Parent Teacher Fellowship Modeling Service

In Action

Every St. Mary’s parent is a member of the Parent Teacher Fellowship (PTF). The PTF is a dynamic and powerful group of parent volunteers who make a positive and valuable impact on our community. We value building community through volunteering and planning meaningful events and activities on campus. Being actively involved on campus is a great way to make friends and become more ingrained in the St. Mary’s Community.

Our PTF Board is a leadership group that commits to serving our school in various positions to ensure we fulfill our mission of supporting the educational, fundraising, cultural, physical and spiritual needs of St. Mary’s.

“The PTF is vital for bringing parents together, fostering a service-oriented mindset that strengthens the school community. Getting involved with the PTF Board has numerous benefits, including forming new friendships, familiarizing yourself with St. Mary’s and contributing positively to the lives of your children. Parental engagement in a child’s education significantly influences their long-term success. Children with involved parents tend to achieve higher grades and test scores, develop better social skills, exhibit improved behavior, maintain regular school attendance and are more likely to graduate from high school and pursue higher education. I encourage you to become an active member of our amazing Falcon community!”

—Mahdis Bormand, PTF President

Parent Teacher Fellowship (PTF) Board of Directors

President: Mahdis Bormand

Secretary: Nancy Hermansen

Communications Director: Laura Clifford

PTF Events Directors: Joanne Ho & Mariko Nordhoff

EEP Room Parent Director: Mingying Gu

LS Room Parent Director: Carey Tushin Vile

MS Parent Directors: Leslie Murphy & Alexandra Weed

Volunteer Director: Joy Wang

Outreach Directors: Sheila Hoffmann & Koren Hubbard

Care and Compassion Director: Nancy Hermansen

Faculty/Staff Appreciation Director: Liz Chayes

Father-Daughter Dance

On Friday, February 3, over 200 Falcon fathers and daughters enjoyed a special night of dancing “Under The Big Top,” an event hosted by the PTF Board. The St. Mary’s Gym was transformed into a magical circus ring for this fan favorite event. Fathers and daughters enjoyed breaking out their best moves on the dance floor, showcasing big smiles for the photo booth and playing carnival games. High flying fun was had by all who attended!

Teacher Appreciation

On behalf of the St. Mary’s Community, The PTF Board shows their gratitude to our dedicated faculty and staff throughout the year with special breakfasts, coffee service and themed treats served in the teachers’ lounge. During teacher appreciation week, May 1 - May 5, Lower School parents brought in special gifts of appreciation such as cards from students, flowers and personalized treats each day of the week for teachers and instructional assistants. Middle School teachers also received special gifts of appreciation such as treats, gift cards and thank you notes throughout the week coordinated by ASB through a raffle where every MS teacher was a winner! The PTF Board also chose one day during teacher appreciation week to personally hand out an extra special gift to all faculty and staff on behalf of St. Mary’s parents. Our faculty and staff are so loved and appreciated!

Mother-Son Game Night

On Friday, April 21, over 200 Falcon mothers and sons enjoyed an evening of fun competition and camaraderie with interactive games and activities on St. Mary’s Field. Mothers and sons bonded over games of dodgeball, capture the flag and tug of war. Other fun activities included skateboarding, inflatable skeeball, building with jumbo legos and mini excavators. Mothers and sons also enjoyed the food trucks and sweet treats. Many thanks to the PTF Board for hosting this event!

On Saturday, March 25, St. Mary’s School held its annual Gala at the Balboa Bay Resort in Newport Beach. The fundraiser themed “Let’s Rock the Boat” treated more than 300 St. Mary’s community members to a lively evening of cocktails, dinner, dancing, fundraising and more. The event was generously supported by the presenting sponsor, Greenlaw.

Record Breaking Support for Student Programs

This event is an essential fundraiser for St. Mary’s. Thanks to the overwhelming support of event sponsors and the Falcon community, over $525,000 was raised through ticket sales, sponsorships, auctions and Fund-a-Need. The silent and live auctions specifically brought in record breaking numbers—$194,000! Many thanks to our families and community members for their generous donations. Without you, this success would not be possible.

The Fund-a-Need for the 2023 Gala goes directly toward funding the St. Mary’s Scholar Program. The Scholar Program provides full-tuition scholarships to qualified students. Through this funding, not only will the lives of these children and their families be changed, but our community will be changed for the better. We raised an incredible $220,000 specifically during the Fund-a-Need for the St. Mary’s Scholar Program!

“The 2023 St. Mary’s Gala was a tremendous success. We are so blessed to have such a generous and supportive community that annually comes together to celebrate our school. Thank you to all of the families who participated and supported the Gala. A special thank you to our event sponsors and our talented Gala co-chairs Megan Roshan and Lindsay Dickhout and their committee,” said Doug Patterson, Head of School.

Falcons Rocked the Boat!

Wow, what a night! Guests enjoyed a cocktail reception with “Three Sheets to the Wind” signature cocktail, a champagne wall, appetizers, photo opportunities, silent auction, dinner, dessert, live auction, Fund-a-Need and celebrating on the dance floor to dancing to Undercover Live with treats from the dessert bar!

Thank you to our fabulous 2023 Gala Committee’s Co-Captains Megan Roshan and Lindsay Dickhout and committee members Nicole Bhathal, Jamie Goodman, Cathy Green, Tonya Johnstone, Jennifer Kite, MaryAnn Samuel and Carey Tushin-Vile.