Disclaimer: I am a School Within School parent, so if you attend this auction, you are benefiting my children’s school and you have my eternal gratitude. What follows is very biased. Come to the 19th Annual SWS Gala and Auction, March 5 at St. Mark’s Church, 301 A Street SE, from 6-10 p.m. All proceeds go straight back into the school!
If you have a little more time to read…
Most people are powerless when witnessing a slew of 9 and 10-year olds making naan bread. By the way, if you go to the auction, you will get to sample kid-made desserts and see exactly what your money will be funding. Photo by María Helena Carey
SWS at Goding is an amazing school. I can tell you about this first-hand, as a parent with two kids attending. The little quasi-wandering school that could, now in its third year at the Goding building, 9th and F Streets NE, has grown from a Reggio-Emilia inspired early education center to a bona fide elementary school, which will add a 5th grade class next year. Apart from having a curriculum that fosters and integrates the arts, SWS also has an inspiring and delicious Foodprints program, where children learn not just how to cook but what goes into their food. And while a few parents may be kale naysayers, the cognitively dissonant joy of having your school-age child ask for seconds on the (in)famous Tuscan Kale Salad at dinnertime is one of life’s strangest rewards.
For those of you without children, you may dismiss the auction cycle as “something parents have to do.” However, I encourage you to buy a ticket and be part of one of the many auctions that take place almost every single weekend in the winter and early spring, for the following reasons:
- They are a great opportunity to give back to the community: When people trot out the aphorism, “It takes a village,” it may be trite but it’s true. When parents, school administrators, teachers and the rest of the community come together to work on a problem, great things happen. Think of the school auctions as Beautification Day but with alcohol and impulse buys.
- Speaking of impulse buys: School auctions have amazing things! At the SWS auction on Saturday, you can score unique grabs such as Duran Duran tickets! There are also themed parties where you can learn to cook Indian food or sample great wines. At the upcoming Cluster Rocks Gala, you can score box seats to “a sporting event,” which honestly sounds really posh. (Is it lacrosse?)
- You can make friends: This may sound like a weird thing to say, but getting to know your neighbors and other members of your immediate community has many benefits. It’s this kind of closeness that makes Capitol Hill a gem– a village where people look out for one another. You never know who knows whom, and which kinds of interesting people you’ll meet. This kind of interaction with parents of older children (for those of you thinking about a family in the near future) helps prepare you for the inevitable soul-crushing toil that is becoming a parent. (Sorry.)
- There are heavy hors d’oeuvres and the catering is on point at all these auctions. For $55 a ticket, you can’t do better: food, alcohol, entertainment, and the possibility of friendship and (ugh…. say it) networking. It’s basically a bargain.
- *If* you cannot make it, you can still donate. We won’t get to party, and you won’t see me do the chicken dance to not-the-chicken-dance, but we’ll all still be deeply grateful.
So there you have it. Support the auctions, support the next generation. See you there?
WHAT: 19th Annual SWS Auction and Gala
WHEN: Saturday March 5, 2016, 6-10 p.m.
WHERE: St Mark’s Episcopal Church, 301 A Street SE
WHY: Did you even read my post?