Parents are an Integral Part of the Tampa Prep Community
Through the Tampa Prep Parents Alliance (TPPA), parents and guardians partner with the school to volunteer and provide support for activities, events and programs. The partnership between Prep and our families is vital for student success, so all parents and guardians are automatically members of the TPPA.
Raising Adults
It is important to note that Tampa Prep is also a place for students to transition into becoming self-advocates in an age-appropriate way. Beginning in ninth grade, our faculty advisors and administrative deans partner with students and encourage them to seek help and solve problems on their own (or with the support of a faculty advisor) before asking parents to get involved.
The ultimate goal of this pro-child approach to partnering is to prepare students to step onto a college campus fully confident to advocate for themselves, and able to thrive independently.
Students are at the center of our universe. As they mature, the adults in their lives should be satellites they can reach out to when needed, rather than moons that circle around them day after day.
“Our ultimate goal for our children is for them to find out who they are, what they’re good at, and what they want for life after college. We’re just along for the ride.” — 10th grade parent
The Tampa Prep Parent Alliance’s Parent Education Committee (PEC) brings in professional speakers throughout the year to discuss topics that benefit and educate parents with students in all grade levels. In the 2018-19 school year topics included:
- A Beginners Guide To Mindfulness: Helping You and Your Teenager Manage Stress and Anxiety with Dr. Karan Lamb and Tricia Schuster
- What Every Parent Should Know with Dr. Mary Martinasek
- Real World 101: What Colleges Want Your Kids To Know with Dr. Kerr Ramsey, Associate Vice President for Admissions at High Point University
- How To Get a Job and Keep It (for students) with Ryan Barack
- Teaching Teens How to Feed Themselves Food Culture with Krista Maddock
- When Your Good Kid Makes a Bad Choice with criminal defense attorney Andrew Shein
Volunteer Opportunities, Special Interest Groups & Events
Committees on which to volunteer:
- Hospitality Chairs
- Faculty Appreciation
- Parent Education Committee (PEC)
- Headmasters’ Challenge
- Community Service
- End-of-Year BBQ
- Grade-Level Representatives
Special Interest Groups to participate in:
- Book Club. Meets once a month at school to discuss a book.
- International Parents. Meets monthly at a home to share culture.
- Terrapin Dads. Why let moms have all the fun? Once-per-semester socials and tailgates.
- Outings Group. Explores Tampa Bay offerings via museums, kayaking, biking, etc.
Grade-level events to enjoy:
- Grade-level Socials
- Upper School / Middle School Student Lunch. Once per semester, parents provide a special treat or lunch for each grade level.
Welcome from the TPPA President
Hello, and welcome to the Tampa Prep Parents Alliance! I am Allison Mook, and I will be serving as your TPPA President through the 2022-23 school year.
The Tampa Prep Parents Alliance (TPPA) is a partnership with the school for parents to volunteer and provide support for activities, events and programs. We typically sponsor over 85 events throughout the year for our students, parents and stellar faculty and administration.
This year we’ll have monthly board meetings, grade-specific coffees and Parent Education (PEC) series webinars, as well as fun stuff like Book Clubs, Terrapin Dad’s events, parent socials and community service.
There are lots of ways to find out what’s going on:
- Review the TPPA section in the Parent Guide.
- Visit the TPPA page in the parent portal–dig into ALL the tabs.
- Reach out to one of the members of the TPPA Board, or any one of your grade-level reps for support or to share ideas.
- Explore the different committees, and attend a monthly meeting.
- Read the Thursday newsletter for TPPA links and updates.
No matter what, our purpose to foster camaraderie and a sense of community among parents remains the same year after year, as we think, create, be ourselves, aspire to excellence and go beyond just like our students! —Allison Mook, President of the TPPA
