PTSA
PTSA thrives with the support of our community, parents, students, faculty, and staff. Your FSUS PTSA firmly believes this and strives to keep it as part of our core philosophy. With your support, we have been able to continue our Big and Mini Grant Programs, bringing thousands of dollars directly into our classrooms. From new media equipment, egg incubators for our first-grade classrooms, robots, enhanced classroom libraries, color guard materials, and so much more. We like to think this puts the icing on the cake for our already wonderfully, academically furnished classrooms.
Programs and events would not be possible without the financial support and involvement of all our members. Did you know a PTSA member can be a friend, grandparent, or neighbor too? Membership to the PTSA is just $5 per person and dues are paid annually. To bolster our efforts, we would ask that you also consider a $25 family donation as PTSA only keeps $1.50 of every membership.
We use our funding for school improvement items such as the shade over the playground area, academic enrichment like senior scholarships, and of course, events like our Boo-Hoo breakfast for our kindergarten parents on the first day of school, Teacher Appreciation Week, and we are looking forward to bringing back Grand Friends' Day.
As a K-12 commuter school, volunteering is extra important. We must try hard to find a sense of community, and we are so thankful for your involvement. There are opportunities at all times of the day. We want to be sure everyone can join us with no pressure of mandatory volunteer hours.
To keep up to date on all our events and announcements, please join our Facebook group - FSUS PTSA and download our 2023-2024 calendar. We are so excited to have you and we wish you a great school year!
Douglass Cooke, Jr.
FSUS PTSA President
PTSA Leadership
Florida State University Schools provides an engaging educational environment because parents and faculty work together for the good of the students. This could not be accomplished without parental support and the volunteer contributions of volunteer PTSA Board of Directors and committee chairs. Below is the listing of your PTSA leadership.
President |
Douglass Cooke |
---|---|
Vice President | Jennifer Stanford |
Treasurer | Kendall Meikenhous |
Fundraising | Hanna Taft & Amber Norris |
Membership | Ashley Ligas, Amanda Salyer, & Catherine Sanders |
Engagement | Cashata McGriff, Lindsey Smitherman-Brown, & Tara Youngman |
Volunteers | David Amwake |
Recording Secretary | Elizabeth Ray |
Corresponding Secretary | Nancy Blum-Heintz & Christina Hanna |
Teacher Liaisons | Elementary- Kate Allen Secondary- Carolyn Daniels |
Join
Become a PTSA member today for just $5 per family member. We encourage every family member to join including grandparents! Please note that for every $5.00 membership, $3.50 goes to the Florida and National PTA. The balance of your dues and income from donations and fundraisers allows the PTSA to provide support programs that benefit our parents, teachers, students, staff and administrators throughout the year, such as:
- Grand Friends Day
- Kindergarten Boo-Hoo Parent Breakfast
- Teacher/Classroom Grants
- Teacher & Staff Appreciation Week
- Senior Scholarship Awards
- Walking School Bus
- Pastries with Parents
- Best and Brightest Senior Awards
- Wellness and Safety Programs
- School Beautification
- Community Outreach
- School-Wide Volunteer Support
- And more...
To continue our efforts, please consider making an additional tax deductible direct donation to the PTSA by designating a dollar amount. Our suggested donation amount is $25 per family.
- $25 is our suggested tax-deductible donation
- $50 can fund a gift card for one of our Best and Brightest Student
- $100 can support testing snacks for a grade of students during FSA
- $250 can fund one teacher mini-grant
- $1,000 can fund one Big Impact Grant for innovative learning and teaching techniques (for all grades and special areas)
Volunteer
Volunteering is an important part of FSUS PTSA success. We want families to volunteer how they want and when they want with no pressure of mandatory volunteer hours. There are a number of volunteer opportunities to choose from this school year, ranging from one day events to ongoing committees. We will also post volunteer opportunities throughout the year on our FSUS PTSA Facebook group and using SignUp.com. Please email us at fsusptsapres@gmail.com if you are interested in joining a committee or fill out the form listed below.
If you are interested in serving in a leadership position, please fill out a form. This does not commit you to a position or a team but allows us to reach out to you and provide more information.
PTSA Board Positions
- President: Presides at all meetings, shall coordinate with leadership of each PTSA team to meet goals of all activities, programs and initiatives, and acts as a point of contact with FSUS administration.
- Vice President: Acts as aide(s) to the president and shall perform the duties of the president in the absence or disability of that officer to act.
- Treasurer & Finance Director: Maintains custody of all of the funds of the association; shall keep a full and accurate account of receipts and expenditures (Two positions).
- Recording Secretary: Responsible for board meeting preparation and recording of meeting minutes of all meetings of the association and of the executive board.
- Corresponding Secretary (Communications & Outreach): Responsible for all written and electronic communications including emails, website updates, press releases, newsletters and social media.
- Membership Team Leaders: Encourages families, faculty, staff and community partners to join PTSA.
- Fundraising Team Leaders: Promotes and coordinates PTSA fundraisers, Share Nights, Box Tops for Education and other PTSA related collections fundraising programs at the school.
- Engagement Team Leaders: Promotes and coordinates family engagement events, student scholarships and grants for teachers and programs.
- Volunteer Team Leaders: Coordinates outreach to members regarding volunteer opportunities for PTSA; works with committee chairs regarding volunteer needs; enters all volunteer opportunities using Sign Up Genius.
PTSA Teams (Committees)
Engagement Teams
Academic Enrichment (Throughout the year; primarily coordinated from home.): The Academic Enrichment committee provides academic enrichment, educational, and scholarship programs for students, teachers, and PTSA members. The Academic Enrichment Team augments our students’ education through teacher mini-grants, which enable FSUS faculty to acquire additional learning resources e.g., flexible seating, books, language learning centers, organizational materials, SAT prep books, and classroom supplies. The Academic Enrichment Team also recognizes the academic and community service accomplishments of several graduating seniors by providing $500 Senior Scholarships, and $50 Amazon gift cards for FSUS’ nominees for the Best & Brightest Awards. The Academic Enrichment Team is responsible for receiving, evaluating, and—in consultation with the PTSA Board—awarding teacher mini-grants and senior scholarships. Improves Senior Scholarship and Mini-grant application materials annually.
Dads Take Your Children to School Day (September): Dads Take Your Child to School Day invites fathers to take their children to school and stay for pastries and photos. This initiative’s intent is to highlight the difference fathers and father figures can make by taking a more active role in their children’s educational experience. Volunteers are responsible for coordinating with Walking School Bus, ordering food, setting up, décor, photos, serving and clean-up. Event requires several days of planning and actual event in approximately 90 minutes, including set-up and clean-up.
Daddy/Daughter Dance (Planning and event in Spring): The team plans and coordinates all aspects of the Daddy/Daughter Dance including ticket sales, food, entertainment and activities. Coordinates volunteers as needed for the night of the event.
Grand Friends Day (Begin planning in September, event in November): Coordinate an event that engages grandparents/grand friends in the academic life of their student at FSUS. For students, whose grandparents or grand friends are unable to participate in the event, PTSA will coordinate a “Cookie Gram.” Grand friends can purchase a “Cookie Gram” for students to enjoy at lunch with a personal note.
Muffins with Mom (April): Encouraged to host one event - muffins with mom in springtime. Volunteers are responsible for ordering food, setting up, décor, photos, serving and clean up. These event is a minimal in time commitment. One hour for planning and another hour for set-up/event/clean-up before school.
Walking School Bus (Monthly): FSUS Walking School Bus committee determines themes and small student incentives for each month, coordinates with FSUS PD, FSUS crossing guards, Department of Health volunteers, the Subway manager, in order to ensure continued free coffee for adults, tracking student walkers, ensuring each student has proper consent forms, counting monthly participation, providing year-end awards for the classroom with the most walkers throughout the year, requesting student volunteers and photographer volunteers to document the event.
Welcome Back Breakfast (August): The Welcome Back Breakfast takes place as a part of the back-to-school faculty meeting. It is an opportunity to welcome the teachers and sign them up for membership. Teacher and administrator goal of 60 percent. Have three to four gift baskets as “door prizes” for those who sign-up as members. Volunteers are responsible for ordering food, setting up, décor, photos, serving and clean up. Event requires several days of planning and actual event in approximately three hours including set-up and clean-up.
Membership Teams
Communications & Outreach (Throughout the year from home.): Coordinates with the FSUS technology department regarding Blackboard site and marquis content. Responsible for producing an online monthly PTSA newsletter and distributing electronic announcements about PTSA meetings and other PTSA sponsored events. In addition, maintains the FSUS PTSA website and social media sites. Assisting in developing press releases or other media materials.
Volunteer Outreach & Coordination: (Throughout the year. Outreach can be done from home.): Develops an outreach campaign to members to volunteer for PTSA; works with committee chairs on call on volunteers; works with school volunteer coordinator for collaborative efforts and will ensure a request is sent out to all relevant members regarding assistance needed. Enters all volunteer opportunities using Sign Up Genius.
Fundraising Teams
Fun Run (January for pep-rally and event. Additional planning needed in first half of the school year.): The team serves as the primary point of contact for the Boosterthon staff and helps to promote the event via posters, flyers, listserv, Facebook and the morning announcements. Coordinates volunteers as needed for collecting and counting donations at the end of the event.
Share Nights (Throughout the year as needed but mostly evenings and weekends.): The team serves as the primary point of contact for share nights such as two Skate World share nights as well as FSU Theatre Share Night via posters, flyers, listserv and the morning announcements. Coordinates volunteers to check in students for classroom contests. Other share nights can be coordinated as determined by team and board.
Fundraising
FSUS PTSA’s fundraising efforts allow us to provide classroom enrichment and support for our teachers and students. We are hoping to make our school year successful and fun. However, we realize that not everyone enjoys fundraising. So we give everyone three easy ways to give and support your PTSA.
Sign
Family Donation: With this hassle-free fundraiser, you can support PTSA with a simple monetary donation that is 100% tax-deductible. This fundraiser is in lieu of sending students home with the task of selling products or collecting money and delivering goods. Our suggested donation amount is $25 per family but consider these amounts as well - $50 can provide a gift card for our Best and Brightest Students, $100 can support school beautification efforts, $250 will support teacher/classroom mini-grants and $1,000 can support our BIG Impact Grant for all grades and special areas. Visit our online store to sign-up and donate.
Shop
Givebacks: We are excited to announce a new opportunity with Givebacks. You can now help us earn funds year round without spending any extra time or money. All you have to do is sign up for Givebacks and shop and dine as you normally do. When you visit any of 25,000+ participating stores and restaurants, they’ll automatically donate a percentage of your purchase to us—at no cost to you! Our donations go directly back to our programs and events that benefit our teachers and students. We also get a $5 bonus for each new backer who makes a qualifying purchase. Sign up today at: https://www.givebacks.com/join/FSUSPTSA.
Share Days/Nights: This year we are partnering with a number of businesses in town to host share days/nights. Just mention FSUS PTSA and a percentage of the sale is earned. Check back for dates and details.
Sprint
Fun Run: This is our only major fundraiser. Teachers and students are still buzzing with excitement from last year. Students run laps around a track and families make pledges to the number of laps the student will run. In 2023, we raised more than $45,000 for our programs and events. Stay tuned for our efforts in 2024!
FAQs
- What is FSUS PTSA?
- How can I help?
- How can I stay up-to-date on what PTSA is doing?
- What does PTSA do with the funds raised?
- Why should I volunteer?
What is FSUS PTSA?
FSUS PTSA is a partnership of the parents, teachers, students, administrators and staff of FSUS. Together, we are working for the enrichment of our students' educational experience. And don’t forget, grandparents, family members and other friends of FSUS are welcome to become members and are an important part of our school. The purpose of PTSA is:
- To promote the educational, physical, emotional and spiritual welfare of our children.
- To strengthen the relationship between the home and the school so that families and teachers may cooperate in the education of our children.
- To advocate for laws that protect and nurture our children.
How can I help?
Research has shown that a major factor in a school's success is a high-level of parent and community involvement and support. A parent's involvement has an enormously positive impact on a student's attitude, attendance and academic achievement. You have the power to make a difference in your student's education and to enrich the educational experience of every student at FSUS. A simple way to help at school is by joining PTSA and show your support and commitment to the growth of the educational environment. Becoming a member does not mean that you must volunteer your time! Your membership alone supports your FSUS PTSA and we would love to have you commit whatever time works for you and your schedule.
How can I stay up-to-date on what PTSA is doing?
Members stay informed by joining our FSUS PTSA Facebook group, downloading our calendar and coming to our meetings. You have a voice and a vote on all issues brought before PTSA.
What does PTSA do with the funds raised?
Our fundraisers support all activities of the FSUS PTSA including teacher grants, senior scholarships, reading programs, academic enrichment, teacher appreciation week events, health, wellness and safety programs, kindergarten boo-hoo breakfast and much more! You can help raise the funds needed to support these programs by:
- Become a member for just $5;
- Participate in our Boosterthon fun run;
- Make tax-deductible direct donation of our suggested family amount of $25 to the FSUS PTSA.
Why should I volunteer?
Your children like it when they see you helping at school. Volunteering is also a great way to get to know the FSUS faculty, administration, staff and other parents. Don’t stress volunteering doesn’t need to be hard or all-consuming. We need volunteers at every level of time commitment: one-time events, an hour, one day or one project. You can be part of our quorum at General Assembly meetings, or the parent who brings in baked goods for teacher appreciation events. You can join committees, lead committees, or even sign up to join the Board of Directors. Your FSUS PTSA looks forward to seeing you out on campus this year. Come out and meet us, see what we do, and get involved.
Events
Grandfriends Day
🚀 Blast Off with Books: Grand Friends K-3 Literacy Night! 🌟📚
Get ready to blast off into a night of reading adventure! We’re thrilled to invite you to our Grand Friends K-3 Literacy Night with this year’s out-of-this-world theme: Blast Off with Books! 🌌
When: Tuesday, November 12th
Time: 5:30 PM - 7:30 PM
Where: FSUS Cafeteria
This exciting event is a perfect chance for our K-3 students to enjoy a fun-filled evening with their "Grand Friends"—grandparents, aunts, uncles, neighbors, and any special friends who cheer on our FSUS students. 🎉
What’s Happening:
· Free Book for Every Student! 📖
· Interactive Reading Stations & Fun Activities all around the cafeteria. 🌟
· Delicious Dinner served (boxed sandwiches, though we can’t accommodate dietary restrictions). 🥪
Registration Info:
· Sign Up Online: https://app.givebacks.gives/grandfriends24
· Limited Spots: Only 200 people total (students + grand friends) or until November 1st—whichever comes first!
· Open to K-3 FSUS Students ONLY. Please register up to two grand friends per child due to space limitations.
· Cost: Absolutely FREE! Just use the PROMO CODE FREE at checkout.
Event Agenda:
· 5:30 PM - 5:45 PM: Check-in
· 5:30 PM - 6:00 PM: Dinner Time!
· 6:00 PM: Welcome and overview of the night’s fun!
· 6:15 PM - 7:30 PM: Enjoy reading activities with your Grand Friends
Let’s make this a night full of laughter, learning, and cosmic fun! 🌠 Don’t forget to bring a new or gently used book to donate to children who could use a bit more reading magic in their lives. 📚For more details and to download the flyer, visit our website.
Can’t wait to see you there for an unforgettable night of reading adventures!
Best,
Nancy Blum-Heintz, PTSA Grand Friends Literacy Night Chair