Welcome to the Website of Mandarin Middle School's PTSA (Parent, Teacher, & Student Association)
President - Jenifer Morgan - president@mandarinmiddleptsa.org
Please click here to read the recent Florida PTA press release regarding the FCAT scores for this school year.
ESE Survey Available
The Florida Department of Education is conducting a survey designed to provide the state with information on how well schools are supporting parents' involvement in their child's education. Under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), states must report this information to the federal government on an annual basis.
This year's ESE (Exceptional Student Education) Survey is now available online at www.ESESurvey.com.
Who should complete the survey?
All parents of children with disabilities and a current Individual Education Plan (IEP) in grades preschool to 12.
(Note: This survey is not intended for parents of students in the gifted program with Educational Plans [EPs].)
The deadline to complete the survey is June 30, 2012.
Two years ago the response rate was 12%; last year the response rate was 20%. This year, the goal is to have 50% of parents complete the survey.
Survey results are reported to the United States Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs, as part of Florida's Annual Performance Report and are posted on the Florida Department of Education's Website at www.fldoe.org/ese. Improvement activities are determined based on the survey report. Progress is monitored through the annual parent survey. No names will be released in any report. All responses are confidential.
UPDATE:
At our PTSA General Meeting on April 17, the following PTSA Officers for 2012-13 School Year were elected:
President - Kari Bell
1st VP, Programs - Pam Johnson
2nd VP, Ways & Means - Diana Elenz
3rd VP, Membership - Jenifer Morgan
Treasurer - Lisa Jenkins
Recording Secretary - Michelle Redding
Corresponding Secretary - Marilyn Smith
In addition, several committee chair positions are available for next year. Please Contact Us and let us know if you are interested in serving on the Board.
Would you like to help children improve their reading skills?
Becoming a DCCPTA/DCPS Reading Volunteer is very simple. You only need to attend an interesting and informative, one-time class. The class is 1½ hours long and will give you some good tips on working with students of all ages. Upon completing this class, you may volunteer in the school of your choice or DCCPTA/DCPS can help you choose a school.
They will need Reading Volunteers for summer school so it is not too late to come and get trained to be a Reading Volunteer.
The next set of classes will be held Tuesday, May 22, 2012, 1:00 p.m. - 2:30 p.m. in Room 128 of the School Board Building at 1701 Prudential Drive. You do not need to register. If you see a date that works for you, just bring a pen or pencil for making notes, and come and join in.
iAdvocate for Kids Newsletter
iAdvocate for Kids will be starting a monthly email newsletter to help parents keep informed about the District's implementation of the Common Core State Standards and other advocacy training courses. Please subscribe at the following LINK. We have been assured that any e-mail addresses shared with us will ONLY be used for PTA purposes. Check out the iAdvocate for Kids website HERE.
Message from PTSA President Jenifer Morgan
Thank you to everyone who participated in our Yankee Candle/Sports Cups Fundraiser. Due to the success of the sale, we were able to meet our budget goals for the year and hope to be doing a few small projects around the school soon.
We are happy to report that we collected over 2200 books during the Book SWAP. Our students were able to choose books to update their reading libraries, and we donated several boxes full of great books for Oceanway Elementary School. A special thank you goes to Ms. Maxine Bergman, our English/Language Arts Chair, for all that she did to make the Book SWAP so successful.
One of our ongoing community service projects is to collect aluminum tab tops, which we donate to the Ronald McDonald House here in Jacksonville. We want to send a special "shout out" to Mrs. Raper's service learning class for their extra dedication to this project. We recently donated 87 pounds of tab tops!!!
8th Grade Dance
The 8th Grade Dance will be held on Friday, June 1, from 4:15 to 6:30 pm. This is an informal, free event that is meant to be one last special middle school "hoorah" for our 8th graders. We will need lots of help from parents to serve and chaperone, and we will also need donations of chips and drinks. Please Contact Us if you can help.
DCC PTA honored at National Legislative Conference
The Duval County Council of PTAs was honored in Washington DC during the National PTA Legislative Conference March 8, 2012. The Duval County Council received an Outstanding Advocacy Award for their work with the Superintendent’s Leadership Academy (SLA). This award is presented to a local, district, council, or regional PTA that, through their dedication, leadership and efforts positively affected legislative and/or regulatory policy compatible with PTA’s mission and goals. Duval County Council President, Melissa Kicklighter, traveled to DC to accept the award.
The SLA is a grassroots advocacy and civics training course for those high school students nominated by their administration as leaders in their schools. This is the second year the Duval County Council has offered this training to Jacksonville students. This year’s course began in Oct 2011 and finished up with a trip to Tallahassee in January where the students were able to practice the advocacy skills they learned. 82 students from every high school in the city attended some of the training, with 54 students completing the full training and traveling to Tallahassee to advocate for their schools with the State Legislators in January.
_____________________________________________
Join MMS PTSA
Have you noticed that there is an "S" in PTSA? That's because students are part of our membership, too. Being a part of the PTSA is a great way for your students to be involved. We also invite parents, grandparents, and other family members to join and show their support for Mandarin Middle School.
Even if you have no time to give, your membership helps PTSA to pay for newsletters, assist with school improvement projects, host a TGIF dance for students, provide faculty and staff with appreciation luncheons, and provide an 8th grade party at the end of the year. These are just a few of the things that your PTSA does for Mandarin Middle School. Please sign up today!
Volunteer Information
Please note that volunteers must be cleared through Duval County Public Schools. The online application is the best way to get timely clearance. Clearance is good for two years. If you still have a volunteer card, it is good until it expires, but DCPS now issues a letter instead. Visit the DCPS volunteers page to find out more and access the online application.
Questions? Please contact our Volunteers Chair, Yvonne St. John, at volunteers@mandarinmiddleptsa.org.
Humanitarian Projects/Blood Drive
If you participate in any type of service project with your family, through work, or through your child’s activities, please let us know. Our PTSA is eligible for a Humanitarian Award from Florida PTA for any projects our members participate in outside of school. Also, if you donate blood at any Donor Center for the Florida Georgia Blood Alliance, please tell them that you wish to donate in the name of Mandarin Middle School (Account #2045). Your blood will help someone in need, and your donation will count toward a Blood Drive Award for our school.
Legislative Advocacy
Tired of budget cuts and decisions made by our state and federal elected officials? Then become an advocate for your child and our schools. Doing so is as simple as calling, emailing, or writing your representatives and letting them know that you want them to put education first. Visit our Advocacy page to find the contact information for our representatives.
The Duval County Council of PTAs/PTSAs has received a grant from National PTA for advocacy training that will help all of us become better advocates for our children.Visit www.DCCPTA.org for more information about training sessions through the iAdvocate for Kids Grassroots Advocacy Leadership Program.
_____________________________________________
Press Release
Thursday, January 26, 2012
DOE Press Office
(850) 245-0413
Florida Named National Leader in Educator Quality
- Sunshine State earns nation's highest overall grade in 2011 -
TALLAHASSEE - The National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ) 2011 State Teacher Policy Yearbook released yesterday awarded Florida an overall grade of "B," highest in the nation, in its biennial report. This was up from a grade of "C" in 2009. The state also received high marks for making progress in policies and practices that govern the teaching profession.
"Ranking first in the nation is a tribute to our teachers and clear evidence of their commitment to continuous improvement when it comes to providing opportunities for high-quality education for our students," said Florida Education Commissioner Gerard Robinson. "School districts from Miami-Dade to Hillsborough to the panhandle are truly leading the nation. I congratulate Florida's teachers and commend the successful leadership practices that are a catalyst for local change. I am confident we will continue to improve because of the courage and dedication of our educators to their students and their profession."
Commissioner Robinson added that this significant recognition demonstrates statewide collaboration with teachers, superintendents, and education stakeholders as they work together to assure the best education for students.
The 2011 State Teacher Policy Yearbook includes NCTQ's biennial, full review of Florida's laws, rules and regulations that govern the teaching profession. This year's report measures Florida's progress against a set of 36 policy goals focused on helping states put in place a comprehensive framework in support of preparing, retaining and rewarding effective teachers. For the first time, the Yearbook includes a progress rating on goals that have been measured over time.
The 2011 State Teacher Policy Yearbook awards state grades in five individual categories. Florida boosted its grade in four out of five categories since 2009.
Delivering Well Prepared Teachers - "B-" (up from "C" in 2009)
Expanding the Teaching Pool - "B-"
Identifying Effective Teachers - "B" (up from "C-" in 2009)
Retaining Effective Teachers - "B-" (up from "C" in 2009)
Exiting Ineffective Teachers - "B+" (up from "C" in 2009)
To view Florida's 2011 State Teacher Policy Yearbook, visit http://www.nctq.org/stpy11/reports/stpy11_florida_report.pdf (PDF)
_____________________________________________
DCCPTA to Be Part of National PTA Common Core Standards Initiative
September 13, 2011 – The Duval County Council of Parent Teacher Associations (PTA’s) announced today that it will receive funding from National PTA to train its members, educators, administrators and community leaders on the implementation of Common Core Standards in classrooms.
The Duval County, PTA is part of National PTA’s Common Core State Standards Initiative. Through their involvement, the Duval County PTA will meet with key state and local decision-makers, engage the media and train parents with key advocacy skills to support the Standards. Created by teachers, parents, education experts and others from across the country, the Standards provide clear, consistent expectations for what students should be learning at each grade in mathematics and English language arts in order to be prepared for college and career.
This selection marks the first time PTA’s have competed by submitting grant applications to receive National PTA training and advocacy support. The Duval County PTA, was selected by National PTA based on its organizational background, project goals and objectives, organizational capacity, advocacy capacity, member communication and community engagement.
_____________________________________________
Remember These Helpful Resources!
Parent Grade Portal - a website tool for parents to see individual student information, including grades, attendance, a school calendar, and more. Parents will need to register for a login and password at Mandarin Middle in the front office (Monday - Friday, 10:00am - 3:00pm). Picture ID is required to receive your Username and Password.
http://www.duvalschools.org/static/parents/Gradebook/index.asp
To request a teacher conference, parents may call the Guidance Office at (904) 292-0555, extension 1.
_____________________________________________
For more information, please call the school office at 292-0555.
Please click here to read the recent Florida PTA press release regarding the FCAT scores for this school year.
ESE Survey Available
The Florida Department of Education is conducting a survey designed to provide the state with information on how well schools are supporting parents' involvement in their child's education. Under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), states must report this information to the federal government on an annual basis.
This year's ESE (Exceptional Student Education) Survey is now available online at www.ESESurvey.com.
Who should complete the survey?
All parents of children with disabilities and a current Individual Education Plan (IEP) in grades preschool to 12.
(Note: This survey is not intended for parents of students in the gifted program with Educational Plans [EPs].)
The deadline to complete the survey is June 30, 2012.
Two years ago the response rate was 12%; last year the response rate was 20%. This year, the goal is to have 50% of parents complete the survey.
Survey results are reported to the United States Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs, as part of Florida's Annual Performance Report and are posted on the Florida Department of Education's Website at www.fldoe.org/ese. Improvement activities are determined based on the survey report. Progress is monitored through the annual parent survey. No names will be released in any report. All responses are confidential.
UPDATE:
At our PTSA General Meeting on April 17, the following PTSA Officers for 2012-13 School Year were elected:
President - Kari Bell
1st VP, Programs - Pam Johnson
2nd VP, Ways & Means - Diana Elenz
3rd VP, Membership - Jenifer Morgan
Treasurer - Lisa Jenkins
Recording Secretary - Michelle Redding
Corresponding Secretary - Marilyn Smith
In addition, several committee chair positions are available for next year. Please Contact Us and let us know if you are interested in serving on the Board.
Would you like to help children improve their reading skills?
Becoming a DCCPTA/DCPS Reading Volunteer is very simple. You only need to attend an interesting and informative, one-time class. The class is 1½ hours long and will give you some good tips on working with students of all ages. Upon completing this class, you may volunteer in the school of your choice or DCCPTA/DCPS can help you choose a school.
They will need Reading Volunteers for summer school so it is not too late to come and get trained to be a Reading Volunteer.
The next set of classes will be held Tuesday, May 22, 2012, 1:00 p.m. - 2:30 p.m. in Room 128 of the School Board Building at 1701 Prudential Drive. You do not need to register. If you see a date that works for you, just bring a pen or pencil for making notes, and come and join in.
iAdvocate for Kids Newsletter
iAdvocate for Kids will be starting a monthly email newsletter to help parents keep informed about the District's implementation of the Common Core State Standards and other advocacy training courses. Please subscribe at the following LINK. We have been assured that any e-mail addresses shared with us will ONLY be used for PTA purposes. Check out the iAdvocate for Kids website HERE.
Message from PTSA President Jenifer Morgan
Thank you to everyone who participated in our Yankee Candle/Sports Cups Fundraiser. Due to the success of the sale, we were able to meet our budget goals for the year and hope to be doing a few small projects around the school soon.
We are happy to report that we collected over 2200 books during the Book SWAP. Our students were able to choose books to update their reading libraries, and we donated several boxes full of great books for Oceanway Elementary School. A special thank you goes to Ms. Maxine Bergman, our English/Language Arts Chair, for all that she did to make the Book SWAP so successful.
One of our ongoing community service projects is to collect aluminum tab tops, which we donate to the Ronald McDonald House here in Jacksonville. We want to send a special "shout out" to Mrs. Raper's service learning class for their extra dedication to this project. We recently donated 87 pounds of tab tops!!!
**Special Volunteer Opportunities**
8th Grade Dance
The 8th Grade Dance will be held on Friday, June 1, from 4:15 to 6:30 pm. This is an informal, free event that is meant to be one last special middle school "hoorah" for our 8th graders. We will need lots of help from parents to serve and chaperone, and we will also need donations of chips and drinks. Please Contact Us if you can help.
DCC PTA honored at National Legislative Conference
The Duval County Council of PTAs was honored in Washington DC during the National PTA Legislative Conference March 8, 2012. The Duval County Council received an Outstanding Advocacy Award for their work with the Superintendent’s Leadership Academy (SLA). This award is presented to a local, district, council, or regional PTA that, through their dedication, leadership and efforts positively affected legislative and/or regulatory policy compatible with PTA’s mission and goals. Duval County Council President, Melissa Kicklighter, traveled to DC to accept the award.
The SLA is a grassroots advocacy and civics training course for those high school students nominated by their administration as leaders in their schools. This is the second year the Duval County Council has offered this training to Jacksonville students. This year’s course began in Oct 2011 and finished up with a trip to Tallahassee in January where the students were able to practice the advocacy skills they learned. 82 students from every high school in the city attended some of the training, with 54 students completing the full training and traveling to Tallahassee to advocate for their schools with the State Legislators in January.
_____________________________________________
Join MMS PTSA
Have you noticed that there is an "S" in PTSA? That's because students are part of our membership, too. Being a part of the PTSA is a great way for your students to be involved. We also invite parents, grandparents, and other family members to join and show their support for Mandarin Middle School.
Even if you have no time to give, your membership helps PTSA to pay for newsletters, assist with school improvement projects, host a TGIF dance for students, provide faculty and staff with appreciation luncheons, and provide an 8th grade party at the end of the year. These are just a few of the things that your PTSA does for Mandarin Middle School. Please sign up today!
It's not too late to join the PTSA. Our membership drive for the year ends in March. If you haven't already returned your membership envelope, please do so soon. Help us reach our goal for having over 1000 members. Extra membership envelopes are available in the Main Office. Check out the great benefits and discounts you can receive simply by showing your PTSA Membership Card.
- Get 15% off your bill at Jacksonville Tropical Smoothie by just showing your PTA membership card.
- Receive 10% OFF your total bill at Pizza Palace when you show your PTA card! (Jacksonville locations only)
- Apple Computers is providing a special program for Duval County parents and students to receive the same education discount that is normally only available to school districts and education professionals. Visit www.apple.com/edu/duval for details.
Volunteer Information
Please note that volunteers must be cleared through Duval County Public Schools. The online application is the best way to get timely clearance. Clearance is good for two years. If you still have a volunteer card, it is good until it expires, but DCPS now issues a letter instead. Visit the DCPS volunteers page to find out more and access the online application.
Questions? Please contact our Volunteers Chair, Yvonne St. John, at volunteers@mandarinmiddleptsa.org.
Humanitarian Projects/Blood Drive
If you participate in any type of service project with your family, through work, or through your child’s activities, please let us know. Our PTSA is eligible for a Humanitarian Award from Florida PTA for any projects our members participate in outside of school. Also, if you donate blood at any Donor Center for the Florida Georgia Blood Alliance, please tell them that you wish to donate in the name of Mandarin Middle School (Account #2045). Your blood will help someone in need, and your donation will count toward a Blood Drive Award for our school.
Legislative Advocacy
Tired of budget cuts and decisions made by our state and federal elected officials? Then become an advocate for your child and our schools. Doing so is as simple as calling, emailing, or writing your representatives and letting them know that you want them to put education first. Visit our Advocacy page to find the contact information for our representatives.
The Duval County Council of PTAs/PTSAs has received a grant from National PTA for advocacy training that will help all of us become better advocates for our children.Visit www.DCCPTA.org for more information about training sessions through the iAdvocate for Kids Grassroots Advocacy Leadership Program.
_____________________________________________
Press Release
Thursday, January 26, 2012
DOE Press Office
(850) 245-0413
Florida Named National Leader in Educator Quality
- Sunshine State earns nation's highest overall grade in 2011 -
TALLAHASSEE - The National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ) 2011 State Teacher Policy Yearbook released yesterday awarded Florida an overall grade of "B," highest in the nation, in its biennial report. This was up from a grade of "C" in 2009. The state also received high marks for making progress in policies and practices that govern the teaching profession.
"Ranking first in the nation is a tribute to our teachers and clear evidence of their commitment to continuous improvement when it comes to providing opportunities for high-quality education for our students," said Florida Education Commissioner Gerard Robinson. "School districts from Miami-Dade to Hillsborough to the panhandle are truly leading the nation. I congratulate Florida's teachers and commend the successful leadership practices that are a catalyst for local change. I am confident we will continue to improve because of the courage and dedication of our educators to their students and their profession."
Commissioner Robinson added that this significant recognition demonstrates statewide collaboration with teachers, superintendents, and education stakeholders as they work together to assure the best education for students.
The 2011 State Teacher Policy Yearbook includes NCTQ's biennial, full review of Florida's laws, rules and regulations that govern the teaching profession. This year's report measures Florida's progress against a set of 36 policy goals focused on helping states put in place a comprehensive framework in support of preparing, retaining and rewarding effective teachers. For the first time, the Yearbook includes a progress rating on goals that have been measured over time.
The 2011 State Teacher Policy Yearbook awards state grades in five individual categories. Florida boosted its grade in four out of five categories since 2009.
Delivering Well Prepared Teachers - "B-" (up from "C" in 2009)
Expanding the Teaching Pool - "B-"
Identifying Effective Teachers - "B" (up from "C-" in 2009)
Retaining Effective Teachers - "B-" (up from "C" in 2009)
Exiting Ineffective Teachers - "B+" (up from "C" in 2009)
To view Florida's 2011 State Teacher Policy Yearbook, visit http://www.nctq.org/stpy11/reports/stpy11_florida_report.pdf (PDF)
_____________________________________________
DCCPTA to Be Part of National PTA Common Core Standards Initiative
September 13, 2011 – The Duval County Council of Parent Teacher Associations (PTA’s) announced today that it will receive funding from National PTA to train its members, educators, administrators and community leaders on the implementation of Common Core Standards in classrooms.
The Duval County, PTA is part of National PTA’s Common Core State Standards Initiative. Through their involvement, the Duval County PTA will meet with key state and local decision-makers, engage the media and train parents with key advocacy skills to support the Standards. Created by teachers, parents, education experts and others from across the country, the Standards provide clear, consistent expectations for what students should be learning at each grade in mathematics and English language arts in order to be prepared for college and career.
This selection marks the first time PTA’s have competed by submitting grant applications to receive National PTA training and advocacy support. The Duval County PTA, was selected by National PTA based on its organizational background, project goals and objectives, organizational capacity, advocacy capacity, member communication and community engagement.
_____________________________________________
Remember These Helpful Resources!
Parent Grade Portal - a website tool for parents to see individual student information, including grades, attendance, a school calendar, and more. Parents will need to register for a login and password at Mandarin Middle in the front office (Monday - Friday, 10:00am - 3:00pm). Picture ID is required to receive your Username and Password.
http://www.duvalschools.org/static/parents/Gradebook/index.asp
To request a teacher conference, parents may call the Guidance Office at (904) 292-0555, extension 1.
_____________________________________________
For more information, please call the school office at 292-0555.