03/31/2014

Miami Palmetto Senior High School PTSA

March 31, 2014

Upcoming Events:

• March 31 - Welcome Back - Classes resume Last 9 weeks!
• April 1 - EESAC Meeting 2:25pm
• April 5 - Mock SAT Testing
• April 6 - Taste of Pinecrest featuring No Place For Hate
• April 12 - Senior Prom
• April 24 - PTSA General Membership Meeting and Elections

Legislation:

Those against the proposal to arm teachers and school administrators should send flowers to Sen. John Legg, Chair of the Senate Education Committee: for all intents and purposes he has stopped CS/SB 968 in its tracks by simply refusing to schedule the bill for a hearing in his committee. Such is the power of committee chairs. Speaking of committee chairs, Rep. Erik Fresen, who represents portions of the Palmetto community in Pinecrest and Palmetto Bay (House District 114) and who presides over the House Education Appropriations Committee, is spearheading a last-minute effort to push school voucher legislation during the 2014 session. His HB 7167, which may reach the House floor this coming week, would combine two current voucher proposals (one for students with Levels IV and V disabilities and the other for low income students). A vote in his committee aligned along party lines: Republicans for, Democrats against. Although this bill may well pass the full House, its fate in the Senate is uncertain. Senate President Don Gaetz has indicated his colleagues' opposition to any voucher proposals that do not require the same standardized tests of voucher students as required of current traditional public and charter school students. Rep. Fresen's bill contains no such testing requirements. Contact your state legislators in the next few days if you wish to have your views on this issue heard.

Meanwhile, just before Spring Break, the Mayor's Blue Ribbon Task Force on the Miami-Dade Public Library System met for the last time, and were offered two options for the coming year:

1)      A $30 million budget based on the current millage (property tax) rate, which would entail cuts in library hours, reductions in personnel, consolidation of current library outreach programs, and decreases in new print and virtual acquisitions; or

2)      A $50 million budget based on a slightly raised (about $11 for each $100,000 of appraised property value) millage rate which would entail...cuts in library hours, reductions in personnel, consolidation of currently library outreach programs, and increases in new print and virtual acquisitions and technology.

There was no official vote, and in the wake of the meeting several Task Force members have expressed their displeasure that what the Task Force had previously recommended--the maintenance and enhancement of Library services through an increase in millage rates--was circumvented. Stay tuned, as the Friends of the Library and other interested groups will be making a push this spring and summer to urge the County Commission to go beyond the $50 million dollar option. Important notes:

1)      the Library has its own designated tax (look on your most recent property tax bill), and own, separate budget; potential savings from other County departments cannot be used to bridge any budget gaps

2)      As recently as 2009-2010, the Library operating budget was $148 million, with a millage rate a little more than double the current rate.

Attention All Panthers!

Now is the time to Leave Your Mark at Palmetto Senior High! Buying a Brick is the Purr-fect way to commemorate your child's years as a Panther! It's as easy as going to our PTSA Website and downloading the order form www.palmettohighptsa.org. Or, if you prefer, stop by our Main Office and pick up an order form today - they are located on the counter top underneath a Brick - how convenient! All orders placed before May 1st will go into the ground before the end of school. Proceeds go directly to the PTSA projects benefiting your s  chool and your community. So don't delay - act now - help your Panther leave their mark! Questions? Contact Cyndi Eisenberg (786) 286-6824(786) 286

Silver Knight Awards:

The Miami Herald Silver Knight Awards is one of the nation's most highly regarded student awards programs. The purpose of this Awards program is to recognize outstanding students who have not only maintained good grades but have also unselfishly applied their special knowledge and talents to contribute significant service to their schools and communities. The Silver Knight Awards program was instituted at The Miami Herald in 1959 by John S. Knight, past publisher of The Miami Herald, founder and editor emeritus of Knight-Ridder Newspapers and 1968 Pulitzer Prize winner. MPSH PTSA is honored this year to salute our Silver Knight nominees. Our school has a proud history of nominees, winners and honorable mentions. A special thanks to South Motors for sponsoring our Silver Knight banners.

This year's 2013-2014 Silver Knight Nominees are:

Art                                                          Adriana Gurdian

Atheltics                                                 Taryn d'Adesky

Business                                                 Chloe Sebbag

Digital and Interactive Media               Taylor Rouvitere

Drama                                                    Jaclyn Cope

English and Literature                           Carolina Carriazo

General Scholarship                               Megan Lipsky

Journalism                                              Lauren Bunce

Mathematics                                           Katherine Heldt

Music and Dance                                   Hunter Nash Glickman

Science                                                   Wendy Lau

Social Science                                        Erin Dandes

Speech                                                    Mia Spigelman

Vocational Technical                             Dhanesh Budhram

World Language                                    Laura Diez

Palmetto Alumni Association:

If you are a Palmetto High grad or know someone who is, please contact Lynn Daniels Smyth at lynndanielsmyth@gmail.com, Betsy Myers Poepping at betsypoepping@gmail.com, or Teri KulikowskiFisher at Terif21@aol.com. Please join us as the Miami Palmetto High School Class of 1974 celebrates its 40th Reunion, May 2nd to May 4th, 2014. All graduation classes are invited!! Friday, May 2nd, 2014 from 6:00pm til...we will meet at the Rooftop Bar at the Mayfair Hotel & Spa, in Coconut Grove. There will be a cash bar (serving 2 for 1 drinks from 6:00 to 8:00), a DJ until 11:00, some light munchies, beautiful views of Biscayne Bay and best of all--lots of old friends to share it with....the charge for this event is $15.00 pp. Saturday, May 3th, 2014 from 7:30pm to 12:00am we will meet once again for more drinking, eating and visiting with old friends in the Havana Room at the Mayfair Hotel. There will be stations for eating and music for dancing. two premium drink tickets are included in the $135.00pp charge for this event

Taste Of Pinecrest:

Taste of Pinecrest, a fundraiser for our schools, is looking for more restaurant vendors, businesses, and sponsors for the event, to be held Sunday, April 6. Please contact restaurants and businesses you know of, who might be interested. Cost for a restaurant to participate is $350 (They keep the profits on everything they sell), and for another type of business to have a booth is $600 ($425 + $175 for membership in Pinecrest business association). There are other opportunities, such as sponsoring a banner. Please contact Alexandra Flinn alixwrites@aol.com for further information and forms to present to businesses. Also, plan to attend the event on April 6. This is a major fundraiser for Palmetto!

SAT and ACT:

Looking for help with your grades or your SAT/ACT score? Call Marlene Fishbein with Revolution Prep at 305 849 5466 for a free consultation about Revolution Prep's tutoring and courses! With dozens of options available, Marlene finds the right fit for every student! Call her to receive $100 off a Revolution course or $200 off tutoring!

MPSH PTSA's Campaign for Excellence! Invites Your Business:

The Campaign for Excellence is going strong! We currently have $7000 committed to our $10,000 goal. We are going to fund a new sound board for our school's auditorium so that all our children's talents can be seen and HEARD! Let's get the money raised by spring break! Please contact Anna Hochkammer at 305-335-7305-335-7555 or at donatecfe@gmail.com for more information.