PTA NEWS
Lawton Chiles Elementary School • September 2020
A Message from the PTA president
Hello Cheetah Families!
Welcome to a new and exciting school year that will be unlike any other. The mission of the PTA is to make every child's potential a reality by engaging and empowering families and communities to advocate for all children. Although, this year may look different from previous years the mission is still the same, and we will strive to support it fully! With your help, we can continue this mission through virtual and in-person events as well as offering help directly to our Chiles teachers and staff.
As I start my first year as PTA President I will work to keep our Chiles community connected and working together for the better of our students, teachers, and families. We have a great team this year working to make the most of 2020-2021! Being a member of the Lawton Chiles Elementary PTA gives you a voice to help all students at our school. I encourage you all to become part of our PTA and be part of a team working to better the lives of all students at Lawton Chiles Elementary School.
Thank you,
Kaycee Burkett
PTA Memberhub is LIVE!
Join the PTA • Purchase Cheetah Face Masks • Make a Donation
Schools are micro-communities and they work best with support and input from the greater community that surrounds them. The Chiles PTA would like to ask you to join the PTA and lend your voice and support to Lawton Chiles Elementary School.
Click the link to visit the memberhub store to join the PTA, pre-order Chiles Cheetah face masks, become a sponsor or make a donation: https://lawtonchileselementary.new.memberhub.store/store
Celebrate your child's birthday with their name displayed on the school marquee during the week of their birthday for a donation of $15. Visit the Memberhub store here to purchase:
https://lawtonchileselementary.new.memberhub.store/store?category=Marquee
- September Virtual General PTA Meeting - date TBD
- Walk/Bike to School - October 7
- Fall Fun* - October 26-30
- Bingo - November 10
- Math Night - January 12
- STEAM Day - February 24
Dates Subject to Change
*The district has determined Cheetah Fun Run needs to be moved to the Spring. We are working on an alternative Fall program.
We Want to Hear from You!
As we plan for the upcoming school year we want to hear from you, our valued stakeholder. If your child is in the Chiles school district zone, no matter if he or she is attending Brick & Mortar, Digital Academy or Alachua e-school this fall, or if you work at Chiles, please take a few minutes to answer the following questions. We appreciate you sharing your thoughts!
Click here for the survey: https://forms.gle/SQm6skmSTqiuc8nq6
Want To Get Involved?
Volunteering this school year is going to be very different and volunteer opportunities will change often. At the start of the school year there will be no in-school volunteer opportunities since only teachers and school staff are allowed in the building for the safety of the students and staff.
If you're interested in volunteering this school year, please go check out the Signup Genius (https://www.signupgenius.com/go/508084CA5AA22A6FB6-lawton2). You'll be notified about the events and programs you sign up for when more information becomes available.
Don't forget to fill out a volunteer application form online. You'll need to have an approved application to be able to interact with the students in any way (including virtually if that option becomes available). Here's the link to the application: bit.ly/ACPSapp. If you have any questions about volunteering, email Samantha Lund at chilesvolunteers@gmail.com
Virtual School Spirit
Are you looking to show your school spirit and have some privacy during zoom calls? Feel free to download these free Cheetah zoom backgrounds.
Zoom Backgrounds: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1a0vqNu1fY9vuV8HWlEoUulzn7A3MnpiI?usp=sharing
Help Us Show Our Appreciation for Our Teachers!
To celebrate our teachers and staff we have created an Amazon Wishlist that will be updated as needed. We plan to give a "welcome back" gift bag to each grade level with teacher snacks and some basic school supplies to be used in the classroom as well as set up a grab-and-go snack table for all teachers and staff members to stop by prior to their first staff meeting on Sept. 9th. If you would like to contribute something, please find the link below.
Amazon Wishlist: https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/41PSR4H29X9I?ref_=wl_share
I am Unique Initiative
We would like to highlight the unique qualities of all of our students. The "I am Unique Initiative" is a way for our students to share and embrace their differences and to show what makes each person special! Please click here for the activity sheet: uniquefinal.pdf For Brick and Mortar Students, please complete and return the activity sheet to your teacher by Monday, Sept.14th. PTA will be collecting the finished products and displaying them in the hallway leading up to the front office. For DA students, once completed, please email a picture or a scanned copy to advocacy.lces@gmail.com. A slideshow will be shared with all DA students.
5 WAYS TO HELP KIDS CELEBRATE OUR DIFFERENCES
- It's OK to notice differences. Talking about and valuing our differences is the first step in celebrating our differences.
- Encourage children to ask questions about some of the differences they notice. Children often are seeking information without judgement. Give children real and honest answers.
- Read books that encourage diversity. Our school library has a huge selection of books that showcase different skin colors, religions, different types of families, and different abilities.
- Seek out friendships for your kids with peers who are different. In order to celebrate differences, our kids have to be around people who are different.
- Intentionally learn about new cultures, traditions, countries and religions. Visit museums, try new and diverse foods, and attend a holiday you don’t celebrate at a friend’s house.
Census Update
The final deadline to participate in the Census is September 30. Filling out the Census form is important because funding at the federal level is determined based on the number of people who complete it. This includes critical funding for children's programs, such as school lunches and Title I programs which help high needs schools. For the last decade, Florida lost out on $67 million in funding per year because so many children were undercounted. Alachua County's current response rate is 64%. You can participate online and your information is 100% secure. Visit https://2020census.gov for more information.
Executive Board
President: Kaycee Burkett lawtonchilespta@gmail.com
1st VP of Membership: Megan Jansen membership.lces@gmail.com
2nd VP of Programs: Tara Edelstein programs.lces@gmail.com
Treasurer: Alison Cooper treasurer.lces@gmail.com
Secretary/Communications: Kristina Furst recsecretary.lces@gmail.com
Principal: Cory Tomlinson tomlinsonc@gm.sbac.edu
Faculty Rep (K-2): Lisa Bosarge bosarglm@gm.sbac.edu
Faculty Rep (3-5): Meredith Cunningham cunninghamms@gm.sbac.edu
Volunteers Chair: Samantha Lund chilesvolunteers@gmail.com
Ways and Means Chair: Amanda Hooghuis waysandmeans.lces@gmail.com
Advocacy Chair: Tara Blum advocacy.lces@gmail.com
Stay Connected!
For all of the most up to date info, please check out our Lawton Chiles Elementary Facebook page @LCESPTA and our PTA website https://www.sbac.edu/domain/4320