Tami Vacca, Co-President

My name is Tami and I’m happy to be partnering with Heidi Dahl this year as Co-President.  I have two boys: Lorenzo in 5th grade and Dominic in 2nd grade.  I have enjoyed volunteering at Thoreau the last few years in the classroom, serving as the chair for the Science Fair and Staff Appreciation Committee, and as Vice President.  Supporting our kids takes a village and I am so thankful for the friendships I’ve made through the PTA.  Outside of school I like to travel, garden, read, roller blade and wrangle my kids.   

Heidi Perala-Dahl, Co-President

I’m Heidi and our family has been part of the Thoreau school community for 4 years. Our oldest son is in 5th grade and our youngest is starting Kindergarten. We are a busy family who loves to be outside and family movie nights. We recently had the opportunity to move schools and chose to stay because we love the staff, teachers, and opportunities for community that comes with being part of the Thoreau family. If you see me around, please feel comfortable to reach out and introduce yourself (if I don’t first)! I really enjoy getting to meet the different families and people that makes up our incredible school! And thank you for your contributions to our PTA, without you we wouldn’t be able to do or provide many of the wonderful opportunities at Thoreau!

Melanie Bates, Vice President

Hi, my name is Melanie.  I have three boys: Noah, is an 11th grader, Rhys is a 9th grader, both at Juanita High Schooland and Owen, who will be in 6th grade at Finn Hill Middle School. My family and I moved here to Kirkland five years ago from Boulder, Colorado.  In Boulder, I was a part of PTA for six years and served in the secretary position for three of those years.  

I am a Para-Educator at Thoreau and have been on staff for the last five  years. I’ve enjoyed supporting and connecting with our Thoreau students, especially our Resource Room students who I work with the most. When I’m not being “Mrs. Bates”/“Miss Melanie”  at school and “Mom!” at home, I am doing my first love: writing (fiction/screenwriting/poetry).  I have been writing for a long time and am currently working on several fiction writing projects. 

I feel really happy to be serving in the role as Vice President. Please feel free to reach out to me. I love connecting with our Thoreau families. 

Joelle Brown, Treasurer

Hello, I'm Joelle, and I have been a Thoreau parent since 2015.  My youngest is Isaac, in 4th grade, and I have an older kid going into high school.  I joined PTA because I wanted to be a part of the solution, and it has been such a wonderful experience, I keep coming back to work with this highly capable board!  Say hi if you see me around, I love to chat.  When I'm having "me" time, I like to do laundry, read trashy novels, and mix weird drinks.  (If I'm listening to an audiobook, I can do all of them at the same time.)

Pallavi Bhandarkar, Secretary

Hello all, my name is Pallavi. I have a son named Parv Shenoy in 4th grade and a daughter who is 2 years old. I have been actively volunteering at most of the PTA conducted events since Sep 2018. On Feb 2020, I chaired the book rodeo event which was eventful and a very fulfilling experience. I love being a part of Thoreau PTA and look forward to helping other parents with their questions.

Pallavi Bhandarkar (she/her), Co-President

Hello all, my name is Pallavi. I have a son named Parv Shenoy who will be in 5th grade and a daughter who will be 3 years old soon. I have been actively volunteering at most of the PTA conducted events since Sept 2018. I have chaired the book rodeo and staff appreciation events since 2020. Planning for these events have been a fruitful experience for me. I love being part of Thoreau PTA and look forward to helping other parents with their questions. 

Ziyan Zhang (she/her), Co-President

My name is Ziyan (pronounced: zee-yan). I am honored to be partnering with Pallavi this year as Co-President. I have two boys: Ping Sun in 4th grade Quest and Rong Sun in 1st grade. For various reasons my boys have attended several schools in the area including Sandburg, Bell and Keller and I have volunteered in all of them in different capacities. I really enjoy participating in my children's education and supporting our schools to raise well-rounded kids who are passionate about life. Outside of school and work I love science, nature and choral singing. 

Manon Banuelos (she/her), Vice President

Hi there! I am Manon and I have been a Thoreau parent since 2018. I have a 4th grader, 2nd grader and a 16 month old. I was born in France and lived abroad until the age of 12. My partner is from Mexico and also lived abroad for most of his childhood. We've lived in the Kirkland area for about 7 years now. I've enjoyed participating in the American elementary school experience through my kids (quite different from the French school system!). I've always loved supporting children and families; I've worked as a preschool teacher and most recently as a birth and postpartum doula here in the Seattle area. In my free time, I enjoy writing, gardening and exploring the beautiful outdoors here in the Pacific Northwest. 

I have very much enjoyed being part of the Thoreau community and have volunteered in various capacities over the years including as an art docent, lunch helper and in the classroom during reading groups. Spending time with children in the classroom has been such an uplifting experience for me. Our school staff have been truly remarkable and have gone above and beyond despite all of the challenges of the pandemic. I truly believe that a strong partnership between parents and teachers is key to ensuring children's success in school. Thoreau Elementary is a special place and I look forward to a wonderful year together. If you see me around, feel free to say hi!

Joel Petersen (he/him), Treasurer

Hello! My name is Joel. I have lived in KIrkland for the past 17 years. I am originally a transplant from Nebraska, but before moving here, I lived in Japan for almost 10 years. My wife is from Japan and our family is bilingual. My wife and I have two kids. My son Taiki, has attended Thoreau from K through 5 and will be attending Finn Hill Middle School this fall. My daughter, Myka started at Thoreau as a kindergartener during COVID using a touchscreen laptop. She will be a 2nd grader at Thoreau this fall. 

I am a kid at heart. I enjoy travel, coaching flag football on weekends, and spending quality time with my kids. My guilty pleasure is playing video games. I started off playing Pong, but most recently I enjoy playing Fortnite with my son. 

My interest in education comes from my mother who taught for many years and is now (mostly) retired. Watching my children adapt and learn despite recent challenges has brought home to me the importance of supporting our dedicated teachers, staff and volunteers at Thoreau. 

Sara Frikken (she/her), Secretary

I was raised in Indiana but have been in Washington for almost a decade. My family includes two sons, a soon-to-be 7th grader at Finn Hill Middle and a soon-to-be Kindergartener at Thoreau, one wonderful husband, one terrible but cute dog, and two independent cats. 

I was a registered nurse in my former life- and I am now a full-time Mom, discerning fan of chocolate, lover of: family, reading, crafting, dogs and sometimes board games. 

I love being connected to our schools by volunteering and it's fun for me to work on the behind-the-scenes items that keep our organization running. I look forward to getting to know our community and helping in whatever way I can.