GETTING INVOLVED...
PORTLEDGE SCHOOL
thrives because its parent body is dedicated to enriching our children's educational experience and creating a positive school community. There are many ways to get involved in the daily life of our school that will allow you to become more connected to school life. Immersing yourself into the community will give you deeper insight into the lives of your children and will introduce you to fellow parents.
THE PARENTS ASSOCIATION
Every parent is a member! The Parents Association (PA) plays an integral role at Portledge, facilitating communication between the school and parents, promoting volunteerism, and encouraging parental involvement in the Portledge community.
Join us at each of our Parents Association meetings to hear from speakers about a variety of topics and connect with other parents Division-led curriculum evenings, Back to School Nights, and a parent education series offer important information about your child's education New parent receptions and Division Director Parent Coffees are held for parents to better understand Portledge's curriculum, philosophy, and major initiatives and offer opportunities to meet other members of the Portledge community
SPECIAL EVENTS
(VISIT WWW.PORTLEDGE.ORG/CALENDAR FOR EVENTS AND CALENDAR UPDATES)
NEW PARENT COCKTAIL PARTY
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 27
PARENTS ASSOCIATION MEETINGS
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 10
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 14
WEDNESDAY, MAY 13
FOUNDERS DAY
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 4
CHAMPIONS FOR CHARITY®*
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 4–SATURDAY, DECEMBER 6
THE PORTLEDGE GALA
THURSDAY, MARCH 12
*DATES AND EVENTS SUBJECT TO CHANGE CHECK ONLINE FOR EXACT TIMES & LOCATIONS
VOLUNTEERING
Serving as a parent volunteer is vital to enriching your child's education. You can serve your school in many ways: chaperoning on field trips, helping with school plays, festivals, and other cultural events, working with the Parents Association, and assisting with special events, such as Founders Day and Faculty / Staff Appreciation Day.
Together, we can make a difference for the good of our children.
If you wish to volunteer, then please contact Rachel Chanenchuk (rchanenchuk@portledge.org)
VOLUNTEERS
THE 2025-2026 PARENTS ASSOCIATION
President Dana Plunkett
Executive Vice President
Emily Wachtel
International Liaison
Akina Zhong
Lucy Zhou
Lower School VP
Vanessa Cruz
Lower School VP of DEI
Tracey Ulcena
Middle School VP
Maria Gray
Middle School VP of DEI
Damani Ralph
Nicole Ralph
Upper School VP
Tiffany Palagonia
Upper School VP of DEI
Rebecca Goodkin-Carlin
Class Parents
Pre-Nursery
TBC
Nursery
Andrea Coope
Pre-K
TBC
Kindergarten
TBC
First Grade
Adi Kochavi
Second Grade
Katie Chou
Third Grade
Angela Pistilli
Fourth Grade
Lorin Falco (Agostino)
Gina Heaphy
Fifth Grade
Vera Jain
Rabia Sheikh
Sixth Grade
Lexey Hall
Marisa Disimile
Seventh Grade
Cynthia Pritsinevelos
Patricia Lespinasse
Eighth Grade
Jill Drucker
Deena Mehta
Ninth Grade
Daniella Calonita
Tenth Grade
Rebecca Goodkin-Carlin
Meri Pasztor
Eleventh Grade
Michele Bahnik-Mercier '93
Kim Leonard
Tiffany Terranova
Twelfth Grade
Marie Bahnik
Christine Kasper
Andrea Rizzo-Ivezi
Despina Yarian
2025-2026
BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Portledge School is governed by its own Board of Trustees. The Board of Trustees focuses on three areas critical to the success of Portledge: it selects, evaluates, and supports the Head of School, to whom it delegates authority to manage the school; it develops broad institutional policies that guide the Head in running the school, and it is accountable for the well being of the school
President
Lindsey Barnett
Vice Presidents
Dr Kevin Mercier
Shawnée Warfield
Treasurer
Joel Friedman
Secretary Ari Sass
Board Members
Claude Bahnik ‘90
Dana Hansen
Maz Khalfan
Amy Littman
Teddy Lynn
Dr. Luis Marcos
Michael O'Donoghue
Alex Steinberg ’05
Harry Taylor '92
Donald D Wilson
THE PORTLEDGE FUND
At Portledge School, tuition opens the door— but it’s The Portledge Fund that brings the experience to life. As our school’s annual giving campaign, The Portledge Fund represents an essential investment in our students, faculty, and programs. While tuition covers the fundamentals, it’s the generosity of our community through this yearly campaign that fuels what makes Portledge truly exceptional
Portledge School welcomes Restricted Gifts that are fully funded, mission-aligned, and enhance the student experience, such as a turf field, all-school performance space, or other transformational projects. Contact Tara Askeland (taskeland@portledge.org) to explore opportunities.
THE PORTLEDGE FUND
The essential foundation of a Portledge education
Academic Instruction
Classroom Materials
Campus Maintenance
Chromebooks for All Lower School Students
Light Breakfast, Lunch & Snack
Employee Salaries
Utilities & Security
ACADEMICS & ENRICHMENT
LASER CUTTER PRINTER ENCOURAGING STUDENT-LED CREATIONS
OVER 30 COURSES OFFERED IN WORLD LANGUAGES STARTING IN THE LOWER SCHOOL
TEN “SPECIALS” COURSES OFFERED IN THE LOWER SCHOOL
31 STUDENTS IN THE CLASS OF 2024 RECEIVED AN IB DIPLOMA
SIX ROBOTICS TEAMS IN MIDDLE & UPPER SCHOOLS STUDENTS PARTICIPATE IN THE ELECTIVE ANNUALLY, ATTENDING 3 4 YEARLY COMPETITIONS
FILM & MEDIA
US STUDENTS CAN ACCESS STATEOF-THE-ART FILM EQUIPMENT, A PROFESSIONAL GREEN ROOM, AND ADDITIONAL FACULTY SUPPORT
ARTS & CULTURE
DRAMA PRODUCTIONS, STUDENT CONCERTS, AND ART EXHIBITS
VIRTUAL STUDENT-LED BROADCASTS INCLUDING ATHLETIC LIVESTREAMS, LS ASSEMBLIES, AND THE NEW “LEDGE NEWS BROADCAST”
TWO MIDDLE SCHOOL & UPPER SCHOOL DRAMA PERFORMANCES EACH YEAR, AND GRADE-LEVEL PERFORMANCES FROM K 5TH GRADE
CHARACTER & COMMUNITY
COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS WITH LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS PROVIDE OUR STUDENTS WITH UNIQUE SERVICE LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES
ROBUST COLLEGE COUNSELING PROGRAM
100% COLLEGE ACCEPTANCE RATE, WITH NEARLY 10% OF THE CLASS OF 2025 ATTENDING IVY LEAGUE SCHOOLS
COMMUNITY-WIDE EVENTS
BRINGING OUR FAMILIES TOGETHER FOR FOUNDERS DAY, SPECIAL PERSONS DAY, THE LS FAMILY BBQ, NEW FAMILY RECEPTION, AND SCHOOL DANCES
FACULTY EXCELLENCE
70% OF FACULTY HOLD ADVANCED DEGREES
OVER 100 HOURS OF PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT FUNDED
ATHLETICS
THREE CHAMPIONSHIP TEAMS: GIRLS SOCCER, GIRLS BASKETBALL, & GIRLS CROSS COUNTRY
FIVE CONSECUTIVE PSAA CHAMPIONSHIPS FOR GIRLS SOCCER
270 ATHLETIC GAMES PLAYED IN MS & US
TRAINING & NUTRITIONAL SUPPORT FOR STUDENT-ATHLETES