Collegiate Honors Kate Parthemos for Excellence

The 2021 Anne Jones Staff Award is presented to Kate Parthemos.
The Class of 1977 established this endowment fund in celebration of their 25th Reunion and in appreciation of the Collegiate staff who contribute to this School’s daily operations and mission.  The award is named in memory of longtime Upper School receptionist Anne Jones, the first recipient.

In a play, a great actor makes everyone around them better at their roles. This is similar to this year’s award winner as she has the ability to play many roles, play them very well and make everyone else’s job much easier and enjoyable because of her efforts. 

As someone who kept us safe at the temperature scanner last year, she welcomed many students, faculty and senior families into the front doors of the Hershey Center with a warm smile and greeting. Her goal was, and still is, to make sure everyone starts their day in a great mood but also remembers to follow the rules that keep us all safe and healthy. She makes everyone feel like they belong on this campus and are valued even when you forget to wear your mask when entering the Hershey Center for a temperature check. 

In the afternoons last year, rain or shine, she was the one constant presence in the 9th and 10th Grade carpool lanes every single day. When someone was needed to come to school on a weekend to help with temperature scans, or create seating assignments that followed strict COVID protocols for a number of school events, tape down markings for desks throughout different buildings, place directional arrows on floors, answer phones for the Upper School or move furniture from room to room or building to building, she did it with a smile and made sure the daily operations and mission of the school were carried out in the best way possible.

Now, that is all in addition to her job which requires house management of Oates Theater in which she designs the seating arrangements whether it happens with or without COVID for all assemblies, concerts, meetings, theatrical productions and outdoor events. She manages costume storage, work orders, setup request submissions, room scheduling, runs the Orff Summer program, finds missing students, sets up and breaks down rooms for classes, manages ticket sales, points me in the right direction when I am headed in the wrong direction and so many more duties that could be named. Above all, her love for Collegiate shines through in every job or task she takes on. That is why this year’s Anne Jones staff award goes to Kate Parthemos.

Comments made by Mike Boyd
At the Opening of School Meeting, August 2021.
Back