Dear SFDS Community,
Welcome back to school! Although it is hard to say goodbye to summer, I know that my family can’t wait to see our school friends after the long break. We have a lot to catch up on as we look forward to the 2009-10 school year.
We are also looking forward to getting to know the many new families who are joining the Day School this fall. They have already been matched up with LINC families to help them start their connection to the Day School, and I encourage each of us to reach out to help them feel at home. Entering a new school community is a big transition, whether you have a new kindergartner or a new upper school student, so let’s make the extra effort. Back to School Night is a particularly great time to make contact with the new families in your children’s classes.
The mission of the PA is “connecting community,” and this year we will continue to work toward making our school community the best it can be. We invite you to participate in school events, to volunteer when you can, and especially to communicate with us about your experience. Here are a few new things to look for as we start the year:
- First, we want to make volunteering as easy as possible, and to this end, Events Manager Dasha Ostrova has created a new on-line sign-up process. If you haven’t seen it, please click here to check out. And don’t forget that we have two members of the PA Executive Committee ready to help you find the right volunteer role. Please contact them with any questions: Danny Wong (dannyw@cfmc.com) and Courtney Norris (abcn@earthlink.net).
- Second, we want to make it as easy as possible for you to get your questions answered. Do you have a question about the cafeteria? About sports? About curriculum? Do you have a comment about an existing event or a great idea for a new one? Our Communications Committee has created a new way to ensure that your thoughts and suggestions reach the right person. It is called MyVoice, and you can access it in two ways. You can fill out feedback form and put it in the MyVoice box in the Masonic Lobby or you can fill out the MyVoice Feedback Form online. The Director of Communications, Sarah Pizer-Bush, will see that your question or comment is forwarded to the appropriate person. In addition to answering your questions, we are hoping that MyVoice will become a productive way for members of the school community to provide feedback on what is working well and what could be improved, so please give it a try!
- Third, we want to help working parents connect to our community. We will brainstorming this year to figure out more ways we can help working parents, especially those with inflexible schedules, feel as connected to the SFDS community as possible. If you want to be a part of this process, or have any suggestions, please contact me at ctripp@insidetrack.com.
- Fourth, I want to encourage everyone to attend a meeting of the Parent Group on Diversity. They have created a thoughtful and exciting schedule for the 2009-10 school year. Their meetings create a setting for some of the most engaging and interesting conversations happening at the Day School. They hold events in both the morning and evening to make it as easy as possible for parents to participate. If you have any questions or ideas, please contact the co-chairs, Cathy Dean (cathy@piscesinc.com) or Bert Galleno (hgalleno@gmail.com).
- Finally, Don’t miss the Fall Picnic, chaired by Howard Sackson. (Thank you, Howard!) Join the rest of the SFDS community for fun, food and games on Sunday, September 20th from 11am-2pm at Old Speedway Meadow in Golden Gate Park.
We welcome your thoughts on how to make our community even stronger. The officers of the Parents Association are here as a resource for you. We give out our contact information for a reason! Don’t hesitate to reach out to us with questions or comments.
Christy Tripp, President – ctripp@insidetrack.com
Jennifer Holderness, President-Elect – jholderness@mac.com
Peter Buckner, Treasurer - pbucko@earthlink.net
Gina Moreno-John, Secretary – ginam@medicine.ucsf.edu
Danny Wong, Volunteer Co-Chair – dannyw@cfmc.com
Courtney Norris, Volunteer Co-Chair – abcn@earthlink.net
Here’s to a wonderful school year!
Christy Tripp
PA President
