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Join MOE PTA! Dues are just $5 for the whole school year. Membership envelopes are available in the school office OR print a copy of this form; just fill it out and send it along with payment to your student's teacher. With your membership, we can continue to support our school by purchasing planners for all our students, supporting Sunshine Math and Great Leaps reading Programs, and helping Resource Teachers fund supplies. Our biggest recent past projects include the completion of 2 playgrounds, revitalizing the Kindergarten playground, and providing technology to the classrooms. Thank you to everyone who has supported the efforts to enhance the educational experience of all our students here at MOE! More information on joining PTA here. Volunteering and attendance at General Meetings are not required, but are encouraged. In addition, here are some great new local benefits you can get simply by being a card-carrying PTA member! MOSH – November 20, 2010: 1 free child’s admission with every paid adult admission Jacksonville Jaguars – December 12, 2010: Discounted tickets for the home game vs Oakland Raiders (details to follow) Jacksonville Zoo – February 2011: PTA members showing their membership cards will get $2 off admission (up to 4 people per card) Jacksonville Suns – May 2011: All PTA members showing their PTA membership card will receive a “Buy one Get one deal” and a special child’s pricing. Support Our Fundraisers! We need your help to support excellent education at MOE. On Friday, August 27, our (only) Fall fundraiser will begin when your child brings home a fundraising packet from First Place Fundraising, giving you the opportunity to order delicious cookie dough, cheesecakes, popcorn, and more. (More information here.) First Place Fundraising. Orders are due September 13. Of course, donations are always welcome. Volunteer! Opportunities range from rewarding short, one-time activities to even-more-rewarding long-term commitments. For more information, please visit our Volunteers page. Encourage Your Student to Participate in the Reflections Program! This PTA program allows students to follow their creativity in the areas of Dance Choreography, Film Production, Literature, Musical Composition, Photography, and/or Visual Arts. This year's theme is "Together We Can." More information coming soon. Advocate for Children! PTA is the nation's largest volunteer child advocacy group, and we need you to join your voice to ours to create a powerful influence to help guarantee the education and well-bring of all children. Find more information on our Advocacy page. Save Box Tops and Otherwise Support the School through Your Shopping! Check back often for news about specials that can benefit both you and the school. Click here for more information. Recycle Paper in the Bins in the Car Rider Circle & Printer Cartridges & Used Cell Phones by Turning Them in to the Front Office! Not only are you helping the earth, but MOE is paid for any paper -- all types of paper, from office paper to magazines and newspapers, even shredded paper -- submitted for recycling through these bins (more information on the recycling program here and here) and for recycling the printer cartridges and cell phones. Support Our Programs to Benefit the Community! For instance, we always collect aluminum pop tops, such as the ones from soda cans, for Ronald McDonald House to pay its electric bill. Just put the pop tops in a plastic baggie, label the baggie "PTA," and turn the baggie in to the school office or send it to class with your child. Last year, our book drive for Books A Go Go collected 855 books, beating the previous year's total by 200! Thanks for your support!! Purchase and Use MOE Spirit Items! (More information coming soon...) Attend and Participate in Any of the Activities and Programs listed to the right. _________________________ Link to the Superintendent's Letter regarding DCPS policies for Novel Influenza A (H1N1) Virus (also known as Swine Flu) and to the Florida Department of Health's H1N1 Swine Flu page _________________________ Sign up for eNews If you would like to receive reminders of upcoming activities including any last minute changes, then you need sign up for MOE PTA's eNews, periodic reminders of important events at the school. To be added to the eNews mailing list and start receiving reminders in your inbox, go to the eNews Sign-Up page.			Friday, August 27, 2010 -- Fall PTA Fundraiser goes home -- Orders due back by September 13 Monday, September 6, 2010 -- Labor Day -- No School Wednesday, September 8, 2010 -- Early Dismissal -- Students dismissed at 1:45 p.m. Thursday, September 9, 2010 -- School Pictures (tentative) Thursday, September 9, 2010 -- Sunshine Math Orientation (for parent volunteers) -- 6:00 p.m. Friday, September 10 - Sunday, September 12, 2010 -- Celebrate September as Literacy Month in a Florida State Park -- In celebration of September as Florida Literacy Month, the Departments of Education and Environmental Protection have partnered to offer special events at state parks and libraries throughout Florida. Over the second weekend of September, entrance to all Florida State Parks will be free for park visitors who have a library card, show a library book, or donate a new or gently used family-friendly book. To help students locate books they would like to read, DOE is also offering a unique tool called "Find a Book, Florida," which tailors student reading lists based on each student's personal interests and their reading ability using Lexile measures. Thousands of fiction and nonfiction books are available through the online resource at florida.lexile.com. For more information about Florida Literacy Month, visit www.floridaliteracy.org. Monday, September 13, 2010 -- Fall Fundraiser Orders due Tuesday, September 21, 2010 -- Volunteer Orientation -- MOE Media Center -- To accommodate your various schedules, we have planned two sessions, one at 9:30 a.m. and one at 6:00 p.m. Attend one of these sessions to find out more about the variety of rewarding volunteer opportunities at Mandarin Oaks and the procedures for volunteering in the DCPS district. Tuesday, September 21, 2010 -- SAC (School Advisory Committee) Meeting -- 6:30 p.m. -- Media Center -- More information on SAC here. Wednesday, September 22, 2010 -- Early Dismissal -- Students dismissed at 1:45 p.m. Saturday, September 25, 2010 (Public Lands Day) -- Free Entrance Day in your national parks! (More information here.) Wednesday, October 6, 2010 -- Early Dismissal -- Students dismissed at 1:45 p.m. Thursday, October 7, 2010 -- Open House for ESE (5:30 - 6:30 p.m.), Kindergarten (6:00 - 7:00 p.m.), and 2nd & 5th Grades (7:00 - 8:00 p.m.) Tuesday, October 12, 2010 -- Fundraiser Delivery -- 3:00 - 6:00 p.m. -- MOE Multi-Purpose Room -- These are frozen items, so please mark your calendars to pick up your orders on this day! Thursday, October 14, 2010 -- Open House for 1st Grade (6:00 - 7:00 p.m.) and 3rd & 4th Grades (7:00 - 8:00 p.m.) Wednesday, October 20, 2010 -- Early Dismissal -- Students dismissed at 1:45 p.m. Monday, October 25, 2010 -- Teacher Planning Day -- No School for Students Wednesday, November 3, 2010 -- Early Dismissal -- Students dismissed at 1:45 p.m. Thursday, November 11, 2010 -- Veterans' Day -- No School Free Entrance Day in your national parks! (More information here.) Friday, November 12, 2010 -- (Weather Day) Wednesday, November 17, 2010 -- Early Dismissal -- Students dismissed at 1:45 p.m. Saturday, November 20, 2010 -- MOSH PTA Day -- Show current PTA MEMBERSHIP CARD to get one free child's admission with every paid adult admission at MOSH! Wednesday, November 24, 2010 -- (Weather Day) Thursday, November 25 - Friday, November 26, 2010 -- Thanksgiving Holiday -- No School Wednesday, December 8, 2010 -- Early Dismissal -- Students dismissed at 1:45 p.m. Sunday, December 12, 2010 -- Jacksonville Jaguars PTA Day! -- Discounted tickets for PTA members for the home game vs. Oakland Raiders (details to follow)! Monday, December 20 - Wednesday, December 22, 2010 -- (Weather Days) Thursday, December 23 - Friday, December 31, 2010 -- Winter Holiday/Break -- No School Wednesday, January 12, 2011 -- Early Dismissal -- Students dismissed at 1:45 p.m. Monday, January 17, 2011 -- Martin Luther King Birthday -- No School Friday, January 21, 2011 -- Teacher Planning Day -- No School for Students Wednesday, January 26, 2011 -- Early Dismissal -- Students dismissed at 1:45 p.m. All February 2011 -- PTA Month at the Jacksonville Zoo – PTA members showing their membership cards will get $2 off admission (up to 4 people per card)! Wednesday, February 2, 2011 -- Early Dismissal -- Students dismissed at 1:45 p.m. Wednesday, February 16, 2011 -- Early Dismissal -- Students dismissed at 1:45 p.m. Monday, February 21, 2011 -- Presidents' Day -- No School Wednesday, March 2, 2011 -- Early Dismissal -- Students dismissed at 1:45 p.m. Wednesday, March 23, 2011 -- Early Dismissal -- Students dismissed at 1:45 p.m. Friday, March 25, 2011 -- Teacher Planning Day -- No School for Students Monday, March 28 - Friday, April 1, 2011 -- Spring Break -- No School Wednesday, April 6, 2011 -- Early Dismissal -- Students dismissed at 1:45 p.m. Wednesday, April 20, 2011 -- Early Dismissal -- Students dismissed at 1:45 p.m. Friday, April 22, 2011 -- Spring Holiday -- No School Monday, April 25, 2011 -- School Closed May 2011 -- Jacksonville Suns PTA Month -- All PTA members showing their PTA membership card will receive a “Buy one Get one deal” and a special child’s pricing! Wednesday, May 4, 2011 -- Early Dismissal -- Students dismissed at 1:45 p.m. Friday, May 27, 2011 -- School Closed Monday, May 30, 2011 -- Memorial Day -- No School Friday, June 10, 2011 -- Last Day of School for the 2010/2011 School Year