Dear DCCPTA Family,

Pull up a chair, Duval, there’s work to do, plenty to be thankful for, and room for everyone at this table!

November is Family Engagement Month, and I want us to think about who we are reaching and who we are still missing. Whose ideas haven’t we heard? Which families haven’t found their place in PTA? What can we do to make that first step easier?

This November, let’s turn a welcome into a connection. Call the parent who hasn’t attended a meeting. Ask a student what would make school better. Find out whether language, meeting times, transportation, or uncertainty is keeping someone from participating. Then use what you learn to make a change. A personal invitation can open a door; following through gives someone a reason to return.

And on November 3, take that advocacy to the polls: vote YES to renew the 1 mill and NO on Amendment 3. Make your voting plan, encourage others to participate, and remember to flip the ballot! Our commitment to children deserves a voice wherever decisions affecting them are made.

As we honor our veterans, support family well-being, and prepare for Thanksgiving, I hope we also pause to appreciate the people doing this work. I see the evening meetings, the questions you answer, the supplies in your trunk, and the “one quick PTA thing” that somehow takes the entire afternoon. Thank you for showing up with heart, even when your calendar suggests you should have cloned yourself by now.

Please carry that same care into the holiday season. Check on a family. Connect someone with support. Make space for people whose November may look different from your own.

For 100 years, DCCPTA leaders have helped shape what comes next for children. Now it’s our turn. Let’s make this a month of new connections, stronger voices, and action we can be proud of.

Wishing you a joyful Thanksgiving, and may your turkey be tender, your conversations kind, and your PTA group chat quiet long enough for a second helping.

With gratitude and purpose,

Celita Wilson
President, Duval County Council of PTAs and PTSAs

Advocacy with heart. Action with purpose.