Dear Miami-Dade County PTA/PTSA Family,

I hope you are doing well. As we move forward, let’s keep our mission at the forefront: 

To make every child’s potential a reality by engaging and empowering families and communities. 

As we embark on the December Newsletter for this school year, I want to express my deep appreciation for everything we do as a PTA/PTSA. Whether you’re a parent, teacher, student, or community partner, your dedication to our children’s success is what makes our community so unique.



November was a month filled with meaningful activities and events that showcased the power of collaboration and dedication. Here’s a quick recap:

• M-DCPS Leadership Conference, Engage:

PTA facilitated workshops on restarting PTA units and increasing parent involvement in schools.

• 1st In-Person District PTA Board Meeting:

Hosted an in-person meeting at Eugenia B. Thomas K-8 Center. This meeting was an excellent opportunity to connect with Board members and share resources. We were honored to have Ms. Barbara Mendizabal from the Parent Academy as our guest speaker.

• FL PTA Local Unit Training:

Conducted statewide virtual training sessions via Zoom.

• Town Hall Meeting with School Board Member Mari Tere Rojas:

Attended Coral Gables Preparatory Academy to discuss community concerns and updates.

• Florida Councils Board Training #1 & #2:

Engaged in leadership development sessions.

• Community Engagement:

Ms. Silvia Bodden represented MDCC PTA/PTSA at the Belafonte Tacolcy Center—The Liberty City Collaborative.

• Participated in the DEEAC meeting at the School Board building.

• Attended the M-DCPS Fall Career Fair at Ronald W. Reagan/Doral Senior High School with Ms. Diana Delgado and her children.

• Supported events at Kinloch Park Middle School and Seminole Elementary School.

• Children’s Trust Board & Committee Meeting:

Discussed vital initiatives and programs for children and families in our community.

Additionally, I am thrilled to share our continued commitment to reaching our three strategic goals by July 2026:

1. Transition all local chapters to the GiveBacks platform to enhance outreach and capabilities.

2. Strengthen partnerships with local businesses to make the PTA membership card even more valuable—offering benefits that rival AAA.

3. Focus on family support systems to emphasize their positive impact on children’s emotional, spiritual, and educational well-being.

We’ve also successfully migrated to the Gmail Workspace platform, providing a more efficient communication tool for our organization.

Thank you for your dedication and hard work. It is an honor to serve alongside such an incredible team as we support our local units and, most importantly, our children.

With warm regards,

Osmani Gonzalez

President, Miami-Dade County Council PTA/PTSAs

Like I always say:

“When You Show Up, Great Things Happen”

12.11.24 - Miami-Dade School Board Meeting

12.20.24 - Teacher Planning Day (No School for students)

12.23.24 - 1.3.25 - Winter Recess (No School)

Legislative Update

Read about important legislative items from Dr. Nancy Lawther, former PTA Legislative Chair and MDCC PTA/PTSA Past President:



Legislative update (click here)

Now is a good time to reflect on your budgets in case your PTA needs to set up a General Meeting for budget amendments.

Have questions? Contact us.



Words from our MDCC PTA/PTSA Student Advisor

Students - Get involved! Join the Youth Representative Committee. Apply below! Contact us if you have any questions.



Bring your level of advocacy & service to the next level!

The following positions on the Miami-Dade County Council Executive Committee & Board of Directors are currently vacant:

Vice President of Advocacy & Legislation

Vice President of Organization

Central Region Coordinator

Feeder Pattern Representative Positions

Please contact us if you have any questions, and/or are interested in any of these positions.

What It Means To Be A County Council President

If you have been involved with your child’s PTA/PTSA at their school, you have already taken the first step! Even if your child has moved on from PreK-12^th grade and you are still committed to the mission and purpose of PTA, the Miami-Dade County Council PTA/PTSA (MDCC PTA/PTSA) would love to have you on board.

Why would you want to stay involved?  For some, it is knowing your continued involvement is benefiting all children in Miami-Dade County, especially those whose parents are, for whatever reason, not involved.  There are many positions on the Council Board that you may be interested in.  Serving in any of these positions will provide an understanding on how to work yourself up to serving as President of the County Council.

Being the Council PTA/PTSA President is a most rewarding volunteer position.  For the two-year term serving as President, you will be closely involved with the school district.  You will have the opportunity to serve on district committees such as, the Budget Committee; the Health and Wellness Committee; the Attendance Boundary Committee; and the Family and Community Involvement Committee; to name a few.

Is being the Council President very time consuming?  Not when you have a team working with you to delegate certain responsibilities to.

Serving as a County Council President is tremendously rewarding.  I can personally tell you that serving as President of MDCC PTA/PTSA were one of the most memorable two years in my life.

We would love to have you get involved in MDCC PTA/PTSA as a Board Member, maybe even to one day serve as President.  Please contact Osmani Gonzalez, current MDCC PTA/PTSA President, at 305-995-1102 and tell him, “you can count on me!”

Respectfully,

Mindy Gould

Past President 2008-2010

The M-DCPS Parent Academy is a free, year-round, family engagement initiative that supports parents and caregivers on their parenting journey. The Parent Academy is a valuable source of information and resources for families, providing valuable in-person and online opportunities to learn about the school district staff and to connect with other caregivers. Through the department’s online Virtual Campus, videos on more than 80 topics are available 24/7 in English, Spanish, and Haitian-Creole. The direct link to the Virtual Campus is https://parentacademymiami.com/virtual-campus . The Parent Academy also offers “Weekly Webinar” sessions every Tuesday in English, Wednesday in Haitian-Creole, and Thursday in Spanish. Sessions take place at 9 AM and 6 PM.

Parents may also visit on of the four Community Resource Hubs to attend workshops and engaging activities for all members of the family:

• Doral - Eugenia B. Thomas K-8, 5950 NW 114th Ave Room 811; Phone: 786-845-8391
• Hialeah - next to Amelia Earhart, 5801East 7^th Ave; Phone: 305-769-6455
• Northside Shopping Center - 7900 NW 27th Ave; Suite F-9, Phone: 305-694-7120
• Parkway Educational Complex - 2349 NW 175th Street; Phone: 305-624-9613.

For the latest information, please visit their website, call, of follow them on social media:

• Website - https://parentacademymiami.com/
• Email -  TP1@dadeschools.net
• Facebook and Instagram - Parent Academy Miami
• X - @ParentAcadMiami
• Main Office Phone: 305-271-8257

These Local Units were started in the month of December over the years.



Want to purchase 2024-2025 Academic Calendars?

Calendars include all Miami-Dade County Public School dates, holidays and daily celebrations.

Just click here Advocates PTA Store: https://advocates.givebacks.com/store

Become a sponsor & grow your business!

Because PTA works at the intersection of school and family, a wide range of industries and causes can have success in this market.

From traditional advertising in our publications to exhibiting or sponsoring at our convention to a first-of-its-kind engagement, MDCC PTA/PTSA can tailor a strategic plan and supporting tactics to suit your budget, timing, and objectives—while keeping our purpose and values central to every consideration.

Email vp.organization@mdccpta.org to start discovery with us at any time.

Stay In Touch!

Email: info@mdccpta.net

Write Us At:

Miami-Dade County Council PTA/PTSA

P.O. Box 10309, Miami, Florida 33101