Parents/Guardians

The Parent Guild holds four meetings during the year in the DeGeorge Family Innovation & Arts Center. All parents and guardians are always welcome. At meetings, we often hear reports from Head of School Sarah Beck, the Division Directors, Counselors, and faculty guest speakers on the latest activities and plans for our students. Whether you just want to stay informed or wish to volunteer for one of our committees, we hope to see you at the meetings!

One of the best ways to connect with fellow Windward parents/guardians is through volunteering. In addition to meeting fellow parents, volunteering also allows us to be part of the events that make up our incredible and unique Windward community. There are a wide variety of activities in which you can participate, and we believe there is a committee for everyone that fits your availability and interests.

Some of the wonderful volunteer opportunities made available through the Windward Parent Guild’s committees include:

• Assisting Grade Level Reps with a variety of grade level activities throughout the year.
• Assisting with various athletic “spirit” events, such as Middle School Extravaganza, Spirit Nights, and Spirit Week.
• Celebrating teachers and staff by helping with Faculty/Staff Appreciation Days and Parent/Teacher Conference treat events.
• Supporting Young Alumni and Parent of Alumni Giving efforts, Windward Network opportunities, Young Alumni Lunch in December, and the Alumni Festival.
• Covering the CTL 1st Floor desk during specified shifts to assist students with checking out materials (training provided!); additionally, you can sign up for reshelving books.
• Help set up and sell Windward spirit wear during pop-up sales throughout the year.
• And many more!

The School created Parent/Guardian affinity groups to enable parents/guardians to engage in discussions about how to support Windward’s goals and priorities in spaces that foster discussions through the lens of group participants. These groups support the programs, curriculum, and events planned by the School’s administration, faculty, staff, and students. Since we place students at the center of all of our work, it is imperative that we align the work of Parent/Guardian Affinity Groups with the work of our student groups. As with all areas of the School’s curriculum and program, Windward employs and trains educators who are experts in developmentally appropriate practices to design our programming for affinity groups in order to support the School’s mission based on deep educational research into best practices. Windward’s Parent/Guardian Affinity Group program and curriculum are based on the work of Dr. Liza Talusan. Dr. Talusan’s book The Identity Conscious Educator: Building habits and skills for more inclusive schools was the 2023 Gold Medal Recipient of IPPY Awards.