09/15/2014

Miami Palmetto Senior High School PTSA

September 15th, 2014

Upcoming Events:

Week of 9/15 Book Sale

9/18 Early release - 12:00pm

9/22 Senior Parent Night - 7:00 pm

9/25 Teacher Planning Day - no school

9/29 Open House - 7:00pm

Book Sale:

The Book Sale will be held in room 307 from Sep 15th to Sep 19th. Get all your required reading and reference books in one place. Cash and checks are accepted. All profits are invested back in the school. Jeff Bezos doesn't donate a dime to his alma mater!

Algebra One EOC:

The Algebra One EOC exam will be given the week of Sep 15th for those students who need to retake the exam and for those who have never taken the exam. Four review sessions have been set up after school for those who need additional help. Students should plan on attending all 4 sessions in order to go over the 10 parts of the exam. The dates are Wednesday, Sep 3rd, Monday Sep 8th, Wednesday Sep 10th and Monday Sep 15th from 2:30pm to 3:30 pm. Students interested in review sessions should report to the media center on Wednesday, Sep 3rd for their assigned classroom.

Uniforms:

Miami Palmetto Sr. High is a uniformed school. ALL students are to comply with the school's uniform policy.

Mock SAT and ACT testing at Palmetto:

The PTSA will be offering mock ACT testing on Sep 27th and mock SAT testing on October 18 to prepare students for upcoming exams. Testing will take place at 9:00am in the Media Center and will cost $10 per test. Please note that these exams are simply for practice and cannot be submitted to the colleges. If you are interested in taking the exams, please email rudygator@bellsouth.net to reserve your spot. Space is limited so reserve early. Testing is provided by Revolution Prep.

Paws for Panthers:

The PTSA and our school social worker, Ana Garces, are beginning an initiative to help MPSH students who may find themselves in need. Our mission is to provide these students with whatever they require to be prepared for class and to offer a "helping hand" that brings peace, hope and comfort to students in times of stress, transition and want.

We will provide the students with materials such as required reading books, calculators, school supplies, school uniforms, and tennis shoes. As the school year progresses, we will use Palmetto's Weekly Email Blast as a platform to communicate with the community. It will make a world of difference for these kids. Please help us help these students. Be aware of "Paws for Panthers" and contribute whatever you can- the PTSA will be forever grateful, and we are certain that the students who receive your donation will appreciate your generosity whole-heartedly.                

Also, please note that all students who participate in "Paws for Panthers" and help fundraise for this cause will be awarded volunteer hours.        

At this moment we are collecting:

School Uniforms including PE Uniforms.

Sports bra size med/lg or 38c                                                                      

Girl Jeans size 8/9                                                                                                       Girl T Shirts size medium.      

Girls Pajama Medium and Large

Girls socks (black) short

Girls sneakers size 9

Dance Class: Leotard Navy Color, size lg and foot thongs, size 8 peach or tan.

Please bring them to our Student Activity Director's room. We also would like to help some students with the required reading books. We will place a donation jar in the Book Sale room 307. Thank you for all your support!

For more information please contact: Mercedes Sorensen, merci4466@bellsouth.net 

Science Competitors Club:

The Science Competitors Club is participating in the Saving Species Contest sponsored by the Cincinnati Zoo. We need (are collecting) cell phones. The cell phones are recycled to help save mountain and lowland gorillas. The winning school collected 1700 cell phones last year. Our goal is 2000 cell phones. Cell phones can be dropped off in room 1005 or they can be given to any science teacher. Students can earn community service hours by participating in this cell phone drive.

PTSA Membership:

Parents, have you joined the PTSA? It's a small thing to pay your dues, but it makes a huge difference in our school. You can join and donate online with PayPal at www.palmettohighptsa.org

Florida PTA Challenges Constitutionality of School Voucher Programs in Lawsuit - Why?

The Florida PTA recently joined the Florida Education Association, The Florida School Boards Association, the Florida Association of School Administrators and other advocacy groups in a lawsuit to declare the Florida Tax Credit Scholarship Program ("vouchers") unconstitutional. Why?

The Florida Tax Credit Program violates our constitutional mandate of a system of free public schools as the means to educate Florida children. Also, there is a constitutional prohibition against using public funds to aid sectarian (religious) institutions. Projections indicate that the Florida Tax Credit Program could take nearly $900 million from public schools in the next 4 years.

A common misconception is that vouchers are for parents to remove children from failing (D and F) schools. In fact, eligibility is instead based on family income: up to 260% of the Federal Poverty Level, or $62,000 for a family of four. This is above the median household income in Miami-Dade County, so a majority of area families are eligible to use taxpayer funds for private schools. Only 12% of new students using vouchers in 2012-13 were from D or F rated schools. Over one third of voucher applicants that year were from "A" schools!

Florida voters overwhelming rejected an Amendment called "Religious Freedom" that would have opened the door to allocated taxpayer dollars to private/parochial schools. Separation of church and state remains intact in Florida's Constitution.

Yet, 70% of private schools participating in the voucher program are sectarian; 80% of parents using vouchers choose sectarian schools. These schools are not subject to the same accountability standards for curriculum and achievement as public schools.

Please note that the lawsuit does NOT challenge the constitutionality of McKay Scholarships for special needs students.

Incumbent state representatives from both District #114 and #115 (encompassing most MPSH families) are up for re-election. Do you know your representative's voting record on this and other education issues? If not, contact Legislative Chair Ann McMaster ann.mcmaster@me.com for a summary of relevant education legislation each has sponsored.

Volunteering Needs:

We still have a handful of locations in the school that need help. Let us know if your schedule allows you assist in the office, copy room, school store, or library on a semi-regular basis.

Jack and Gwen Swerdloff

Volunteer coordinators

palmettovolunteer@gmail.com

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