Parents’ Association

Jennica Waldman, chair Jenny Hollier, co-chair Aimee Schwimmer, room parent liaison Gia Trasatti, treasurer Roxanne Berardinelli, corresponding secretary

committee chairs

Blood Drive Rebeccah & Gary Kirkpatrick Community Day Rosemary Alcantar & Jennifer Santacruz Community Service Jessica Stewart, Monique Schiff, Cory Chew Earth Day Mimi Narducci Fall Market Lauren Blincoe & Angie Niemeyer Family Day Picnic Myrna Coen, Jenny Hollier, & Kristen Pratt Food Pantry Monique Schiff & Jessica Stewart Gala Raymond Lopez & Ariana Nakata Gobbler’s Feast Greg Baker & Adam Gershon Gobbler’s Game Eddie O’Flaherty & Sylvester Stewart Halloween Decorating Christine O’Flaherty & Dayna Turcotte Contest & Parade Laurie Rowihab & Christa Starr Holiday Boutique Colette Canepa & Tina Hookom Holiday Boutique Volunteer Coordinator Michelle Mackenzie Winter Outdoor Decor Deb Fleischman & Michelle Unger Winter Lighting Sylvester Stewart Singing Santas Jim Pratt Hot Lunch Michelle Mackenzie Jog-a-thon Juli Cavanaugh & Melanie Elliott Library & Literacy Kristen Lorenz, Laurie Rowihab, & Mason Thune Middle School Dances Myrna Coen, Deb Vaughan, & Kristen Pratt Aimee Schwimmer & Laurel Thompson Leah Mangum & Jill Whelan Party Book Gemma Baker & Lisa Sweeney Wesley Rewards Larry Sullivan Teacher Appreciation Jamie Koustas, Heidi Lieberman, Tara Rossi, & Samantha Thompson Uniform Recycle Sale Jenny Hollier, Kristen Pratt, & Deb Vaughan Wesley Palooza Jessica Stewart Volunteer Thank You Coordinator Monique Schiff Host Family Liaison Monique Schiff

school committees

CODI Bertha Muñoz & Melanie Elliott Jenny Hollier, chair Marissa Seeman, co-chair Aimee Schwimmer, room parent liaison

committee chairs

Blood Drive Rebeccah & Gary Kirkpatrick Community Day Rosemary Alcantar & Jennifer Santacruz Earth Day Mimi Narducci Food Pantry Jessica New, Garet Batchelor, & Dayna Turcotte Gala Beth Fulton, Lisa Lange, & Mariah Leavitt Gobbler’s Feast Greg Baker & Adam Gershon Halloween Decorating Christine O’Flaherty & Dayna Turcotte Holiday Giving Train Liz Reiter Holiday Boutique Online Lauren Blincoe Winter Outdoor Decor Liz Reiter Jog-a-thon Urvashi Block-Larson, Juli Cavanaugh, & Jonathan Mitchell Library & Literacy Louise Norman & Laurie Rowihab Middle School Dances Myrna Coen, Kristen Pratt, Deb Vaughan Multicultural Potluck Rosemary Alcantar Wesley Rewards Larry Sullivan Teacher Appreciation Heidi Lieberman & Samantha Thompson Uniform Recycle Sale Kristen Pratt & Deb Vaughan Wesley Palooza Dick Buckley, David Chalfin, & Jessica Stewart

school committees

CODI Melanie Elliott & Bertha Muñoz CODI Cooking Series Janett Meyer

We did it!

We have made it through one of the most unique, challenging, and downright craziest of school years. And we couldn’t have survived it without the amazing Wesley families!

Despite COVID restrictions, we executed over 30 “out-of-the box” events throughout the year in an effort to keep our community together and support one another. Throughout this memorable yet difficult year, we came together to create new traditions and make fun memories.

Going into last year, we knew our traditional events needed to be re-envisioned. We looked at every Parents’ Association event from the past and asked, “What is the intent?” Then we tried to reimagine these activities in an environment where families felt safe and could still have fun participating in them. Below are some of the events and ways we pivoted:

The first day back to school in September 2020 looked a little different, but we still were able to make it special for all. That year, a Welcome Back Parade was held for each grade via a drive-thru, so each student could get their books, meet their teachers, and get some treats from the school and the PA before starting classes online. We also had some treats the parents could pre-order and enjoy during our first PA meeting that evening.

The first day of school parade was such a hit, we pivoted our annual Wesley Family Picnic to a Scavenger Hunt. Families were given audio clues and drove around town finding stops that are pertinent to our school’s origins and philosophical beliefs. Participnts were able to see other Wesley families in their cars and ended up back on campus with games to play from the car, and prizes and treats for all.

Halloween was almost canceled last year, but thanks to 12 incredible Wesley Families we created our own drive-thru Trick-or-Treat route. Families drove around town, visiting other families, while trick-or-treating safely from their cars. In addition, the Wesley parking lot was ghoulishly transformed into a spooktacular event. Both opportunities gave Wesley Families safe and fun ways to still celebrate Halloween.

In November, our Gobblers’ Feast chairs finally shared the famous Smashburger recipe. In lieu of the traditional volleyball games and Dad/Dudes cooking, they created a video featuring our Superhero Dads/Uncles/Grandpas in all their glory being amazing and showing how they kept the fun going and their families safe during the pandemic.

We ended 2020 with a twist on our Children’s Holiday Boutique. Last year, we felt the focus should be about giving back to our local community. The first week of December, we created an online shopping boutique, where parents could shop local small businesses, and Wesley received a percentage back. We partnered with Midnight Mission and the Interfaith Food Pantry, sponsoring a toy drive to help benefit these organizations. It all culminated with a festive holiday driving route where families listened to an audio playlist of songs and stories, while checking out fellow community members’ decked out houses; with one of the stops being our very own Wesley Giving Train where toy donations could be dropped off.

Ringing in the new year brought new COVID guidelines and long awaited excitement as Kindergarten-3rd Grade grades were finally all back on campus. In an ongoing effort to keep kids safe, grades K-3 were asked to bring in Valentine cards for each of their classmates and teachers. Administration collected and quarantined them before kids took home their individual bags of Valentine cards. 4th-8th graders, being off campus, were given digital Valentine’s Day card options to select and send to their little buddies and teachers. Love was in the air on February 14th with over 200 digital cards sent! In addition, PA offered Valentine’s Day activities for the kids to do at home and two family dinner options. Both were huge successes in providing some fun for the whole family.

It’s showtime! Another successful party book, and our first annual Wesley-Drive-In-Dinner Fest, took place on February 20th! Over 100 families in the Wesley community enjoyed a night out while watching some classic flicks under the stars. PA concession boxes as well as pre-ordered catered meals were offered.

Thankfully, during the last part of the school year, we were finally able to welcome all students back on campus, which meant our Parents’ Association could start holding hybrid events and we could begin to feel like we were slowly inching back to normal; better late than never, right?! To steal a line from our 1st Graders ....“2-4-6-8, Wesley Employees are Really Great!” The first week of May, we were able to celebrate everyone who works at Wesley! The week started with a morning Community dedicated solely to our amazing faculty and staff, with a slide show that left some teary eyes in the house. Then, every day following, there were different surprises -- some consisting of treats and some that allowed individuals to partake in a few moments of relaxation and be pampered. The week ended with lunch and perhaps a cocktail (or two) that could be enjoyed at home or socially distanced on the field (the food, not the cocktails!).

Now, we can’t forget about our most popular event of the year - the Wesley Palooza! Kids had the chance to showcase their talents in a Hybrid version of this beloved event that was held on May 15th. Most importantly, all families were welcomed back by grade on campus for the first time in over a year!! They were able to catch up (not over Zoom - yay!), do some art, grab yummy goodies, and then head home to watch their favorite students show off their wide array of talents.

These are just some of the events we held throughout the year. The goal of Parents’ Association events is not to fundraise for the school, but to build community, with each event offsetting the cost of the next event. At the end of the year, we proudly donated the remaining $8,000 back to the school.

The pandemic may have kept the parents from being together on campus, but the spirit of Wesley and our community bond never felt stronger. We supported each other with check-ins and provided fun activities and delicious snacks to keep people smiling and have something to look forward to. All of this wouldn’t have been possible without the support of the administration and parents, who were already stretched thin, but donated their time and resources to keep Wesley Strong!

Jenny Hollier & Marissa Seeman parents’ association co-chairs