PCDS Annual Benefit Celebrating 60 Years: Children of the World Gala!
58th Annual Benefit on Friday, April 8!
Please join us for our primary fundraising event of the year from 7-10PM
This year’s Annual Benefit is a Masquerade-themed cocktail party at The Cosmopolitan Club, with both a silent and live auction of exciting items, all donated or solicited by PCDS parents! This is a wonderful occasion for parents to meet one another, so we hope you’ll join us in your best mask and festive cocktail attire. There will be food stations with open seating. To register, please click here!
Please join us for a PCDS Open House!
Our In-Person Open House for those who are fully vaccinated will be held on Wednesday, December 1 at 6:30PM. To register, please click here!
PCDS Community,
As we shared in our letter last month we have launched a search for our next Park Children's Day School Director. Our consultants at Carney Sandoe & Associates have prepared a community survey to get your perspectives on our school priorities, the things we value most about our school, and the experience, skills and qualities we desire in a new Director. Please take a few minutes to complete the survey by Monday, October 2 at 5:00pm ET. We look forward to your responses.
PARK CHILDREN’S DAY SCHOOLDirector SearchCommunity Questionnaire Survey (surveymonkey.com)
Thank you in advance for your time,
Kristen Mleczko on behalf of the Search Committee
PCDS Community,
As we shared in our letter last month we have launched a search for our next Park Children's Day School Director. Our consultants at Carney Sandoe & Associates have prepared a community survey to get your perspectives on our school priorities, the things we value most about our school, and the experience, skills and qualities we desire in a new Director. Please take a few minutes to complete the survey by Monday, October 2 at 5:00pm ET. We look forward to your responses.
PARK CHILDREN’S DAY SCHOOLDirector SearchCommunity Questionnaire Survey (surveymonkey.com)
Thank you in advance for your time,
Kristen Mleczko on behalf of the Search Committee
Dear Parents, Past Parents, Colleagues, and Friends,
We have been celebrating the 60th year of our school this year with gratitude and enthusiasm. When I think of the great challenges we have faced since I arrived in 2001, I see in my mind’s eye all the faces of those who ensured our survival, and I am so grateful to you all. The determination and loyalty of our teachers, our administration, and our parents, past and present, have been phenomenal, and the school is now growing and strong.
During the first half of my tenure at the school, the Park Avenue Christian Church controlled the governance, and the relationship was unsettling and toxic. When PCDS became a separate entity, we created a Board of Trustees who truly believed in the value of the school and the effectiveness of its philosophy. The Board also recognized the importance of so many of our long serving teachers, who had devoted years of their lives to the school and its mission. Just think of how many children Rhonda White has served over her 40+ years at PCDS!
At this point, you probably know what this letter is announcing. Time and tide wait for no woman, and I turned 83 this summer. Although walking up those flights to the office is excellent exercise, I no longer get down to the basement as often as I’d like to see my beloved Toddlers and Threes, and their exceptional teachers in action.
I have adored my time at PCDS, and I am grateful that I have a couple of additional years to continue as Director, while the search committee begins the task of identifying a new leader for the school. For those two years, I will look forward to every day with eagerness and joy. I continue to be grateful for the ongoing friendship of our parents, past and present, and the daily advice and support of my dear friends in the office, Rhonda, Patti, Fiona, Amy, and Takae.
Fondly,
Betsy Newell
Dear Parents, Past Parents, Colleagues, and Friends,
We have been celebrating the 60th year of our school this year with gratitude and enthusiasm. When I think of the great challenges we have faced since I arrived in 2001, I see in my mind’s eye all the faces of those who ensured our survival, and I am so grateful to you all. The determination and loyalty of our teachers, our administration, and our parents, past and present, have been phenomenal, and the school is now growing and strong.
During the first half of my tenure at the school, the Park Avenue Christian Church controlled the governance, and the relationship was unsettling and toxic. When PCDS became a separate entity, we created a Board of Trustees who truly believed in the value of the school and the effectiveness of its philosophy. The Board also recognized the importance of so many of our long serving teachers, who had devoted years of their lives to the school and its mission. Just think of how many children Rhonda White has served over her 40+ years at PCDS!
At this point, you probably know what this letter is announcing. Time and tide wait for no woman, and I turned 83 this summer. Although walking up those flights to the office is excellent exercise, I no longer get down to the basement as often as I’d like to see my beloved Toddlers and Threes, and their exceptional teachers in action.
I have adored my time at PCDS, and I am grateful that I have a couple of additional years to continue as Director, while the search committee begins the task of identifying a new leader for the school. For those two years, I will look forward to every day with eagerness and joy. I continue to be grateful for the ongoing friendship of our parents, past and present, and the daily advice and support of my dear friends in the office, Rhonda, Patti, Fiona, Amy, and Takae.
Fondly,
Betsy Newell
Dear Park Children’s Day School Community:
Today, we come to you with some important news to share regarding the future of our cherished school and its beloved leadership.
Betsy Newell, our treasured and steadfast steward of the school, will retire as Director at the end of the 2024-2025 academic year. This decision follows much heartfelt discussion and contemplation between Betsy and the school’s Board of Trustees. Through 22 years of dedication and passion, Betsy’s instrumental role in shaping the nursery school we know and love today cannot be overemphasized. From overcoming challenges like the unexpected move to the West Side in 2013 to steering us through the trials of the pandemic with grace, her resolute leadership has propelled Park Children’s Day School to new heights with strong enrollment, continuous successful school placements, and financial stability. Betsy’s unwavering enthusiasm and commitment to the entire PCDS (and former PACCDS) community – including our students, parents, alumni, faculty, and administrators – leave an indelible mark that will be valued for years to come.
The Board takes to heart the challenges and responsibility in finding a Director to start July 2025, and the associated trust that the PCDS community places in the Board to do that. To that end, the Board curated an inclusive and diverse Search Committee, consisting of representatives from parents, faculty, the administration, alumni parents, and trustees. Chaired by Kristen Mleczko, a trustee and current parent at our school, the committee also includes the following members:
- Martha Driscoll, Parents Association Treasurer and current parent
- Asim Grabowski-Shaikh, Trustee and alumni parent
- Patti Horstmann, Director of Admissions
- Munira Musadek, Trustee and current parent
- Assaad Nasr, Trustee and alumni parent
- Jackie Vasconez, Faculty member
The Search Committee will manage the search process on behalf of the Board and will regularly update the Board throughout the process. It will serve as the principal liaison between the Board, the school and the search consultants and messengers to the candidate pool, conveying PCDS’s values, mission and strategy. It will also evaluate and curate the candidate pool, interviewing and culling the pool into semi-finalists and finalists. At the end of the process, the committee will make a recommendation to the Board, who will, in turn, make the final selection of the next Director.
To guide the Search Committee, the Board enlisted the expertise of Carney, Sandoe & Associates (CS&A), a renowned executive search consulting firm specializing in independent schools. Their experience and commitment align perfectly with our needs to conduct a thorough, thoughtful, and inclusive search process to identify the best candidates for the Director position.
As valued members of our PCDS community, your input and involvement matter deeply to us. There will be opportunities for you to engage in the search process and provide your valuable insights. Allison Stiles and Seliat Dairo from CS&A will be visiting our school this fall to meet with as many community members as possible. Additionally, an online survey will be sent to the PCDS community, and a dedicated email address for communications related to the search will be active throughout the search process. Please keep an eye out for information on community forums where you can share your thoughts with the search consultants.
We want to extend our sincere gratitude in advance for your participation and support in this crucial endeavor. To facilitate ongoing communication, we will keep you updated regularly throughout the process. If you wish to reach out to the Search Committee, you can do so at sc@parkchildrensdayschool.org.
In the meantime, we want to assure you that over the next two years there will be ample opportunities to celebrate and honor Betsy’s incredible contributions to our school. As we embark on this journey to find our next Director, we are committed to undertaking a comprehensive and thoughtful process to find a leader who will not only uphold our play-based educational philosophy and warm community, but also guide PCDS towards an even brighter future.
Together, as a united community, we will continue to thrive and nurture the next generation of young minds, ensuring that the spirit of PCDS remains steadfast.
With warm regards and gratitude,
Assaad Nasr,
Chair, Park Children’s Day School Board of Trustees
Kristen Mleczko,
Chair, Search Committee
Dear Park Children’s Day School Community:
Today, we come to you with some important news to share regarding the future of our cherished school and its beloved leadership.
Betsy Newell, our treasured and steadfast steward of the school, will retire as Director at the end of the 2024-2025 academic year. This decision follows much heartfelt discussion and contemplation between Betsy and the school’s Board of Trustees. Through 22 years of dedication and passion, Betsy’s instrumental role in shaping the nursery school we know and love today cannot be overemphasized. From overcoming challenges like the unexpected move to the West Side in 2013 to steering us through the trials of the pandemic with grace, her resolute leadership has propelled Park Children’s Day School to new heights with strong enrollment, continuous successful school placements, and financial stability. Betsy’s unwavering enthusiasm and commitment to the entire PCDS (and former PACCDS) community – including our students, parents, alumni, faculty, and administrators – leave an indelible mark that will be valued for years to come.
The Board takes to heart the challenges and responsibility in finding a Director to start July 2025, and the associated trust that the PCDS community places in the Board to do that. To that end, the Board curated an inclusive and diverse Search Committee, consisting of representatives from parents, faculty, the administration, alumni parents, and trustees. Chaired by Kristen Mleczko, a trustee and current parent at our school, the committee also includes the following members:
- Martha Driscoll, Parents Association Treasurer and current parent
- Asim Grabowski-Shaikh, Trustee and alumni parent
- Patti Horstmann, Director of Admissions
- Munira Musadek, Trustee and current parent
- Assaad Nasr, Trustee and alumni parent
- Jackie Vasconez, Faculty member
The Search Committee will manage the search process on behalf of the Board and will regularly update the Board throughout the process. It will serve as the principal liaison between the Board, the school and the search consultants and messengers to the candidate pool, conveying PCDS’s values, mission and strategy. It will also evaluate and curate the candidate pool, interviewing and culling the pool into semi-finalists and finalists. At the end of the process, the committee will make a recommendation to the Board, who will, in turn, make the final selection of the next Director.
To guide the Search Committee, the Board enlisted the expertise of Carney, Sandoe & Associates (CS&A), a renowned executive search consulting firm specializing in independent schools. Their experience and commitment align perfectly with our needs to conduct a thorough, thoughtful, and inclusive search process to identify the best candidates for the Director position.
As valued members of our PCDS community, your input and involvement matter deeply to us. There will be opportunities for you to engage in the search process and provide your valuable insights. Allison Stiles and Seliat Dairo from CS&A will be visiting our school this fall to meet with as many community members as possible. Additionally, an online survey will be sent to the PCDS community, and a dedicated email address for communications related to the search will be active throughout the search process. Please keep an eye out for information on community forums where you can share your thoughts with the search consultants.
We want to extend our sincere gratitude in advance for your participation and support in this crucial endeavor. To facilitate ongoing communication, we will keep you updated regularly throughout the process. If you wish to reach out to the Search Committee, you can do so at sc@parkchildrensdayschool.org.
In the meantime, we want to assure you that over the next two years there will be ample opportunities to celebrate and honor Betsy’s incredible contributions to our school. As we embark on this journey to find our next Director, we are committed to undertaking a comprehensive and thoughtful process to find a leader who will not only uphold our play-based educational philosophy and warm community, but also guide PCDS towards an even brighter future.
Together, as a united community, we will continue to thrive and nurture the next generation of young minds, ensuring that the spirit of PCDS remains steadfast.
With warm regards and gratitude,
Assaad Nasr,
Chair, Park Children’s Day School Board of Trustees
Kristen Mleczko,
Chair, Search Committee