FUNDRAISING NEWS
Orders Now Being Taken:  August 27-September 17

We are very excited about this year's Innisbrook Wraps fundraiser and hope that through everyone's support and cooperation that this is the FSUS PTSA's one and only product fundraiser for the year.  FSUS PTSA will receive 50% of the profit on both regular and online orders.

All children in grades K-8 brought home an Innisbrook Wraps fundraising packet in last Monday's "backpack mail".  High school students are also welcome to participate.  Additional forms and fundraising packets are available in the front office.  

Don't forget your friends and family who live out of our area.  We can accept online orders. Go to the Innisbrook website www.innisbrook.com and click on "Manage My Account" to register your student.  Our School code is 105823.

All order forms and money should be turned in by Monday, September 17.  All checks must be made payable to FSUS PTSA.

Important Prize Information

• Elementary students, bring in your "Marvelous Mondays" coupons to receive a prize on any Monday during the fundraiser.
• All K-8 students should look for the "Keep Moving" coupon that was attached to some of the packets and turn this in with the order form to receive a special prize.
• For every 10 items sold the student's name will get put into a drawing for a bicycle(K-5) or a Best Buy gift card(6-8).
• Any student selling 30 items or more will travel by limosine for a pizza lunch at CiCi's Pizza.

Direct Donations
If you do not wish to sell items from the catalog and would rather make a direct donation to the FSUS PTSA, we welcome your contribution.  Checks made payable to FSUS PTSA can be dropped off to the front office.

Please contact me if you have any questions.  Thanks in advance for helping us reach our goals!

Hank J. Stephens
1^st Vice President - Fundraising
fsusnolesfan@gmail.com

I would like to welcome all parents, teachers and students to the new school year.

Your PTSA is planning for the presentation of a number of exciting and informative programs for the upcoming school year.  Some of these include: 

• Live Safe - issues of child safety,
•  "C-Safe" - intenet Security and "Best Practices for Kids and Online Safety",
• Child Safe Kit - focusing on ID kits for children,
• Media Literacy - input on important aspects of media including media awareness and media literacy skills development,
• Diversity Panel - a forum for discussion of relevant community issues which impact the FSUS community.

The PTSA will also endeavor to partner with other school-related activities as these are formulated throughout the year.

We look forward to your attendance and input on any of our programs.  Please feel free to offer suggestions to any of the PTSA Board members. Remember that the PTSA is "all of us working together." 

World Wise Schools Correspondence Match Program through U.S. Peace Corps

As a former Peace Corps Volunteer, I want to make teachers aware of a unique program that can connect their class with an actual Peace Corps Volunteer serving in one of the many countries where they serve.  I had the opportunity to facilitate such an exchange when my son attended 5th Grade at Hartsfield Elementary School.  His class corresponded with a volunteer serving in Cameroon, West Africa and, as a bonus, received a presentation from the volunteer's father who had paid her a visit.

Here is the link to the program. Please feel free to contact me for any additional details.

Mark A. Mahoney
3rd Vice President - Programs
Former Peace Corps Volunteer
(Ecuador, Chile)
marq51@yahoo.com

HEALTH AND WELLNESS UPDATE
An Exciting Year Planned

The PTSA Health and Safety Committee has another big year planned, continuing some programs from last year and establishing some new ones for this year.

Healthy Snack of the Month
Kids love potato chips and pork rinds and other junk foods, but will they eat a healthy alternative if it is offered?  In my household, the answer seems to be yes when the choice is Frosted Wheats cereal from Publix.  This is a whole grain, low fat cereal with just enough sugar on top (20%) to make it appealing to kids, and it meets the school's Wellness Policy standards.  Try keeping a box in the car for munchie attacks, or pack a handful in a baggie with lunches.  We also carry some to movies or football games as an alternative to concession stand snacks.

Please note that I'm not a dietician, just a parent interested in raising my child to eat nutritional food that tastes good.  If you have any healthy snack ideas to share, please forward them to me at the address below for inclusion in upcoming newsletters.

Bike Rodeo
Tentatively planned for mid-October, stay tuned for details.  The bike rodeo was a big hit last year with elementary school students who got free bike helmets and a bicycle tune up and safety check, then got to have fun learning about bike safety in an obstacle course set up behind the gym by the FSU Police Department.  This year we hope to repeat our success.

Sun Protection for Elementary School Recess
Last spring the legislature passed a law allowing students to wear baseball caps on campus during outdoor physical education classes for protection from the harmful rays of the sun.  This new law has been incorporated into the Florida High Dress Code.  Dean of Students Danny Bailey has clarified that though the dress code does not specifically mention elementary school recess, the administration treats recess the same as PE classes and hats are allowed for sun protection when elementary school students are on the playground for recess.

Healthy Snacks on Campus
The PTSA last year led efforts to improve the nutritional content of snack foods available to our children on campus, and some positive changes are showing up, most notably in the afterschool program where preliminary results show a move toward healthier snacks and 100% juice.  Last year's PTSA survey showed 16 of 21 snacks served by the program exceeded the snack guidelines in the schools Wellness Policy.  For more information about FSUS PTSA's role on the Wellness Committee and Snack Surveys please contact me and stay tuned for a Health and Wellness page on our PTSA webpage.

School Gardens
Last year the PTSA installed three gardening plots on campus, and the high school garden is up and running led by High School Art Teacher Barbara Davis, who plans to help students install a fall garden once the weather cools off a little.

The elementary school garden project collapsed last year because an unexpectedly large number of kids signed up and Ms. Boniella and Pat Davis, the faculty sponsors, felt they did not have the resources to supervise so many children.  The PTSA feels this is a good problem, and plans to move forward with this project in the fall by expanding the garden plots and assisting the teachers by recruiting student and parent volunteers to help with supervision.  Anyone willing to spend one hour per week on this project should contact Ms. Boniella, Ms. Davis, or me.  Stay tuned for further updates once the weather cools off.

Students in all grades, Pre-K through 12, may compete in PTA's national arts' competition - Reflections.  The categories are music composition, visual arts, photography, literature, film/video production and dance choreography.  Students may submit work in these categories based on the theme, "I can make a difference by..."  Each category has four age divisions.

The Reflections program is one of the longest-running cultural arts programs in the nation. Florida High is one of a short list of schools that will participate from our county.  Our students have a great opportunity to advance to the state level.  High school students should take note that participating in state and national contests is one of the things that colleges ask for on entrance applications. 

Parents and teachers, please encourage your children and students to participate.  The category rules will be posted on the FSUS PTSA webpage.  Download the official entry form and fill out one form for each entry (students may participate in more than one category).  Student and parent signatures are required on all entry forms.

The deadline for entries from our school/PTSA is November 7 at 5 p.m.  Entries will be accepted starting November 5. Student projects and forms are to be turned in to the front office.

If you would like to see examples of student work in these categories, please visit the National PTA website to see last year's student winners. 

Please contact me to be added to the Reflections e-mail list if your student(s) are participating

Bonnie Abellera
Reflections Chair
leonpta1@yahoo.com
617-6052

National Family Day

In honor of national Family Day, the Leon County Council of PTAs encourages families to eat dinner together on September 24.  Whether you are gathering around the table for macaroni and cheese or a five-course meal, don't underestimate the power behind the simple act of taking time to eat dinner regularly with your children.  The stories and laughs that you share during dinnertime helps you stay connected to your children. 

Family Day - A Day to Eat Dinner with Your Children^TM is coordinated by the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse.  Family Day reminds parents to frequently eat dinner with their kids and to be involved in their children's lives.