Information for Parents and Guardians

Welcome to the Parent/Guardian Association

Dear Northwest School Families,

The mission of the Northwest School (NWS) Parent/Guardian Association (PGA) is to build and foster a collaborative and supportive parent/guardian community and to provide a network of communication between NWS families, faculty, administration and the Board of Trustees. We are committed to supporting the NWS’s philosophy of educating students with historical, scientific, artistic and global perspectives, thus enabling our students to think critically and act with integrity.

As a parent or guardian of a Northwest student, you are automatically a member of the Parent/Guardian Association (PGA). We hope every parent and guardian will choose to participate in the PGA in some way, be it by attending one of our monthly PGA meetings, attending a PGA-sponsored educational event, volunteering your time as a Grade Level Representative, or being present to engage in conversations with other families and school administration. There are numerous opportunities and we are open to new ideas!

However you choose to be involved, we hope that you find within the PGA a community that welcomes and supports you and your family. Please feel free to contact your Grade Level Reps, or any of us, with questions or comments.

Sincerely,

Nan Noble and Katharine Gregg
Upper School co-chairs

Patricia Taraday
International program co-chair & Liaison to the Board

Aya Sethi, Cindy Bacon, and Tasha Feilke
Middle School co-chairs

Parent/Guardian Association Goals

To promote a sense of community and encourage open communication between families and the Northwest School faculty, administration, and Board of Trustees
To provide educational opportunities for parents and guardians through various Parent/Guardian Association forums and activities
To support the Northwest School’s mission and philosophy by attending to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in our practices
To promote participation with school events, programs and activities.

Parent/Guardian Association Structure

The Parent/Guardian Association is a self-perpetuating group approved by the Board of Trustees. All parents and guardians of The Northwest School are members of our Parent/Guardian Association. The leadership of the Parent/Guardian Association is composed of co-chairs for the Middle School, co-chairs for the Upper School, and parent/guardian liaisons to various offices, such as Learning Resources and Development, who foster parent/guardian engagement within the school.

There are two or more grade representatives per grade who are a point of contact for families in their grade. These volunteers help facilitate community-building, act as a liaison with faculty grade-level coordinators, and attend PGA events and monthly meetings. Reps attend occasional meetings with PGA co-chairs and school administration.

In the upper school, there are one to two International Parent Representatives per grade who provide a similar communication link between international students, their families (on occasion) and the school. Annual Parent/Guardian Association Meetings hosted by school administrators are also convened overseas, usually in Beijing, Shanghai and Taipei. Meetings have also been held in Seoul, Shenzhen and Tokyo in recent years.

Role of Grade Level Representatives

Serve as a way for new and existing families to connect to each other and the school
Serve as ambassadors for the school's programs
Direct families to the best ways of having their questions answered
Help create inclusive opportunities for families in their grade to participate in school and social events
Play an active role in reviewing survey questions and attending discussions with admin about results
Serve as a PGA liaison for faculty grade-level coordinators

Volunteer Opportunities

SIGN UP for volunteer opportunities using this form. And consider these PGA leadership opportunities:

Development Liaison (One position)
Coordinate fundraising activities for PGA in coordination with the school's Development team; make sure funds are spent equitably for PGA efforts. Two to four hours per month, depending on event schedule.

Communications Liaison (One position)
Highlight key events and send reminders across all grades. Create and maintain a calendar of PGA events. Two hours per month.

I.T. Liaison (One position)
Maintain communication database, work with administration to update database as needed, create tutorials to increase use of PGA communication tools to create community. Two to four hours per month.

Learning Resources Liaison (One position)
Assist Learning Resources Director in reaching families with information and support resources. Two hours per month.

Parent/Guardian Education Coordinator (One position)
Identify topic areas of interest to the parent/guardian community, find and vet speakers, and coordinate budget, contracts, and logistics for evening meetings. One to four hours per month, depending on event schedule.

Contact any of the co-chairs for more information on these or other volunteer roles. Volunteers needed for all events!

PGA-Sponsored Events

PGA Events Trimester 1

Back to School picnic

Upper School PGA Meetings
Third Thursday of each month. Upcoming:

October 20 (7-8:15 p.m., via Zoom)
November 17 (8:45-10:15 a.m.)

Middle School PGA Meetings
First Tuesday of each month. Upcoming:

October 11 (8:45-10 a.m., School Dining Hall)
November 1 (8:45-10 a.m., School Dining Hall)
December 6 (7-8:15 p.m., via Zoom)

Faculty Appreciation
Hosted by 9th and 12th grade families

UPPER SCHOOL EVENTS

Moon Festival

“Mix 4 6” Kick-Off (Mix 4 6 matches up to six families from the same grade to support casual, social gatherings one or more times over the school year). Date TBD

Bistro game night (Volunteer parents/guardians host a small group of upper school students for dinner and games). Date TBD

MIDDLE SCHOOL EVENTS

“D43”- Dinner for Three (Matches three middle school families from the same grade to gather for dinner or other social event one or more times over the school year)

PGA Events Trimester 2

Upper School PGA Meetings

Third Thursday each month. Scheduled:

January 19, 8:45-10 a.m. (School Dining Hall)
February 16, 8:45-10 a.m. (School Dining Hall)
March 16, 7-8:15 p.m. via Zoom.

Middle School PGA Meetings

First Tuesday each month. Scheduled:

January 3, 7-8:15 p.m. via Zoom
February 7, 7-8:15 p.m. via Zoom
March 7, 7-8:15 p.m. via Zoom

Faculty Appreciation
Hosted by Middle School families

UPPER SCHOOL EVENTS

Family Check-In Calls (all grades)

Senior send-off gifts (11th grade volunteers needed -- pay it forward!)

PGA Events Trimester 3