Dear WESS Families, Thank you for all you do and for making WESS the amazing place it is. We appreciate your partnership and wish you a happy holiday season. I’m excited to start sharing brief updates in the PA newsletter to highlight some of the great things happening at WESS. There is so much to celebrate in our school community, and I’m looking forward to using this space to keep you connected to the joy and learning happening every day. Here are two of the many of things we’re celebrating: Three WESS students had their photos selected and featured in the Humans of New York exhibit at Grand Central Terminal — an incredible honor that highlights their creativity, storytelling, and perspective on our city. This is also a huge compliment to our strong Arts department and dedication to supporting the whole child in grades 6-12. WESS recently applied for the final stage of our EL Education Pathway Credential in High-Quality Student Work and received exceptionally positive feedback, recognizing our students’ depth of thinking, craftsmanship, and authentic learning experiences.
As always, I am thankful to our wonderful teachers, staff, and community for making these wins possible! In crew, Andew |
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Dear Families, Thank you for being an essential part of the WESS community and members of the Parents Association! We are grateful for you joining us on this part of our parent journey and supporting the dynamic mission of WESS, Andrew, the teachers, administration, and staff and our students! As we look ahead, there are a number of events we are excited about coming up! This coming Wednesday, Dec 3rd the WESS PA is hosting Cabaret Night, 7pm at The Triad Theater. In it's 7th year, Cabaret Night is a fun way for WESS parents to come together as a community. We hope to see many of you there. Thursday Dec 4th, Andrew will be hosting another coffee chat at 8:45am. We have found these gatherings as wonderful ways to hear about WESS updates, discuss specific topics in more depth, and follow up on any questions. On Friday, December 12th WESS will hold its annual EL College & Career March. The March is a deeply meaningful event that we are proud to participate in. It provides an opportunity for our 12th grade students to celebrate all the hard work they have put into their postsecondary planning, and mail letters to express gratitude to people who have supported them on this journey. By participating across all grades, WESS students immerse themselves in the contagious energy of the College & Career March and start to think about the postsecondary pathways they might be interested in! This past week, we launched the 2025 WESS Recommitment fundraising Campaign, a fresh start to ensuring that we are able to support our students, staff, families, and the many programs that make WESS such a vibrant community. Please take a moment to read more about this fundraising campaign below. We ask that you think about what WESS' core values of CREATIVITY, WONDER, COMPASSION, and RESILIENCE mean to your student in their daily lives and join us in giving thanks for WESS and give as generously as you are able. With gratitude and partnership, Justin Fromm & Liz Sorem WESS Parent Association Co-Presidents papresidents@westendsecondary.com |
Meet Your Parent Representatives 2025-2026 Parent Association Executive Board (EB) members and their roles this year: Co-Presidents: Liz Sorem and Justin Fromm Co-Recording Secretaries: Laetitia Ducrox and Mia Pavlov Co-Treasurers: Jason Benowitz and Rebecca Weel Co-Communications Secretaries: Shiri Wolf and Michelle Jason VP of High School: Jamie Nguyen VP of Middle School: Meryl Ravitz Co-VP at Large: Theresa Ching and Matthew Merdinger VP of DEI: Max Alvarez Booster Rep: David Vimont 6th Grade Reps: Aaron Ford, Mia Mooney
School Leadership Team (SLT) parent representatives: Judy Barbarino Jenny Ingber Monica Fishman Debra Plafker |
December PA General Meeting Please join us for our next WESS PA Meeting, the last PA meeting of 2025! West End Secondary School PA is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting. Topic: WESS December PA Mtg Time: Dec 18, 2025 07:30 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada) Join Zoom Meeting https://us06web.zoom.us/j/89049540912?pwd=ufyhYSAfMbQUOPHkAwrD20ast4jWuX.1 Meeting ID: 890 4954 0912 Passcode: 950564 --- One tap mobile +16465588656,,89049540912#,,,,*950564# US (New York) +16469313860,,89049540912#,,,,*950564# US Join instructions https://us06web.zoom.us/meetings/89049540912/invitations?signature=UCd6fNFEUT9P3wcKrd0Rhp2IF99qFjEim9Z9v6yQEgQ |
WESS Cabaret Night THIS Wednesday, Dec. 3rd, 7-8:30pm @ The Triad Theater on West 72nd Street! 90 minutes of laughs, magic, and music - not to be missed! FEATURING: Comedian Eric Neumann...One of the fastest rising stand-up comedians on the comedy scene today. His late night debut on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon was named "Set of the Week" by Vulture Magazine. Magician of the Mind David Lawrence...has been entertaining audiences for over twenty years! He will amaze and astound you... all done with humor and charm! Award Winning Rock and Roll Piano Singalong with Nina Zeitlin...Her voice has been featured on numerous projects for TV, film, songs, and commercial campaigns. ninazeitlin.com Buy Your Tickets HERE! *There may be difficulties paying with Apple Pay, but credit cards work. Balcony Upstairs - (GA) $50 Premium - $125* (* Premium includes 6:15 pm early arrival for pre-show wine reception) **** Drinks and Food We will have servers who will be on hand to take any drink orders on a cash bar basis, as in years past. The Triad will also have some pre-packed snacks and desserts available for purchase. Premium ticket holders will be able to enjoy a complimentary glass of wine at the earlier reception starting at 6:15. **** After Party We will also be gathering nearby afterwards for our annual post-Cabaret night get together. All are welcome to attend and no need to rsvp. Details to follow.
Comedy, Music, Magic, AMAZING Raffle Prizes...and More! |
Sixth Grade Family Get Together Calling all 6th grade families - Please join us! When: Sunday December 7th between 2pm and 4pm Where: Dave & Buster’s Times Square 234 West 42nd street (Between 7th and 8th Ave), 3rd Floor Join us for a WESS 6th grade family get together Sunday December 7th between 2pm and 4pm at Dave and Buster’s. It’s a great chance for everyone to meet other families in our community and for kids to play. There will be some light refreshments provided by the PA, but game cards and other food will be on the individual family. We want everyone to feel welcome so If cost is prohibitive, please reach out to our Parent Coordinator, Karyn Gooden (Karyn@westendsecondary.com) If you have any questions, please reach out to the 6th Grade Reps: Mia Mooney, Miagade@aol.com, 914-787-0826 Aaron Ford, afordnyc@icloud.com, 917-865-4568 |
And just in time...Dave & Buster'sFundraising Campaign for WESS! Get ready for nonstop arcade action at Dave & Buster’s! Starting Monday December 1st Until February 27th, 50% of every Power Card purchased through our fundraising page will be donated to WESS Parent Association! Redeem anytime at any participating Dave & Buster’s location for endless gaming fun with family and friends. Level up your next outing and support a great cause: grouprai.se/davebusters66296s |
2025 WESS Recommitment Campaign |
The PA is excited to launch the 2025 WESS Recommitment Campaign, a fresh start to ensuring we are able to support our students, staff, families, and the many programs that make WESS such a vibrant community. Each year, through your donations, the PA helps provide funding for areas that are not included in the school’s budget. These funds help to pay for professional development for our teachers, arts and athletics programs, science equipment and musical instruments, club activities and faculty advisors, teacher and staff appreciation events, student socials, parent coffees, parent education experiences, and more. These programs support a positive environment and ensure our students, teachers, and families have robust, engaging learning opportunities both inside and outside of the classroom. None of these would be possible without your financial support! This year, we invite you to recommit to our shared mission by making a tax-deductible donation at whatever level you are able. For those who wish to participate at a suggested level, we’ve created three giving tiers: $25 to show your continued support $250 to make a meaningful impact $2,025 to lead the way in enriching every student’s experience
No gift is too small - every contribution adds up to make a real difference for our students and staff. With gratitude, Justin Fromm & Liz Sorem, PA Co-Presidents On Behalf of the Fundraising Committee |
WAYS TO GIVE: VENMO (Free, no fee) PA Treasurer Account: @wess-pa
Please indicate Recommitment Campaign in the Note. If prompted for a code, use: 2264 ZELLE(Free, no fee) WESS PA Zelle account may be located by using the e-mail: patreasurer@westendsecondary.com. A monthly payment selection is available and a great option. PAYPAL (WESS will pay a small fee per credit card donation). Payees can opt for a monthly donation. Click on gift box icon below. |
STOCK - If you’d like to donate stock click on the stock icon below or contact patreasurer@westendsecondary.com CAN YOUR DONATION BE DOUBLED? Many employers participate in a corporate matching program. We are able to provide any necessary information. Just contact patreasurer@westendsecondary.com. CHECKS are always welcomed and should be made out to theParents Association of West End Secondary School Inc. Please writeRecommitment Campaign in the memo area. Checks can be left in the PA box in the school office or mailed to: West End Secondary School, 227 West 61st Street, New York, NY 10023 Attn: WESS PA / RE: Recommitment Campaign |
What it is and how to use it When a family joins the WESS community, they are automatically added to the PA Membership Toolkit database. Membership Toolkit (MT) is the program that the WESS Parent Association uses to stay in touch with WESS parents and provide you with important information via emails and newsletters like the one you're reading right now. The fact that you have received this newsletter means that you are in the MT database. The MT database is based on but separate from the official contact information that you provided to WESS via the blue card when your student(s) enrolled. That information is for the WESS administration only and is NOT accessible to parents. So, in order to make it possible and easy for WESS parents (and students) to find and keep in touch with each other, the PA created a user-friendly directory at Membership Toolkit. To access Membership Toolkit and, therefore, the directory, click here, click on "login," and follow the prompts based on whether you are a returning user or a new user. If you've never logged on to MT before, you are a new user. Simply create an account and then you will find your contact information already available. Once you have created an account, you can edit your contact information and customize your profile including what, if any, information is made public in the directory. MT is available as both a desktop and app option. It’s a great idea to have both for your convenience. Note: If ever your contact information should change, it’s most important to change it on the official DOE blue card through WESS but it’s equally smart to also update it at Membership Toolkit if you want WESS folks to be able to reach you. If you have any questions or challenges using Membership Toolkit, please don’t hesitate to reach out to the WESS PA Communications Team. |
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