Parents’ Association Breakfast Honors Volunteers and Head of School Sarah Pelmas

The annual Parents’ Association (PA) thank you breakfast brought parents and guardians across all classes to campus. Guests noshed on a buffet of bagels and pastries while socializing and reminiscing to close out the school year. 

Winsor PA Co-Chairs Aida Arain Alam P’27, ’30 and Fawn Andersen P’29 welcomed guests to the event, which also served as a farewell celebration for outgoing Head of School Sarah Pelmas. Their remarks honored the more than 250 volunteers who contributed their time in some capacity over the 2024–25 school year. “Whether you handed out feather boas at UTL, sorted clothes at Cradles to Crayons, helped organize snacks for a sports team or performance…we are so grateful. You are what makes this community so special, and none of this would be possible without you,” they told assembled parents and guardians. 

They also highlighted two pilot programs and the parent volunteers who dedicated the last two years to starting the brand new PA initiatives. Annelena Lobb P’29 and Doug Bowen-Flynn P’25 built community around Winsor’s performing arts program—creating and communicating virtual sign-ups for rehearsal snacks and post-performance receptions with their committees—while Andrew Yakoobian P’28 and Trimble Auger P’26 did the same for Winsor athletics. “Thank you for your hard work and dedication,” said Alam and Andersen. “We are excited to continue to grow these initiatives into lasting traditions at Winsor.”

The breakfast wouldn’t be complete without a special thank you to Assistant Director of Family Engagement Rachel Donnelly, a member of the Winsor Advancement Department. “Rachel has been a wonderful ally for the PA, putting in so much time and energy, behind the scenes…and helping many of our ideas come to life. We are so grateful for her warmth, passion, and patience,” they added.

The program concluded with a thank you to Ms. Pelmas. Noting some hallmarks of her tenure—a curriculum review and a pandemic, schedule changes and a complex global environment—the PA co-chairs explained, “Sarah, you have guided…all of us through parenting high-achieving adolescent girls. Your advice is always timely, relevant, and exactly what we need to hear, even if you know we don’t want to hear it.”

In honor of that advice, and “because we have benefited from so much of your wisdom, the parents would like to offer some advice to you, even if you don’t want to hear it,” they quipped. The PA co-chairs went on to share nine pieces of advice for Ms. Pelmas—solicited from the parent community—one for each of her nine years at Winsor. 

Advice was far reaching from travel—“Hike the Adirondacks, or just make it to the porch. You’ve earned the kind of unstructured time that feeds the soul”—to joy—“Your laughter lifts people. Your light is contagious. Keep that spark alive, it’s more powerful than you know, and the world is better because of it.”

On behalf of the parent community, the PA co-chairs presented Ms. Pelmas with a framed photograph entitled “A Steady Gaze: Leadership in View.” Taken by Winsor senior Nell Sparks ’25, the photograph is the view from the window in the head of school’s office. “We hope you will reflect on it fondly and always remember the remarkable impact you had on our community,” they said of the photograph. 

The gift was presented to a standing ovation as Ms. Pelmas took in the sincere gratitude of the gathered parents and guardians for her remarkable leadership.