MKA's Parents' Association Celebrates Another Successful Year
PAMKA, the Parents' Association of Montclair Kimberley Academy, held their Annual Meeting earlier today and celebrated the remarkable results of a years worth of fund-raising and community building efforts that resulted in an impressive $385,000 donation to MKA.
Their success enables them to continue in their role as the school’s largest contributor to MKA’s Faculty Compensation Endowment by donating a further $235,000 to that fund, and to further support the Board of Trustees’ goals for MKA’s Future Forward campaign by donating $50,000 towards general campaign projects.
The remaining funds will be distributed among the three campuses and include gifts to the athletic department, science labs, classrooms, libraries, the fine and performing arts departments and community programs. In addition, PAMKA’s renowned Faculty Trust Grants program that encourages and supports MKA faculty in taking life-changing trips to enhance their professional development, received $30,000.
PAMKA President Lori Yanes opened the well-attended meeting by acknowledging the countless hours and commitment of her Board and the MKA parent body as a whole. She reviewed highlights of the year that included fundraising activities such as MKA's Scholastic Book Fair held during Hurricane Sandy, the Winter Boutique and the hugely successful 125th Anniversary Gala Dinner and Auction (with its associated Tuition Raffle, Ad Journal and Internship Auction), as well as the numerous PAMKA activities that did not involve fundraising but were essential in promoting a cohesive community. The recipients of 2013 Faculty Trust Grant were announced, and a special presentation was made by one of last year's recipients, Upper School Spanish teacher Isabel Janelli, who traveled to South America in pursuit of her quest to visit every Spanish-speaking country in the world.
Other guests included President of the Board Michael Johnson, who outlined the Board's campaign plans for limiting tuition increases, enhancing facilities and ensuring the best possible teacher in every classroom, and Headmaster Tom Nammack, who in addition to explaining the reasoning behind the selection of projects for the campaign, also discussed the school's upcoming reaccreditation process and spoke of his gratitude for being in a school with such an extraordinary parent community at such an exciting time in MKA's history.
Prior to transitioning those outgoing parent volunteers with the incoming 2013-14 Slate of Officers and Chairs, PAMKA, represented by Lori Yanes and PAMKA Finance VP Mary Johnson, officially presented Tom Nammack with a check for $385.000