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"Butterfly" >
Back to School "Butterfly"
August 31, 2009
The Ada Merritt K-8 PTA
"Butterfly"
It takes a village to educate and grow our children:
AM K-8 proudly embraces it’s parent-teacher-student partnerships!!
A Message from PTA President Lisa Kauffman
Welcome back!
We're all excited for what will most certainly be the best year yet at Ada Merritt K-8 Center. Whether you “speak English”, "habla Espanol", or "falla Portugues", you are needed and most welcome. If you have an hour, or if you've got lots of time, we have initiatives happening in the school all year long that will enrich your children's Ada Merritt experience, and you can be a part of it! The PTA supports activities ranging from helping to maintain our lovely Butterfly Garden, selling pizza for our starving kids (and sometimes equally starving parents), working on our truly special events like the Internationl Food Festival, Gala, Earth Day, and Festa Junina, and celebrating your heritage by planning events around Black History, Brazilian, and/or Hispanic heritage are in the works.
Please be a part of it.
If you want to learn more, don't miss our first
General Membership Meeting/Welcome Dinner
Wednesday, September. 9th at 5:30 p.m.
in the School Cafeteria.
The Dinner is free and you'll hear about what's in store, and you'll have the opportunity to vote on our annual budget. I Hope to see you there. If you'd like to find out more, please contact me, Lisa Kauffman, at lisazkauffman@gmail.com or ask any PTA officer for more information.
Classified Ad: Room Parents Wanted
Think about volunteering to serve in that essential job that allows teachers to focus on their core responsibility of teaching and facilitating student learning. Some teachers still don’t have that essential parent or a team of parents to help with simple but essential organizational tasks that take away from precious teaching time. The Room Parent job can, for the most part, be carried out at our own place of business, at home, or at the school. Critical tasks include serving as communicator between teachers, parents and PTA, as well as: Sorting paperwork/class work/artwork, Filing, Making copies, Laminating, Developing classroom signage and decorations, Putting together a classroom directory of student and parent names, and contact information, Setting up an e-mail distribution, once the directory has been created, for communication between the PTA, teachers and parents, Chaperoning on field trips; clearance from the School Board is required, and forms are available in the main office. Let’s extend special thanks to all current and former Room Parents for their commitment to this vital job.
Interested? Contact: Monica Duran, Room Parent Program Coordinator,
(305) 491-4549, bienclaro@yahoo.com
Required Books Sold Here
The PTA is selling the required English reading books for this school year, and an order form is being sent home with your child. Please complete the form, include a check made payable to the Ada Merritt PTA and give this to your child's homeroom teacher no later than Friday, Sept. 4th. Books will be delivered to your child's English teacher by the end of September. Spanish and Portuguese will be sold at a later date. If you have any questions, please email mandykleid@yahoo.com.
Ada Merritt Once Again Goes Green!
The school’s Green Team has recycled over a ton of electronics, saved countless trees, decreased the school's carbon footprint, and most importantly, educated Ada Merritt students on the importance of respecting the world and the environment. Joining the Green Team makes a lasting difference. With the right mix of education and enrichment, the students of Ada Merritt children will no doubt become environmental stewards of the future. Students, parents, teachers and staff should together commit to set a good example by actively demonstrating how much they value nature and all the living things on earth, and by doing their part in greening the school. This year, the Green Team will expand its efforts toward water conservation and nutrition related activities, and motivated parents are needed to make it happen. For more information contact Theresa Pinto www.the72pinto@gmail.com
Butterfly Gardening & Courtyard Rejuvenation!
The Butterfly Garden Committee is pleased to welcome back Jacqui Roch and Sarah Messiah to the Committee as co-chairs. Ms. Velazquez will serve as teacher liaison. The first fundraising event will support the replacement of plants that perished as a result of the summer drought. The goal is for the Garden to be filled with mature, Florida native butterfly-attracting plants such as rouella and pentes. Look for the Butterfly Garden Table at Open House, where butterfly t-shirts will be on sale; consider sponsoring a tree or a bag of much needed dirt and by volunteering your time for watering and planting. Oh and…
“Is There a Plumber in the House?”
The school fountain is out-of-commission and a “parent plumber” is needed to figure out what needs to be done to put it back in working order. Who’s up to the task?
Contact jrochfineart@bellsouth.net with any questions and to sign up as a Butterfly Garden volunteer.
Have your slice and eat it too!
Pizza Wednesdays are back. Every Wednesday, at dismissal, there’s DELICIOUS, hot (if you get there early enough) pizza for sale at $1.00 per slice. The children look forward to it, and the funds raised help the PTA achieve its important goals (teacher grants, courtyard renovation, student awards, events, and so more). Remember to send your kids with money. They can even take home a whole pie so on Pizza Wednesdays no one at your house needs to cook dinner!
Your Ada Merritt PTA
2009-2010 Officers
President: Lisa Kauffman VP Fundraising: Amanda Kleidermacher
VP Communication: Bruce Barham VP Membership: Lina Spalding-Ramsay
Treasurer: Tim Orrange Recording Secretary: Mary Porges
Corresponding Secretary: Deanna Christensen
Proposed AM K-8 PTA Emphasis
2009-2010 School Year
ENCOURAGE ALL PARENTS TO GET INVOLVED IN THE SCHOOL COMMUNITY
How? Events (Black History & Hispanic Heritage Month Celebrations, Earth Day, Int'l Food Festival, Annual Gala, etc.); Special Interest groups (Butterfly & Vegetable Garden Committees, Green Team, Fundraising Committee.)
INCREASE COMMUNICATION TO PARENTS ON WHAT'S HAPPENING AT SCHOOL
How? PTA communication (meetings, Butterfly Newsletter, Room Parent System, use school media - marquee and electronic displays)
HELP TEACHERS AND ADMINISTRATION TO MAXIMIZE THE PROGRAM AT AMK-8
How? Support implementation of PYP/MYP philosophy, fund Teacher Grants, plan Math/Science program discussion events (support Math Bowl prep, County-wide Geography Bee Competition, invite scientist/parents to do programs at school), continue to support Art/Music program, sponsor Career Day, support Clubs.
Here's to a productive and enjoyable school year for the entire Ada Merritt family.
Sincerely,
Malou C. Harrison, Editor, “Butterfly”
To Access the 2009-10 School Calendar:
http://adamerritt.dadeschools.net/Calendars/2009-10/dcps calendar.pdf
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