Loring - The Pawsomest Place to Be!

6/12/2025 5:32 pm

As I conclude my 2-year term as PTO co-chair and my 9^th year as a Loring parent, I find myself incredibly grateful to be part of the Loring community.  Our staff work tirelessly to make Loring a welcoming place where our children can thrive and grow to be their best selves.  Our families show up, time and again, to support our school, students, staff, and PTO in any way they are able.  Our students truly live up to Loring’s Core Values in the respect, compassion, and best effort they show in our classrooms and at our community events.  All together, the Loring community is “LUCKY” to have each other. 

These past two years have shown me the true impact the PTO has at Loring.  While our bigger events & fundraisers (such as Leopardfest, Bingo Night, & the Fun Run) are great community-builders and tend to get the most noise, it’s the quieter expenditures that often benefit our students the most.  From staff stipends for classroom materials, new library books & Field Day supplies, to staff appreciation initiatives, to creative enrichment programming for every grade (plus school-wide events!), the PTO continually supports everyone in our school community, throughout each school year.  Your support keeps our PTO rolling along year after year - whether you volunteered your time, supported our fundraisers or just attended our events with your children.  Thank you for showing up!

I need to take a moment and thank this year’s Exec Board for all their hard work and support.  As co-chair, Heather Larson not only served as a sounding board and confidant all year, but also regularly and seamlessly facilitated coordination between PTO volunteers and staff, while balancing her roles as co-chair, staff member, and parent (not an easy task!).  Sharon Brady, who is wrapping her 2-year term as our Secretary, could ALWAYS be counted on to pitch in wherever & whenever she was needed.  Sergey Zinger and Michael Landberg, our Treasurer team, kept our finances well-organized and offered sage opinions throughout the year on our various events and expenditures.   I have nothing but confidence that next year’s Exec Board will lead a strong PTO and continue to support our community in every way possible. 

Finally, none of the PTO’s events and initiatives could happen without the support of Loring’s staff.  Thank you to Paula Saliga and Vicki Harrington for all of the coordination, and question-answering; Shawn Maguire and Susie Trubiani, the absolute best custodial team EVER; our amazing team of teachers and staff, who dedicate each and every day to educating and enriching our kids;  and, last but far from least, thank you to Sara Harvey and David Gaita for their partnership, collaboration, and tireless support of the PTO.

To wrap up my 39^th (and final) newsletter – Loring is truly the most pawsome place to be. 

THANK YOU ALL! 

Melissa Perla, Loring PTO Co-Chair