We would like to first express a deep and sincere thank you to our two dedicated and long serving co-conveners Mary Slawter and Sudi Laura Overstreet. They have been guiding and coordinating the Parent-Staff Association (PSA) committees and activities for four years and have always been ready to step in and help with any activity wherever needed. They were very generous to continue in their roles when we were all faced with the uncertainties and restrictions of the pandemic. Thank you for your outstanding commitment and service to the CFS community.
Our approach for the PSA
We have been evaluating and reimagining how we can best fulfill the PSA mission “to foster a strong, cohesive all-school community.” Based upon our own experiences, discussions with staff, and feedback from the community, we propose an approach that starts with small groups (by class, grade, or interest area), then builds on those close connections and sense of community outward in layers or ripples that extend across each teaching unit and then the whole school.
Bringing the approach to life
The PSA Liaisons for each school unit (Early through Upper School) play an integral role throughout the school year in building community and supporting staff and parents. In addition, the PSA has several school-wide initiatives to build community which adopt the approach of fostering close connections that ripple outwards.
In June we launched Welcome Buddy Groups, each consisting of several new, nearly-new (families who joined in 2020), and returning families. Each Welcome Buddy Group will meet up during the summer through informal, outdoor get-togethers. We hope these small and intimate groups will create a “soft landing” for families new to Carolina Friends School and serve as an opportunity for new, as well as returning, families to build connections prior to the start of the school year.
The pandemic has presented us with an opportunity to reimagine the large (more than 500 person) all-school picnic that, prior to 2020, was held at the start of the school year. Depending on pandemic conditions in August, the PSA plans to hold back to school gatherings separately for each unit. We are hopeful that these smaller gatherings will be easier for families to navigate, enabling everyone to meet other families with students of similar age and interests.
Another aspiration is the creation of an Athletics Committee consisting of representatives from each unit who plan activities around home athletics competitions, encouraging families to “pack the stands” and cheer on our athletes while also having fun. Athletics can be a great way to develop a sense of school identity and spirit, and coming to games can help create interest and excitement among younger students, fostering their desire to participate in athletics upon rising to Middle School.
We look forward to engaging further with the all-school community in the fall — to gather and share ideas and to form plans for additional initiatives that build connections and strengthen the sense of belonging within the Carolina Friends community.
— Ingrid Arnold and Emily Tsai, PSA Co-Conveners