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 Welcome Back FSUS Families!
PTSA is off to a great start this year. I really enjoyed talking to so many of you during our orientation week and back-to-school events. Everyone seems very excited about this school year and many of you have asked how you can be involved. You can be involved in a lot of different ways:
- Join or renew your membership with PTSA. We will send you this newsletter and other notices filled with information about volunteer opportunities at the school and all the great plans we have to support our faculty, students and their families.
- Join the FSUS Listserv. This is the most immediate way to get important school news. A perfect example of the value of timely information was the unexpected closing of FSUS in anticipation of Tropical Storm Fay.
- Join our Room Parent program. PTSA is organizing "Room Parents" to take the lead in gathering and sharing contact information for a class or area. These parents will keep in touch with the families of your student's classmates and receive updates of what volunteer opportunities exist in the classrooms.
- Support our ongoing fall product fundraiser. This is our main fundraiser for the year and it allows PTSA to provide great programs for the students such as recycling, cyber safety and media literacy, and safe routes to school. We also hope to increase the number of teacher mini-grants available to the teachers and offer Family Fun Nights. This is just a small sample of the programs PTSA can do this year if we reach our fundraising goal.
- Clip and save your Box Tops, Campbell's Labels, Tyson Panels and Community Coffee Labels for our ongoing Collections Fundraiser. Your efforts translate into real money and credit for needed supplies for our school.
I strongly encourage you to get involved in your PTSA. Remember you don't have to make a huge time commitment; an hour of your time can make a difference.
Finally, please join me on Tuesday, September 16 at 6:30PM in the Tomahawk Café for PTSA's first General Assembly. We will outline our plans for the year and offer a proposed budget for the membership's consideration and approval.
Please contact me if you have any questions about PTSA, or if you'd like to join or volunteer. We have a couple of chair and co-chair positions available for Awards, Teacher-Staff Appreciation, and Health & Safety. We also need help with website development. Remember, we're all in this together and by working together we will have a great year!
Kasey Chapin
FSUS PTSA President |
 | September at a Glance
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September 1 Labor Day - NO SCHOOL
September 8 Last day to turn in fundraising orders
September 9 PTSA Board Meeting - 6:30 pm
(Board members only)
September 16 PTSA General Assembly Meeting
Tomahawk Cafe, 6:30 pm
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Fall Fundraiser - August 25 - September 8
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 Monday, August 25, 2008 was the kickoff for our PTSA Fall Fundraiser. Your child should have come home with a packet of information for you. The fundraiser will run through Monday, September 8th. All orders will be due on Monday.
This year we are using a company called Great American Fundraising. There are a variety of items in the catalog as well as an online store. Be sure to register your child on the website for online orders (instructions are in the packet). The website is www.gafundraising.com. Our school ID# is 1056373.
read more
Trevor Brumbley
1st Vice President, Fundraising
Alicia Cherry
Fundraising Co-Chair
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Reflections Art Program 2009
"Wow!" 
The theme for the National PTA Reflections Cultural Arts Program is "Wow!" Students in all grade levels are invited to participate by showcasing what "Wow!" means to them through literature, musical composition, photography, visual arts, dance/choreography and film video.
Florida High students have the opportunity to advance to the county, state and national levels of the program. Certificates, recognition or awards are presented throughout this cultural arts journey.
The deadline for Florida High "Wow!" entries is November 7. Students can work on projects with approval or support from teachers or participate on their own. Parents are encouraged to support student efforts by providing the supplies needed for each category that the student wants to pursue.
To receive rules for any of the categories: literature, photography, visual arts, musical composition, dance/choreography or film/video, please contact Bonnie Abellera or download the entry form and rules at www.floridapta.org.
If you would like to help with the Reflections Program please call Bonnie at 617-6052 or via e-mail.
Bonnie Abellera
Reflections Chair
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Spanish Club News
Spanish Club is up and running again this year. They will be helping Ms. Fair's Recycle Program by taking care of the high school recycling needs.
In November,Spanish Club will also kick off their annual Community Outreach Program in association with the PAEC Migrant Education Program.They will be putting together gift baskets for immigrant women and distributing them during this holiday season.
Teaching and performing Latino dance will also be  an important part of Spanish Club's activities this year.
So if you're a middle school or high school student interested in Latino culture,would like to have fun, and help our community, Spanish Club is for you.
Contact Señor Guastella or Señor Sardiñas for more information.
Señor Guastella
PTSA Teacher Liason
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Health & Safety News
School Garden
The PTSA will again sponsor a spring and fall vegetable garden for elementary school students. Signup will begin once the weather cools off next month, so watch out for a mid-September email with details of how to register your child. This project will allow about 20 children to learn how to grow fruits and vegetables from the ground up. Parents confirmed last year that the project led their kids to eat vegetables they never otherwise would have tried, and also acquaints them with biology, nutrition, math, pest management and other science concepts.
The PTSA will also maintain a butterfly garden planted last year near the gazebo.
Bike Rodeo
A PTSA school bike rodeo is tentatively scheduled for October, stay tuned for details. This event will allow kids to have fun while learning about bike safety, important in light of the unprecedented number of bicycle deaths this year (3). Last year's rodeo featured a bike safety check and tuneup, an obstacle course where kids got to react to simulated dangerous situations, along with prizes and free bike helmets. This year's event is expected to be bigger and better.
Healthy Snacks
Increasing the likelihood our children will get something healthy to eat at school food outlets remains one of the primary goals of the Health & Safety Committee this year. I will appear before the Florida High Board of Directors at its September meeting to argue for increased enforcement of the 2006 school Wellness Policy, and work with the administration to make this goal a reality.
If you would like to see a copy of the 2007-2008 Florida High Nutrition Survey Report, please contact me.
Danni Vogt
Health & Safety Chair
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PTSA Membership Renewal & Drawing
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This is just a reminder that your PTSA membership must renewed annually.
One of the biggest pluses this year for renewing, aside from supporting the many endeavors the PTSA spearheads at the school, you will be entered into a drawing to have one of your children's activity fees reimbursed to you. If you are a teacher, you will be entered into a drawing for $250 in matching funds for a teacher mini-grant. That's a total of $500 for things you might need for your classroom.
For more details on this drawing, click here.
Marie Aguirre
2nd Vice President, Membership
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Florida High Announcements
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Request for Equipment Donations
Coach Cone has requested the following sports equipment. If you have any of the following, please contact Coach Cone to make arrangements for your donation.
- outside bowling equipment (balls, pins, carpet lanes)
- disc golf equipment (discs, disc baskets)
- bocce ball sets
- croquet sets
- tennis balls, raquets
- ping pong balls, paddles, nets (we could also use new tables as our old ones are broken but usable)
- any fitness dvds such as pilates, zumba, tae bo, tai chi, yoga, etc.
- golf tees, practice balls
Request for Household Items for Staff Members Affected by Natural Disasters
It has been brought to our attention by Linda Searight, Lunchroom Director, that a number of her staff have been affected by flooding from Faye or from house fire.
If you have any items for donation or have further questions, please contact Linda Searight for more details.
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Flu Season Is Fast Approaching!
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The PTSA is considering holding a Flu Shot Clinic for Florida High students/families and the community.
According to the PTA National website which oversees the program, "the cost for each shot is $30.00, of which $4.00 will be donated to the local PTA hosting the clinic and $1.00 to the state PTA. Free vaccinations are available to those that meet the qualifications of the federal Vaccine for Children (VFC) program."
The PTSA is trying to determine if there is enough interest for a Flu Shot Clinic. Please fill out the linked one question survey below and share your thoughts with us!
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We look forward to a great year, working with you to help make Florida High a place where our students can thrive.
We are all in this together!
Sincerely,
Julie Lengacher
FSUS PTSA Technology Chair
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