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Dear Families and Friends,

Are Parent Community Organization (PCO) meetings necessary? This was a question I asked when I first started helping out with the Parent Community Organization at SRV. Given the freedom to re-imagine what a parent organization might look like, it seemed very liberating to try skipping meetings entirely, getting together only when we absolutely had to, i.e., when something bad happened. Wow, no meetings! Now, that was progressive...

Well, I have to admit that it didn't work. Without a regularly scheduled forum for face-to-face contact, parents felt less and less connected to each other and to SRV. Robert Putnam's book Bowling Alone makes the point that the "social capital" developed by involvement in community organizations brings us all a host of subtle and diverse benefits, and I have come to believe that this is particularly true in a school. We need a place to sit down together and participate in the community we've chosen for our children. Without that, we're pretty much bowling alone.

So, having established that, here is everything you need to know about the PCO. There are some new things happening this year, so even if you've been around a while, read on...

What is the PCO?

The Parent Community Organization is our version of a Home and School Association or, if you like, the PTA. The PCO helps shape the parent experience at SRV by opening lines of communication between parents and the school staff, administration, and board; by holding regular meetings on topics of parent interest; and by organizing and supporting the class parent program. We also host the schoolwide listserv, which gives each of us direct access to the entire SRV community through e-mail. If you're not on the listserv yet, please contact Deborah Fineberg (define@comcast.net) to be added.

Will I have to sell wrapping paper?

Repeat after me: in an independent school, fundraising is everyone's responsibility. At SRV, however, fundraising activities are stewarded not by the PCO but by the Development Committee. You won't catch them asking you to sell wrapping paper either, which makes your participation in SRV's other fundraising activities that much more important.

How many meetings do I have to go to?

This year, I would like to make the radical suggestion that every parent at SRV commit to attending one PCO meeting. By all means, come to more if you can, but come to one. This year's remaining meetings are scheduled for the following dates:

• Thursday, October 12 – 6:30 p.m.
• Monday, November 13 – 6:30 p.m.
• Wednesday, February 7 – 6:30 p.m.
• Monday, March 12 – 6:30 p.m.
• Thursday, April 12 – 6:30 p.m.

But aren't we all too young and hip to be going to PTA meetings?

Yes. Come anyway.

What are the meetings about?

We try to make the meeting topics responsive to the interests of the community. This year, parents in each age grouping (Preschool, K/Primary Circle, Main Circle, Oldest Group) are being asked to select the topic for one PCO meeting. Please make your suggestions to your class parent, who will pass them along to me. What do you want to know more about? Let us hear your thoughts!

Can you give me a good reason to be a part of the PCO?

How about this one: your children are watching. Teaching the value of active citizenship is one of the central purposes of an SRV education, and your example matters.

In partnership,

Deborah Fineberg
Co-Chair, Parent Community Organization