The Randall Middle School PTSA Hawk Herald Volume 16 Issue 6 February 2016 RANDALL MIDDLE SCHOOL PTSA BOARD 2015-2016 Kathi Hayes - President Ashley Basquill - V.P. Ways & Means Terri Fischer - V.P. Membership Anne Morris & Danielle Triplett - V.P. Activities Liza Grimm - V.P. Communications Doris Rainey and Mary Spencer - Treasurer Sheila Green - Recording Secretary CHAIR POSITIONS Jennifer Heidt - Awards Jen Hurst & Kathy McAdam - Book Fair Shona Husbands - Box Tops Jen Abrenica - Volunteers Maria Mendez - County Council Anne Morris & Danielle Triplett - Cultural Arts Night Laura Muldoon - Hawking Marcia Hollman - Magnets Lucy Sankey - Newsletter Michele Clor & Christine King - Reflections Patty Fry - Restaurant Nights Danielle Burke - Reindeer Grams Jennifer Abdoney - Staff Appreciation Silvia Walsh & Karyna Boettger - Student Recognition Emily Carson & Janice Cox - T-Shirts Melissa Canfield - Website Sarah McKenna - Faculty Rep 16510 Fishhawk Blvd, Lithia, FL 33547 | [email protected]| (813) 740-3900 | http://randall.mysdhc.org/PTSA Hey Randall Families! Can’t believe we are already in our second semester of school! The PTSA has accomplished so many things these past couple of months so here’s a quick recap! The Randall students who sold 15 or more items in the PTSA Fall Fundraiser had the opportunity to ride in a limo and enjoy lunch at Cherry’s at Park Square. Thank you to all of those who made this event an awesome experience for those students…Mrs. Mawhinney, Mr. Gerding, Dr. Sykes, Mrs. McKenna, Mr. Oliver, Ashley Basquill (VP of Ways & Means), all of the volunteers who helped serve and Cherry’s Restaurant! The Reindeer Grams were a great hit! Thank you students, parents, and teachers for supporting this fun Candy Cane exchange. Thank you to all who donated candy canes, talent, and time making and selling the Reindeer Grams! The Florida PTA held a Legislative Conference in Tallahassee a couple of weekends ago. A few represented Hillsborough County and had the opportunity to speak to several State Representatives! Testing, Teacher Evaluations, Gun Control, Recess Bill, Budgeting for Technology to accommodate testing, and several other topics were addressed and discussed. It was a great opportunity to let them hear from parents, students, and PTSA’s from all over the state. With elections coming up and many bills being presented, we have included many of the Senate/House Bills for your convenience. Please take a moment to read over them and decide which ones are right for your District, School, Family and Children. I have provided the SB and HB numbers for references. Speaking of Elections…the PTSA Executive Board Elections are right around the corner too! PTSA Bylaws state that a Nominating Committee shall be elected each year. The duties would include collecting all nominations and/or nominate candidates for Executive Committee (President, Vice-Presidents, Secretary and Treasurer). They will present a slate of their best qualified candidates to the General Membership as a good representation of Randall Middle School. They will conduct the voting process and include any and all candidates who run from the floor during elections. Please email Sheila Green ([email protected]) if you would like to serve on the Nominating Committee. We have the 2 nd Annual Photography Cultural Arts Day! Please see the details in the newsletter. Randall Conference Night is Thursday, February 25 th . Most teachers have a sign-up sheet outside of their door on conference night and conduct meetings on a first-come, first-served basis. Please contact your teachers directly through Edsby if you have any questions or conflicts. Housecleaning…PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE be courteous and patient drivers in carline. We are the examples for our children and fellow Randall Parents. School zones for ALL of our schools are just as important. Leaving out of the carline, we are still in the 20 mph school zone! In our neighborhoods, please be careful as kids are walking to and from the bus stops. They aren’t always paying attention (I know! Crazy, right?!). Thank you for all of your support for the Randall PTSA, Teachers, Faculty, and Students! We appreciate all you do! Kathi Hayes
Transcript
The Randall Middle School PTSA Hawk Herald
Volume 16 Issue 6 February 2016
RANDALL MIDDLE SCHOOL
PTSA BOARD 2015-2016
Kathi Hayes - President
Ashley Basquill - V.P. Ways & Means
Terri Fischer - V.P. Membership
Anne Morris & Danielle Triplett - V.P. Activities
Liza Grimm - V.P. Communications
Doris Rainey and Mary Spencer - Treasurer
Sheila Green - Recording Secretary
CHAIR POSITIONS
Jennifer Heidt - Awards
Jen Hurst & Kathy McAdam - Book Fair
Shona Husbands - Box Tops
Jen Abrenica - Volunteers
Maria Mendez - County Council
Anne Morris & Danielle Triplett - Cultural Arts Night
Can’t believe we are already in our second semester of school! The PTSA has accomplished so many things these past couple of months so here’s a quick recap!
The Randall students who sold 15 or more items in the PTSA Fall Fundraiser had the opportunity to ride in a limo and enjoy lunch at Cherry’s at Park Square. Thank you to all of those who made this event an awesome experience for those students…Mrs. Mawhinney, Mr. Gerding, Dr. Sykes, Mrs. McKenna, Mr. Oliver, Ashley Basquill (VP of Ways & Means), all of the volunteers who helped serve and Cherry’s Restaurant!
The Reindeer Grams were a great hit! Thank you students, parents, and teachers for supporting this fun Candy Cane exchange. Thank you to all who donated candy canes, talent, and time making and selling the Reindeer Grams!
The Florida PTA held a Legislative Conference in Tallahassee a couple of weekends ago. A few represented Hillsborough County and had the opportunity to speak to several State Representatives! Testing, Teacher Evaluations, Gun Control, Recess Bill, Budgeting for Technology to accommodate testing, and several other topics were addressed and discussed. It was a great opportunity to let them hear from parents, students, and PTSA’s from all over the state. With elections coming up and many bills being presented, we have included many of the Senate/House Bills for your convenience. Please take a moment to read over them and decide which ones are right for your District, School,
Family and Children. I have provided the SB and HB numbers for references.
Speaking of Elections…the PTSA Executive Board Elections are right around the corner too! PTSA Bylaws state that a Nominating Committee shall be elected each year. The duties would include collecting all nominations and/or nominate candidates for Executive Committee (President, Vice-Presidents, Secretary and Treasurer). They will present a slate of their best qualified candidates to the General Membership as a good representation of Randall Middle School. They will conduct the voting process and include any and all candidates who run from the floor during elections. Please email Sheila Green ([email protected]) if you would like to serve on the Nominating Committee.
We have the 2nd Annual Photography Cultural Arts Day! Please see the details in the newsletter. Randall Conference Night is Thursday, February 25th. Most teachers have a sign-up sheet outside of their door on conference night and conduct meetings on a first-come, first-served basis. Please contact your teachers directly through Edsby if you have any questions or conflicts.
Housecleaning…PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE be courteous and patient drivers in carline. We are the examples for our children and fellow Randall Parents. School zones for ALL of our schools are just as important. Leaving out of the carline, we are still in the 20 mph school zone! In our neighborhoods, please be careful as kids are walking to and from the bus stops. They aren’t always paying attention (I know! Crazy, right?!).
Thank you for all of your support for the Randall PTSA, Teachers, Faculty, and Students! We appreciate all you do!
Please come out to the photography showcase craft fair on FEBRUARY 20th, 11am-2pm. We will have food trucks, craft vendors, and our students’ photos! Photos will be displayed for you to vote on a People Choice Photo. First place is $100, 2nd place is $50, and 3rd is $25. Additionally, there will be a Teacher Category so
students can vote for their favorite teacher photo. T h e y w i l l w i n c a s h prizes. Deadline to submit s t u d e n t p h o t o s i s FEBRUARY 4th!!! Come support Art at Randall.
RANDALL PHOTO CONTEST Anne Morris and Danielle Triplett
Thanks to all the families supporting our spirit nights. A huge thanks to Cherry's for hosting the January spirit night. The PTSA earned $225 from the earnings of that day, this is wonderful!!! Our total for spirit nights this school year so far is $495. This is great and we are thankful to our families and local restaurants that support our school and programs.
Mark your calendars! Tuesday, February 9th & Wednesday, February 10th
Outback Steakhouse in Fishhawk (all day)
Pick one day or both to support Randall spirit night.
2015-2016 PTSA OFFICERS
Kathi Hayes President
Ashley Basquill V.P. Ways and Means
Terri Fischer V.P. Membership
Anne Morris & Danielle Triplett V.P. Activities Liza Grimm
V.P. of Communications Doris Rainey and Mary Spencer
Treasurer Sheila Green
Recording Secretary Claire Mawhinney
Principal
PTSA Mission • A powerful voice for children • A relevant source for families and
communities • A strong advocate for the
education and well being of every child
The Hawk Herald is a publication produced by Randall Middle School’sPTSA. It is designed to keep our families informed on current events and happenings at our school.
The Hawk Herald is published monthly throughout the school year and the deadline for submission is the last Friday prior to the online publication date, which is the first Wednesday of the month. Submissions for consideration should be emailed to Lucy Sankey: [email protected]
Parents can choose any “open seat” at any school in-county or out-of-county. This can also affect athletic eligibility. (Polk, Pinellas, etc. could choice to Hillsborough County Schools for athletic or other extra-curricular activities)
Charter Governance: HB 7019
High-impact charter schools-allow for profit companies to move into failing school areas and create charters.
Virtual Requirement: HB 4013
Will change requirements for online education, relieves requirements in blended education plans.
*68th School District: HJR-HB 759 & SB 976
Add a constitutional amendment to add a 68th school district with the authority to oversee charter schools statewide (no dept. named).
Still Working...Education
FHSAA: HB 31 &SB 1026
Allows smaller schools to be in the FHSAA but choose sports and schedules and still work with FHSAA (Smaller schools who do not have students for all the different sports, not be penalized but still remain in good standing with FHSAA)
*A+ Plan Funds: HB 1360 & SB 1078
Allows for alternate testing sources to determine accountability
Best & Brightest: HB 978
Incentive pay for teachers that test well out of high school
*Computer Coding: HB 887 & SB 468
Allows computer coding to be used as credit for foreign language requirements. (Opportunity for those who choose more technical career path or have troubles “speaking” foreign languages {i.e. auditory/verbal disabilities} but can still have an opportunity to go to a 4-year college.)
*Mandatory Recess: HB 833
Require a minimum of 20 minutes per day of unstructured play time (K-5), without punitive measures. (Recess can’t be taken away for disciplinary actions. Hillsborough County currently has it in their Wellness
Plan but not mandatory.) The House passed this bill unanimously and being forwarded to the Senate.
Help Struggling Readers: HB 7021
Provide extra reading resources and partners to help with areas of struggling readers or students with Dyslexia
Guns off Campus: HB 4001 & SB 68
Requesting certain licensed individuals be allowed to carry guns on school property. (More concern for college campuses and students the right to bear arms)
Teacher Conduct Resources: HB 894 & SB 719
Resources and plans to help teachers with mandatory reporting issues
Juvenile Justice
*Expungement of Juvenile Records: HB 294 & SB 300
Need to expunge youth records for certain non-violent offenses, so they do not impact adult life
*Direct File Bill: HB 129 & SB 314
Requesting a judge be involved in the decision for “tried as an adult” decisions. Currently, only ONE prosecutor makes the decision. Also, need published criteria and plan for juveniles reprimanded into adult court. (Currently in Florida, don’t need a parent or judge for child to be tried as an adult)
Please contact your State Lawmakers:
Senator John LeggTallahassee Office316 Senate Office Building 404 South Monroe StreetTallahassee, FL 32399-1100 (850) 487-5017
1. Please be sure you’re regularly checking both the student’s Edsby account as well as the parent’s account because there is different information on each of them. Keep in touch with teachers via email in order to ensure your children are doing well. More information can be found at mySPOT at myspot.sdhc.k12.fl.us
2. Progress reports will go home on Tuesday 2/23, and students who are earning a D or F at that time in any class wil l also bring home scholarship warnings.
3. Conference Night will be on Thursday 2/25 from 5:00 to 7:00 pm, so if any of your children are having difficulties in any of their classes, please meet with their teachers. There will also be an incoming 6th grade parent workshop that night, and more information will be sent home soon.
4. Report cards will go home with students on Tuesday 2/9, so please be sure they give those to you so you can discuss it with them and contact teachers if needed.
5. Students will be off on Friday 2/5 for Fair Day so enjoy yourselves!
6. The new semester started January 1/20 so everyone is starting fresh and needs to pass each of their classes again using that grading chart that was sent home earlier. This 3rd quarter ends 4/1.
7. Randa l l i s fo l low ing the “F ISH” philosophy again this year which stands for: 1. Have fun. 2. Play. 3. Be there. 4. Choose your attitude. For the “fun”
part, students can earn snow cones monthly when they show good behavior, and they will be given out again on Friday 2/26. Hopefully everyone will earn one by the end of the school year.
8. You can keep up on the happenings at Randall through parent links that are sent out at least weekly by Ms. Mawhinney, the principal, but you need to have an email address in our computer system. You can also get lots of information through this newsletter and through Edsby and through our school’s website at randall.mysdhc.org and on our new electronic marquee in the front of the school.
9. Ms. Miller is the 6th grade counselor and c a n b e r e a c h e d a t [email protected] or at 740-3900 x255. Ms. Roberts is the 7th grade counselor and can be reached at [email protected] or at 740-3900 x233. Ms. Richards is the 8th grade counselor and can be reached at [email protected] or at 740-3900 x231. Email is probably the easiest way to reach the counselors since they are in and out of their offices frequently. In the guidance office we also have Ms. McKenna who is the Student Success Coach and she can be r e a c h e d a t [email protected] or at 740-3900 x235. Also, there is Ms. Horner, the Reading Coach, and she can be reached at [email protected] or at 740-3900 x234. We’re all here to help students succeed any way we can!
Here is the important information for you to be aware of in February:
Rod Martinez, author from Tampa who wrote The Juniors, Cassie's Curse, and Who is the Gray Man?, visited to celebrate Literacy Week.
MLK DAY TAKE 2! Kristy Verdi
Our January 15th Day of Service activities have been rescheduled for Thursday, March 24th. All students who were previously signed up for field trips will be contacted to recommit. If spaces are available afterwards, we will send out new applications.
RELAY FOR LIFE LUMINARIES Jill Robinson
Randall's Relay for Life Team will be decorating luminaries again, in preparation for the Fishhawk Relay for Life event in April. Students & teachers are encouraged to come the Media Center on February 8th and 10th-12th from 8:15-8:40am, to create a commemorative luminary for a friend/loved one. This is a fundraising event so we are hoping students can make a donation in order to receive a luminary. The luminaries will be displayed at the Fishhawk Relay for Life event, held on April 9th at Newsome High School.
On January 15th, we were able to make almost 400 cards that will be sent to soldiers in Afghanistan, local children's hospitals, and others who need happy thoughts.
Ms. Delgado's 1st period also hosted a Tech Help session for local seniors. It was a great success they hope to repeat.
CARDS FOR SOLDIERS and TECH HELP SESSION Kristy Verdi
“Salute to Black History Month” Booth at the Florida State Fairgrounds Kristy Verdi / Kathi Hayes
Randall Middle School was invited to showcase a booth at the Florida State Fairgrounds. They based the theme of the booth from one our Randall students, RJ Simmons. He won a contest that was sponsored by Volunteer Florida as well as Governor and First Lady Scott in recognition of Black History month. The requirement was to write an essay about an African-American innovator or inventor who had a significant impact on Florida's economy. Robert "RJ" chose Dr. George Grant, the inventor the golf tee, and the impact his invention had on the economy of Florida. As the winner in this category for the state of Florida, RJ was awarded a full four year scholarship to any Florida college or university.
Also, some Randall students wrote about an African American who has inspired them to reach for some dreams of their own. These are showcased in the booth to go along with the theme of Randall’s booth “DREAMING IN THE FAIWAY”. If you at the FL State Fair, come by the Family Living Center Building and see Randall Middle School’s Booth!
Thank you Randall Faculty (Ms. Caldwell, Ms. Carillo, and Mr. Oliver) for putting this amazing booth together! Congratulations RJ Simmons for such a wonderful accomplishment!
RJ receiving his award in Tallahassee
Flor ida Sta te Fa i r Black History Month Exhibi t created by S o c i a l S t u d i e s Department members Mrs. Caldwel l and Miss Carillo based on 6 t h g r a d e r R . J . S immons ' w inn ing s u b m i t t a l i n t h e G o v e r n o r ' s B l a c k History Month Essay Contest
Ms. Carrillo (Randall Civics Teacher), Tanly Cabrera (Director of Administration), Mr. Oliver (6th Grade AP at Randall), Dr. Brinson ( C h i e f D i v e r s i t y Officer), Ms. Caldwell ( R a n d a l l C i v i c s Teacher)
1st Early Release Day @3:15pm STEM Club @3:20pm 3rd Seeds of Hope Club @8am Math League @8am 4th Last Day to submit photos for RMS Photo Contest 5th Non-Student Day (Fair Day) 6th Regional STEM Fair 8th Early Release Day @3:15pm FBLA Meeting @8am STEM Club @3:20pm 8th, 10th, 11th, 12th - Relay for Life Luminaries Event in Media Center @8:15-8:40 9th Spirit Night at Outback Steakhouse in Fishhawk (all day) SAC Meeting @4:30pm New STEM Club session begins Report Cards go home 10th Spirit Night at Outback (all day) Math League at 8am Seeds of Hope Club @8am 11th Spring Pictures PTSA Executive Board Mtg @9:15am 12th Bridge Building @8am 15th Early Release Day @3:15pm STEM Club @3:20pm Social Studies Club @3:20pm 15th - 19th - RMS Book Fair 17th Math League at 8am Seeds of Hope Club @8am 18th-20th - All County (Band and Orchestra) 19th Bridge Building @8am 20th Randall Photo Contest
22nd Early Release Day @3:15pm Social Studies Club @3:20pm 23rd Progress Reports go home 24th Math League at 8am Seeds of Hope Club @8am 25th RAYS Council Meeting @8am Conference Night @5-7pm 26th Snow Cone Friday 29th Early Release Day @3:15pm MARK YOUR CALENDARS Mar 10th - PTSA Executive Board Mtg (and subsequent 2nd Thu) Mar 24th - MLK Day of Service (rescheduled) Snow Cone Day (no school Fri) and subsequent last Fridays April 9th - Fishhawk Relay for Life April - PTSA General Assembly Mtg - Nominating Committee May - PTSA General Assembly Mtg - Elections
Randall Middle School PTSA Business Members
3FF Custom Embroidery Abdoney Pediatric Dentistry AZ Massage and Bodywork
Bayshore Automotive Chick Fil A Lake Brandon Village
Clark Air Services Inc. F.R.I.E.N.D.S. Down Syndrome Family Support Group
George Shea, The George Shea Team Hi-Tech Automotive
Holland And Lamoureux P.A. Attorneys at Law KidSenseABLE Therapy
Law Offices of Leighton J. Hyde Lisa White, Coldwell Banker/Residential Sales, military relocation specialist
Shaunessy's Decor and More Tara Pannone, Juice Plus+
