YORK Talks
Parents As Partners
A school's parent community reflects the school's values and goals. York School parents promote a strong, cooperative and welcoming community and, through the York Parent Association (YPA), of which all parents are members, organize events and other engagements (in-person & virtual) that increase spirit, camaraderie, and connection. Host Natasha Estey speaks with parents Karen Schultz, Talei Kunkel, and Glenn Asano along with Michelle Golfman, Associate Director of Advancement, to learn more about how parents are partners at The York School.
You can learn more about parent engagement at The York School by visiting the “Support Us” page at www.yorkschool.com. And you can see parent engagement in action by following The York School on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
Written and produced by Natasha Estey
Audio editing by Andrew Scott
A school's parent community reflects the school's values and goals. York School parents promote a strong, cooperative and welcoming community and, through the York Parent Association (YPA), of which all parents are members, organize events and other engagements (in-person & virtual) that increase spirit, camaraderie, and connection. Host Natasha Estey speaks with parents Karen Schultz, Talei Kunkel, and Glenn Asano along with Michelle Golfman, Associate Director of Advancement, to learn more about how parents are partners at The York School.
You can learn more about parent engagement at The York School by visiting the “Support Us” page at www.yorkschool.com. And you can see parent engagement in action by following The York School on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
Written and produced by Natasha Estey
Audio editing by Andrew Scott
Hi there, and welcome to YORK Talks, a podcast for families wanting to learn more about The York School, Toronto's leading co-ed, independent school, delivering the IB programme from Junior Kindergarten to Grade 12. I'm your host, Natasha Estey. Join me in conversation with school leaders, teachers, students, and parents in The York School community about different aspects of the school, providing you with a more candid look inside York. Welcome to Episode 5 of YORK Talks. How engaged are you as a parent in your children's school community and in their learning? Research tells us that the more engaged parents are in their children's school and in supporting their learning, the better students' academic and well-being outcomes are. At The York School, parents promote a strong, cooperative and welcoming community. Through the York Parent Association - or YPA- of which all parents are a part, parents organize events and other engagements that increase school spirit, build camaraderie, facilitate connection, and increase opportunities. Today, I will be speaking with York School parents Karen Schultz, Talei Kunkel, and Glenn Asano, along with Michelle Golfman, Associate Director of Advancement, to learn more about how parents are partners at The York School. Karen Schultz has three children at The York School - all currently in the Junior School - and is the Secretary of the YPA. Talei Kunkel was a much-loved math teacher at York for almost 10 years. She has two children at the school - one about to move into Middle School next year. Talei is currently the YPA's Junior School Co-Chair. Glenn Asano has two children at York - one in the Middle School and one in the Senior School. Michelle Golfman joined The York School in early 2019 bringing with her extensive experience in development and advancement at other top independent schools. Thank you all for joining me today.
Glenn Asano:Hi, Natasha. Thank you.
Talei Kunkel:Hi, Natasha. Thanks.
Michelle Golfman:Hi, Natasha. So happy to be here.
Karen Schultz:Thanks for having me.
Natasha Estey:So, Karen, maybe I'll start with you. Why did your family choose The York School for your children?
Karen Schultz:Yeah, so when I first made the decision to change schools, my son was going into his JK year, I had a two year-old daughter, and was pregnant with my third child, which was still TBD - we didn't know if it was a he or a she. And so it was important to me to find a school that was co-ed, that all of my children could go together. I thought it was important that they could attend school with their siblings. So the first thing that I was looking for was a school within my community that was a co-ed school. And then one of the things that really, really attracted me to The York School was the IB programme. You know, just knowing the proven track record of academic success that is the IB programme's reputation, and the integrated approach to learning I thought was really what I was looking for, for my children. And then beyond that, when we went and actually visited the school, I found the culture and the community there to be very warm and welcoming and it was just somewhere that I could really picture my family starting their education.
Talei Kunkel:Well, Natasha, I was actually a math teacher in the Upper School for a decade. So I came at this from a slightly different perspective, I think, than most parents. But the fact that I've sort of seen behind the curtain and I love teaching at the school, the philosophy, the common values of the school, I just thought that it's a wonderful place to learn. And when I had kids of my own if I could, you know, be fortunate enough to send them there, I certainly would.
Natasha Estey:Glenn, what about you? Why did you choose The York School for your boys?
Glenn Asano:I'm an expat, I guess, so-to-speak. So we repatriated back to Canada, five years ago, about five and a half years ago, after being away for 15 years. Our children were in IB schools overseas. And when we came back, we started to look in that area. You know, clearly we wanted to be close to home where transit was important. We were looking for IB, we were looking for co-ed. And when we started to interview schools, it just became clear that, you know, overall, the feeling and attitude that we got when we interacted with people at The York School fit with what we were looking for, for our children.
Natasha Estey:And so now that you've gotten to know the community better over the years, how would you describe The York School community overall?
Karen Schultz:Yeah, overall, I see the community as very welcoming, friendly, engaged in their children's learning, engaged in the parent community. And very collaborative, I think, is maybe the word I would use.
Natasha Estey:You've alluded to the parent community in your answer just now. But how would you describe the parent community at The York School?
Karen Schultz:I think the biggest word for me that comes to mind when I think about the parent community is engaged. I just see this as a school where the parents are so engaged with their children, with their children's learning, and doing what they can to help the school really provide the best experience for all of our kids. And whether that is volunteering with the school in a formal sort of role or informal ways, whether it is being engaged with what's going on within the classroom, and even being engaged with other families, both within the school and even outside the school, making the connections with friendships with sports, with extracurricular activities. I think this is a parent community that really is very involved in the school, in our children's learning, and in the community that we've built at The York School.
Talei Kunkel:I think The York School community, overall, has an amazing sense of belonging that I think is really special that I haven't seen in other schools. In the Junior School, what really amazed me was within a few weeks, you drop your kids off at the front door, and you say goodbye, and within a few weeks, all of the teachers, they knew my kids' names, they knew my name, even if they didn't teach them. That kind of really stuck to me because I was really impressed with that genuine feeling of connectedness that they seemed to just be able to just to sort of exude there in the Junior School. So I really liked that.
Glenn Asano:Well, I totally agree. I'm gonna jump on that comment. Because Natasha, if you can remember, maybe five years ago or four, you are the first individual that our family met at the school. And, again, when I talk about that feeling in that sense, every time we met with people, we always got that good, proactive can-do attitude and feeling. So that right away resonated well with us.
Natasha Estey:Michelle, I wanted to come back to you - just before we move on. How would you describe The York School community and the parent community as part of that - just from your perspective?
Michelle Golfman:So two things come to mind right away - caring and generous. And I'll give two examples. So caring - and Talei, you were involved in this program this year. Something that we do at The York School is we have a new parent welcoming program for all of our new families to make sure that every family feels connected. It's so important that they have all of the right information and that they're on-boarded and they're ready to go at the start of September and that they have somebody who is kind, kind-hearted, welcoming, that they can pick up the phone and call if they have any questions. And then that translates down to the kids. Especially at the Junior School, it's so scary going into a school and not necessarily knowing anybody. So part of the Junior School, they have a Buddy Programme that's established, where each child is partnered with another child in their grade in their class. So there's always a really nice friendly face when they first walk into the school on the first day. And that also transfers over to the Middle School/Senior School where we have an Ambassador Programme. The students in the Middle School are connected with new students coming into the Middle School and the same with the Senior School, so it just makes for a really nice, warm, welcoming environment which The York School is all about. And then I'll just give a quick example about generosity. So in March, when this pandemic started, we had parents who stepped up immediately, who came to us and said, what do you need? Can we give you PPE? Can we give you masks? On their own, they wanted to ensure the safety of the faculty and staff and students of the school. And to me, that doesn't happen everywhere. And we're so fortunate to have such a fantastic parent community.
Natasha Estey:Since joining the school community, how have you as parents been able to engage with the school?
Karen Schultz:I mean, over the years, I've had a lot of opportunities to get involved with the school on a volunteer basis. So I started as a Class Parent, and I believe I've been a Class Parent now, I think, for the past six years, for my different children's classes. And that's a really great way, I found, to meet other parents, get involved in planning activities that have a direct impact on your class - so the kids and the students within your grade - as well as parents in your grade. And then also get to know the teachers a little bit better through that as well. So being a class parent is something that I found really fun and a great way to get to know people over the years. And then, last year, I had the opportunity to join the YPA - the York Parents Association - as the Secretary. And that's been extremely rewarding for me. You know, as a parent of a now Grade 4 student, I'm starting to not only think about the Junior School experience, but what the Middle School experience is going to look like for him in another two years. And so, not only am I now - through the YPA- meeting other parents who are members of the Middle and Senior School, which really sort of broadens my own network and gives me a different perspective on what's going on in those schools, but I feel like I have a much broader understanding of where the whole school approach is leading, if that makes sense. Because, you know, we talk about a lot of stuff that impacts my small children, then I can look and see some of the programmes in place that they're developing the kids to being successful and inquisitive learners through the Middle School and into the Senior School years. So that's really been an invaluable way for me to get involved with the school.
Glenn Asano:Right off the bat, because I was new returning to Canada and our children were both born overseas - albeit Canadian - I jumped in and volunteered as a Class Parent. And any new parents joining The York School, it's worth taking a look at that, because in that way, I was able to meet a tonne of parents, being new to the school, learn all of the kids in the class that I was representing, and also interact with the admin. So I jumped feet first in and that was the best way for me to experience everything. And that's where I was able to witness firsthand just why we're all proud of what the school has been able to accomplish so far. Keep it going.
Talei Kunkel:I totally agree with that as a Class Parent. So in my first year, I actually just volunteered in the library in the Junior School, which is absolutely amazing being in that space. And you get to see the kids coming in and out, which was wonderful. But then, in my second year, just like Glenn, I thought, okay, I'll get more involved and became a Class Parent. And yeah, I've met some fantastic parents that are wonderful new friends. You build from that and from there I joined the the YPA and it's now my second year as a Co-Chair in the Junior School. And so getting in there and doing a tonne of different activities and events and helping out. And it's been really wonderful.
Glenn Asano:Yeah, I think just being part of it. There's so many communication points, whether it's The Flash or events that are happening at the school, there's all sorts of opportunities for the parents to jump in. And not everybody can because the parent community is quite busy. But all of the parents, when we're there, it's very nice to be with people. They're all obviously talented, and I may come across them during the day during business, but when we're at the school, we're all there for the single purpose of our children. And it's really nice, that feeling of this collective one in this group that we're trying to create is special.
Natasha Estey:Absolutely, I think it's important to understand that there are so many inroads to engagement and it can take lots of different shapes depending on your own circumstances, availability, skills you can offer. I think about people who get involved in committees, board committees, because they have a particular background in finance, or they have some other expertise that they can lend.
Karen Schultz:Absolutely. And, and on a smaller scale, I mean, just thinking about what's happening right now with the pandemic and the way our children are experiencing school right now, towards the start of the year, we had a Class Parent virtual meeting. And what we focused on was just how the first week was going, what we as Class Parents could be doing to help the teachers, what was going well for our kids, what were some areas that we could see that could be improved on. And one of the things that came out of that meeting right away was the need for more outdoor time for the kids. Because they were required to be in masks now, all day, not doing the same rotations inside and outside, as they were able to do last year, the idea came up for the Class Parents and for the parent group as a whole, to be able to support walks for the students on days where they might not be able to otherwise get outside. And that's something that the Class Parent Association actually brought to the school and to the teachers. And it was so well received. And now the classes, on average, are going for two additional parent supported walks a week, so that the teachers can actually get the students outside for an extra 45 minutes in the day, twice a week, which is just a huge impact on the kids, and really wouldn't have been able to have been done with just the teachers alone, to be able to support that. So, you know, this doesn't have to be like joining the YPA in a big way. All those parents who are who are giving their time to just go for a 45 minute walk once every month to two months is making a huge difference in terms of the experience of both the teachers and the students right now.
Natasha Estey:I think that's such a great example of also how the nature of engagement can evolve and change in response to the the current circumstances. And I think of a beautiful day like today and what a gift for children to be able to get outside for extra time on these gorgeous fall days that are going to be fewer and farther between as we get into more of the winter time.
Talei Kunkel:You know, the Class Parents have been more engaged than ever this year. And they've helped out in so many ways. As Michelle said, you know, they're like, how can we help? What can we do? Halloween itself, this group of parents just really stepped up. They did. They came through with decorations for the classrooms and decorations for the doors. And we ran a mock Trick or Treat and costume parade outside. And the parents even ran virtual Halloween activities, so that the kids that were online could login too and feel part of the class still. I mean, it was amazing to see such a wonderful community effort.
Michelle Golfman:And the parents who were leading the virtual activities, they also got dressed up in costumes, so they were sharing in the celebration.
Glenn Asano:And that, Michelle, is exactly the momentum that was just mentioned. You can start things, you know, just one event or one thing and when you catch that feeling, and that you see people caring, and you see the benefit, you kind of want to do more. It's that nice spiral that's spiralling up - or positively - instead of going down. And you can jump in and jump out at any point. When we started, we were obviously heavily engaged with the Junior School and that's fun and exciting, because it has a different sort of role in life, I suppose. But now that we're in the Middle School and Senior School, I find my kids don't want me there as much. But, in particular, the high school. And because of COVID, I think they probably appreciate that. But I'd just like to point out that when they brought the yearbook home, I was the one in it non-stop asking questions and things because I feel I'm part of the school as well. And that, to me, is a really good feeling.
Natasha Estey:Yeah, that sense of belonging that you have as a parent in the community too is certainly a theme that I'm hearing. I alluded in my intro to the episode that children of involved parents do tend to do better in school. And so, beyond all these wonderful ways that parents are able to engage, beyond volunteering, fundraising, all of those types of things, how have you, as parents, been able to engage with your children's learning journey at York and be a partner in that process and how has the school helped enable that for
Karen Schultz:So, one thing that comes to mind is, last year you? when my daughter was in Grade 1, there was a series of literacy and numeracy classes that were put together by the teachers and the faculty. And it was specifically for the parents. So the parents were able to come in and do a focused hands-on session that was basically us sitting down and doing a number of different activities that could kind of show us what we could be doing with our kids at home to help support them in literacy and numeracy. So for instance, we might sit down to a tray of beans, and they would be all different colours, and they would say, okay, at this station, you're going to sort the beads into all the different colours, and then you're going to pattern those beads between the different colours. And then we might sit down to another station, and they might show us short game of cards of orderi g the cards numerically forwards and backwards or something lik that. And they ran a few o those different sessions. And it was really, really useful as parent of a young child, to jus be able to think of how I could be incorporating the activities hat they're doing at school int their daily lives, without sitting down and doing, you kno, a structured reading lesson o a math lesson or something like that with them, which feels very intimidating as a parent. So I thought that wa just such a great out-of-the-bo idea for the school to have or anized and recognized the need f r. And it was just so well eceived in the parent group. Ano her thing, actually, that I an think of as well, is that here's been so many opportunit es where the school has been able to really showc se the work that the kids have een doing in such a hands-on way So a few years ago, I think whe my son was in Grade 2, they wer working on, I believe it was pu leys and levers, and there's so ething else in there that I issing. And so they were bui ding models with pulleys and le ers. And they actually invited a l of the parents in for, essenti lly, what was a demo day. So they had the kids build th se models, and then we came in a d participated in watch them as they sort of showcased what th y were trying to achieve and what their model could do. And so it really provided a bit of a context of what our kids are s ending time on during the day t at we could talk about at home a d really understand the kinds of activities that they've been doi g. And I've seen that time and gain. Last year, even during the virtual online learning, towar s the end of the year, my so's class hosted a virtual poetr cafe, where all the pare ts were invited to sit down and isten to the poems that the c ildren had been crafting. And we were invited to bring a offee or a tea for ourselves, ma e a hot chocolate for our child, maybe have some snacks, as we s t down together for this mornin poetry cafe. And I just fe t like that was so important be ause the children were so exci ed to share what they had been working so hard on. And just he connection that that brought etween, you know, us at home a d the school during that virt al learning period. I just re lly thought that was a really gr at way to involve the parents t really showcase how much the ch ldren had still been able to do during that time.
Glenn Asano:Well, you know, for me, first of all, the school makes it very easy, because most of the information that we need comes out in The Flash - that regular communication vehicle - but also the Blackboard platform. So now I'm finding in the high school, there's more information there, there's more due dates and deadlines. So we go into it together and try to take a look. But I think, in general, just the school making all information transparent and available for me, and keeping me in tune with what's being taught in the classroom, allows me to ask questions. And the school gives me tools because my children don't want me to be on them all the time. So if the school keeps me posted with what's going on, I can pop in a question at dinner or say something in the car one day and it's just not peppering them with questions. So I really truly feel connected with what's going on in the curriculum because of the communication.
Natasha Estey:Talei, what about you?
Talei Kunkel:I find in the Junior School, they actually do a great job of encouraging sort of the partnership between parents and educators. You know, it's not up to one or the other. It takes a village, right? And there's always an open door. If I have any concerns or if parents have any concerns or suggestions, I feel that the school is excellent at listening and sort of taking it on board. Last March was a really good example. We all went into online learning and we were meeting with Val Turner weekly to discuss how the parents are doing, how things are going at the home end, what are we feeling, what are we dealing with, right? Like being online and the implementation of the CLP and what was working, what needs improvement. And the school is really remarkable at listening and sort of saying, okay, moving forward, how do we improve? How do we improve the overall learning experience for our kids? And by the end of it, you know, I think that CLP was really great in the Junior School. I know it was at the Senior School because we saw that as a model all the time. Glenn, I'm sure you can talk that.
Glenn Asano:They absolutely. In fact, I should have brought that up. During the pandemic so-to-speak, those parent meetings where, you know, if you can, you can connect, just gave tremendous reassurance that we don't all have the answers, we're talking it through, it was an open conversation, it was Q&A, and everybody was there. And this is class by class or grade by grade. So they took the time, the administration took the time to be there in front of the parents. And again, I think that's how the process gets improved in the school too. So that transparency gives me the info I need to be connected and say the right things to the kids too. So it is like that home-school connection makes it very consistent for the kids and I think kids benefit as a result.
Natasha Estey:Yeah, it's a wonderful example of truly being able to be participants in your children's learning journey. Just to sort of finish off, I guess, if you just had a - I don't know - maybe someone was, you're talking to someone in the street and you just wanted to say, this is what makes The York School so great, what would you say?
Karen Schultz:So, I mean, I think the first thing that I would probably talk about is the teachers. You know, my kids have just had outstanding teachers over the years. And, you know, all things aside, I mean, really, what I'm looking for is for my children to be happy and engaged going to school every day, and I have yet to find a teacher at The York School who hasn't been able to provide that environment for them. So I mean, to me, that is the number one reason that we love the school so much. But beyond that, it has to be the parents, and the student community as well. I mean, there's really nice, engaged, friendly, welcoming families. We've made some amazing friends through the school. And I just think that it's a place where I'm very proud that my my kids are and that we're a part of, and I really feel like it's really a great group of people helping to make a good school even better.
Talei Kunkel:Also, I think it's just the culture. It's such that the kids can just be who they want to be and they can reach for the stars. And it's that feeling of acceptance and support, you know, and I think that's one of the reasons why York is so great.
Glenn Asano:Yeah, you know, it's a good question, Natasha, because I don't think that I can summarize it in one word. It really is a feeling. The moment I walked through the door - and I keep saying this to you and everybody; it's probably why you invited me to the podcast - but I walked through the door, and I felt comfortable from day one. But the feeling, the teachers, the admin, the other parents, and even the students - we're all in this community. And I don't think you can actually quantify it. As a technical person by background, I love the technology we use. And I love the fact that we're not just using it for sake of using technology. It's very purposeful. And I love what Justin's doing. You know, when we looked at schools a long time ago, a Google Innovator and a Google Educator being in a school was special and having several of them at The York School, I think that's the only school that I found that in Toronto at the time - five years ago. So these are remarkable things that are pushing forward. But I don't want to just hang my sort of pitch here on one thing because it's an overall feeling. I just think the school is firing on all cylinders and all stakeholders are involved.
Natasha Estey:And Michelle, this is a slightly different angle on the same kind of a question, but how do York parents contribute to making The York School great?
Michelle Golfman:First of all, I have to say that our parents at The York School are the absolute best parents in the entire city of Toronto and the GTA. How do parents contribute to making the school great? I think they're always thinking of the community, they're thinking of the kids, they're thinking of the faculty and staff. And they want to make sure that everybody is always feeling good. And so, I'll just give a couple of quick examples. So with our faculty and staff, over the course of the school year, we run a programme called Treats for Teachers and Staff. And the parents come together and they make sure that once - I think it's once a quarter - that the faculty and staff are treated to a really nice lunch meal over and above what would normally be served within the school. And right now, for the remote working staff, they're included as well by receiving an Uber Eats gift card, which just makes everybody feel really special and very included. They're always thinking of what does the community need? We run the pre-loved uniform sale twice a year to help the environment, to help families who need to maybe offload some of the stuff out of their closets and other families who are new, who are looking for some gently used items. And this year, because of the pandemic, we weren't able to run our sale. But instead, we immediately shifted online and we started a pre-loved clothing swap to the community. We also have parents contribute. We have a social group where parents are invited to participate in social walks and book club and wine tasting and I think that that makes our school unique to other schools that are in and around the GTA area.
Natasha Estey:Thank you, Michelle. Yeah, it's interesting, because it's how parents really also can play a role in helping shape The York School community and what The York School culture is. It's sort of this give and take in this evolution that happens. It's really interesting.
Michelle Golfman:In our parent community, when we talk about being involved, we're so open to involvement. If a parent has an idea, we're always happy to hear. For example, if wellness is a passion of yours, we're happy to, you know, listen to your ideas. And as you were saying, when you're involved in the school - children of parents who are involved in the school tend to do better - if being involved in the wellness programme that we offer is going to help improve your child's time at the school, we think that's fantastic. If sports is your passion, and you want to be involved with that, we have Raptors nights and sports clinics. And we welcome volunteering. We welcome input.
Talei Kunkel:I think that the school's just absolutely stellar.
Natasha Estey:Oh, there's lots of love going around our virtual room here as we as we talk about the school. It's great. Well, this this this has been great. I want to thank you all so much for your time today.
Talei Kunkel:Thanks, Natasha.
Glenn Asano:Thanks, Natasha. Keep it up.
Natasha Estey:Thanks. Well, I'm sure feeling The York School love right now. As Michelle said, our parents really are the best. Thank you for listening. And thanks again to Associate Director of Advancement, Michelle Golfman, and parents Glenn Asano, Karen Schultz, and Talei Kunkel, for joining me today. You can learn more about parent engagement at The York School by visiting the Support Us page at www.yorkschool.com. And you can see parent engagement in action by following us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn. Check out the show notes for links. Visit YORK Talks online at www.yorkschool.com/YorkTalks. You can subscribe to YORK Talks where you get your podcasts and make sure to tell other families wanting to learn more about how The York School views education. I'm your host, Natasha Estey. I hope you enjoyed the conversation today. Please join us again for more YORK Talks.