We expressed gratitude together at the Faculty and Staff Appreciation Day. Each year the Lower School Hospitality Committee organizes the Faculty and Staff Appreciation Day, providing us all with an opportunity to express our genuine and abundant gratitude to faculty and staff for the roles they play in our children’s lives. Breakfast, brunch, and lunch were served to all who could make it down to the Kaplan Lobby of the Sloan Theatre. Thank you to the chairs of the event – Kristin Carignan, Layne King, and Marle Clark – and to all who donated their time and wonderful menu items to this special day! We invested in our faculty together through Teacher Enrichment Endowment Fund Grants. The continuing education of our faculty is a differentiating factor between GDS and other schools. Many of our fundraising efforts serve to grow the Teacher Enrichment Endowment Fund (TEEF). It is through TEEF that we are able to support the on-going development of their knowledge, skills, and abilities. Read about the recipients on page 52. We ran together at Bengal Dash. The Bengal Dash is the perfect setting for families to learn, grow, and raise money for our school together. This year 252 runners, generous sponsors, and volunteers participated in a day that raised more than $9,000. Thank you to Holly Hofbauer ’92 and Beth Sanders for your leadership. We learned about all that is going on at our school together at Parents’ Association Meetings. This year the PA hosted 5 meetings, during which moms, dads, faculty, and staff learned about the many wonderful things going on across our school. These meetings are always a great way to make connections. We take great efforts to keep these meetings to one hour. Thank you to all who joined us this year! Please keep your eyes out for notifications from our incoming PA President, Isabelle Kramme, with next year’s meeting dates. Pictured: PA President, Kara Penfield, & Lower School Director-for- the-Day, Vivian Byerly ’28 presenting at the May meeting. We honored our Volunteer of the Year together. It was our distinct pleasure to present the 2016-17 Parents’ Association Volunteer of the Year Award to Holly Hofbauer ’92. As an alumna, parent, active PA volunteer, assistant 4th grade teacher, and summer program director, Holly exemplifies boundless energy, passion for helping and connecting with others, dedication to community, and grace of character. She has co-chaired the Bengal Dash for several years, volunteers with several PA activities, all while also serving as a volunteer for the GDS Alumni Association, Children’s Home Society, and her church. We celebrated together at the Greensboro Day Soiree. What do you get when you combine a silent auction, a live auction, an art exhibition, the Bengal Boutique, great food, fun drinks, a band, friends everywhere you turn, and the best Final Four watch party in town? The Greensboro Day Soiree! To date, funds raised total $63,886 and will support both the professional development of our dedicated faculty through the Teacher Enrichment Endowment Fund (TEEF) and enhancement of our campus through the Allocations Fund. Thank you to event chair, Debra Cowan, co-chair Sarah Solomon, and her wonderful team of volunteers for their creative, tenacious, and enthusiastic leadership. We worked together on the President’s Council. It has taken a village to coordinate the countless efforts of the Parents’ Association this year. Leading the charge, often behind the scenes, were nine amazing women. I am humbled by their dedication to our school and honored to call them friends, partners in PA, and members of the village raising my children. Front Row: (left to right) Holly Jones, Secretary; Ann Rembach, Fundraising Treasurer; Kara Penfield, President Back Row: (left to right) Rebecca Coltrane, Communications & Media Support; Miriam Forbis, Board Advisory; Jennifer Pitts, VP Campus Life; Terri Rafkin, VP Fundraising; Isabelle Kramme, President Elect; Ruth Watakila-Jackson, Board Treasurer; Michele Gordon, VP Community Enrichment GDS Magazine | 51