PA R E N T N E WS
PAMKA BOARD OF OFFICERS
Dear Parents,
Karen Gulliver President*
Since relocating to Montclair and joining the MKA community in 2010, my husband, Robert, and I have been impressed by the unique learning environment that fosters a sense of balance and joy in learning for our daughters Simone (10th grade) and Martine (7th grade). This special balance is the result of an outstanding faculty and staff in partnership with the dedicated parents of PAMKA. Over the years, I have had several opportunities to serve the school, including membership on the Board of Trustees, the Diversity and Inclusion Parent Committee, Middle School Campus VP and PAMKA Lecture Series Chair. I have had an opportunity to meet many of you through these volunteer assignments, and I am looking forward to meeting many more of you over the next two years as I serve as PAMKA’s President. I am excited to be taking on this role, and will continue PAMKA’s focus on making volunteer experiences easy and accessible. Whether you have an hour, an afternoon or more, we want you to be able to contribute your time and talent to enhancing the learning environment for our children. As parents of MKA students, we are all members of PAMKA. We are all parents who care deeply about our children’s education and, through PAMKA, we actively partner with the school to enhance the learning environment and our students’ educational experience. As parents we understand that our children will achieve more with a sense of balance in their lives. The events that PAMKA organizes are so important to the student experience that focuses on the whole child.
Beth Fuchs Finance Vice President*
Some of the Ways PAMKA Supports Balanced Education • Provides Faculty Trust Grants for faculty to pursue field-oriented, personally meaningful professional development to enrich classroom learning. • Hosts the country’s largest Scholastic Book Fair with visiting authors that inspire both students and faculty alike. • Provides community service opportunities for students and families (Brookside Hat/Scarf/Mitten Toy Drive, Middle School Thanksgiving Non-Perishable Food Drive and Upper School Blood Drives). • Partners with MKA Admissions to provide Host Families for all of our new students in support of a seamless transition into the MKA community. • Organizes safe, age appropriate social events for our students including Teen Center Middle School Socials and Cougar Pride Day. • Organizes Parenting Workshops, which provide insight on relevant parenting topics. • Partners with the Diversity & Inclusion Parent Committee to host a Parent Potluck Dinner celebrating culture and community. This partnership supports the school in striking the right balance between academic and non-academic learning experiences that are helping our MKA children grow into mature and responsible young individuals.
Sybil Eng Secretary
Stephanie Salzman Communications Vice President Tina Jordan Community Vice President Rebecca Scuorzo Volunteer Coordinator Vice President Dawn Armbrust Special Events Vice President Anya Barrett Primary School Campus VP Michelle Dice Middle School Campus VP Rebecca Zaref Upper School Campus VP *Two-year position. All others are one year.
THE PAMKA MISSION STATEMENT PAMKA is a parent volunteer organization established to provide opportunities for parents to participate in the support and enhancement of the students’ educational experience at Montclair Kimberley Academy (MKA). PAMKA pursues its mission working in cooperation with the school administration through activities consistent with the policies and goals established by the Board of Trustees of MKA.
SAVE THE DATES!
November 4–9, 2016 Tri-Campus Book Fair November 17, 2016 Parent Potluck Community Dinner December 5–9, 2016 Tri-Campus Giving Tree Holiday Drive Hosted by the Primary School February 25, 2017 Parenting Workshops
Sincerely, Karen Gulliver, PAMKA President
FAL L 2016
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