In addition to the many academic and extracurricular activities on campus, the school hosts events throughout the year for the entire Crystal community.
Crystal Alumni events, held throughout the year, offer our alumni the opportunity to renew friendships and explore ways to stay connected with Crystal. Some events are an annual cocktail party, regional events, and the popular Alumni Networking Event. Past networking events focused on "Food, Wine, and Sustainability" and Entrepreneurship.
The Gryphon Gala is the Parent Association's annual community-wide auction fundraiser that brings together parents, students, staff and friends of Crystal to support the Crystal Recruitment and Retention Fund. Past themes have included 50s Great Gatsby,The Crystals (Oscar-themed awards event), and Crystal Seas & Island Breeze (tropical). The Gala is a Crystal tradition and a great way to get involved whether volunteering or showing support by attending the event.
Crystal Springs Uplands School takes pride in making connections and contributing meaningfully to the world that surrounds us. In addition to grade-level service learning days, there are school-wide opportunities to help the community at large. From Rebuilding Together to Habitat for Humanity to Family Community Service days, there are ample service opportunities for students and their families.
Family and Friends of current students are invited to attend a normal day of classes. While many families invite a grandparent, aunt or uncle to visit, some parents take the opportunity to see a typical day in action. There are no special performances or meetings, and families are asked to RSVP for this event.
The Doc Ingersoll Memorial Golf Tournament is organized by the Gryphon Club and is a wonderful way for past and present members of the Crystal community to come together to support the school.
Royal “Doc” Ingersoll was a member of the Crystal faculty for 21 years. He was an extraordinary teacher, mentor and coach as well as a passionate golfer. This tournament honors his commitment to education, both in athletics and academics, and allows the school to enhance the educational experience for all students.
Once a year, the Parent Association organizes a Parent/Child Night for all Middle School students and their parents. Based upon a theme, this event offers Middle School families a chance to enjoy an evening of fun and entertainment.
Parents are invited to many other events throughout the year including Homecoming, Food, Folks & Fun, theater productions, musical concerts, Family & Friends Day, Lunar New Year, Diwali Celebration, Fine Arts Festival and Commencement.
The Senior Luncheon is organized by parents of the junior class to serve a special luncheon for seniors and their parents in May (following the awards assembly). Seniors are also given a commemorative gift.
Parents are invited to attend the Common Ground Speaker Series which is presented by a coalition of Bay Area schools that have joined together to enhance parent education in our communities. Its goal is to bring nationally recognized speakers to our school communities. Crystal is a founding member of the Common Ground group, which is supported by our Parent Association.
The Spring Luncheon chairs oversee the theme and execution of the PA's traditional May Luncheon coinciding with the final Parent Association meeting of the school year.
Engaging with Enthusiasm
Popular fine arts events are held throughout the year and include Great Performances, the Middle School and Upper School drama productions and musicals, Winter Concert, and the Fine Arts Festival. Through the Gryphon Club, the Athletics department hosts the Doc Ingersoll Memorial Golf Tournament each fall.
The Gryphon Gala is the major fundraiser sponsored by the Parent Association that directly benefits the school's incredible faculty, staff, and students. Grandparents and special friendsare invited each year to Family & Friends Day to join students in classrooms.
Alumni return each year for the Alumni Reunionheld in the Uplands Mansion, but they can also join former faculty and other alumni at gatherings in the SF Bay Area, and periodically at regional events across the U.S.
Each year students in both divisions can invite two adults to join them for a day of classes at Crystal. It's our version of Willy Wonka with a lot less sugar and a lot more learning! Parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, neighbors, and friends...
June 1 and 2 marked Crystal Springs Uplands School's historic Drive-In 8th and 12th grade graduation ceremonies. After months of distance learning and fears that we would not be able to celebrate our graduates at all, the school was thrilled...
One of our largest events of the year is the Annual Lunar New Year Banquet and Show which, in February 2020, brought the entire Crystal community together on the Upper School campus, for a grand celebration of the Year of the Rat.
Music in the Mansion (fka "Great Performances") is an annual concert featuring student musicians who showcase their talents, usually with different classical pieces, on various instruments such as guitar, cello, viola, piano, flute, oboe, and the guzheng.
A favorite annual tradition of all PAC members is the Valentine's Appreciation Lunch featuring delicious dishes and desserts provided and served by our lovely parent volunteers. We love you back!
We experienced snow flurries early this year! Crystal's annual Snow Day took students by surprise - even more than usual - on Friday, November 22, just before the Thanksgiving break. Once again, we brought divisions together in the spirit of "One Crystal" to celebrate this unique tradition.
For the Annual Friends & Family Day at the Upper School, students can invite up to two adult guests to join them for a day of classes and a delicious lunch on campus. Students welcomed grandparents, parents, aunts/uncles, family friends, and even older siblings...
Nondiscriminatory Policy: Crystal Springs Uplands School admits students of any race, color, national and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national and ethnic origin in administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship and loan programs, and athletic and other school-administered programs.