P.A.C.E.

ASM has an active, vibrant Parents' Association that is an integral part of the school's culture. The association, called PACE (Parents' Association Community Effort) is the doorway through which parents can become involved in the school community and provide meaningful support. All parents and caregivers with a child at ASM are automatically members of PACE.

PACE coordinates nearly 30 programs for the school annually. It serves the faculty by providing parent involvement and support for the classrooms. It serves the students by creating opportunities for socializing at all-school socials, dances and picnics, and fostering opportunities for community service. It serves the parents by providing ample opportunities for direct involvement and parent education.

PACE is run by an executive committee, which is elected in the spring to serve the following school year. The officers, including President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, Immediate Past President and Advisor, serve one-year terms. Meetings are held monthly depending upon the school and holiday schedules, and vary between daytime meetings and evening meetings. Often the business meeting will be combined with an informative update by the Head of School, or a parent education workshop.

Community service has become an established part of the annual programming coordinated by PACE. Students and parents alike support book drives, the annual Hike for Hope, Coats for Kids, food drives, and annual holiday giving programs supporting Lazarus House andBread and Roses.

A sampling of all-school events, fun for students and parents alike, includes the Ice Cream Social, the Fall Harvest Social, the Andover Firefighters' Holiday Parade, the Sweetheart Dance and the All-School Picnic. Parentscan support the classrooms by becoming room parents --the liaisons between teachers andthe classroom community --or volunteering for special classroom projects. Parents also volunteer in the school library and on special-purpose committees such as Grounds Beautification, Staff Appreciation, Earth Day, the ASM newsletter and schoolfundraising.

Opportunities for participation truly abound at ASM. Parents can learn about volunteering in detail at the annual Volunteer Fair, held every September at ASM, or by contacting PACE leadership with questions or ideas. Welcome to ASM and welcome to PACE!