PA-Fall-Newsletter-2.. - Saint Stephen`s Episcopal School

Spring/Summer 2015
Volume 2, Issue 3
Warm (Almost Summer) Greetings Everyone! As we wrap up this year I want to say THANK YOU! Thank you to all of you that gave your time volunteering to make each and every event this year successful and fun! We had a record number of new parent, grandparent and even dad volunteers! This is truly what makes up the "warm family feeling" we enjoy at Saint Stephen's. Everyone coming together and contributing their talents helps to ensure continuous and wonderful experiences for our new families, existing families and our community as a whole. We are blessed! A BIG thank you to the Executive Board and Committee Chairs. The PA has had such a productive year! As you can see by this newsletter, our events were enjoyed by all! Our signature Grand Gala was an enormous amount of fun and thanks to the generosity of those who attended, a huge success! We recently collaborated on ways to grow our outreach efforts and have added an annual educational parent coffee to next years calendar. Keep an eye out for "Head‐Liners in Education." We look forward to next year's topic and speaker to deliver the same level of insight and research that Dr. Pullen delivered with her presentation on "EQ". We are also excited that we were able to partner with Christ Church to secure a Parent Lounge that will be a fabulous place for our parents to gather. I hope to share a cup of coffee with you at our Grand Opening! I've enjoyed this year serving as your President and I leave my post knowing together we truly make a difference in the lives of this wonderful school community. If every parent devoted just one additional volunteer hour to the school, imagine the impact it could make! On behalf of the Parents' Association, thank you again for a phenomenal year and we look forward to seeing you in the fall and welcoming our new families. Best wishes for a happy and adventurous summer! Many Blessings, Jen Conner PA President A special place just for YOU!
It’s not uncommon to see parents congregating in the parking lot or hanging out in the breezeway for a few minutes after drop‐off. After all, we need our chat time and when we’re waiting for a special school event or field trip to start, there’s nowhere else to go. Starbucks and Smoothie King get old after a while! What’s a parent to do? How about hanging out at the all new Parent Lounge! In special partnership with Christ Church, we’re pleased to announce you now have your very own space to sit back and relax, catch up with a friend or just chill while you wait for that next activity to begin. We’ll have Wi‐Fi, coffee, comfy chairs and more. So much better than the parking lot on a hot day! Mark your calendars. Our Open House is slated for May 26 from 8‐12. Hope to see you there. Get in on the Fun.
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grew into adults, Anne stayed behind helping great deal of satisfaction and new generations of children mark their path accomplishment. I really enjoy what I do and in the world.
I love to see the children smile.” Q. Twenty years is a very long time. What drives you to volunteer at Saint Stephen’s?
Q. Do you have any special stories you’d like to share?
A. “I’ll be 87 on my next birthday and volunteering is just as rewarding for me today as it was all those years ago. I started when my grandchildren were here. It was a chance for me to be nearby, watch them grow and share in their accomplishments. I no longer have any direct family ties to Saint Stephen’s but it still feels like family. If I can make a difference for just one child, the effort is well worth the time I spend.” A. “I’d love for people to understand how just one small act of kindness can make a big difference. I remember one child who was having a real hard time in kindergarten. Slowly, they came around and started to really enjoy school. They became outgoing and happy to be a part of the class. Years later, they shared with me that part of the turn‐around was because I was there to offer encouragement and friendship. Small things mean so much to children.
Q. What kind of volunteer work do you do?
No matter what division you’re now in, Ann Bryant is a familiar face. After all, she’s spent the last 20 years doting on the children of Saint Stephen’s. No, she isn’t an employee‐
she’s a volunteer! Ann started her journey in 1995 when her grandchildren were in Kindergarten. As the years went by and they A. “I’ll do just about anything that is needed from making copies to assembly work. Some of what I do is behind the scenes like building portfolios or picture packets. Sometimes I help children with special projects and I get a big kick out of making them Christmas presents during the holiday season. I feel a It’s not always easy coming up with costumes for a cast of 40+ monkeys, vultures, snakes, elephants and more, but Ashley Liebel makes it look like a breeze! Ashley Liebel helps to fit She’s been the go
‐to person for all‐
Kaa the snake things costume related for more years than we can count and she never ceases to amaze. If you were fortunate enough to see Disney’s Jungle Book, you witnessed the result of hundreds of volunteer hours from Ashley and her team of seamstresses including Judith Wexler, Margaret Berry, Tanya Creneti, Jennifer Gunn, Beth Horne, Carmen Penker, Diana Vitale‐Craig, and The truth is, I keep doing this because it means as much to me as it does to them. It’s true what they say, kindergarteners say (and do) the darndest things. If you see me on campus, ask about the time I was encouraged to kiss a frog and turn him into a prince. Wouldn’t you know, it actually worked!” Welcome to the Jungle! Judith Wexler. Many parents helped with cutting flower petals, sewing thorns, taking photos and helping the children get ready for the spotlight. If you were one of these unnamed heroes we extend our thanks and remind you to get those volunteer hours turned in! Julie McCray captures the jungle life with individual portraits As you might imagine, our last Parents’ Association general session was packed with all kinds of wonderful year‐end wrap‐ups. We started with Dr. Pullen and a review of her fantastic Emotional Intelligence series. Those in attendance received a nice snapshot of “5 Components of EQ and the 8 Essential Ingredients.” If you get a chance to attend one of her next sessions, you’re really in for a treat! In addition to PA Board and committee reports, we heard from Marsha Winterhalter, our Nominating Committee Chair. She gave us a fantastic overview of where we are in the election process for next year. The slate of nominated Officers and Committee Chairs for the 2015/2016 were presented and approved, they will be formally announced in August. It was great to see the lead room parents reporting with their associated directors. Upper School Director Andrew Forrester had us in stitches describing some of the more unusual and unexpected talents he’s seen from the seniors this year. Ann Wolcott, Sallie Ivin and Sue Thomas all provided updates as well. We learned about new initiatives and overall accomplishments in each of the divisions. When you miss a general Parents’ Association meeting, you miss a lot. That’s why you’ve seen us play with times, dates, dial‐in online opportunities and more. We know everyone is busy and it isn’t always easy to get away. That’s why we want to hear from you! How can we make our general meetings more accessible for parents on‐the‐go? Please contact Jen Sabo, Jen Conner or Karen Liebel and share your suggestions. We want to hear from you.
While you’d be hard‐pressed to find a phantom in the crowd, there were plenty of masked partygoers embracing the theme and adding to the mystery. By all accounts, The Grand Gala Venetian Masquerade was a huge success. Through the generous support of our school community, we raised the funds needed to cover the wonderful events, activities and special programs you’ve come to love. From Grandparents’ Day, the S4 Speaker Series, the Howl and the Hootenanny, the Fall Festival, to the Father Kyle Grants, the New Family Mixer and so much more, your Gala tickets, auction items and generous bidding makes these programs possible. Our Gala committee stuffed envelopes, planned menus, solicited auction items and decorated their hearts out to make this event a night you would truly remember. Are you ready for Grand Gala 2015? Mark your calendar for Saturday, November 14, 2015! The Gala is moving to the beginning of the school year. How fantastic is that!
So many of us read this newsletter and other publications from the school and wonder how we fit it. We’re pulled in many directions. From work, to after‐school sports, gymnastics, scouts and more; we want to participate but we just don’t know how we can. It’s ok to be the anonymous parent. If you’re not able to dedicate yourself to a committee or to a PA board position, that’s ok. You’re still a member and you’re still part of what makes this school such a special place. So whether you have 40 hours to give or you have 40 minutes, please know you are appreciated. Each volunteer makes a difference. Whether you’re cutting up box tops, helping secure Gala sponsorships, coordinating phone calls, making snacks for a school event or stuffing envelopes for a special correspondence, you matter and we celebrate your contributions. Thank you for all you do!
Thank you to all of the 2014‐2015 Officers and Committee Chairs. Your hard work and dedication helped make this year a true success. The Falcon 5K River Run, Presented by the Saint Stephen’s Athletic Booster Committee was a huge success. The 11th annual event, which had a change in venue, attracted runners from nearby Palmetto, Bradenton, Ellenton, Parrish, Sarasota, Lakewood Ranch and even included stand‐outs from Michigan, Virginia and Illinois. Our partnership with the Boys & Girls Club, Fit2Run and Popi’s certainly made this event extra memorable. A very special thanks to all of our sponsors and amazing volunteers for making this possible.