SAPA Services and Social Activities

New Parent Mentor Program is designed to help new families make the transition into St. Albans through matching up a new family with an “old” family. Arrangements will be made with the new family so that when questions arise there will be an experienced family, preferably one with a student at the same grade level, who will be available to help.

New Parent Orientation is held prior to the beginning of the new school year. This informal meeting provides school and SAPA-related information to our new families as well as a chance to ask questions and meet other parents, staff, administration, and SAPA board members.

Opening Day Welcome Coffee is held the first morning of the new school year before and after the Flag-Raising Ceremony. All parents are invited to view the opening day flag ceremony and the introduction of faculty, staff, and classes.

Fall Family Picnic & Carnival, organized by the first and second grades, is held the first Friday evening of October after the start of the new school year. This fun-filled event is for the entire family, and it provides an opportunity to visit old friends and make the acquaintance of new parents and students. A hamburger barbecue with all the trimmings is featured, and there are exciting games and carnival activities for students of all ages.

“Kid’s Can” is an annual fall canned food drive held in the greater Sacramento area for holiday food baskets, which are given to families in need of assistance. The room parents from each class help organize this gathering of charitable donations from St. Albans families. Participation is voluntary.

CHiPS Toy Drive is a holiday project that encourages families to donate new toys to children who are hospitalized and disadvantaged during the holiday season. This is a service project that the teachers and staff elected to support, and SAPA helps with the collection at school. Participation is voluntary.

Faculty & Staff Holiday Gift List is SAPA’s answer to that “What should we get a teacher or staff member for a holiday gift?” question. In late November a list of faculty and staff members is provided by SAPA for each family to designate, voluntarily, any amount of money that they would like to give to specific personnel in lieu of individual gift giving. The names of contributors, but not the amount, are then listed in a greeting card to the designated faculty and staff members with a check for purchases of their choice. A person selected by the SAPA president and the Head of School handles the contributions. Names and amounts are kept in strict confidence, and they are known only to this one designated person, who also writes the checks to the teachers and staff.

The Faculty & Staff Holiday Luncheon is hosted by SAPA for every employee of St. Albans. The luncheon is held at a local restaurant following the teacher workday, which takes place the day after the Holiday Show.

Grandparents & Special Friends Day, organized by the third grade, is an opportunity for St. Albans students to honor their grandparents or “stand-ins,” which, in the absence of grandparents, may be special friends or relatives. SAPA provides a sit-down luncheon for the honored guests following a student-conducted campus and classroom tour. A special musical show is performed by each class as a finale to the day’s activities.

Faculty and Staff Appreciation Luncheon, organized by Pre-Kindergarten, is SAPA’s way of showing thanks from the parents of the school to those who give so much to the students throughout the year. Lunch and gift certificates are given as tokens of appreciation from SAPA to the St. Albans faculty and staff at this end-of-the-school-year event.

Parent Participation Points Program is the school’s service program that provides families with many opportunities to show support for the school. Parents are required to earn 50 Parent Participation Points each year by helping out in a variety of ways. Many of the school’s programs, classroom resources, teaching aids, and extracurricular events are made possible through the generous financial contributions of our families. Volunteer donations of time and effort made by each family, however, are of equal importance in providing a quality education for the students. There are numerous ways to earn points, but if a family chooses not to participate in this program, $25 per point not earned will be assessed at the final tuition billing of the school year.

Most parents continue to support the school even after the 50 points have been completed by volunteering their time and participating in the school’s fundraising efforts. Parent Participation Points are not transferable, and they cannot be carried over to the following school year.

Class Credit Assignment
Each class, prekindergarten through eighth grade, is assigned to be in charge of or assist with a specific school event. The room parents will advise the parents of their assignments. If a family elects not to participate in the Class Credit Assignment, the family will be billed $150 at the final tuition billing of the school year. Parents must participate in each child's Class Credit Assignment.