Novato Charter School Begins 30th Anniversary Year With Gratitude Day

Novato Charter School will begin its 30th Anniversary year this Saturday with one of its longtime community traditions: Gratitude Day.

On Saturday, August 15, current families, students, faculty, staff, alumni, and founding community members will gather at the school’s C Street campus to help prepare for the new school year. Volunteers will pull weeds, plant flowers, clean classrooms, make small repairs, and care for the shared spaces students return to each year.

Gratitude Day has been part of the spirit of Novato Charter School for years. It reflects the same sense of community that helped build the school from the beginning: families and teachers showing up, working side by side, and caring for the place they share.

This year’s Gratitude Day also marks the beginning of a year-long celebration honoring 30 years since Novato Charter School first welcomed students in 1996.

The school’s charter was approved by the State of California in 1995, making it California’s 89th charter school. Today, Novato Charter School is a tuition-free public Waldorf K–8 school and was named a California Distinguished School in 2023.

Throughout the 2026–27 school year, NCS will continue the celebration with community stories, alumni reflections, articles, videos, and events centered around the people and traditions that have shaped the school over the past three decades.

Gratitude Day Details
Date: Saturday, August 15, 2026
Time: 8:00 AM – 1:00 PM
Location: Novato Charter School, 940 C Street, Novato

Former students, families, faculty, staff, founding parents, grandparents, and longtime friends of the school are warmly invited to stop by, say hello, and help mark the beginning of this anniversary year.