fortunately for our school, the PTSA in conjunction with our extraordinary community we are able to bridge that gap and make Miami Palmetto Senior High School a nurturing and amazing place to educate our teens.

There are several reasons why you may be interested in this program. Most importantly, we are a tax exempt organization and your donation is tax-deductible.

Second, our sponsors are recognized for their support in several ways that are visible to thousands of members of our far-reaching Palmetto family.

We are continuously working with community leaders to promote our amazing, public neighborhood schools. Competing with other school options can be challenging, but we maintain that Miami Palmetto Senior High School is not only an excellent choice, but also one that serves our neighborhood and strengthens our community.
Please consider the various sponsorship opportunities that we offer. If you have any questions or another way that you are interested in supporting our school please do not hesitate to contact either me or the Vice President of Ways and Means, Dana March (danamarch73@gmail.com) or our Fundraising Chair, Zalaysha Lowry (zlowry76@gmail.com).

More information as well as the link to donate, can be found on our website: www.palmettohighptsa.org.

Sincerely,

Gina Vinueza
Miami Palmetto Senior High School PTSA President, 2020-21
Legislative Updates:

I.                    General Election 2020 results relevant to the MPSH feeder pattern include the following:
·        President: Joseph Biden (subject to vote of the Electoral College)
·        Representative, US Congress, District 27: Maria Elvira Salazar (incumbent Donna Shalala defeated)
[The US House is expected to retain its Democratic majority]
·        State Senator, District 37: Ileana Garcia
[The State Senate will continue to have a Republican majority, but not a supermajority]
·        State Representative, District 114: Demi Busatta Cabrera
·        State Representative, District 115: Vance Aloupis (reelected)
·        State Representative, District 117: Kevin Chambliss
[The State House will continue to have a sizeable Republican majority, but not a supermajority]
·        County Mayor: Daniella Levine Cava
·        County Commission, District 7: Raquel Regalado
·        County Commission, District 8: vacant—Commissioner to be appointed or Special Election to be scheduled
·        County Commission, District 9: Kionne McGhee
·        School Board Member, District 9: Luisa Santos
·        Pinecrest Councilmembers: Anna Hochkammer (reelected), Shannon Del Prado
·        Palmetto Bay Councilmember: Steve Cody
·        Palmetto Bay Vice Mayor: runoff December 1 between Leanne Tellam and Ed Silva

IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT EACH ELECTED OFFICIAL BE INVITED TO ATTEND A MPSH PTSA MEETING.

II.                 State Board of Education
The State Board of Education will meet at 9 am on Wednesday, November 18 in Tallahassee. On the agenda will be a report from Education Commissioner Corcoran and a presentation on the “rigor gap” between Florida students’ declining performance on the NAEP and the course grades they receive.

III.               State Legislature
The Legislature will meet for an organizational session on November 17, and will hold 5 committee weeks beginning in January (January 11-15; January 25-29; February 1-5; February 8-12; February 15-19). The 2021 Legislative Session itself is slated to begin on March 2.

IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT CONSTITUENTS APPROACH LEGISLATORS NOW WITH ANY REQUESTS FOR BILL LANGUAGE OR SPECIAL PROJECTS.

IV.               Florida PTA Legislative Conference
Scheduled for March 21-23; whether via Zoom or in person in Tallahassee will be determined by as yet to be announced COVID-related rules for Capitol visits and live public comments.
 
V.                 MDCC PTA/PTSA Presents Superintendent’s Q & A Forum
Rescheduled for December 1.

VI.               Pinecrest—Mayor’s Education Advisory Council
December 8, 9:15 am, via Zoom. Contact Nancy Lawther at nllawther@gmail.com for further information.

VII.              Heads Up: Governor Ron DeSantis/Commissioner Corcoran are expected to announce plans for universal return to brick and mortar instruction later this month.
GET YOUR PALMETTO SPIRIT WEAR:
The Miami Palmetto Senior’s PTSA school store is operated by Sharingwear.org, a charitable organization founded and operated by Nicole Markus, a Palmetto High senior. Sharingwear’s Palmetto Senior Online Store is the sole PTSA/school source to buy dress code shirts for Palmetto Senior as the Palmetto Senior PTSA does not operate a physical store at school. All clothing featured on Sharingwear’s Palmetto Senior Online Store are approved by Miami Palmetto Senior High as qualified dress code attire.
Designs can be purchased in multiple clothing styles (tshirts, sweatshirts, etc.) and some designs are available in multiple colors. Orders are custom printed and take 2-3 weeks for delivery. Several great new designs have been added.
All profits from Sharingwear’s Palmetto Senior Online Store are shared 50% with the Palmetto Senior PTSA and 50% with Sharingwear’s Charity of the Month. 
Please visit SharingWear.org to stock up on clothes for next year!
Get Your Palmetto Gear!
Have Something You Want to Share?
If there is something you would like to share in the MPSH weekly e-blast, please email KatieLAbbott@comcast.net by the end of the school day every Friday.
 
Click Here to donate to Miami Palmetto PTSA (thank you!!!)

PLEASE FORWARD this email to any new parents who may not be receiving it yet. 
PTSA Website: palmettohighptsa.org
School Website: palmettopanthers.org
Facebook: Miami Palmetto Senior High School PTSA
Twitter: @MPSHPTSA
Instagram: @MPSHPTSA