Our Neighborhood School Is Back in Session
North Shore Elementary PTA and Friends of North Shore Elementary (FNSE) worked tirelessly over this summer with the faculty and staff of our historic school to ensure a flawless start to the 2019-2020 school year for our students. Leading up to the beginning of the school year, both of these groups supported several important teacher, family, and student programs.
A “Squire Session” with incoming kindergarteners
The Squire Session is an opportunity for incoming kindergarteners to meet teachers and each other and have a pre-school assessment. The PTA provided breakfast and coffee for parents, held a uniform swap shop, offered a selection of spirit gear, and gave parents an opportunity to join PTA. We had an opportunity to answer nervous new parents’ questions.
It was the Friends of North Shore’s second year offering Popcorn & Popsicles in the Park, a community building social event under the covered pavilion for families with children entering kindergarten.
The PTA supported the James Park Back-to-School Event, where uniforms are handed out and families are invited to sign up for the PTA. There is also the NSE Teacher Meet & Greet, an on-campus opportunity for all North Shore families to meet the teachers and see new and old friends along the way.
North Shore Elementary has seen a significant increase this year with the student body now totaling 410 students. The North Shore PTA is prepared to build on the tremendous successes from last year to ensure continued success in the 2019-2020 school year for North Shore families. Last year, we saw unprecedented growth in PTA memberships, fundraising, participation in family community-building events, sustainability committee initiatives, and the 7th Hour after school programs. In July, outgoing NSE PTA president Laura Hine accepted two excellence awards from the Florida PTA for the sustainability and after school programs.
This year’s PTA leadership team – led by president Heather Leon, longtime parent at North Shore elementary – consists of 12 board members and eight committee chairs. One of the greatest aspects of NSE is its diverse populations. There are students from many different racial and socioeconomic groups, as well as national origin backgrounds, and four dedicated classrooms for autistic students (ASD). This year’s PTA is working to ensure representation and inclusion of all of the diverse students in order to live out the PTA motto: “Every child, one voice.” Overall, this year’s initiatives include supporting the 7th Hour after-school program, and the garden and sustainability programs, teacher classroom support, professional development for teachers, literacy initiatives, family socials, and field trips. Additionally, the PTA is focused on building long-lasting relationships within the community to ensure these great programs will be sustained for years to come.
Outgoing PTA president Laura Hine receiving her award
On Thursday, August 20th, NSE PTA held its first open meeting of the year. Dozens of families came to the first pizza-and-PTA event to learn more about programming and volunteer opportunities for North Shore families. The board was excited to announce that memberships for this year have already exceeded membership totals from the year before, bringing the PTA closer to Principal Dawson’s vision of every child having at least one parent representing them within the PTA.
As North Shore continues to gain momentum as an amazing neighborhood school, the NSE PTA still needs the help of our community. The most important community fundraiser, the Coffee Pot Turkey Trot, will be celebrating its third year on Thanksgiving morning this year. This race, chaired by Monica Kile, is the only City of St. Petersburg-sanctioned Turkey Trot. More info at www.runsignup.com/Race/FL/SaintPetersburg/NorthShoreElementarySchoolCoffeePotTurkeyTrot.
Friends of North Shore Elementary (FNSE) continues to work closely with the NSE PTA to provide additional support focusing on preschool and family outreach. The organization, currently led by president Vicki Koenig, has several events planned for incoming and prospective families throughout the year. The first event of the school year will be an Open House in October for prospective families to visit and tour this wonderful elementary school before the choice school lottery begins. Additionally, FNSE will finish their boost program this year providing additional funds to the specialist teachers at North Shore as well as continue to act as a resource for the administration, teachers, and families when needed. To find out more and see how you can help this organization, please visit the FNSE website at www.fnse.org.
For additional information on ways to support our community public school, reach out to NorthShoreKnightsPTA@gmail.com or info@fnse.org.
