A Thank-You from Departing PTA President Mimi Laver
Dear Stoddert Community,
Thursday night was the last PTA meeting of the year, and my last meeting as co-president. I want to thank you all for a great 2 years. We’ve had a busy and big transition year, and yet we pulled off a lot of great things, raised money and gave support to the school despite our temporary setting.
At the meeting I took the opportunity to thank a lot of people. Some of them were not at the meeting and I want you all to know how much I really appreciate everyone’s effort on behalf of Stoddert. I am afraid I may have forgotten someone, so I apologize in advance:
Exec Bd: We worked as a great team – some of us for 2 years and some the last year and gearing up for next. Each of you contributed in different and really important ways.
Mary McLaughlin was a great co and I am thankful she is going to serve again next year. She is calm and patient and truly dedicated to our school.
Anastasia Miller and Jen McLennan built a beautiful and useful website and constantly tried to keep us all informed of the news. Things won’t be the same without them but hopefully some of you will want to work with Erik Warga on communication next year.
Erik Warga was calm, unflappable, well reasoned, on time and an overall amazing treasurer.
Molly Evans covered the unexpected events plus everything else we needed. When a family was in need, Molly managed a family fund. When we needed someone to oversee the move, Molly was there. She helps in her sons classes and with anything anyone needs.
Katy Youel-Page thanks for keeping us focused on how and on what we spent our $$. Even when you are not on the exec board I hope you will continue to keep the focus.
Ginger Jacobs was always willing to help. She went way above and beyond the secretary job all year long.
Jen Sweeney also went so far beyond the jobs she signed on to do. She represented us well on the 6 school council, but made so many things happen at Stoddert this year (including the upcoming ice cream social).
Without Beth Mailley, Stoddert would not be the same – she is always willing to pitch in, organize, help and have a huge smile while doing it.
Kevin Youel- Page learned the DC budget and school budget and then stepped up to chair the LSRT. He led us well with a healthy sense of humor and cynicism!
Mitch Wander was new this year and really took off. He kept his eye on outside community issues and the impact it would all have on Stoddert. Thanks for agreeing to sit on the LSRT again next year!
Kathy Strauss – thanks for constant support and many years of service to Stoddert PTA
Andrea Gross – we so appreciate your willingness to be the teacher representative and communicate back and forth for us!
Committees:
Christine Gossens and all the room parents – giant thanks for making the day to day operations go smoothly and helping teachers as much as you could.
Stephen Frum, Kristen Sunkes and Jen Sweeney made a valiant effort despite weather for Fun Fair – next year we won’t have to miss it!
Eve-Lyn Turmail and Jodi Ferrier – we didn’t know if we could have a picnic at the beginning of the year – we had no space, we were in transition and yet they pulled off one of the best beginning of the year potlucks ever!
Jen Perry thanks for organizing several wonderful open houses where we got to really show off our school, even though we were not in the school people will be sending their kids to.
Laura Baron – thanks for your amazing patience in bringing us our kids’ pictures.
Kay Langenbacher – thanks for stepping up and doing a beautiful job for staff appreciation (in addition to all the many jobs you’ve done over the years).
Anne Loiret – thank you so much for entering tons of data under trying conditions all year long!
Viraj Verma and Jenny Epstein – excellent work on restaurant nights. We are all looking forward to Surfside on June 7!
Jenny Epstein and Shari Gilbert – thanks for trying something new with the cookies – it was fun, delicious and really helped for the 5th grade trip.
Martha Rebour – as always she did a great job bringing in our activity fees.
Cara Johnson – thanks for being the Bolling Rep – hopefully we can continue to grow that role next year.
Emmanuelle Dusart, Ruthann Uithol and Lori Milstein – thanks for your energy in reshaping book fair and taking us to Politics and Prose. It was a great effort since we did not have the room to do it at school!
Viraj Verma, Ginger Jacobs, Kristen Sunkes, Jen Sweeney, Jane Alexander, Tuba Kocabasoglu, Brian Davis and others did tons of work to help me with the Little Chili – they let me keep the tradition and we all had fun.
Karen Floman – thanks for many years of hard work with Fillmore – the program is great and your efforts do not go unnoticed.
Claire DeJou– as always we are looking forward to International Night on June 3!
Julie Schneider, Sumita Arora and others who worked hard with the SIT committee and outdoor play space area – we can’t wait til we move in – great work!
Jarrett Ferrier– thanks for the ongoing press in the Gazette and your amazing solicitation for bricks!
And some extra special thank you’s:
Brian Cohen – you are incredible – I am not sure we would be moving into the new school without your effort, tenacity and willingness to push people.
Ginger and Jeff Jacobs– your countless hours on the bricks was incredible, thank you.
The whole brick committee – you really pulled off an incredible fundraiser and more importantly, community event. The plaza will be beautiful.
Finally, Mike and Becky – you do it all. Room parents, HR expert and especially this year, Brick Coordinators Extraordinaire. There really are not words that can cover what you and the committee pulled off this year. Yes we made money, but as important, you built spirit and excitement which was much needed.
Of course, our gratitude goes to Dr. Cuthbert and all our teachers and staff. We thank you for ensuring this year in the trailer was not a waste – far from it, you and the kids excelled and we have tons of energy as we get ready to end the year and move into our new home.
It is clear it takes all of us to make a year at Stoddert a successful one. I hope that next year, in our new school, we will have new energy and lots of new volunteers. There is always something you can do to help, no matter what your schedule. You can help during the school day in the classrooms, in the library or on class trips. You can run or help on a PTA event like the Fun Fair or Big Chili. You can enter data or design the school directory. Whatever you can do would help a lot. So please contact Mary or Ben Jensen, our new presidents, to offer your help.
I wish you all a wonderful and safe summer and thanks again for your support over the last two years.
Best,
Mimi Laver
