Celebration and Events Guidelines

These guidelines were established in collaboration with the Building Leadership Team and the PTA Equity Team and will be reviewed on a yearly basis.

Whole-school Events

Out of respect for the ethnic and cultural diversity of our school community, Cedar Park Elementary will not celebrate religious or cultural holidays. Instead, whole-school events will focus on building and inclusively celebrating our school community.

Examples of whole-school events might include Literacy or Math night, a Talent Show or a Science Fair. End-of-year celebrations may include Field Day, a picnic lunch or a sweet treat. 

Classroom Events

Several times a year, classrooms will host events to celebrate hard work, our community and our friendships. Classroom celebrations are coordinated by the teacher and the Room Parent and are intended to include crafts, games, snacks and opportunities for family involvement.

A classroom might host a fall celebration before Fall Conference Week, a winter celebration before the Winter Break and a Friendship celebration after the Mid-Winter Break (February is International Friendship Month).  

Educational Events

Throughout the year there may be events of historical or cultural significance that we observe through an educational format. Indigenous Peoples’ Day, Black History Month & Juneteenth are all such examples. All Seattle schools are mandated to observe Veterans Day and Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

Classrooms, with Library and Librarian support will learn about the significance of the event through lessons, activities and books. On occasion families may want to share important pieces of their own family’s history or culture. Families are encouraged to communicate with the classroom teacher to see if share time is available. 

Costume or Dress Up Days

A few times a year Cedar Park will celebrate Spirit Week. During that week we will have different opportunities to dress up in costumes. Examples might be Fancy Day, Superhero Day or Favorite Color Day.

Sometimes classes might celebrate reaching a goal by having a class party that includes a Cozy Day, where students might wear cozy clothing and bring a stuffy to class.

We do not observe cultural holidays like Halloween with costumes, dress up or class parties.

PTA/Community Events

The Cedar Park PTA is a diverse and vibrant organization, dedicated to building a strong and supportive community. The PTA hosts a variety of events throughout the year designed to bring families together during non-school hours. In general, the PTA hosts a Welcome Event at the start of the year, a Mid-Winter Festival, an End-of-Year Celebration and a few Movie Nights.

All Cedar Park families are welcome to attend all events, even if they are not members of the PTA.