Community
Celebrations
Pacific Primary transcends the traditional notion of a school: we are a tightly-knit and inclusive community where parents, teachers, board members, friends, and alumni families unite around the children.
Parents as Partners
Parents are welcome in the classroom, whether to read a book, assist on a field trip, do a project or simply spend time with the children. Through participation in the school, parents learn about early childhood education and parenting skills, and become familiar with their child’s class and teachers.
All families choose one parent committee and participate in the school in a variety of ways. Parents who volunteer find that while supporting the school, they build friendships with other families and staff. By actively participating in the school’s warm and supportive community, families reap many benefits.
Families in the Pacific Primary community can access ParentSquare, a secure website that hosts many school resources like the school directory, photos, event information, and classroom updates.
Family volunteering
Pacific Primary relies on parent involvement, with opportunities flexible enough to meet the skills and schedules of all our parents. Volunteering includes, at minimum:
- Attendance at an Orientation Meeting
- Attendance on one Maintenance Day
- Participation in fundraising events (Fund for All, Book Fair, Auction)
- Assistance with organizing a fundraising event
- Joining a Parent Committee
Traditions
Celebrations through the year
Holidays and celebrations provide an opportunity to celebrate the values and traditions of our Pacific Primary community. Celebrations are secular, developmentally appropriate, anti-bias and anti-commercial. Many are school-wide events, while some are celebrated uniquely in individual classrooms.
The beginning of the school year is a great time to introduce the concept of different kinds of families through the celebration of “Love Makes a Family.” Pictures, stories and drawings are displayed, and related books, songs and art activities are part of the celebration. Halloween is celebrated with songs and by wearing black and orange. Parents are invited to join their children for a Thanksgiving lunch. The goal is to keep the month of December as peaceful as possible; a Winter Candlelight Sing-Along promotes the ideas of peace, sharing and caring.
In January, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday is celebrated with an all-school Peace Parade: the children make hats, necklaces and signs to wear during the parade, learn about Dr. King through age-appropriate books and stories, and conclude with a story, singing and cake. Lunar New Year is also celebrated with an all-school parade.
As the year progresses, a group of school children visit from Japan, and in May a Special Friends Day is held: each child invites an adult friend to spend the morning at school, with a May Pole dance, singing and a special lunch. In June, staff, parents and friends join Pacific Primary at the San Francisco Pride Parade, where we march with other schools. Graduation is held in August with an all-school picnic: all children participate, and the graduates sing special songs and receive a flowering plant.
