Dedicated. No word better embodies the mission of the Piedmont High School Parents’ Club — the quiet force that has been running the show for over 40 years.
The Parents’ Club is a school-affiliated, non-profit, and parent-led organization driven by volunteerism. This year’s co-presidents are Dana Lung and Sally Baack.
According to the club’s website, the goal of the Parents’ Club is to enrich the PHS educational experience by supporting staff, students, and families, and by promoting a positive school community.
PHS Principal David Yoshihara said through the Parents’ Club, many events are made possible including Teacher Appreciation Week, Career Day, AP Testing, Prom, and Graduation Night.
Club members take on roles by dividing into subgroups such as hospitality, library, parent communication, and class representatives — all organized through a Google Sheet. With these dedicated roles, the club is able to successfully run many student events.
“Career Day would probably look very different [without Parents’ Club support],” Yoshihara said. “All of the speakers, all of the events that happened leading up to it, the day before — that’s all parent-driven.”
Lung said that the Parents’ Club always tries to recognize staff and faculty by setting up five catered meals a year and giving each staff member a gift card at the end of both semesters.
On Oct. 3, staff attended a luncheon that the Parents’ Club held to celebrate World Teachers’ Day.
“This is a selfless job, and to be recognized like that is very nice, because at least you know that we are being appreciated and that people value the work that we do for their children,” Spanish teacher Joanne Guillén said. “Anytime we need something, they’re always there for us. I love the lunches that they provide for us, and I really think it’s a good collaboration, us working together.”
Similarly, social studies teacher Janine Sohn said that this recognition keeps her motivated.
“You just feel that you are appreciated because sometimes it can be hard to kind of keep on going, and so it is just a symbolic way to show that they do appreciate the work that we do,” Sohn said.
In addition to appreciation initiatives, teacher grants are also funded through the Parents’ Club.
“We are about to start the teacher grant process where we give up to $5,000 to teachers for projects that they need help with,” Baack said.
Classroom materials such as premium subscriptions, Upfront Magazines, and laboratory supplies have been made available in previous years with these grants.
Beyond supporting the school financially, parents further devote significant amounts of their time to ensure everything runs smoothly.
Lung said that the number of dedicated hours per week strongly depends on parent roles and the events taking place. It can be a significant amount of time, but it is what you put into it.
“The work never stops — it’s pretty constant. There’s always something, if it’s not Homecoming, now we’re talking about PSATs, then the next Parents’ Club meeting,” Lung said.
Still, Shilpa Patel, a member of the Parents’ Club’s hospitality team, said that their work is worth it as they get to witness their efforts ripple throughout the PHS community.
“When we do provide food from the Parents’ Club, and when I see how happy the teachers and staff are, it actually makes going shopping, getting everything, collecting all the food, coming early to set up, and carrying heavy trays worthwhile,” Patel said. “It just makes you feel good, that they’re happy and you’ve made part of their day special.”
Patel said that to “join” the Parents’ Club, parents have to pay the membership fee, which helps fund teacher appreciation, grants, and events. However, parents without memberships can still come to meetings and volunteer via SignUpGenius. Even so, the biggest hurdle the club faces is the need for more volunteers.
Lung said the challenge is encouraging new parents and families to get involved and help out. Often, the same parents step up to volunteer, but can get burnt out, tired, and busy over time.
Yet despite the time and effort these parent volunteers give, recognition is not their goal.
“We aren’t looking for credit,” Lung said. “We all just want to help the schools and help our kids thrive. We are really just looking to support.”
