Apr 23
May 14
Nominations for next year’s PACA Executive Committee and Committee Co-Chair roles are now open, and we need you! The creativity, ideas and energy of our volunteers are the lifeblood of PACA, helping to foster our wonderful community. Please consider where you’d like to volunteer next year – and encourage friends to get involved, too! Open positions include Vice President, Budget Manager, Secretary, Division Lead Parents, Clothing Exchange Closet, Charlie David Dinner, Teacher Appreciation, Service (Kids 4 Kids), Book Fair and Lower School Carnival. Additionally, we are seeking volunteers from all three divisions for the Nominations Committee, now wrapping up its inaugural year.
Please refer to the PACA Handbook for descriptions of Executive Committee and Committee Co-Chair positions. Details are available when you log in to MySchoolApp.
Please use this link to submit a self-nomination or nominate a peer (with their knowledge and permission). Please note that the form does not allow both self-nominations and peer nominations at the same time. If you wish to nominate multiple individuals, please submit a new form each time.
If you have questions about a role specifically or the nomination process, please feel free to email Gaby May P’10 ’25 ’31 PACA Immediate Past President and Nominating Committee Chair at mayg@columbusacademy.org.
PACA Resources for Volunteers and Families
Did you know? As of the 2024-25 school year several new resources are available for PACA Volunteers and families. This includes but is not limited to the PACA Handbook, organization Bylaws, budget documents, meeting minutes and more! These materials are available for all parents/guardians on MySchoolApp / Blackbaud (login required). To find these materials, after logging on, select Resources > PACA Resources.
Monthly Gatherings
PACA hosts monthly Connect meetings that all parents and guardians are invited to attend. At these gatherings, you will learn about events and activities that are happening on campus. You will also be encouraged to participate in any events that involve parents and guardians.
2024-25 PACA Connect Meeting Dates
All meetings will be on Wednesday mornings from 8:00-9:00 a.m. in the fireside room of the dining hall on the following dates:
September 11
October 16
November 13
December 11 (Parent Academy Series with guest speaker Dr. Michael Reichert)
January 8
February 12
March 12
April 23
May 14
2024-25 PACA Executive Board
- Ellie Merritt-Zeiger | President
- Carrie Stieg | Vice President
- Gabriela May | Immediate Past President
- Suzanne Tempelhof | Budget Manager
- Aaliyah Arif | Secretary
- Jordan Malhame & Michelle Singh | Lower School Leads
- Kamy Bhalla & Nicole Bundy | Middle School Leads
- Amy Huddleston & Kristin Stevens | Upper School Leads
To contact the Parents' Association of Columbus Academy, please email paca@columbusacademy.org.
Volunteering
PACA needs many different types of volunteers for a variety of school activities. Please click on the button above to fill out our volunteer form so you can be connected with the most appropriate people and groups for your interests.
Standing committees where volunteers are regularly needed include (lead parent contacts listed in parentheses):
- Book Fair (Meredith Levine & Laura McDonald)
- Charlie David Dinner (Hilary Griffith & Jann Parish)
- Clothing Exchange Closet (Karen Van Hoff & Jennifer Webb)
- Faculty/Staff Appreciation (Kristen Ricart & Andrea Perlenfein)
- Kids 4 Kids (Kimberly Allison & Ria Forchione)
- LS Year-End Carnival (Crystal Kahwash)
Affinity and Alliance Groups
Columbus Academy has several parent affinity groups that are dedicated to appreciating and celebrating diversity in our community.
- CAPSA (Columbus Academy Parents of South Asia)
Helps to educate the Academy community about cultures, customs and celebrations including Diwali and Holi.
- CPA (Chinese Parents’ Association)
Promotes Chinese parents’ involvement in the school community by supporting and participating and sometimes organizing various social/cultural and educational events.
- ¡HOLA! (Hispanic Outreach for Latino Awareness)
Founded in 2015 to support and celebrate the Latinx community at Columbus Academy.
- MOSAIC (Mobility, Opportunity, Social Equality, Action and Impact for our Children)
Open to parents of students of African descent interested in continuing Columbus Academy's diversity efforts and works to foster a more inclusive school community.
- Parent SEED (Seeking Educational Equity and Diversity)
Open to all Academy parents/guardians, SEED serves to support the school’s commitment to making the lives of its families more equitable and inclusive by recognizing, learning and talking about the diversity in our multicultural world. Over the course of seven facilitated morning meetings beginning in September, we will share and listen to the range of questions, viewpoints and opinions formed by personal life experiences. Every voice is welcome at SEED. For further information or to join us, please contact Joyce Simson P’08 at paca@columbusacademy.org.
Parent Academy Series
Each school year, Columbus Academy welcomes virtual and in-person speakers to discuss topics important to the development of both parents and students, and to help faculty gain valuable insight into how they can help our students flourish. All Academy parents/guardians are invited to register and attend these special events throughout the year. Click here to learn more about upcoming events.