Dear Friends,
Just a brief update on all the work we are doing.

Recruitment/Communication
Thanks to all who worked the Harvest Festival! We collected a lot of new names and our presence helped to get the word out about the Friends of PS/IS 187. Co-presidents and others have been reporting on our activities at PA meetings and contributing to the BackPack News.

Literary Event/Schrader Reading
This event happens on Sunday at 4 at Hudson View Gardens Lounge. ALL Friends are requested to attend, arrive early to help set up and stay late to help clean up. HUGE Thank you to Friends Beverly Miller and Francesca DiMauro and extra-Friends’ friends Sue Seitner and Shelly Wolfe for organizing this lovely, literary event from soup to nuts.

Winter Gala
The winter gala committee (gala co-chairs Jeni Chapman and Leonisa Ardizzone; Tory Frye and Susan Rosenberg committee members) has this to report: The date has been set for Monday February 8, from 7 to 9 (end time approximate); Founder’s Hall at Cabrini is reserved; guest of honor is Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer (got 187 the 250K re-design of the school yard this summer); our newest Friend Jeanine McAdam is also being honored for her sustained support of 187 over the past 8 years; additional guest of honor being approached (Kathy Brito); food and wine contributions under way (may move away from a meal and move towards passed apps and adding a cocktail or 2 as an option); ticket pricing set; invitations being created today and tomorrow; addresses being collected at reading this weekend; per Chory, mailing to parents not possible this year (flyers via backpacks being investigated; may have to offer invites manually to parents); silent auction items being identified (please think about possible contributions and get in touch with Jeni asap); we’ll be working on publicity (Michael Kassin) as well; this is a ALL HANDS ON DECK event, so please see where you can become involved and try to clear space on your calendars for the week before the event and certainly plan to be in town the weekend before to help with last minute arrangements. Friends with cars may be particularly needed. THANKS!

Website Re-design
Erin Hinchey (Friend/wife of Brian Waller) and Bennett Windheim are working on the website. Deadline in next few weeks so gala attendees see enhanced website. Our current website is somewhat out of date, so we need some attention to this. Meeting minutes are up but other aspects are not and calendar is empty. Wondering if Jay and Meghan can become involved on this.

Friends Mission and 3-5 Year Focus

Sarah Holloway, Jeanine McAdam, Francesca DiMauro, Tory Frye and Leonisa Ardizzone have been meeting as a group, as well as with 187 Principal Ms. Chory, to identify more specifically how best the Friends can support the school’s goals. To this end, we have refined our original mission and have identified a proposed 3-5 focus that will be described to the board, discussed and put up to a vote at our next meeting. Below is draft, refined text to possibly add to the official mission of the Friends, pending a vote:

“The mission of the Friends is to raise significant funds for systemic programming, infrastructure and other enhancements that support the academic, artistic, social and school community development of PS/IS 187. The Friends also strategically funds smaller-scale, targeted programming and improvements that may act as levers for or catalysts of significant change or improvement in the school.”

A letter to Ms. Chory is being drafted that will articulate our vision for how we see our mission and work fitting into the school’s goals. Specific fundraising and support efforts will be tied to these aligned goals.

Board Officer Transition/Administrative/Governance
This work is under way. Sarah Holloway is chairing our Governance Committee and Jeni Chapman Data Management. Please be in touch with them individually if you can assist in either area.

Alignment of Friends Efforts to SLT/ PA etc.
As many of your know, some of us are elected to and work intensely on the PA and the SLT. As such, we try to align our Friends work with the on-going work of the SLT and PA as much as possible. Or goal is to make this more explicit, transparent and specific as we evolve as an organization and school community.

What/Who is missing?
If you see either an important part of your work or component of the work described above that is missing, please let us know. If you see a place where you can contribute your time and effort, please be in touch with the committee chair. We really need as much active and independent involvement in the work as possible.

In sum, we have all been hard at work, and we now have considerable momentum as we wrap up the first half and move into the second half of the school year. Our efforts over the next few weeks will be focused on the gala. If you have not been able to or called on to get involved, please reach out to us and see where and how you can become involved.

According to my calendar, our next meeting is scheduled for Monday December 7 at 9 PM at Leonisa’s apartment (I also have one scheduled for Thursday, but think this is a mistake!). On behalf of your co-presidents, best regards!

-Tory Frye