Happy New Year from the Parents Association! I’m sure everyone had a great time ringing in 2020, and launching into a new decade! We have a lot of great events and community building opportunities on the horizon at Portledge.

I hope to see everyone at the Diversity Week Parent Program on January 23rd, which will be led by John Gentile. Mr. Gentile currently serves as the Co-Director of the Office for Identity, Culture and Institutional Equity at the Horace Mann School. He is a nationally recognized equity and inclusion practitioner specializing in whiteness, white identity development, and white privilege. He currently serves on the New York State Association of Independent Schools (NYSAIS) Diversity Committee.

Over the next few months, you will be hearing lots of buzz about our most exciting adult night event of the year, The Portledge Benefit! So save the date for April 3rd as this event promises to impress and dazzle! The theme has been collectively conceived by this year’s talented and artistic benefit committee. This is the first time our gala is being executed by a cohesive team of parents working together to create a unique, entertaining and spectacular night out.

How can you help? You can donate items to the auctions, purchase a journal ad and volunteer to help set up on the day of the event. Our 2020 benefit is the PLACE TO BE and will not be forgotten anytime soon!
So when the time comes, purchase those tickets, bid on items and carve some time for yourself to make new connections and continue to build our sense of community at our incredible school.

Other events to look forward to are Faculty/Staff Appreciation Day on May 1st, the Book Fair from May 6-8th, and our last Parents Association meeting of the year on May 12th. And as a final reminder, you have until May 31st to donate to The Portledge Fund! I hope everyone will make a donation to our wonderful school. Parent participation is crucial and tells Portledge that you believe in our mission.

Your participation in school events leaves a lasting impression on you, your child and our wonderful school. In 2020 and beyond, may Portledge flourish with this positive energy that we all have a role in creating, nurturing and sustaining!

Melissa Halpern
Parents Association President
Max ‘24