Every community has traditions that form the bond that holds it together - KapKa is no different.  

Before the beginning of the school year, there is a camping weekend which is a great way for new families to ease into the community.  We open the school year with a potluck picnic in August and the Elders (1st graders) and Elder-Elders (2nd graders) have an overnight stay at Camp Long with the teachers.  We come together in the fall for our annual, adults-only fun(d)raising party and for our community Stone Soup lunch at school on the day before Thanksgiving.  Before the winter holidays we accompany the kids on their evening lantern walk, celebrating the solstice with lights and song.  Our party auction in February is the kick-off for a series of kid and adult events, including game parties, craft lessons, nature hikes, etc., hosted by KapKa families for KapKa families. We play and relax together on Mother’s Day weekend at Camp Orkila on Orcas Island, and we celebrate the completion of the school year at the pot-luck Moving-On Ceremony in June.

In addition to the above traditions, we come together in smaller groups for more spontaneous gatherings.  In the past year, these have included a knitting group of parents & teachers, grade-level pot-lucks, birthday parties at swimming pools open to the whole school and a book group focused on parenting.

Camp Long Overnight

Kicking off the new school year in September with a sleepover at Camp Long, West Seattle, is a Making dinner at Camp Longlong-standing KapKa tradition. This special event is for Elders (First Graders) and Elder-Elders (Second Graders).

During this retreat, children reunite with their friends and renew their bonds with their teachers.  Classmates are welcomed into their family groups, priming them for the learning ahead.  Amidst the meal preparations, songs and talks, our Elders and Elder-Elders take on the responsibility of being young leaders at KapKa.

Back to the Top 

Mother's Day at Camp Orkila

For years, KapKa families have been enjoying this Orcas Island getaway on Mother's Day weekend. It's a community retreat that's about only one thing: HAVING FUN TOGETHER! 

 Sunset at Camp Orkila

YYMCA's Camp Orkila is a pristine, 280-acre campus with breathtaking sound and mountain views. We spend our time, beachcombing, kayaking, hiking to the pond, practicing archery or riflery, exploring the tree house, doing arts, crafts and pottery, and climbing on the indoor wall. The children are free – and safe – to run with their friends, explore the huge grounds and stretch themselves in new activities.

Looking for critters

KapKa alumni families often attend Family Camp, so we all have a chance to renew old ties, make new friends, and feel our community expand in the fresh, clean air.

Back to the Top

Moving-On Ceremony

In June, to celebrate the transition of the Elder-Elders from our community to their new schools beyond--and, in smaller part, the K Kids' and Elders' transition to the next grade--we hold a Moving-On Ceremony.

Moving On Ceremony
• As each Elder-Elder child steps to the front of the group, flanked by his or her family, we hear from the teachers in what ways this individual has grown since kindergarten, and what special "gift" the child has brought to his or her teachers and peers. 
• The teachers then read wishes for the future written by the child and the child's family members, and present a small plant or other symbolic token to the graduate. 
• Afterwards, the K and Elder classes come forward and are officially promoted to the next level. 

We sing songs, thank the teachers, enjoy an enormous potluck, and play on the beach long past sunset.

Even though this represents the end of the school year, and for many, their time at KapKa, it's a time of renewal and bonding, and is one of the favorite events of the year.

Back to the Top