In December 1968, Sylvia Kliman, the P.A. president from 1968 to 1970, launched the inaugural issue of this newsletter. Since then, The Park Parent has been sharing school news with parents, faculty, alumni, and other friends. What began as a monthly printed newsletter published by the Parents’ Association is now a digital communication distributed four times a year to interested readers.
No mere school newsletter, The Park Parent is unique for its partnership between parent volunteers and school administrators. Indeed, according to Park School historian Jay Williams Howland ’57, “for two years, Mrs. Kliman ran the paper single-handedly, eliciting spirited contributions from a talented constellation of writers, poets, photographers, and paste-up artists.” Fifty years later, we are indebted to her efforts, as well as every Park Parent volunteer editor, writer, and contributor.
To celebrate this publication’s longevity, we are reprinting the pilot issue’s invocation for readers’ suggestions:
“Since we wish this publication to be what you want it to be, we will welcome your comments, study your suggestions, solicit your opinions, and seriously consider for publication any creative efforts you might like to share. If you suspect that your genius may be desiccating from office air-conditioning or household fallout, send us your tired, your poor, your poetry, cartoons, or pithy prose – full credit for authorship given, of course. We’re waiting to hear from you…!”
As always, we appreciate your readership and welcome your feedback and story ideas. Please drop us a line!
