Traditions & Events

To build the strong culture of acceptance and community that is essential to all we do at The Attic, we maintain many rich traditions and a lively schedule of community events.

Among these traditions and events are our weekly all-Attic meetings, led by our school counselor and our learners. Teachers and children of all ages gather in one room to share announcements, problem-solve, and celebrate together.

Annually, we also hold a number of community events that both enrich our relationships and give our learners opportunities to lead and to showcase their work. We begin and end each year with community picnics and families are encouraged to take part in a fall family retreat at Camp Four Winds on Orcas Island as well as a spring camping trip after school is out.  We love celebrations and follow the kids’ lead on holiday parties.  Our learners work in multi-age groups to plan our Halloween and Valentine’s Day celebrations which have included everything from cookie decorating to a Karaoke dance party to pumpkin smashing on the field to face painting.  

Academic events include Writer’s Night, Interest Project Night, Math Night, and our spring Science Event. Kids work to create independent but teacher-supported projects to share with the community. We give learners authentic opportunities to experience the creative process, to take ownership of their work, and to engage in intellectual and social conversations with a multi-age audience of peers and adults. These events are celebrations of learning and growth as our youngest learners present alongside our oldest learners. Past Interest Projects, for example, have included presentations on everything from washing machines and kitchen chemistry by our youngest learners to animal taxonomy and nihilism by our middle and high school learners.  Every child has the opportunity to experience being an expert on something meaningful to them in a community that takes them seriously and supports them fully.