Parent Groups Create “Joy and Community” With Signature Events

Karen Lewis Taylor
June 1, 2025

One of the cornerstones of Ravenscroft’s vibrant culture is family engagement. The school’s five parent-led organizations are committed to cultivating among families a sense of belonging and connection that extends beyond the classroom. Every year, these groups bring parents and guardians together to celebrate special events, explore new opportunities and invest in the continued excellence of the school, now in its sixth decade of nurturing students across three divisions.

“We are so grateful for the contributions that our parent leaders make to every aspect of our school community and culture each year,” Director of Parent Engagement Sarah Baker said. “The ideas they contribute are innovative, and the ways they collaborate to make events happen successfully is a testament to their collective commitment to Ravenscroft.”

Here, we highlight a signature event from each parent-led group that helped make the 2024-25 school year such a memorable and meaningful time to be a Raven.

School spirit was front and center at many of the parent-led initiatives this year.

Family engagement is a cornerstone of Ravenscroft’s culture, brought to life through the work of five parent-led groups.

READ MORE

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Online Auction Brings in Nearly $75K to Benefit School Community (Feb. 28, 2025)

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Ravens Celebrate the Arrival of the Year of the Snake (Feb. 7, 2025)

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Golf Classic Draws 120 Participants in Support of Athletics (Dec. 13, 2024)

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Meet the New Parent Co-Chairs of the Fund For Ravenscroft (Oct. 9, 2024)

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Enjoy more photos from community events on our Flickr page.

Ravenscroft Athletic Club: Tailgate Revival

Aug. 16, 2025

The Ravenscroft Athletic Club supports all aspects of athletics at Ravenscroft through the promotion of school spirit, good sportsmanship and volunteer commitment. RAC volunteers provide oversight in several important areas of our robust athletics programming, including supporting and celebrating student-athletes, coaches and teams; managing concessions sales during games; staffing tournaments held on campus; and hosting Homecoming and the annual Ravenscroft Golf Classic.

This year, RAC volunteers added something entirely new to the group’s much-beloved stable of athletic-focused events: seasonal tailgates. As Tailgate Committee co-chairs Christina Woelffer and Tracey Zola explained, they knew the idea was a winner from the moment it was proposed.

“Who doesn't love a good tailgate? When RAC had the great idea to launch tailgates, Tracey and I were the first ones to raise our hands to help organize them," Woelffer said. “With the first tailgate intentionally supporting the first home football game, we expected a big turnout. But, wow, we were completely — and happily — overwhelmed with the response from parents and guardians, parent groups, sports teams and even small business owners in our parent community who wanted to ‘snag a spot’ and join the fun!”

“Being a part of RAC allowed us to see firsthand how hard the Athletics Department works to recruit and keep amazing coaches and promote player confidence and leadership,” Zola added. “After working together over the years on various PA committees, Christina and I saw the tailgates as a perfect opportunity not only to work together on something new but to also both support our athletes and the Athletics Department and build parent community, which is a core value at Ravenscroft.”

Following the successful fall event, RAC put on an Indoor Tailgate in the Olander Center to support winter-season athletics and a Spring Tailgate to celebrate the Ravens on spring sports teams. Go Ravens!

Tailgate Revival

Parents’ Association: Fall Community Event

Oct. 4, 2024

The Parents’ Association’s mission is to spark family engagement and volunteerism, with its steering committee working alongside fellow parent-led groups to create a sense of belonging for all families, faculty, staff and students. From the committees that organize volunteers for classrooms, grade levels and divisions to those that raise money to cover the group’s operating expenses and support the school’s priorities, the PA is an organizing powerhouse with a can-do approach.

The group’s organizational prowess was on full display in the fall, when severe weather caused by Hurricane Helene forced the postponement of the annual Fall Community Event, a family-friendly afternoon of activities, food and fun planned in partnership with the Ravenscroft Athletic Club. The rescheduled event on Doreen C. Kelly Campus Commons — which coincided with several RAC-sponsored events including the CBS17 Game of the Week — had all of the hallmarks of the originally scheduled event and lived up to its billing as a celebration for the entire community.

The planning committee co-chairs, Monica Patel and Marcia Hemphill, expressed tremendous pride in putting on such a successful event.

“I was thrilled to volunteer for this event to get more involved in our school community. Planning for the event started way back in May, even before the school closed for the summer,” Patel said. “Despite facing a few challenges along the way, the event was still a memorable occasion!”

“The joy and community we see through participation of students and parent groups to put on this event is tremendous,” Hemphill added. “This fall especially, everyone had to come together to pull off this event after it was postponed by a week. A special thanks to our world-class maintenance team for helping us pull this off logistically. It takes the cooperation and support of staff, faculty, students and parents to have a successful event year after year.”

Fall Community Event

Fund For Ravenscroft: Little Ravens at Play

Oct. 5, 2024

The Fund For Ravenscroft Parent Committee volunteers are dedicated to fostering a strong, connected community through awareness, engagement and support. The committee works to raise awareness and understanding about how the FFR — the school’s top priority for annual giving — contributes to Ravenscroft’s spirit, growth and excellence, enhancing what makes Ravenscroft such a vibrant and supportive place for every Raven. Volunteers help plan and implement events and opportunities to connect with families and support FFR campaigns at several on-campus events each year.

At the Little Ravens at Play event in October, PreK and Kindergarten families — many of whom are new to the school community this year — enjoyed an opportunity to get to know one another, their children’s teachers and members of school leadership — plus special guest Edgar the Raven.

“Little Ravens at Play was filled with warm weather, bright smiles and meaningful connection. Families gathered on a sunny Saturday morning to enjoy donuts and coffee, time on the playground and the simple joy of getting to know one another,” committee co-chair Lauren Carlton ’08 said. “There’s something special about being on campus outside of classroom hours, when the pace slows down and Ravenscroft truly feels like a second home, a place where families can gather, laugh and build lasting community.”

The event showcased the committee’s proud tradition of nurturing community engagement while broadening attendees’ understanding of how the fund enhances students’ education at Ravenscroft.

“Little Ravens at Play is more than just a playdate; it’s a moment for new families to feel welcomed and seen and to kick off a new year as part of a special school,” committee co-chair Shannon Gill said. “As we continue to build a strong and connected Ravenscroft community, this event naturally introduces one of the many ways families can help amplify the spirit of our school through philanthropy.”

Little Ravens at Play

Fine Arts Association: Upper School Ensembles Chamber Concert and Reception

Dec. 5, 2024

The Fine Arts Association supports the Fine Arts Department as well as the many students who are involved in the visual arts, theater, choir, strings and band programs. From planning and promoting fine arts events and producing the Ravenscroft Fine Arts Booklet each year to keeping casts, crews and ensembles fed, the FAA provides invaluable support and volunteer leadership for the department and its talented faculty.

December’s Upper School Ensembles Chamber Concert, featuring music from the band, strings and choral music programs, was a particularly significant event for the group this year. Building on last year’s inspired decision to hold this festive event in the dining hall of the Olander Center for Student Life at the A.E. Finley Activity Center, FAA president Tiffany Brooks noted, faculty took advantage of the “magical new concert format” that allowed the audience to be “surrounded by the music of various ensembles throughout the dramatic space of Olander.”

FAA volunteers went all out to make the evening special for performers and attendees alike — including two special guests whose lasting impact on Ravenscroft is well worth celebrating.

“The 2023 reception was so well received, the department asked for a repeat in 2024. We brought in Raleigh Cheesy for the grazing table, and parents provided desserts,” Brooks said. “The Fine Arts Association also took the opportunity to honor David and Elisabeth McChesney, who are retiring at the end of the school year. [Visual art teacher] Erin Stelling organized the procurement of a new addition to the Hugh Morton Collection in their honor, which was presented that night.”

“These kids pour so much time into their talents that we are all blessed to experience,” she concluded. “The Fine Arts Association was honored to have this opportunity to celebrate the students’ talents with this reception.”

Upper School Ensembles Chamber Concert and Reception

Global Parent Ambassadors/Parents Supporting Diversity, Equity and Inclusion: Cultural Festival

April 25, 2025

These two parent-run organizations — already connected by their respective missions of promoting greater inclusivity and understanding — officially joined forces this year in support of Ravenscroft’s mission-aligned priority of building community, culture and belonging across all of our constituencies. The groups have hosted special gatherings for parents and guardians to celebrate holidays and observances.

Working in partnership with fellow parent groups as well as faculty and staff, co-presidents Jacqueline Vollmer Viera and Alicia Petty and their committed volunteers played an integral role in an event so big that it only takes place every other year: the Ravenscroft Cultural Festival.

“It is always amazing to bring the Ravenscroft community together as a whole,” lead volunteer Lauren Carlton said. “What makes the cultural festival truly remarkable is the opportunity to share and celebrate the things that make each of us unique and special. We all bring something meaningful to the table and being able to gather and experience that is truly inspiring.”

Ruth Davis, current parent of four Ravenscroft students, participated in the festival for her third time this year, representing her home country of Germany. “I’ve really enjoyed being part of this festival over the years and love being able to learn about everyone else's cultures, communities and countries,” Davis said. “I'm proud to be able to represent where I am from and share what my country has to offer with others.”

A guest attending the festival was Alex Kansler ’17, whose parents, Gail and Mike, were among the handful of volunteers who originally formed the Global Parent Ambassadors group. "I love seeing my mom's vision come to life,” Alex said. “I wish this had happened during my time at Ravenscroft because it seems like students have the opportunity to really see themselves reflected in the larger community and celebrate their differences. I'm glad my mom wanted to make a difference that others can now experience."

Cultural Festival