3 minute read
Alumni Holiday Party
By Bailey Zahniser ’08 Alumni Holiday Party Recap
THANKS SO MUCH to all who attended the annual Alumni Holiday Party last December, and to all who worked hard planning the event! For the third year in a row, Rachel’s Ginger Beer graciously hosted us at their Capitol Hill location, and we got to munch on a crazy delicious spread offered by the Ma’Ono Fried Chicken pop-up shop.
The Alumni Holiday Party lives in a magical space between excitement and dread for me, as a member of the Alumni community, I love going to the event, not just because I’m on the Alumni Board and we put a ton of thought and time into planning it, but because I love having the space to be able to connect with friends new and old. Granted, I understand these events are mostly designed for extroverts, and being a huge extrovert, I enjoy navigating these social settings. So much so, that every year I make a goal to talk to at least one Alumni whom I didn’t previously know, which is always exciting and fun for me.
The dread part floats around those little moments when you recognize someone’s face,
but stare a little too long at their name tag, or you just completely can’t remember who so-and-so is. I guess the school’s Culture of Performance can somehow hauntingly follow you to events like these, pushing you out of your comfort zone or making you empathize with the awkwardness of others in this particular social situation.
One of the lovely parts of this event was seeing so many SAAS faculty! I think this was the largest faculty turnout at this event in a long time. With SAAS’s growth over the years, I have often heard that faculty feel they won’t see alumni they know, or that they feel the event isn’t for them. This year, however, it was an awesome turnout! It is really so cool to watch faculty and alumni reconnect.
Guests at this party represented classes from the 1990s to 2019! I look forward to next year, when maybe even more 2008 Alumni will show up. During the holidays, it’s always hard to plan and schedule a time that works for everyone, but next year, if you are in Seattle stop by, grab a drink, load a plate full of food, and talk to at least one person you didn’t previously know! ☜
Middle School 1137 13th Avenue Seattle, WA 98122 (206)323-6600 Upper School 1201 E. Union Seattle, WA 98122 (206)323-6600 @seattleacademy
FALL TRIMESTER
AUGUST 24 Upper School Fall Sports Begin 30 6th Grade Family Welcome Social 01 Middle School New Family Kick Off 02 Orientation Day for 6th–9th Grades 02 Class of 2024 Fall Kick Off 03 First Day of School for All Grades (6th–12th) 07 Labor Day NO CLASSES 25 Fall Sports Mania 28 Yom Kippur NO CLASSES
OCTOBER 09 Professional Development Day NO CLASSES 12 Fall Mid-Term NO CLASSES
NOVEMBER 03 Election Day NO CLASSES 11 Veterans Day NO CLASSES 18–20 Fall Trimester Final Exams 23–24 Parent-Teacher Conferences NO CLASSES 25–27 Thanksgiving Holiday NO CLASSES
WINTER TRIMESTER
NOVEMBER 30 Winter Trimester Begins
DECEMBER 11 Middle School Basketball Mania 18 Upper School Basketball Mania 21 Winter Break Begins NO CLASSES
JANUARY 01 Winter Break Ends NO CLASSES 04 Professional Development Day NO CLASSES 05 Classes Resume 18 Martin Luther King, Jr. Day NO CLASSES 22 Winter Trimester Mid-Term NO CLASSES
FEBRUARY 15 Presidents’ Day NO CLASSES 16–19 Mid-Winter Break NO CLASSES 27 SAAS in the City
MARCH 01–03 Winter Trimester Final Exams 04–05 Professional Development NO CLASSES
SPRING TRIMESTER
MARCH 08 Spring Trimester Begins
APRIL 08–16 Spring Break NO CLASSES 30 Spring Trimester Mid-Term
MAY 14 Middle School Symposium
MIDDLE SCHOOL NOON DISMISSAL
31 Memorial Day NO CLASSES
JUNE 07 NOON DISMISSAL 08 Class of 2021 Commencement Ceremony 09 Professional Development NO CLASSES 11, 14, 15 Spring Trimester Final Exams 15 Last Day of School 16 8th Grade Moving Up Ceremony
SCHOOL WILL START AND BREAKS WILL HAPPEN AS SCHEDULED. ——— OTHER EVENT DATES MAY BE SUBJECT TO CHANGE.
