Southeast IBPA Meeting Recap – October 13, 2026

We had a productive Southeast IB Parent Alliance meeting on Tuesday, October 13! Thank you to everyone who attended, shared ideas, and volunteered to help support our IB and Pre-IB students.

A special thank you to our three volunteers who stepped forward to chair committees! Your leadership will help us turn our ideas into action.

Committee chairs will be reaching out to members who signed up but couldn’t attend the meeting. In the meantime, if you’d like to join our mailing list, volunteer for a committee, or connect with your committee chair, please email us at [email protected].

Announcements

Our Website: SoutheastIB.com

We’ve been working on expanding our website to make it easier for families, sponsors, and community members to stay connected.

• SoutheastIB.com/sponsorships – Our sponsorship page features a secure online payment system for businesses and individuals who want to support our fundraising efforts.
• SoutheastIB.com/news – Visit our news page for the latest IBPA announcements, updates, and events. We can also share these posts directly to our social media accounts.
• SoutheastIB.com/sponsors – Coming soon! This page will recognize and promote the generous businesses and individuals supporting our program.
• SoutheastIB.com/shop – Coming soon! We’re exploring an online apparel shop featuring Southeast IB merchandise.

Sponsorship Fundraiser

Our sponsorship fundraiser is off to a wonderful start!

We’ve raised $2,550 so far and have five sponsors, with several more potential partnerships in the works! We’re incredibly grateful to everyone who has contributed.

Our fundraiser runs through October 31, so there’s still time to get involved.

We’ve partnered with Ms. Devlin and Southeast’s Science Research Program to provide a Southeast Research Program T-shirt to every IB and Pre-IB student.

We’re still looking for additional sponsors, and we would love your help spreading the word!

• Share our sponsorship flyer with your employer, local businesses, friends, and community organizations.
• We offer four sponsorship levels, with benefits that include website recognition, social media promotion, newsletter features, and logo placement on our Southeast Research Program T-shirts, depending on the sponsorship level.
• We’re developing a dedicated sponsor recognition page on our website and have begun highlighting our sponsors on social media.
• We’re also planning a public Southeast IBPA Instagram account, with help from our Communications & Membership Committee, to celebrate our students, share updates, and showcase our community partners.

Every sponsorship helps us provide more opportunities and resources for our students!

Communication & Staying Connected

One of our biggest goals this year is to reach more Southeast IB and Pre-IB families.

Currently, we have a private Southeast IBPA Facebook page and a relatively small email list. We’d love to expand both!

Here’s what we’re working on:

• Growing our email list: We’ll soon add a newsletter sign-up form to SoutheastIB.com. Until then, email [email protected] to be added.
• Launching a public Instagram account: This will help us reach more families, celebrate student achievements, promote school programs, and recognize our sponsors.
• Sharing updates through the Southeast App: We’ll begin posting announcements there, so please follow us!
• Improving communication across committees: Our Communications & Membership Committee will help ensure that important updates reach our families.

If you know Southeast IB or Pre-IB parents who aren’t receiving our updates, please encourage them to connect with us!

Manatee Rotary

We were delighted to hear from Eddie Robbinette of Manatee Rotary, who shared some wonderful opportunities available to Southeast students.

Guatemala Student Trip

Each year, Eddie helps organize a student trip to Guatemala, where participants connect with an IB school serving Indigenous Mayan communities.

This experience offers students a unique opportunity for cultural exchange, service, and personal growth.

The next trip is planned for July 2027.

If you’d like more information, email [email protected], and we’ll connect you with Eddie.

Student Scholarships

Manatee Rotary also generously provides scholarships to Southeast students each year.

Eddie is working closely with the Rotary and Meghan Bishop to help ensure the continued success of this valuable scholarship program.

Volunteer Opportunities

The Rotary offers additional volunteer opportunities throughout the school year, giving students meaningful ways to serve their community and develop leadership skills.

We’re grateful for Manatee Rotary’s continued commitment to our students!

Teachers & Administration

Meghan Bishop shared a helpful handout outlining events throughout the school year where teachers and administrators would appreciate IBPA support.

Our first opportunity is coming up in November!

The Teacher Appreciation & Community Partnerships Committee has already begun planning a special event to show our gratitude to Southeast’s hardworking teachers.

More details are included in the committee updates below.

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Committee Updates

We had a great start to our committee workshops! Members shared ideas, discussed priorities, and began making plans for the school year.

Here’s a recap of each committee’s discussion and next steps.

Fundraising & Finance Committee

Chair: Aaron Wittenstein

Our mission: Generate financial support for the IBPA and initiatives that benefit Southeast IB students.

The committee met with Meghan Bishop to better understand the school’s financial needs and identify ways the IBPA can help throughout the year.

Members discussed several fundraising opportunities, including:

• Restaurant Spirit Nights and car washes: Partnering with the Student & Family Engagement Committee and local businesses to organize fundraising events.
• Southeast IB apparel shop: Exploring opportunities to sell school-branded merchandise online.
• Student-centered fundraisers: Ideas included candy grams and popcorn sales during lunch.
• Community partnerships: Continuing to build relationships with local businesses and organizations throughout the year.

The Giving Partner

We’re also working on establishing a profile with The Giving Partner, a regional nonprofit directory serving the Sarasota and Manatee area.

The platform features hundreds of local nonprofit organizations and helps donors discover causes they care about and support them financially.

Having a profile will give Southeast IBPA another opportunity to connect with potential donors and expand our fundraising reach.

Communications & Membership Committee

Chair: Natasha Stapleton

Our mission: Keep Southeast IB and Pre-IB families informed, connected, and engaged.

Our biggest priority is expanding communication and making sure more families know what’s happening within the IBPA.

The committee discussed several initiatives:

• Launching a public Instagram account: We’re looking for volunteers with Instagram or social media experience who would like to help!
• Connecting with the Southeast App: Exploring ways to share our Instagram content and announcements through the school’s app.
• Growing our email list: We need more parent and guardian email addresses. A newsletter sign-up form will be added to our website soon.
• Supporting other committees: Helping promote events, volunteer opportunities, fundraisers, and important announcements.

Welcoming Our Freshman Families

We also want to make a special effort to welcome families who are new to Southeast’s IB and Pre-IB programs.

Our goal is to create a freshman family mailing list where we can share helpful information, answer questions, offer guidance, and help families feel connected as they begin their IB journey.

If you’re a freshman parent or guardian, we’d love to hear from you!

Please email [email protected] so we can add you to our list.

Student & Family Engagement Committee

Committee Chair Needed!

Our mission: Build community and celebrate student milestones, achievements, and experiences.

We’re still looking for someone to lead this committee!

If you enjoy organizing events, bringing people together, and creating memorable experiences for students and families, we’d love to have you involved.

Exciting News! November IBPA Meeting & Spirit Night at BubbaQue’s! 🍽️

We’re excited to announce that we’ve partnered with BubbaQue’s Bradenton to host our November IBPA meeting and a special fundraising Spirit Night!

Join us for an evening of great food, community, and support for our Southeast IB Tribe!

• Date: Tuesday, November 17, 2026
• Spirit Night: 4–9 PM (dine-in or takeout)
• IBPA Meeting: 6 PM at BubbaQue’s
• Location: 6310 53rd Ave. E., Bradenton, FL 34203
• Fundraiser: 15% of proceeds will be donated back to Southeast IBPA!

Important: Please let the staff know you’re there to support Southeast IBPA when you check out!

This is a wonderful opportunity to connect with other IB families, enjoy a delicious meal, and raise funds for our IB and Pre-IB students—all at the same time!

Bring your family, invite your friends, and help us spread the word. You don’t have to attend the meeting to participate in Spirit Night!

We’re grateful to BubbaQue’s Bradenton for partnering with us to support our students.

Interested in chairing the Student & Family Engagement Committee or helping organize future events? Email [email protected]. We’d love to have you involved!

Teacher Appreciation & Community Partnerships Committee

Chair: Cynthia Flores

Our mission: Strengthen relationships with Southeast teachers and community partners while supporting the IB program.

The committee has already started planning its first event!

Teacher Appreciation Pie Day – November

We’re working on organizing a special Pie Day in November to show our teachers how much we appreciate everything they do for our students.

The date is still being finalized, but several ideas are already taking shape:

• Partnering with local businesses: Exploring opportunities to work with businesses such as Detwiler’s to provide pies and develop lasting community partnerships.
• Family contributions: Inviting parents and guardians to donate pies, supplies, or their time to help make the event successful.
• Student participation: Creating a poster or another special display where students can write messages of appreciation to their teachers.
• Coordinating with school staff: Working closely with Meghan Bishop to organize the event and ensure everything runs smoothly.

We’ll share more information as plans develop.

If you’d like to contribute or volunteer, please make sure we have your email address!

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Get Involved With Southeast IBPA!

We have some exciting plans ahead, but we can’t do it without the support of our Southeast IB families!

Whether you have time to serve on a committee, help with a single event, connect us with a potential sponsor, or simply share our announcements, every contribution makes a difference.

You don’t need to attend every meeting or take on a major commitment to be involved. We welcome whatever time, ideas, and support you’re able to offer.

Want to join a committee, sign up for our mailing list, or learn more?

Email [email protected].

You can also stay connected through SoutheastIB.com and our Southeast IBPA Facebook page.

Thank you again to everyone who attended our October meeting and to the volunteers who are helping us move forward.

Together, we’re building a stronger Southeast IB community for our students, teachers, and families.

Stronger Students. Brighter Tomorrows. 💙🧡

Thank You to Our Sponsors

We love our sponsors! We’re incredibly grateful for your partnership, trust, and support. Together, we’re building meaningful relationships that benefit everyone, especially our students!

A Special Thank You to our Diploma Sponsor: Beacon Home Design!

Committees Overview

Fundraising & Finance Committee

-> generate financial support for the IBPA and IB initiatives

• Plan fundraising events & activities
• Seek donations & sponsorships
• Coordinate merchandise opportunities
• Recommend funding priorities
• Support scholarships & student assistance

Communications & Membership Committee

-> keep families informed, connected and engaged

• Welcome new IB families
• Coordinate newsletters and announcements
• Manage parent communication platforms and social media
• Recruit and coordinate volunteers
• Promote meetings and events

Student & Family Engagement Committee

-> build community, celebrate student milestones & achievements

• Coordinate hospitality for meetings and events
• Support Senior Pinning and Diploma Celebrations
• Recognize student accomplishments
• Coordinate alumni involvement
• Plan family engagement & exam encouragement activities

Teacher Appreciation & Community Partnerships Committee

-> strengthen relations with teachers & community partners while supporting the IB program

• Coordinate teacher appreciation activities
• Develop business partnerships and sponsorships
• Identify guest speakers & career connections
• Support CAS & community service opportunities