It's hard to believe the fall semester is nearing its end! Over recent weeks, we've been enjoying beautiful weather and special events on campus, some old and some new. The Elementary children once again presented two wonderful "living wax museums" for Ghosts of the Past, and we were all delighted and impressed with their work. We always leave having learned something and looking forward to next year. A few of the ghosts who stopped by were Beverly Cleary, George Washington, Kobe Bryant, Fred Rogers, Princess Diana, and many more!
Lower Elementary also completed rich La Familia history projects, Upper Elementary hosted parents for a lovely and lively Dia de los Muertos celebration, and Primary families enjoyed a special afternoon of pumpkin painting and playground fun with their communities. We're making baby steps back to community-wide events, and it feels fantastic!
Thanks to generosity of our Parkside families, we collected over 300 pounds of canned goods and food items for our annual Central Texas Food Bank drive! Even better, we were able to connect with Abiding Love Food Pantry, a CTFB partner and Hunger Hero, and deliver our donations directly to them and the 100 families they serve weekly. Especially during these very challenging days, support like this means so much, and we are grateful to our community for sharing the love - and stable food sources - with our Central Texas neighbors.
The Tuesday after Thanksgiving is known as GivingTuesday, and Parkside will again join thousands of non-profit organizations participating in this global day of giving. Following the widely recognized shopping events Black Friday and Cyber Monday, GivingTuesday kicks off the charitable season, when many folks focus on their holiday and year-end giving.
In order to help us continue to welcome and serve more children and families for the next 31 years and beyond, we hope you'll consider a gift to Parkside this Giving Tuesday, November 30th. Your tax-deductible donation to our Take Sweet Care of Parkside campaign will go towards funding student scholarships, staff development opportunities, and campus improvements.
To donate on GivingTuesday, please visit our Amplify Austin fundraising page HERE. If you're considering a large gift or have any questions about fundraising at Parkside, please contact me. We appreciate that some are in a better position to give than others, but every gift is gratefully received and will strengthen and enrich our entire community.
Speaking of giving, we had so much fun surprising Joe and Claire last month with the Community Room dedication! It's made us even more excited to truly celebrate them this spring at our "30th + 1" anniversary event, and we hope you can all join us. We are currently finalizing the date and venue, and other details and planning are underway as well. We are looking for helpers of all sorts, so here are ways you can support this special event right now:
- Corporate sponsorship or underwriting
- Donate auction items - goods, services, experiences
- Alumni outreach - help spread the word to fellow Parksiders
- Join the planning committee - we'd love to have you!
If you have questions or would like to help in some way, please let me know. It's going to be a great party!
There is a moment on my short commute to school each day where it hits me where I'm going and what I get to be a part of. I know how lucky I am to have found Parkside - for my family and for me - and starting my days with a goofy grin and loads and loads of gratitude is a gift I can never say thank you for enough. But I'll continue to try. Wishing you and yours a happy and healthy holiday season and a joy-filled new year.
Warmly,
Courtney
