PARENT CONNECTIONS: BUILDING A STRONGER COMMUNITY TOGETHER

Susie Ursprung, Parents' Club President

What a privilege it is to be a part of the TVS community. We are a community filled with dedicated parents who are invested and engaged in our children’s education. We are a community that values connection to one another, our School, and our children’s educational journey. 

The Trinity Valley School Parents’ Club has a long history of supporting our School’s mission and enhancing the student experience. We seek to provide opportunities for parents to connect with one another as well as with TVS faculty and staff, to partner together to support our school and strengthen our community. The Parents’ Club plays a vital role in our School’s success. By supporting our School and one another, we create a nurturing environment for our children to thrive.

The central Parents’ Club focus this year is communication and community building both within our parent community and between our parent community and the School. Toward this end, we have opened our monthly Board meetings to all room parents in addition to our 44 Board members, with the goal of gathering together and sharing information more broadly into our community. We also continue to hold open meetings for all parents twice a year. Our October open meeting was a huge success with over 70 parents in attendance, many of whom had never before attended a Parents’ Club meeting. Another open meeting will be held on Tuesday, January 14 at 6:30 p.m.

Additional opportunities to engage with TVS faculty and staff are also planned. A Parent Coffee and Security Update with Kevin Kinley, TVS Director of Security, was held in September when parents learned about the extensive and impressive updates Kevin and his team have made to our campus security. More opportunities to engage with TVS faculty and staff are in the works!

Parents’ Club Happenings

The Parents’ Club kicked off the year in spectacular fashion with our annual Back-to-School Fair, led by Parent Co-Chairs Margaret Lane and Melissa Muyskens. It was a spirited event that welcomed hundreds back to campus and also provided an exciting “reveal” of our new and beautiful Lower School and Middle/Upper School Libraries. Beloved former TVS security guard John Bowman DJed the event. Our own TVS athletes, cheerleaders, and drum line brought much spirit, and the Trojan mascot even braved the heat and made an appearance! 

At the end of September, our annual Lower School Fall Festival was held with great fanfare. Parent co-chairs Michelle Kyle and M.K. Scherer transformed the main courtyard into a magical “Greatest School on Earth” circus, complete with magic shows, games, prizes, and all kinds of fanfare. In an exciting end to the evening, Trinity Valley ninth grader Raegan Florsheim, daughter of alumna Sarah Bessire Florsheim ’97, WON the highly competitive Fall Festival Chili Cook Off as the only student to enter. 

With the goal of educating parents and strengthening the connection between parents and educators, our TVS Parents’ Speaker Series talks and follow-up coffees continue this year. Parent Co-Chairs Robbie Clarke and Katie Yang have curated a fantastic lineup of speakers. In September we hosted Sydney Schell Munson, MAT, Digital Education Consultant and TVS Class of 2001 alumna. Sydney gave two dynamic presentations on “Raising Digitally Healthy Children and Adolescents” and also spent time with our faculty and staff. In November and through a partnership with our Grants for Greatness program, the Speaker Series hosted Dr. Karen Young of Hey Sigmund. Dr. Young traveled all the way from Australia to speak to parents and faculty on “Strengthening Young People Against Anxiety.” Several speakers are lined up for the spring, including our own Dr. Adele Reeder Hollander who will continue the conversation around healthy technology use, from an adolescent medicine perspective.

Faculty-Staff Appreciation Parent Co-Chairs Claire de Vilder, Hollin McWilliams ’97, and Page Clark hosted a fiesta-themed luncheon in October for our fabulous TVS faculty and staff. It was a fun and festive way to say THANK YOU to our hard-working and very loved teachers and staff. Another luncheon is scheduled for March 3. 

Parents’ Club-run TVS Uniform Resale is experiencing another record-setting year. Led by Parent Co-Chairs Tara Bibb, Jamie St. Peter, and Katherine Wolman, the resale store offers families a convenient and affordable alternative to purchase uniforms, both in-person at the on-campus store as well as online by email. Impressively, all items donated are either re-sold, recycled or donated to local charities. Uniform Resale provides important financial support to the Parents’ Club, and in turn benefits our students and School. Donations are always appreciated!

A large and enthusiastic group of Dining Hall volunteers, led this year by parent coordinators Bobbie McCurdy and Leslie Palmer ’00, help Chef Erin feed hundreds of students and faculty each and every school day. This is such a fun way to get involved on campus, meet other parents, and interact with students and faculty. Volunteers are always needed and appreciated, including grandparents!

This year our annual parent social and fundraising event will be Gallery Night, and Co-Chairs Julie Harvick and Kristin Hidalgo are planning a very special Art in Bloom-themed evening that you do not want to miss!  Please mark your calendars for Friday, March 8 from 5 - 7 p.m.

How to Get Involved

EVERY parent at TVS is a member of the Parents’ Club. We believe every parent has an important role and brings a perspective that enriches our community. There are many opportunities to jump in and volunteer. Check out the Parents’ Club Volunteer Guide and Volunteer Sign-Up Genius. Links to both may be found on the TVS Website Parents’ Page and TVS App. Interested in a position on the Parents’ Club Board? Nominations open early this spring, so watch for more information and nominate yourself or someone you know!