Yesterday, we held our first in-person Parent Association AGM in three years! Throughout the morning, guests expressed how happy they were to be back in the school enjoying a coffee together. The smiles said it all!
Outgoing President, Maricke Emanoilidis expressed the overwhelming sentiment in her remarks:
“COVID restrictions have made community building hard. Nearly impossible. There was no Holiday Fair, no in person speakers, no Parent Association tent at the Welcome Back BBQ, no annual Auction to volunteer at.”
“At each meeting, we held our collective breath and hoped that COVID restrictions would lift just enough so we could do something. Of course, we understood. This was the way it had to be to keep our friends and family safe, but we are human and the desire to find a better way or another path pushed us forward. And so, in the spirit of countless Parent Associations before us, we hosted our first outdoor pre-owned clothing sale, which was a hit. The Staff Appreciation Breakfast returned, and we recorded our thanks virtually. Grade Parents began hosting outdoor walks and coffee mornings, and when indoor dining opened, that became an option too. We were finally coming together again, and it was glorious.”
“As President, I have been proud to lead the Parent Association this year. Once again, we pulled together and kept the spirit of community building and engagement going. We tended the small flame, and we are ready to pass it on to the 2022/23 slate.”
On behalf of Community Relations and the CDS Administration, thank you Maricke and our 2021/22 Association Executive, and welcome to our 2022/23 Association Executive, including our new PA President: Emily Bernhard-Delaney!
Outgoing 2021/22 slate:
Past President - Jasmeet Chaudhry
President - Maricke Emanoilidis
1st Vice President - Emily Bernhard-Delaney
2nd Vice President - Laura Fiscaletti
Secretary - Kathy Tsiolis
Treasurer - Sarah Powell
Store Liaison - Shannon Ryan
Grade Parent Coordinator - Donna Lowry
Grade Parent Coordinator - Vanessa Ferro
Events Coordinator - Gina Gianikos
Events Assistant - Tanya Leroux
Pre-owned Uniform Coordinator - Rosalind Matrosov
Pre-owned Uniform Assistant - Chantelle Di Pede
Volunteer Liaison - Noa Rothman
Members at Large - Nancy Sutherland, Chandra McMillan, Alice Bran
Incoming 2022/23 slate:Past President - Maricke Emanoilidis
President - Emily Bernhard-Delaney
1st Vice President - Vacant
2nd Vice President - Laura Fiscaletti
Secretary - Jaclyn Sutton
Treasurer - Sarah Hepburn Smith
Grade Parent Coordinator - Judy Totten
Grade Parent Coordinator - Olivia Muzzo
Events Coordinator - Gina Gianikos
Events Coordinator - Chandra McMillan
Events Coordinator - Tammy Lowe
Pre-owned Uniform Coordinator - Rosalind Matrosov
Pre-owned Uniform Assistant - Chantelle Di Pede
Volunteer Liaison - Priya Vansh
Holiday Fair Coordinator - Helen Turner
Members at Large - Noa Rothman, Donna Lowry, Alice Bran
Emily has been involved at CDS since day one, first as a Grade Parent and then joining the Parent Association as Grade Parent Coordinator in 2019. For those that don’t know Emily, she has the heart of a volunteer and serving her community is what she does best. This is not only evident through her work here at the school, but also in her career where she has worked for Habitat for Humanity and most recently as the Fund Development Manager for Jack.org.
Finally, we thanked our departing volunteers, including Susie Bousada for exemplary volunteerism over her past 10 years at CDS, and welcomed our new volunteers. CDS could not do it without you and hope that many others will consider becoming involved in the Parent Association next year, as we are always looking for parents to assist with events, Grade Parents, General Store, and much more! Interested in learning more, please contact
volunteer@cds.on.ca.