Springtime is always packed to the gills with special projects and events that showcase the children’s personal growth and the rich lessons that have been presented in the classrooms over the school year. It’s such a pleasure to see each child, from Primary through Upper Elementary, rise to the challenge and celebrate their accomplishments! 

We were recently inspired and educated by our Elementary children through Lower Elementary’s Invention Fair and Upper Elementary’s Science Fair! These wise and creative minds solved problems and answered questions that have helped make our lives much easier and more interesting. The children shared their hard work with the community, and we all left having learned something new. 

We also brought back an old favorite event – Field Day! Under the incredible direction of Coach Rose, our PE teacher, Upper Elementary has been working all year to select and prepare a full day of activities for the Primary and Elementary classes. Everyone participated in a variety of events such as Crab Soccer, Hula Hoop, and Bean Bag Toss, and the day ended with a rousing round of Tug of War: Upper El vs. The Teachers! It was a hard-fought battle, but the mighty Upper El students were victorious – we’ll get ’em next year! After popsicles and participation bookmarks were distributed, everyone went home tired, but proud. We’re looking forward to continuing this re-booted tradition for years to come.

Last week, we were treated to another beloved event that is unique to Parkside – Cultural Challenge! For the first time, we made the decision to have each classroom prepare just one performance, rather than the usual twice-a-year event, so the children really, really poured their all into the extra-special selections they chose to share with the community. Singers, dancers, musicians, actors, and athletes of all ages dazzled and entertained us, and we were so impressed by the talent and bravery on display. Take a bow, everyone!

We’d like to offer heartfelt thanks to those of you who supported our Amplify Austin campaign in March. Nearly $43,000 was raised to kick off our multi-year fundraising campaign , Take Sweet Care of Parkside! Our three biggest priorities are the Children, the Teachers, and the Campus, and with your help, we can provide more student scholarships, enriching staff development opportunities, and campus improvements that will benefit the entire community.  Our goal is to raise $300,000 by Parkside’s 30th Anniversary in 2021, so if you are considering a gift to Parkside in the near future, please contact Courtney Moore and know that every gift is deeply, deeply appreciated.

Finally, we sincerely hope you can all join us for Gates of Life on Friday, May 31st at 11am , here on campus. This is a sweet ceremony in honor of the children moving up to new classrooms or moving on beyond Parkside’s gates. Former students are invited up to form the gates to walk through, and each “graduating” child is recognized and celebrated.

As for Claire and Joe, they’re not quite ready to walk through the Gates just yet! For now, they would like to hold off on “official” retirement celebrations until our 30th anniversary in Spring 2021, just rolling all of the fun into one big party. Claire plans to be in the front office at least part-time this fall, and both of them will continue to be at Simple Gifts every Friday. We will share any party plans as they evolve because we want you all to be there!

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