Parents Association

We had a great year in 2009 - 2010!

Thanks to all the families who gave so much to make it fun and successful!!!

Here are the highlights:

Celebrating the start and end of year with Family Dinners!  

Over 330 kids and parents join in the festivities – yummy food, balloons, and tie-dye.  Over 20 new families who will be joining Greene Street in the fall joined us and the 4th graders stomped and romped through “Cotton-Eye Joe”.

Raising Money for Greene Street and PA Projects! 

The Parents Association raised about $7,500 this year (up from $3,300 last year!!!). Thanks to all who supported the Bulb and Flower sales, 76ers Games, Box Tops and more. 

In addition to using funds to sponsor our MLK Day, Black History Celebration and Teacher Appreciation Luncheon, the Parents Association will also contribute to Annual Giving, new technology for Greene Street, and improvements for the grounds and playground (details to follow).

Bringing nationally recognized talent to our campus as part of our Black History Celebration!
Jazz Violinist John Blake, Author Lorene Cary, MLK Day founder and GSFS Alum Todd Bernstein, and Filmmaker Louis Massiah enriched us with their music, stories, and reflections.  Dozens joined the family field trip to the African American Museum and over 150 kids and grown-ups enjoyed a night of Soul Food and Jazz.

Plants - Flowers – and Trees --- and lots of Clean-up too!
Scores of parents and kids did campus clean-ups – taking out tons (literally) of trash and debris.  Planting flowers and shrubs and weeding gardens.  And the 8th graders led the way planting street trees around the block. 

Looking to the Future!
The Parents Association organized a meeting with parents and the Futures Committee in the fall and one in the spring with the Master Planners to discuss ideas and plans for the newly purchased bank property. The Greening of Greene Street Plan that the PA developed with the Community Design Collaborative over the past year is helping to inform the mastering planning for the campus. 

Parents sharing their passion with students!
Over 60 students enjoyed learning chess, knitting, yoga, sign language and bag-making on campus while other explored the Wissahickon during this year’s Parent-led Electives. 

A Season of Giving!
Greene Street families generously donated hundreds of gifts for families in a local shelter and boxes and boxes of food for a nearby church’s crisis ministry.

Families gather for Fall Potlucks and other fun!
Room Parents organized Class Potlucks in the fall to kick the year off and many ended the year with picnics, ball games and cookouts!

Greene Street in Action for Martin Luther King Day of Service!
Hundreds of people from 2 to 92 crammed the Meeting House for Greene Street’s 11th annual MLK Day of Service – it’s a flurry of activity that when it’s over leaves hundred of breakfast bags ready for delivery to needy families and elderly, many pints of life-saving blood, health kits to be sent around the globe, ceramic bowls to help the homeless, cleaned and freshly painted rooms at the Germantown Y, a giant dumpster of trash and yard waste, books-a-plenty for Philadelphia Reads Library, a handmade quilt, hundreds of paper flowers for rehab patients and dozens of letters signed, sealed and delivered to state and national leaders on critical issues.

Our Community Reads!

The PA joined the Green Street Meeting and the Administration in sponsoring two Community Reads.  This year’s selections were “Three Cups of Tea” and “The Price of a Child”.    

Dining In with Greene Street Friends!
Even more families enjoyed a dinner with other Greene Street families either as guests or hosts for our second annual “Dining-In with Greene Street Friends”.  

Thank you Teachers, Staff and EDP Staff!
The Parents Association hosted its annual Teacher Appreciation Luncheon to thank all the great Greene Street Teachers and Staff for all their wonderful work with our children.

An Enormous Thank You to all the Parent Volunteers –

Team Leaders, Room Parents, Exec Team and many, many others who worked to make it all happen!

Wondering how to get involved in the Parents Association next year?

Please call or email me over the summer.

Ceci Schickel, Parents Association President