BLEEDING ORANGE & BLACK The Winter Park High School Parent Teacher Student Association recently earned national praise for its work during the COVID-19 pandemic. ANNABELLE SIKES STAFF WRITER
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ollowing an unprecedented year of trials and tribulations, one Winter Park High School entity is celebrating an unprecedented win. The Winter Park PTSA in August earned National PTA School of Excellence recognition. The distinction lasts for a twoyear span, and selected schools
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receive celebration tools and consideration for the top honors — the Phoebe Apperson Hearst Award and a $2,000 grant. Only 45 schools in the United States were awarded for the 2020-2022 span. The WPHS PTSA also earned the distinction during the previous span, and this year’s honor marks the first time the school secured the award in successive terms.
BALDWIN PARK LIVING | OCTOBER 2021
Annabelle Sikes
The National PTA School of Excellence recognition program “supports and celebrates partnerships between local PTAs and schools to enrich the educational experience and overall well-being for all students,” according to the National PTA website. Members of the WPHS PTSA executive board, which includes five Baldwin Park residents, say the distinction is particularly special given the challenges COVID-19 presented. “Serving as WPHS’s PTSA president last year, during a pandemic, was not only rewarding but extremely humbling,” 2020-2021 PTSA President Anne Knapp says. “Through consistent communication and connection with our parents, our school community came together with valuable resources and time to provide for our teachers, students and staff. It was an important goal of our PTSA that they felt supported and taken care of during this unprecedented and challenging time.” The WPHS PTSA works to
2021-2022 WINTER PARK HIGH SCHOOL PTSA EXECUTIVE BOARD President: Tanya Veras Past president: Anne Knapp First vice president: Iris Fernandez Treasurer: Niki Tringas Treasurer: Katie Maun Recording secretary: Jill Ciambella Corresponding secretary: Becky Junod
2021-2022 PTSA COMMITTEE CHAIRS Membership: Sara Cambron, Daneen Cross and Francee Williams Homecoming BBQ: Miriam Garcia, Whitney Langholz and Johnny Miller Staff appreciation: Mandy Borkman, Dawn Wehrum and Erin Wright College and Career Center: Iris Fernandez, Amy Samelson Baccalaureate: Elise Breth, Endsley Hewitt and Jen Sommer Wildcat Outreach: Stacey Soll, Jamie Storey and Francesca Asher Progress to Success: Dawn Young
