Page 48 - Priorities #70

48
“By volunteering at their school, my children’s world becomes my own. I get to know their daily environment, their teachers and friends on my own terms, which gives me so many more ways to authentically connect with my children.”
By Liz Kendall
It was a morning of excitement and celebration as 71 parent volunteers took their seats in the Rothrock Performance Hall on April 25 for the 2017-2018 Volunteer Appreciation Brunch. Seated at round tables decorated with floral centerpieces, volunteers enjoyed a brunch of salads, sandwiches and a variety of desserts.
After a blessing offered by Father Martin, Head of School Tim Molak welcomed the 2018 gala chairs, Christy Occhipinti, Cynthia Mahood Levin, and Jennifer Youstra to the podium where they re-capped Club 60 and celebrated the 35+ parents who made up the gala team.
The annual tradition of honoring the Last Volunteer Standing was led by Molak, inviting volunteers to remain standing based on the number of years they’ve volunteered at Priory resulted in two honorees this year! Jennifer Hammer and Mary Rose Theis were both honored with bouquets, applause, and hugs for their 13+ years of service to the Priory.
In celebration of Priory’s 60th anniversary, all past PPA presidents and gala chairs were invited and were recognized with blue ribbons on their nametags. Cindy and Wayne Davison, who traveled from their home in Oregon, are Priory’s most decorated gala chairs to date, having chaired five galas dating back to 1999. The foundational accomplishments of the Davisons and all of the legacy leaders were recognized and celebrated with a standing ovation.
The gratefulness continued with PPA Presidents Kari Rust and Kathy Fitzgerald recognizing individual volunteers for their roles in coordinating new parent cocktail receptions, Grandparents’ Day, Christmas magic, admissions open houses, Annual Fund participation, and dozens of other events and opportunities throughout the year.
Reflections on volunteering submitted by parent volunteers were read aloud throughout the brunch, including a touching message written by Pamela Dorrell that seemed to resonate with all in attendance. “By volunteering at their school, my children’s world becomes my own,” Dorrell writes. “I get to know their daily environment, their teachers and friends on my own terms, which gives me so many more ways to authentically connect with my children. Volunteering sends an important message to my kids that school is valuable. If I can spend my precious time working for free to make the Priory an even better place, the children too should have respect for the school and work hard.”
The new PPA presidents, Carolyn Putney and Kristi Patterson, were introduced and joined Fitzgerald and Rust on stage before Director of Development Suzanne Couch shared an enthusiastic 10-second clip of the entire student body thanking parent volunteers to close out the brunch.
Volunteer Appreciation Brunch
1. Senior moms, Regina Saliba, Kaleo Serughetti-Waxman, Carolyn Putney, and Sue Leiter.
2. Parent volunteers Angele Singh, Reid Matsuoka, and Callie Turk.
3. Cindy and Wayne Davidson.
4.Christy Occhipinti helped to thank the many gala volunteers.
5. New PPA Presidents Carolyn Putney and Kristi Patterson thanked past PPA Presidents Kari Rust and Kathy Fitzgerald.
VOLUNTEERISM