We are parents and guardians of students in Cook-Wissahickon Elementary School committed to working together to strengthen our school community and enrich our children’s education. Together with our school’s teachers, staff, and other community partners, we play a large role in the success of our school.

Over the past few years, our Home and School Association has:

• Raised money to offset the costs of field trips, school supplies, and events
• Paid for a new playground, benches, and picnic tables
• Coordinated annual events including book fairs, the holiday shop, teacher appreciation luncheons, and Fun and Fit Day
• Won grants to green our school campus and to install a kiln in our art room
• Established community partnerships with local universities and other organizations
• Run parent-led after-school clubs
• Coordinated parent volunteering in the classroom

Please join the HSA – download and fill out the 2022-2023 Membership Form. All parents, guardians, and community members are welcome.

Every parent and guardian is encouraged to attend meetings, volunteer, and become a voting member of the Home and School Association. Suggested dues are $5.00 per year. Every parent and guardian is encouraged to attend meetings and share their ideas and determine how we can best serve the school and our students. Teachers and staff can also join.

2023-24 School Year Officers are:

• Jessika Brock, President
• Brittany Bronson, Vice President
• Rhonda Moyer, Treasurer
• Maria McCorry, Recording Secretary
• Gina Snyder, Fundraising Coordinator       
• Jackie Adams, Activities Coordinator
• Erica Praga, Volunteer Coordinator
• Lis Fornaro, Correspondence Secretary

About the HSA

Jessika Brock, President – As of the 2022-23 school year, I will have 3 kids enrolled at Cook-Wissahickon: Max (3rd grade), Maddie, and Miles (twins in kindergarten). I currently work as a Development Manager at Benefits Data Trust, a Philadelphia-based nonprofit that connects low income individuals to public benefits. Prior to joining BDT, I was the Grants Manager for the American Friends Service Committee, an international peacebuilding organization, where I managed the operations and contracting for institutional funds. I’m originally from Texas, lived in NYC for many years, and moved to the Wissahickon neighborhood 7 years ago. We really love this community and I’m grateful to be able to support the HSA. 

Brittany Bronson, Vice President – Brittany Bronson (she/her) has been a Cook-Wissahickon parent for four years. During this time, she has been an avid contributor to fundraising initiatives, participates in school yard clean ups, and volunteers as a chaperone on all field trips for her twins currently in Kindergarten and her oldest son in 5th grade. In addition to her commitments to the HSA at Cook-Wissahickon, Brittany also leads Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion for CI&T. In this role, she plans and hosts engaging culturally relevant activities for a global workforce to enhance cultural competence, promote empathy, and increase inclusion and belonging. Brittany is excited to collaborate with the Cook-Wiss community.

Rhonda Moyer, Treasurer – Rhonda has been a part of the Cook-Wiss family for the past six years and is mother to a rising second grader. She is terrible with awkward silences and is prone to volunteering for things that no one else wants to do. She works in corporate and foundation fundraising at Penn, and is comfortable working with budgets, excel, and other financial systems, and is attuned to non-profit rules and regulations. Her mother, a lifelong municipal bookkeeper, who was also frequently recruited to volunteer treasurer positions, will be excited to lend Rhonda her vintage adding machine for deposit tapes (which Rhonda will most likely not use, although she does have fond memories of its sounds at the kitchen table while her mother prepared treasurer’s reports for the local cemetery). She is excited for the opportunity to collaborate with other Cook-Wiss parents and continue to make CW a warm and welcoming community school.

Jackie Adams, Activities Coordinator – My name is Jackie Adams and I am the parent of a soon to be first grader. My husband and I moved to the Roxborough area shortly after college. As graduates of Temple we knew we wanted to stay in the city we fell in love in and build our lives together here. Until recently, we lived on Pechin St. but moved to the Wissahickon neighborhood a little over a year ago where we were lucky enough to be able to send our daughter to Cook-Wiss as her catchment school. We are so very happy with this life change, as we have seen her grow and thrive in the environment that Cook Wiss has provided her this past year. The sense of kinship and family in the school community is evident, and this has driven me to want to become more involved to continue to forge and build upon this foundation. I am excited to continue to provide the Cook-Wiss community with engaging and enjoyable activities to strengthen the sense of community and Cook-Wiss pride.

Gina Snyder, Fundraising Coordinator (she/her) – My husband and I have one boy at the school – in 8th Grade. Our other son just graduated from Cook-Wiss. I am an organizational consultant, and a nonprofit fundraiser, and grant writer. I ran the East Falls Development Corp. and was a lawyer who worked for people who could not afford to hire a lawyer. My family lived in Marseille, France for a year to absorb French culture and language. We now enjoy the region’s gardens and arboretums. This is my fourth year as Fundraising Coordinator. I am thrilled at the business community’s support of the school and of the families’ contributions through NUT days. Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have ideas on how to support our children and the staff at Cook-Wiss through fundraising. I can be reached at: cookwissHSAfundraiser@gmail.com.

Erica Praga, Volunteer Coordinator– Hi, my name is Erica Praga and I am a mom of two here at Cook-Wiss, to a soon to be 5th and 3rd grader. I was a teacher for 10 years before opening Terrace St Bakery. Since the bakery closed, I have devoted myself to volunteering in the community, serving as a Daisy Girl Scout leader, Andorra library friends group, with the Rox HS Community group, and working as volunteer Head Librarian for Cook-Wiss to ensure the library is up and running for the upcoming school year. I am excited to be able to further help the HSA coordinate activities and volunteers so that we can build a strong school and community connection.

Lis Fornaro, Correspondence Secretary (she/her) – My family and I have lived in Roxborough for 16 years. We love the Roxborough and Cook-Wissahickon communities. We also love being so close to the Wissahickon valley. I work for the School District of Philadelphia Office of Research and Evaluation and am a former teacher. We have two Cook-Wiss students and I am happy support all that Cook-Wiss has to offer by serving on the HSA board. Please reach out with questions or suggestions! I can be reached at: cookwisshsanews@gmail.com.