Giving and Volunteering
One of our goals is to foster a strong community among LPSI parents and families. LPSI parents derive a deep sense of satisfaction from working on “real,” practical projects that enrich and strengthen their children’s preschool experience. This is also a very important piece in the Reggio Emilia philosophy and it is not idle chatter. There is a real culture of collaboration in the LPSI Family, and we expect parents to actively involve themselves by joining volunteer committees (Parents club and other parent committees) and by participating in fundraising events (the biggest of all being our La Dolce Vita gala on March 7, 2009).
Collaborating with other parents and community members who care about the success of La Piccola Scuola Italiana is also a great way to make friends!
Why support LPSI?
LPSI teaches Italian language and culture to those who will become the future ambassadors and keepers of Italian heritage and culture in the Bay Area and beyond: our children. Further, not only does LPSI give our bambini the myriad benefits of bilingual education while giving them the chance to know Italian culture, it also provides their parents an opportunity to share and celebrate Italian culture and bilingual education with each other. At LSPI, this is a very inclusive process, true whether or not our families are Italian or simply lovers of Italian Culture/Bilingual education. No demographic is arguably more crucial to the preservation of a way of life than young families, and no institution can reach out to this critical demographic better than a school. If you love and cherish Italian culture and language and want to see future generations keep Italian traditions alive and relevant in the Bay Area, we hope you agree that supporting LPSI is a worthy cause. Your contribution, particularly at this early stage when the school has more in common with a start-up company than an established institution, can truly make a difference. And this difference will yield dividends for many years to come, for many generations of children, their parents, and their grandparents. We thank you in advance for all that you chose to do for LPSI.
The Board of Directors, our Staff, our Parents, and our Children
La Dolce Vita
“La Dolce Vita” is the cornerstone yearly fundraiser for the School. The event is held in the heart of North Beach at Bimbo’s 365 Club. In 2008, 325 people raised $130,000, an unprecedented amount for a small pre-school. The event attracted a veritable who’s who of San Francisco society and was covered by the San Francisco Chronicle, 7x7 Magazine, The Nob Hill Gazette, and San Francisco Magazine.
“La Dolce Vita” will be held March 7th, 2009. The event will feature a ‘Mercato Italiano’ where guests will enjoy the flavors of Italy by meandering from antipasti to wine during the Silent Auction. The Mercato will be followed by a sit-down dinner in Bimbo’s fabulous main ballroom featuring an Italian dinner catered by the renowned chef Adriano Paganini. We will have extraordinary lots arranged for the live auction hosted by Buckley and Reynolds, arguably the best auctioneers in the country. The evening will conclude with dancing. Our payment systems will be fully automated through AuctionPay software to make the bidding and check-out experience flawless.
Parent Committees
There are several committees run by parents that help sustain the school and enrich our community, including Dolce Vita, Parent Club, Admissions, Computer, Facility and more! Please sign up fvor your favorite one: every little bit helps.
Open Houses
Volunteer to attend one of the Fall Open Houses and give prospective families your thoughts on why you chose LPSI for your child(ren). See Calendar for dates.
LPSI Capital Campaign
La Piccola Scuola needs to expand into a larger space. The demand is extraordinary and we would very much like to meet it with full day programs and more classes. Our short term goal is to identify and occupy a space suitable for expansion of LPSI. Our long term goal is to expand LPSI to include a K-8 program.