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Florida PTA e-News
February 2021
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Happy February Florida PTA!
Wow, is it really February already? With everything going on, these days seem to be flying by.
How are you doing? I ask because this year seems to be weighing on most of us. Many of us had a different set of plans for this year. Yet, we continue to pivot daily to keep our PTAs active and connected with our families, schools, and communities. This year is like no other and I want everyone to know we appreciate you. We are grateful for our leaders who continue to persevere through all that has been thrown at them. While we continue to write this playbook and juggle all the balls put in front of us, we do so with grace, flexibility, and adaptability. It would have been "easy" to let the ball drop and leave it on the ground. Thank you for picking it up, and keeping your "ball" (aka PTA) in the air and going forward. While we may fumble along the way, the fact that we continue to try is the very essence of who we are. While there is no lifeline to call a friend and say how did you overcome this, as we are the navigators of this uncharted course, it is up to us to come together as we have for over 125 years and reimagine what our PTA/PTSAs will look like. The main ingredient to that is YOU! Thank you for stepping up by being a member, a local unit or county council leader, state board or executive committee leader. Together with continued out-of-the-box thinking, open minds and intentional conversations, we can continue the long history of advocating for ALL Children!
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February brings us time to reflect on why our amazing founders came together so long ago.
Founders' Day (February 17) is when we celebrate the legacy and work of our founders—Alice McLellan Birney, Phoebe Apperson Hearst and Selena Sloan Butler—to better the lives of every child in education, health and safety. Our founders started without school buildings and that is currently where many of us find ourselves, seeking new ways to educate, engage and empower our families, schools and communities, beyond the school building. I am sure we continue to make our founders proud with our continued advocacy efforts and dedication to our mission.
February also brings us Valentine's Day. This day means something different to all of us. I ask that on February 14th, at a time convenient for you, to take a moment of silence and/or reflection, and think of our 17 members that lost their lives in the devastating shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, Parkland Florida in 2018.
Our word for this month is "benevolence" (noun)
-disposition to do good
Jennifer "Jen" Martinez
President | Florida PTA
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February 3: School Incident Report: A Safety Dashboard to Reduce School Violence, presented by Max Schachter, SESIR and Incident Reporting:
February 10: Financial Literacy
February 17: Multilanguage and International Students
February 24: Learning how to make a virtual IEP binder
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For more information, including recordings of past sessions, please visit our website.
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Our virtual LegCon event will take place March 21-22! To register, please click here.
Our Legislative Committee has been hard at work. Please click here to view the latest updates!
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Upcoming Leadership Summits |
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Mark your calendars for our upcoming "How Do You PTA Today?" Leadership Summits! Registration is now open for the Central Area - click the picture below to register!
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Maybe your programs and your whole PTA has looked different this year, but we are all still very much worthy of AWARDS! Visit our website to apply for one, or several, awards. Let us celebrate you, your leadership team, and your whole PTA for all the hard work you've put in this year! The deadline to apply is May 1st. Click here to view our Awards page!
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Diversity, Equity & Inclusion |
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Our Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Committee has put together a very informative article on understanding equity, especially in the midst of the pandemic, and what that means for the selection of education materials and assessments.
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Sponsor Engagement/Grants |
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It's been a tough year for raising funds, that is for sure! But the Sponsor Engagement Team is here to help. Click here to read their article offering tips and tricks for securing sponsors and applying for grants! |
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Thanks to our Family Community Engagement Committee for creating this article with facts about Black History Month. |
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LIVE (VIRTUAL) EVENT!
Helping Families Navigate Technology with Google
Wednesday, February 10, 7-7:30 PM ET (4-4:30 PM PT)
Join us in celebrating Safer Internet Day with the Google Families Team to discuss programs, products, and tools to help families stay safer while using games, apps, and more. You’ll have the opportunity to ask questions and comment in the chat-box feature.
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Children's Week 2021 at the Capitol |
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Join us and become a part of the annual and signature Children's Week Florida event, Celebration of the Hands!
Each year since 1986, early learning programs, schools, and individual families across the state, have created children’s hand artwork for a stunning visual display at the Capitol Rotunda during Children's Week Florida. These beautiful hands serve as a reminder to legislators, advocates, and visitors of how thousands of Florida’s children, youth, and families are impacted by decisions made during legislative session.
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Leadership Convention 2021 |
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Do you have an idea for a Leadership Convention workshop? Please use this form link and share your idea with us!
ARE YOU READY FOR FLORIDA PTA’s BIGGEST FAMILY REUNION?
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, Regular: $105, On-site: $130
Students 21 & younger: $50
Non PTA-members: $150
We can’t wait to see you there!!!
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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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