Wellington Parents Association
The Wellington Parents Association (WPA) welcomes you! The purpose of the WPA is to bring the Wellington community together and to support Wellington's mission. To accomplish this, WPA organizes activities, services, and fosters volunteerism within the Wellington community.
WPA Board Leadership
Welcome to the WPA!
As a parent or guardian of a Wellington student, you are automatically a member of the Wellington Parents Association!
Getting involved and volunteering your time at school events throughout the year is a great way to use your skills, meet new people, build lasting friendships, and support our children. Parent volunteers are always needed and most welcome. The WPA's goal is to support, promote, and strengthen the school community. Wellington has a wonderfully diverse community, and both values and celebrates individual voices.
We hope you will join us in our effort to support the school and the entire Wellington community. We still don’t know exactly what this year will look like, but we will keep you up to date on all events and activities. Please keep an eye out for WPA emails and join us for our monthly meetings on the first Tuesday of each month.
We look forward to meeting you soon!
Sara Schroter & Gerrie Brand
22-23 Executive Committee
President: Sara Schroter
President-Elect: Gerrie Brand
Treasurer: John Dickson
Secretary: Bryn Pelok
Parent Connector Coordinator: Sarah Owens
LS Room Parent Coordinator(s): Elizabeth Doolittle & Cheryl Fries
New Family Liaison: Gerrie Brand & Jason Miller
Events Coordinator(s): Becca Andorfer & Hina Patel
Volunteer Coordinator(s): Karen Minton
22-23 Year-Round Leaders
Athletic Boosters: Melissa Kramer
Sokol Store: Amy Rupp & Janet Swarthout
Pre-Loved Apparel Sales: Varsey Laurelle & Annette Cullman
Parents Raising Black Students Affinity Group: Jackie Butler & Emlah Tubuo
(MOSAIC)
LGBTQ+ Families Affinity Group: Lance Demaline Blair & Joanne Strasser
Muslim Parents Affinity Group: Hana Abdelbaki & Hadele Banna
AAPI Affinity Group: Sherry Liu & Urvi Patel
Jewish Parents Affinity Group: Alyson Vigneron & Joanne Strasser
Visual and Performing Arts Advocates (VAPA): Defne Kocak & Jenny Johnson
Abbott Family Learning Center: Elizabeth Bernard
Lunch Bunch: Amanda Roberts
Annual Fund: Amber Merl
22-23 Parent Connectors
Little Jags: Michelle Weingartner
Prekindergarten: Joya Elmore
Kindergarten: Wendy Kirkland
First Grade : Amber Merl
Second Grade: Gerrie Brand
Third Grade: Kim Mermis
Fourth Grade: Heather Chen
Fifth Grade: Amanda Roberts
Sixth Grade: Jodi Kushins
Seventh Grade: Janet Swarthout
Eighth Grade: Defne Kocak
Ninth Grade: Jennifer Miller
Tenth Grade: Kate Spirko
Eleventh Grade: Nutan Ruegsegger
Twelfth Grade: Patti O'Toole
Get involved with the WPA
Wellington is a community that encourages connections and engagement for everyone! Wellington has a vital need for parent volunteers. Whether you have 15 minutes or 15 hours to volunteer - there is a place Wellington can benefit from your talents and interests! Indicate your interest to help, and a WPA facilitator will reach out to learn more about your areas of interest and share immediate ways to get involved.
When you become a Wellington parent or caregiver, you automatically become a member of the Wellington Parent Association. All WPA meetings are open to the entire parent community and we welcome you to attend to listen in and engage on the important issues we discuss. Join us in person in the Doerschlag Den on the dates listed below. If you'd like to join remotely, please login to the parent portal at www.wellington.org/login, and go to your portal calendar for the Microsoft Teams meeting link. Please use your full name while connecting so we can verify you are a current Wellington parent.
- September 13
- 8:15-9:00 a.m.
- October 11
- 8:15-9:00 a.m.
- November 15
- 8:15-9:00 a.m.
- January 10
- 8:15-9:00 a.m.
- February 14
- 8:15-9:00 a.m.
- April 11
- 8:15-9:00 a.m.
- May 9
- 8:15-9:00 a.m.
The Wellington Parent Association supports its members in a variety of ways. The following affinity groups have been formed by WPA members, and Wellington parents are encouraged to get involved. A description and contact information for each group is included below.
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Parents Raising Black Students Affinity Group (MOSAIC)
Contact: Jackie Butler and Emlah Tubuo
Opt-in to MOSAIC communications now!
MOSAIC is an affinity group for parents that are raising Black students here at The Wellington School. Our mission is to provide support and community to our parents, to our children, and to the greater Wellington community.
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LGBTQ+ Families Affinity Group
Opt-in to LGBTQ+ communications now!
Contact: Lance Demaline Blair & Joanne Strasser
The Wellington School’s LGBTQ+ affinity group is for parents, caregivers, and allies who strive to build community in order to support one another and our children through their unique experiences at The Wellington School.
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Muslim Parents Affinity Group
Opt-in to Muslim Moms communications now!
Contact: Hana Abdelbaki & Hadele Banna
This group started organically in 2019 when a group of moms met for coffee one morning and created a What’s App group to stay connected and share ideas. We have expanded to support all Muslim parents, and we are looking forward to connecting with more Muslim families at Wellington. We welcome new ideas and opportunities to share our stories and unique experiences with the school community.
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AAPI Affinity Group
Opt-in to AAPI communications now!
Contact: Sherry Liu and Urvi Patel
Wellington’s AAPI Affinity Group was founded in 2021 with a mission to bring Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) families together, foster shared experiences, support increased cultural awareness at Wellington, and reinforce the value of diversity and inclusion within families.
Alongside Wellington’s Administration and DEI committee, the AAPI Affinity Group knows that the deeply troubling and tragic events related to rising anti-Asian violence seen across the nation must be met with continued efforts to raise awareness, deepen understanding, and create a community of belonging. The AAPI Affinity Group is committed to being a part of this journey to make positive change and impact.
In the 2020/2021 school year, the group’s pilot initiatives included: compiling the list of AAPI-relevant books and documentaries, cross-division parent conversations, and ink-painting/calligraphy activities in lower school. For the current school year, the group aims to create a series of activities to engage families and the greater Wellington community that include Asian-cultural festival events (Mid-Autumn Festival, Diwali, Lunar New Year, among others), APPI history book donation, and group playdates.
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Jewish Parent Affinity Group
Opt-In to Jewish Affinity Group communications now!
Contact: Alyson Vigneron and Joanne Strasser
Wellington's Jewish Parent Affinity Group is newly formed for 2023. We look forward to sharing event information soon!
Shop Wellington
Supporting Wellington has never been easier! Register your Kroger Loyalty or Giant Eagle Advantage card, then shop and scan. It’s that easy! Additionally, link your Amazon account and shop from Amazon Smile and Wellington will receive a percentage of the sales. Registration is simple and detailed below. Once you’re enrolled, there is no need to re-enroll annually, Wellington will continue to benefit year after year!
Amazon Smile
- Visit https://smile.amazon.com/ch/31-0977200. This link is unique to Wellington.
- Sign in and accept Wellington as a beneficiary of the Amazon Smile donations.
- When you’re ready to shop, please log in either through the link above or from smile.amazon.com. Once you’re registered, Amazon will remember your preferences moving forward.
- In order to receive credit, shopping must be completed through either of the two links above. Credit will not be received if you shop from the mobile app or if the top left banner says “Amazon Prime”.
- It may be a good idea to bookmark the unique shopping link. Amazon Prime Smile will appear in the top left to confirm Wellington will receive the donation.
Amazon Smile App
- Open the Amazon app on your phone
- Select the main menu (=) & tap on "AmazonSmile" within Programs & Features
- Select "Wellington School" as your charity
- Follow the on-screen instructions to activate AmazonSmile in the mobile app
Giant Eagle
- Visit www.gianteagle.com/AFTS
- Sign in or create an account with your Giant Eagle Advantage card
- Visit the My Schools Programs page (live link will be #3 under “It’s Easier to Register”)
- From the Dashboard, “Manage Schools” under the “Apples for the students” box
- Enter school code 4687 and click Add to confirm Wellington
Kroger
- Visit Kroger.com and sign in or create an account
- On the top right of the screen, select “My Account” under your name or Valued Customer
- On the left, select “Community Rewards”
- Enter AH318 to select and confirm Wellington School
Shop the Sokol Store online! Orders will be processed every Monday and available for pick up from Willie Gage at the front desk in the rotunda during school hours. New order will be available beginning at 3 p.m. each Monday.