Santa Maria-Bonita School District teachers took to Santa Maria Fairpark to partake in a picnic-style lunch.
The event featured drinks, games and free lunch provided by Testa Catering.
More than thirty years ago, the school district hosted annual all-staff picnics to kick off the upcoming school year.
Organizers say that as the district got bigger, the yearly picnic started to fizzle out.
Now Superintendent Doctor Darren McDuffie is bringing it back.
"This is about our community. Really—it is. It's the foundation of everything we do to bring our our our staff here, our teachers, our custodians, our maintenance crew, to really let them know how much we appreciate the work that they do each and every day," says McDuffie.
He says the purpose of the lunch is to build a sense of community, allow teachers to reconnect after the summer break and create an opportunity to discuss plans for the year ahead.
