After a forest fire, amidst charred trees and blackened ground, seedlings of new life soon begin to push up through the soil. Thus it was for our parents association, the APA, following the pandemic. What was shut down for nearly four years resurfaced in the last year or so in its new iteration.
The new APA is guided by these core values:
- community building
- inclusivity
- sustainability: thinking carefully about supplies used at events (recyclable/compostable), etc.
- staff support: supporting the needs of the teachers and school, making things easier when we can
- family support
The APA started in the early 1980s with the intention of organizing parent volunteers to support school activities. Their main event was a Halloween Carnival, which evolved into the school’s major fundraiser. For a history of the carnival, check out this link. The carnival grew to be a major production, and included a silent auction, a play produced and performed by Seed staff, games, food, a bounce house, and a cake walk. It was organized and produced by the parents, with considerable staff support.
Once the pandemic hit, all APA activities came to a halt, especially when the school had to close for five months in 2020. Over the last year and a half, the APA has slowly returned to its previous level of involvement, even adding some new events like Family Movie Night and a splash pad play time at a local city park. This fall they are bringing back a revised version of the carnival.
The 2024 Fall Festival is scheduled for Friday, October 25 from 3:15-6:15 pm. Unlike the carnival, admission is free, as are the games and activities. Food will be available for purchase and there will also be a raffle. Rather than being a fundraising event, the emphasis will be on community building. That said, the APA will need lots of volunteers to make the event happen.
Over the years, the Seed has counted on parent volunteers to maintain the quality of our wonderful events. The staff can’t do it alone, nor can the small group of parent volunteers who are organizing the events. We know most parents have full lives, with little time for extra activities. We are asking each family to sign up for one half hour of volunteer time at the Fall Festival. Stay tuned for the link to sign up in the coming weeks. It’s a wonderful way to help out the school, and you may even meet some engaging new friends while building our community. Thanks ahead of time for volunteering at the Seed’s 2024 Fall Festival.