Go from Community Night to Garden Day at Carthay
Back-to-back opportunities to build community and cultivate connection with families at Carthay? Say less!
As someone who was a teenager in the late-90s/early-00s, I was led to believe by many magazines that it’d be extremely important as an adult to have work outfits that could take me from day to night. The rise in remote work may have made that career advice irrelevant, but this week we’re flipping it and keeping the community vibes going from night to day at Carthay!
Whether you’re a seasoned pro who’s attended countless Community Nights and Garden Days or you’re joining us for the first time, read on for all of the fun activities we have planned and the many opportunities you have to volunteer (even if you’re not LAUSD approved!)
Oh, and you can wear whatever’s most comfortable, we no longer take fashion advice from Seventeen Magazine. 😉
First up —Community Night!
Friday, Sept 25 from 4:30 – 6:30pm | Enter through the Foster Gate
Kick the weekend off right with Community Night, our annual picnic-style family fest that has a little something for everyone. It’s our chance to gather together as a community to enjoy the spaces and enrichment programs that make our school unique while getting to know new friends and catching up with old pals. Read on for a rundown of what to expect!
WHAT HAPPENS BEFORE THE EVENT?
Community Night is this Friday, but there are a couple of things to take care of between now and then:
📮 RSVP to let us know you’re coming
🥡 Pre-order your meal by Wednesday the 23rd at noon if you don’t plan to pack your own picnic dinner (light snacks and drinks will be available for purchase)
🙋♂️ Sign up to volunteer before, during, or after the event (even if you’re not an approved volunteer)
👻 Gather up any books and gently-used Halloween costumes you’d like to donate to the costume and book swap
🧺 Pull out your favorite picnic blanket or beach chairs if you plan on lounging on the lawn
WHAT HAPPENS DURING THE EVENT?
Community Night has a choose-your-own-adventure kind of vibe. You could opt to park it on a picnic blanket and hang out on the lawn while listening to music, blanket-hop to visit friends, or spend the evening following your kid from activity to activity.
Speaking of activities, there will be tons of things for students and their families to do throughout the evening, including:
🛝 A massive inflatable slide for the kids, giant Jenga and Connect 4, and regular sized Cornhole on the soccer field.
🪴 A 20th anniversary celebration of our Garden with throwback photos, cake, and our brand new "Voices of the Garden" audio tour, plus some nature-themed activities and crafts.
🥗 A cooking demonstration by the Garden School Foundation (they’re who run our Garden Science & Cooking classes!) featuring Summer Pasta Salad and seed bomb making.
⚙️ A hands-on STEM activity from one of our Makerspace partners, Re/Discover.
📚 A costume and book swap where you can drop off your gently-used costumes of Halloweens past and once-loved books that could use a new home, and leave with some new-to-you goodies.
No matter which adventure(s) you choose, there’s no wrong way to do Community Night!
HOW CAN I HELP?
Events like these are a group effort, and we couldn’t pull them off without our wonderful volunteers. Volunteering is a great way to meet other parents and caregivers, get to know the students and school staff, and feel like you’re part of the fabric of the community.
If you’ve been on the fence about becoming an LAUSD-approved volunteer, this is a great chance to see what it’s all about because no approval is needed to help out at this event!
We still need volunteers to help with:
🪜 Pre-event setup
👕 Carthay Spirit T-shirt sales
🎨 Arts & crafts tables
🧃 Snack & drink sales
🧹 Post-event cleanup
Can’t volunteer your time? You can still help by donating items like sparkling water, juice boxes, and picnic blankets for families to use during the event (you’ll get these back!)
Whether you can give some time, contribute an item, or simply join us for the evening, there’s a way for every family to participate.
→ Head here to choose how you want to help
Come reconnect with familiar faces, get to know some new friends, and spend an easygoing evening at Carthay celebrating our community, the new school year, and the 20th anniversary of our beloved Garden!
Speaking of the Garden, come back the next morning for…
Community Garden Day in partnership with UCLA
Saturday, Sept 26 from 9am – 12pm | Enter through the Carrillo Gate
If Friday night is for celebrating the Garden, then Saturday morning is for rolling up our sleeves and giving it some love!
Join Carthay families and volunteers from the UCLA Volunteer Center as we tend to and improve our outdoor classroom and garden at our first Community Garden Day of the school year. Whether you’re a green thumb or a serial killer of even “easy” plants, all you need to bring with you Saturday morning is a can-do attitude!
WHAT HAPPENS BEFORE THE EVENT?
📮 RSVP here so we can bring enough shovels (and snacks)
🥾 Wear closed-toe shoes and clothes you don’t mind getting a little dirty
👨👧 Bring the kids—all ages and skill levels are welcome (but children must stay with a grown-up)
WHAT HAPPENS DURING THE EVENT?
Throughout the morning, we’ll tackle projects around the Garden and outdoor classroom together, including:
🦆 Building a duck coop
🐔 Adding nesting boxes to the chicken coop
Building new raised beds by the bungalows and prepping existing beds for fall planting
🌿 Refreshing the native landscaping
Tools and light refreshments will be provided, and you’re welcome to participate as much or as little as you want.
HOW CAN I HELP?
There’s a place for experienced gardeners and first-time helpers alike. No LAUSD volunteer approval is required for this weekend event, so just RSVP and enter through the Carrillo Gate on Saturday morning.
See you in the Garden!
And there you have it - your night to day plans for gathering at and giving back to Carthay this week! As always, feel free to reach out with any questions, ideas, or concerns to CarthayPTA@gmail.com, or post in the Carthay PTA WhatsApp Community.
We hope to see you and your family there, and keep an eye out for other exciting upcoming PTA events like Spooktacular next month!
