Meet the PA Co-Chairs

• Maile Sullivan returns as PA Co-Chair, with kids in Middle School and 3rd grade. She brings prior experience in this role and a deep commitment to the community.
• Stephanie Glassburn, new to the Co-Chair role, previously held the PA Communications Lead role. Her kids include a 4th grader and a new Pre-K student. She is excited for this new opportunity.

Mission of the Parent Association

The Parent Association facilitates, encourages and ensures ongoing community-building by providing activities, events, and service to the parish and school community. The Parent Association is a vehicle for supporting communication between home and school, offering a mechanism for education and serving as a structure for political action when needed. This will be accomplished in accordance with the policies of the Archdiocese of Seattle and the goals of this parish, in collaboration with the Pastor and Principal.

All parents/guardians/caregivers of students attending St. John School are members of the Parent Association and are welcome to join meetings.

Fair Share Commitment

All families are asked to contribute to our school community through volunteering. Dual caregiver families are asked to volunteer 40 hours per year; single caregiver families are asked to volunteer 20 hours per year. This isn’t tracked, but it’s vital to making everything run smoothly. If you’re unsure how to help, reach out to the Parent Association or Lauren Exnicios, PA Volunteer Lead—there’s a place for everyone.

Leads for Grade-Level PA Roles

We still have openings to get involved. Sign up for a grade-level role here!

PA Reps

Point people are Maile Sullivan and Stephanie Glassburn, ideally, there are two PA Reps per grade (not classroom-specific). Their responsibilities include:

• Planning two social events per grade (e.g., happy hours, picnics)
• Taking notes at PA meetings (once or twice per year)
• Volunteering on one PA-led event committee (BBQ, Spirit Day, etc.)
• Acting as point person to coordinate with other PA roles

Room Parents

Ciara Byars oversees the Room Parent team. One Room Parent is needed for each class (two per grade). Their role includes:

• Being the liaison between teachers and parents/guardians
• Communicating updates to parents
• Collaborating with other PA grade-level roles in support of your grade

In this role, Ciara will send you weekly emails to support parent communications.

Hospitality Chairs

Aleah Valley & Liz Le lead the Hospitality Chairs team in support of teachers. One Hospitality Chair is needed for each class (two per grade). This role includes:

• Overseeing gift-giving for teachers/assistants (based on teacher preference surveys)
• Managing voluntary gift contributions and gifting budget
• Coordinating two scheduled Coffee & Donut events for the Parish (starting with 7th and 8th grades in September)
• Organizing one school-wide teacher/staff appreciation luncheon and coordinating grade-level support

Classroom Auction Coordinators (formerly Auction Liaisons)

Ainslie Clark & Courtney Blair head the Auction team. One Classroom Auction Coordinator is needed for each class (two per grade). This role includes:

• Serving as the main point of contact for class auction information
• Coordinating the class Auction package and collecting parent donations
• Facilitating the Class Art Project (PreK-5) by managing the art project yourself or appointing an Art Lead to manage the project

There is a budget and reimbursement process for classroom art project supplies. Ainslie and Courtney will provide support through ideas and resources.

Other PA Leads

Welcome Committee

Jean Magbitang leads efforts to integrate new families through:

• Happy hours
• Playdates
• Buddy family program
  The committee will reconvene in February for newly enrolled families.

ParentMap Parent Education

Alev Seymen & Reagan Roth coordinate educational events in partnership with Parent Map:

• View the monthly midday sessions schedule (recordings available afterward)
• First event: September 30
  Registration links will be shared via PA communications.

PA Web/Graphics

Gary Hurley maintains the PA website, which includes:

• Meeting notes
• Role descriptions
• Volunteer opportunities

Visit the site to stay informed and get involved.

Volunteering

Lauren Exnicios is working as the Volunteer Lead to make accessing volunteer opportunities easier. She is revamping the volunteer pool system. By October, expect:

• A streamlined process for finding opportunities
• A central hub for sign-ups and event coordination

Ideas for improving volunteer engagement are welcome.

School Garden

Meggie Richards & Kate DeMotts are in their second year managing the garden:

• Located behind the portables
• Offers hands-on learning for students
• Considering creating a community garden club

Reach out to Meggie with ideas or interest in helping.

Admin Updates

From Paul Kelley

• Encouraged parents to communicate feedback/questions/concerns directly to him or Principal Mansfield
• Drop-off changes create a calm environment for teachers and students in the morning so instruction can begin on time. This also provides greater supervision for our students.

• • Doors open at 8:05am, tardy bell at 8:20am. Staggered entry improves traffic and student readiness.
  • Preschool families may wait until 8:25am to enter
  • We are doing a good job with the traffic flow

• BBQ reminder: Parents should supervise children, especially in the play pit
• Communication channels for Parents/Guardians – Please commit to being informed about what’s going on in our community

• • Stay informed via NewsViews (also on our school website) and informal WhatsApp groups
  • Opt into school messaging system for text alerts

• School Safety Updates – we are continually making efforts to increase the safety of our school community

• • Continuing to monitor the situation with the individual who made the threat via the phone in June 2025. We are in constant communication with King County. If you would like more details, please reach out to Ms. Mansfield or Pablo.
  • Safety seminar was held in August with mock scenario to practice protocols
  • 37 cameras now monitored by multiple staff
  • Constantly updating safety manuals and frequently practice emergency situations
  • Audit with Highlander 6 and updates to protocols made; continually consulting with them and other safety experts in our community
  • Parent/Guardians – Remember to check in with the main office when you are on campus. Visitors should wear their visitor badges.

• Fund-A-Need

• • This year, we were able to quickly get our Fund-A-Need funds working in the classroom with Chromebook upgrades and ergonomic furniture for grades 3–5

From Abby Mansfield

• Emphasized respectful parking during drop-off: No blocking driveways, handicap spots, or bus zones near Greenwood Elementary

From Jonna Skokan

• Among many other roles, she handles social media and marketing
• Send Jonna your best photos to be featured in school communications
• Encouraged families to subscribe to school social media channels

Other Updates

Jog-A-Thon

Ellen McLaughlin and team are coordinating this year’s Jog-A-Thon:

• Event date: Friday, September 19
• Fundraising packets have been distributed and student fundraising webpages are live
• Volunteer to support this event here!

• Extra helpers always welcome, even without formally signing up

Recess Volunteers

Malen Musgrave is recruiting for lunch recess coverage:

• Monday–Friday, 11:05am–12:15pm (especially Mon–Thurs)
• Great option for work-from-home parents
• Volunteers can bring babies or toddlers
• Sign-up to be a recess monitor here!