PALS text logo connecting parents building community

Parent Community: PALS

When you first receive the diagnosis that your child has a learning difference, you may feel as if your world is spinning, knocking you off your feet. All your hopes and expectations for your child now seem to have questions marks following them; you may suddenly feel very alone.

But, at The Lab School, there’s an immediate language and a culture around this place that helps transform the whole family.

"I know Lab families say this, and it's a cliche, but for us, Lab has truly been transformative for our son and for our whole family. It's been life-changing, really. We are a happy family again." - Lab School parent

It is a relief to move from feeling alone to feeling understood, and that is the one of the main goals of The Parents Association of The Lab School (PALS). PALS purpose is to foster cooperation and community spirit among parents, administration, faculty, staff, trustees, and students, to promote understanding among parents concerning the school's objectives, and to enable parents to be of service to the school.

PALS Leadership 2022-2023

Executive Committee

Tamika Smith Jackson
Lab Parent

Tamika Smith Jackson

  • PALS Co-President
Tamika Smith Jackson
Tamika Smith Jackson
  • PALS Co-President
Lab Parent
Lab Parent

Cecilia Trinchi

  • Class Parent Coordinator
Cecilia Trinchi
  • Class Parent Coordinator
Lab Parent
PALS Headshot
Lab Parent

Daniel Wilson

  • Communications Chair
PALS Headshot
Daniel Wilson
  • Communications Chair
Lab Parent
PALS Headshot
Lab Parent

Shannon McNamara

  • Community Outreach Co-chair
PALS Headshot
Shannon McNamara
  • Community Outreach Co-chair
Lab Parent
PALS headshot
Lab Parent

Loryn Blum

  • Community Outreach Co-chair
PALS headshot
Loryn Blum
  • Community Outreach Co-chair
Lab Parent
PALS Headshot
Lab Parent

Natalya Bah

  • Appreciation Chair
PALS Headshot
Natalya Bah
  • Appreciation Chair
Lab Parent
Lab Parent

Pam Gully

  • New Family Coordinator
Pam Gully
  • New Family Coordinator
Lab Parent
PALS Headshot
Lab Parent

Jennifer Miller

  • Secretary
PALS Headshot
Jennifer Miller
  • Secretary
Lab Parent
Lab Parent

Loren Wells

  • Treasurer
Loren Wells
  • Treasurer
Lab Parent

Event Chairs

Lab Parent

Tina Schneider

  • Fall Fair Co-Chair
Tina Schneider
  • Fall Fair Co-Chair
Lab Parent
Lab Parent

Leigh Dameron

  • Book Fair Chair
Leigh Dameron
  • Book Fair Chair
Lab Parent
Lab Parent

Melanie Barton

  • Community Bingo Chair
Melanie Barton
  • Community Bingo Chair
Lab Parent
Lab Parent

Emily Strulson

  • Chili Cook Off Chair
Emily Strulson
  • Chili Cook Off Chair
Lab Parent

Additional Leadership

Lab Parent

Stefanie Firestone

  • PCW Representative
Stefanie Firestone
  • PCW Representative
Lab Parent
Lab Parent

Maisha Goss Johns

  • Theater Boosters Chair
Maisha Goss Johns
  • Theater Boosters Chair
Lab Parent
Lab Parent

Gary Cohen

  • Homecoming Liaison
Gary Cohen
  • Homecoming Liaison
Lab Parent

Outreach:

Anti-Racism Education for White Identifying Parents and Guardians

Workshop series on evenings of Jan 24, Feb 28, Mar 7, and Mar 14

White-identified* parents in the Lab community are invited to join facilitators Beth Wheeler (Gabe ‘25, Matai ‘27) and Kathryn Hamm (Caleb ‘25) in a four-part, introspective discussion series in which participants will take a deep dive into exploring racism, Whiteness and anti-racism. The group, which will be limited to 15 participants, will engage in didactic and conversational sessions with the goal of deepening our understanding of white identity, our own relationship to our racial privilege, the implications for our parenting, and how this might influence the steps we take toward racial equity. The group will build a safe space to explore these difficult questions which may provide a springboard to allow us to extend that same grace and sense of safety in the wider Lab community. By increasing our awareness of our racial identity and unconscious bias, we hope to become more constructive agents in nurturing a welcoming, inclusive and equitable environment for the entire Lab community.

Because the series of four virtual sessions offers a progressive learning sequence, it is requested that participants who opt-in commit to all four of the 2022 Spring sessions, which are:

  • Week 1: What is Whiteness (Jan 24 @ 7-9 pm)
  • Week 2: Privilege, Power & Access (Feb 28 @ 7-8:30 pm)
  • Week 3: Unconscious Bias & Microaggressions (Mar 7 @ 7-8:30 pm)
  • Week 4: Anti-Racism & Talking To Our Kids About Race (March 14 @ 7-8:30pm)

The Spring 2022 sessions will be hosted virtually.

*For the purposes of this specific anti-racism discussion series, we welcome those who identify as White or are identified by others as White or have light-skin privilege.

For additional information and registration, go to: https://forms.gle/NBH8GRHjuw9MwJkg9

Click here to view the presentation from Melissa Wood, Director of Speech, Language & Literacy and Executive Director of The Reservoir Group. Melissa presented at Friday's PALS meeting on the topic of written expression at Lab.

Additional Resources:

How to Take Notes

Printable 1pg Blank Student Note Taking page

Printable 2pg Blank Student Note Taking page

The Writing Revolution Single Paragraph Rubric (Expository)

The Writing Revolution Multi-Paragraph/Composition Rubric 

The Writing Revolution Single Paragraph Rubric

For more information:

John Hurvitz

John Hurvitz

  • PALS Co-president
Tamika Smith Jackson

Tamika Smith Jackson

  • PALS Co-President