Parents Association
news & updates
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September 2019 | Back to School Night
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What is the St. Stephen of Hungary Parents Association?
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The SSH PA (Parents’ Association) is a non-profit volunteer organization which serves to support the students, teachers and staff at St. Stephen of Hungary School.
PA meetings are held the 1st Tuesday of the month in the school auditorium. Everyone is welcome to come listen and take part in discussions at meetings. Every parent/guardian of a SSH student is a member of the PA. Coming to meetings is a great way to get to know fellow parents, learn and talk about happenings at and around the school, and hear updates from admin, teachers, and other guest speakers.
Aside from meetings, the PA also hosts many fun events throughout the school year. Please see the enclosed 2019-20 Event List and be sure to mark your calendars!
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PA Mission, Goals & Values
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The St. Stephen of Hungary Parents’ Association (PA) is a voice for all parents and caregivers and a resource for faculty, staff, families and other members of our school community. We aim to be an advocate for the education and well-being of every child, while being a source of enriching activities that bolster a sense of community.
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- Encourage, support and simplify communication across all levels of the school community - children, parents, teachers, faculty and administration.
- Provide enriching activities that foster a sense of community.
- Support our church through active involvement in parish activities.
- Contribute to the greater community through service projects that are meaningful to our children and community.
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- Collaboration: We work in partnership with a wide array of individuals and organizations to broaden and enhance our ability to serve and advocate for our children and families.
- Commitment: We are dedicated to promoting our children’s well-being, social and educational success through strong parent, family, and community involvement.
- Accountability: We acknowledge our obligations. We deliver on our promises.
- Integrity: We act consistently with our beliefs. When we err, we acknowledge the mistake and seek to make amends.
- Respect: We value our colleagues and ourselves. We expect the same high quality of effort and thought from ourselves as we do from others.
- Inclusivity: We invite the stranger and welcome the newcomer. We value and seek input from as wide a spectrum of viewpoints and experiences as possible.
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Here is a sampling of items and services the PA contributes to our school:
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- Halloween Carnival
- Giving Thanks Lunch
- Cookies & Cocoa
- Middle School Dance
- Father / Daughter Dance
- Mother / Son Event
- Grandparents’ Day
- Valentine’s Day Cupcakes
- Field Day
- Field Trip Support
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- Teacher Appreciation Week
- Website, email, backpack fliers & other communication
- Service Projects
- Fundraisers: Book Fair, Mabels Labels, Box Tops, Amazon Smile etc.
- Uniform Sales
- Lost and Found
- Library Support
- Parish and Family Support
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As you can see, the PA does a LOT of great stuff for SSH, but we need a LOT of help in order to do it all! We encourage every SSH community member to find some time to volunteer throughout the school year. Whether it be chairing an event, participating on a committee, volunteering for a school event, or sharing your opinions at a PA meeting, there are countless fun, worthwhile ways to step in and get involved!
Without everyone’s help, students and teachers would have to miss out on things like treasured annual events, field trips, enrichment programs and more. Many hands make light work — the more community members who get involved, the more vibrant our school becomes, so please share your time and talents with us whenever and however you can!
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Colleen Kisaka / President
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This is our Family’s fifth year at St. Stephen. We moved to the UES in 2010 from Philadelphia and yes, we are Eagles fans! GO BIRDS!! My husband, Taki and I have 2 children at St. Stephen. Miya is a 5th grader and Taisho is a 2nd grader. I have really enjoyed the time I have spent over the past five years volunteering for PA events and serving as the PA Community Service Chair. I am excited to assume my new role this year as the PA President.
When I am not volunteering at school, I am busy in my role as the CEO of Kisaka Industries (aka stay at home mother) a position I assumed 10 years ago. I have a Master’s in Industrial Organizational Psychology and worked in the Mental Health and Healthcare fields for over 15 years. When we are not in NYC, one of our favorite places to spend time is at our home in Ocean City, NJ. We love the beach!
Please don’t hesitate to reach out to me. I am always available to chat with parents about St. Stephen and the PA.
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Ashley Laing / Vice President
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This is our family's seventh year at St Stephen. Adriana and I have a daughter Olivia in Grade 4 and son Maximilian in Grade 2. For the last 2 years I've been leading Student Enrichment Events, and am looking forward to contributing as this year's Vice President.
We moved to NYC from Australia and Brazil about 20 years ago and have been living on the UES ever since.
Away from school I'm the CTO at a hybrid creative agency and consulting firm where we focus on giving our customers a competitive edge via technology. In my spare time I enjoy creative projects leveraging 3D printing and laser cutting.
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Meg Hadlock / Communications Chair
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Seven years ago Gavin started his journey at SSH in the 2012-2013 Kindergarten class. This year marks my 2nd serving on the PA executive board as its Communications Chair. Born and bred on the Upper East Side, save for a few failed escape attempts, I am truly a native New Yorker.
Apart from my work with the PA I am a technical sales lead at Salesforce, a San Francisco based tech company. In my spare time I try to escape New York as much as possible, collecting passport stamps along the way.
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meg.hadlock@gmail.com
/ 212.729.7907
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Rosa Alaimo-Quinn / Finance Chair
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My husband, Kevin, and I have twin second graders, Carolina and Kayleigh. This is our family's fifth year as part of the SSH community and my second year as finance chair. We are native NYers and UES residents for over 15 years.
In addition to my PA duties, I am Chief of Staff for Integrity Square LLC, a boutique investment banking firm that focuses on the Health, Active Lifestyle and Outdoor ("HALO") sector.
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Marissa Boss / Student Enrichment, Curriculum & Admin Support Chair
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Our family has been involved at St Stephen for 6 years. Our daughter, Stephanie, will be in PreK-3 this year. Our daughter, Charlotte, will be in 3rd grade and Vivienne will be in 1st grade. This will be my third year as Student Enrichment/Curriculum and Admin Support on the PA.
I taught 4th grade at a Catholic school in NYC for 10 years before having our second child. I enjoy volunteering at St Stephen and using some of my teaching skills in my PA role. My husband, Matthew, has been a member of the St Stephen foundation for 3 years and works at JP Morgan. Our favorite time of the year is the summer. We love spending time together as a family at our house in Sag Harbor and going to the beach.
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marissa327@hotmail.com
/ 508.951.4131
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Jenna Wagner / Community Service Chair
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This is my first year as a member of the Parents Association Executive Board and my family’s third year as members of the SSH community. My eldest daughter will be entering Kindergarten this fall and our two year old daughter will join her next year for preschool.
When I am not with my children I run my own residential interior design firm. I am looking forward to supporting our amazing community this year.
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jennapwagner@gmail.com
/ 508.641.7904
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Lauren Bernhard / Student Enrichment Events Chair
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This is the start of our fifth year at St. Stephen. My husband, Kyle, and I have two daughters; Lillian is in second grade this year and Isla is in kindergarten.
I was born and raised on the Upper Eastside of Manhattan. Prior to having children, I was a Special Education teacher. I have been a class rep for the past two years and this is my first year on the PA board. I look forward to leading Student Enrichment events this year.
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tantillol@aol.com
/ 570.460.3222
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*These are just some of the events the PA offer and supports throughout the year. Please check the school website regularly for updates and additions to the calendar.
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