Speyer Parents Association
Speyer has an active and energetic Parents Association, led by a community of families spearheading initiatives to foster positive relationships between parents, faculty, and staff. The PA strives to enrich the Speyer community as a whole by supporting an array of school-wide programs for gifted students and their families, while also supporting faculty and staff.
All parents at Speyer are automatically welcomed as members of the Parents Association. , and there are numerous opportunities for parents to donate their unique expertise and skills. Run entirely by parent volunteers, the PA provides a variety of engaging and enjoyable community-wide activities throughout the year. The Speyer PA is composed of an Executive Committee, Grade Ambassadors and standing committees led by parent volunteers. Committee meetings are open to any interested parent. An Affinity Group Coordinator leads several affinity groups for parents.
If you are interested in learning more, contact pa@speyerschool.org.
PA MEETINGS AND WAYS TO BE INVOLVED
PA meetings provide an opportunity for parents to learn about school news and events, hear from school administrators and faculty, and to come together as a community. See the school calendar for meeting dates which will vary based on the 2022-2023 school calendar.
Below is information on Speyer’s PA committees and Parent Affinity Groups— we are always seeking volunteers to work on a range of exciting initiatives!
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Organizes social, cultural, and community-building events, including guest speakers, parent coffee hours, and Speyer's annual Family Skating Party.
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Partners with our librarian and brings our community together through book fairs and programming connecting students to a diverse range of authors.
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Researches, designs, and produces unique, spirit-filled swag that students, parents, faculty, and staff love. The Speyer Spirit Shop also generates much of the PA's Revenue.
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Supports interaction among families of various backgrounds and plans events like the annual international potluck. Members work to ensure that the school’s growing community continually embodies the values of friendship, inclusion, openness, and support. The committee works in partnership with school and board leadership to organize inclusive all-school conversations and community events, identify and share resources, and foster a sense of belonging and connectedness.
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Organizes and supports events and initiatives that provide Speyer students and families with opportunities to make a difference in our community (both at Speyer and our neighborhood) and our world.
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Working with our chess instructors, volunteers help inform parents of chess happenings outside of Speyer, assist families of the Speyer Chess Team at various tournaments, and provide other help as needed.
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There are six Parent Affinity Groups: Parents of Girls, Parents of BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) Students, Parents of AAPI (Asian American and Pacific Islander) Students, SAPAS (South Asian Parents at Speyer Affinity Group), Shalom Speyer, Neurodiversity-Affirming Families, and Dragon Pride. Affinity Groups provide a safe and supportive space for parents to share experiences, resources, ideas, and more. Parents strategize solutions to common problems and come up with ideas for positive change.
2024-2025 PA EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
Maricor Santiago
President
Songyun Kang
Vice President, Lower School
Elizabeth Styron
Vice President, Middle School
Maria Paskowitz and Danny Maya
Co-Treasurers
Anne-Michelle Gallero
Communications Committee
Sarah Krohn
Affinity Group Coordinator
Anne Cochran
President Ex Officio
Parent Association Committees
Bengi Legares
Speyer Cares Committee
TBD
Kaleidoscope Committee
Dana Ogilvie, Isha Gupta, and Kattia Bossola
Library Committee
Jennifer Lee and Michelle Eissler
Events Committee
Samantha Paull and Karin Nguyen
Speyer Store
Jenny Yung and Junfeng Yang
Chess Committee
Parent Association Affinity Groups
Lauren Stelzer
Affinity Group for Parents of Girls
Yliana Guzman
Affinity Group for Parents of BIPOC Students
June Ng and Edwin Tsui
Affinity Group for Parents of AAPI Students
Shanah Segal
Shalom Speyer
Birendra Gosai and Anjali Kashyap
South Asian Parents at Speyer Affinity Group (SAPAS)
Lisa Cobert and Elizabeth Smith
Neurodiversity-Affirming Families
TBD
Dragon Pride