Community Traditions

THE SCHOOL COMMUNITY TRADITIONS

Then and Now

Presidio Hill School celebrates a variety of special events–some are decades-old traditions and others are more recent additions–which contribute to the deep sense of community between our current and alumni community members. As these traditions occur over seasons and across years, they become a measure of the rhythm of our school year and intrinsic to a sense of belonging and connectedness, even after students, families, and staff move on from PHS. We place great emphasis on providing opportunities for community members to build connections with each other and believe that meaningful connections deepen engagement and partnership between the school and home across years and generations. We intentionally build a variety of events into the school year and encourage alumni community members to join us for some of our most beloved community traditions.

Below are a few beloved PHS community events:

THEN

NOW

THE WALKATHON

The Walkathon is a fun, childcentered all-school event that helps students understand the importance of giving back to their communities and emphasizes the positive impact of a diverse school environment on academic excellence. Accompanied by their peers or parents, students go out into their communities to raise money for PHS’s Flexible Tuition program, engaging in activities ranging from bake sales, to art sales, to hosting movie nights with tickets for purchase. Then students celebrate their success at Presidio Wall Park by running, walking, or dancing around the track: a truly marvelous thing to witness! NOW

FAMILY & FACULTY OF COLOR BBQ

The PHS Multicultural Leadership Team (MLT) hosts an annual affi nity event for our community members of color–the PHS Families & Faculty of Color BBQ! The barbeque, our newest annual tradition and one started by a PHS parent, typically takes place at PHS during the Fall and features a delicious dinner, games and activities for children, and community-building for families, staff , and students!

NOW

MAY FESTIVAL

May Festival is PHS’s longest-running annual tradition! Begun in the 1950s and occurring the first Sunday of May, “May Fest” features students reciting original poetry, a festive May Pole dance by eighth graders, impromptu pickup bands and student-led songs, and games and friendships galore! Families are invited to bring a blanket (and maybe an instrument?) and picnic and enjoy the gorgeous May weather together with our community.

NOW NOW

PHS graduation is a special culminating event for our wonderful 8th grade students and families–many of you likely experienced it! Each year, students have breakfast together one last time, watch a slideshow compiled by 8th grade families, showcase their culminating art pieces, have one final classchosen-and-performed musical piece, and walk together across the roof yard to receive their diplomas. Graduating students offer tributes to each other, their families, their teachers and PHS experiences, and themselves, and teachers offer words of advice and encouragement to each student on stage.

THEN NOW

GRANDPARENTS & SPECIAL FRIENDS DAY

Grandparents & Special Friends Day at Presidio Hill School gives students a chance to bring a favorite grownup along for the magical experience of learning at Presidio Hill. Grandparents and Special Friends are welcomed in to our school for a special lesson in their student’s class–after a musical piece performed by the students, of course! After the day’s activities, most grandparents and special friends leave wishing they could go back and repeat whatever grade they just visited—so long as they could attend Presidio Hill the second time around!

THEN FOLLIES

Follies is PHS’s annual musical showcase and one of our longest-running annual traditions! Started in 1974 by PHS teacher Dolores Morris, during Follies every class takes to the stage at the Palace of Fine Arts to sing and play music through a musical extravaganza facilitated by the eighth grade class and the PHS music teachers. Complete with student-created art pieces, this is an integrated arts experience in the tradition of Presidio Hill. NOW