By Heather O’Neill

Alamo Elementary School celebrated its centennial on May 16 with a block party on 23rd Avenue, closing the block between Clement and California streets to welcome students, families, alumni, teachers and neighbors for an afternoon of food, music and community.

The event marked 100 years since the school’s founding in 1926 – a milestone that parent organizer Joan Touchstone described as both rare and meaningful in a City defined by constant change.

“Reaching 100 years for anything is a massive milestone, and especially in San Francisco, in such a vibrant city that’s ever-changing,” Touchstone said.

A School Rooted in the Neighborhood

Alamo has long served as a neighborhood anchor in the Richmond, drawing students from across the Richmond and Sea Cliff neighborhoods. Touchstone said the school is defined by its motto, “Be a Friend,” and by the multi-generational families who have passed through its doors.

The block party was designed to reflect that same spirit. Unlike Alamo’s fall carnival, which takes place during school hours, the weekend event was free and open to everyone – a deliberate choice, Touchstone said, to include working families who cannot always attend daytime events.

The celebration coincided with the Heart of the Richmond Night Market, which closed Clement Street between 22nd and 25th avenues, merging the two events into one large street party.

The Educators Behind the School

Touchstone was clear that she wanted to spotlight the teachers and staff who have given decades of their lives to Alamo.

At the head of that community is Principal Rosa Fong, who has led the school for 14 years. For much of that time, she has been pushing to make sure Alamo’s campus matches the quality of what happens inside its classrooms.

“One of the things I’ve cared most deeply about over the past 14 years has been making sure our physical campus reflects the excellence, warmth and community that define Alamo,” Fong said. “Schools are more than buildings – they shape how students feel about themselves, how families experience community and how teachers are able to do their best work every day.”

That advocacy has translated into a string of long-overdue improvements – a new transitional kindergarten play yard, a renovated playground, a cafeteria refresh, campus beautification and a new roof – all set to be completed by late summer. Fong credited the San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD) project manager Ferdinand Vergiere as a key partner in making those projects happen, and she said none of it came easily.

“It takes persistence, partnership and a willingness to keep showing up for students year after year,” she said.

She sees the upgrades as more than practical fixes.

“Even something as simple as fresh paint in the cafeteria sends a message to students that their environment matters and that they matter,” Fong said. “As Alamo looks toward its next 100 years, I hope these investments contribute to a campus that feels welcoming, inspiring and future-focused – a place where students can thrive academically and socially, where staff feel supported and where families continue to build lasting relationships.”

Alamo has the distinction of having several teachers who are approaching their 30th anniversaries at the school. Kat Sena, the school’s director of choral music, has been there even longer (32 years) and has spent most of that time building the youth chorus program into a school institution.

Sena launched the chorus in 1996 and the program has run continuously ever since, including through the COVID-19 pandemic, with between 80 and 100 students participating each year.

“It has actually been studied that environments where people sing together are more connected and happier,” Sena said. “I think the fact that we have honored the arts here at Alamo helps create an environment where people are able to express themselves and be appreciated and heard.”

Sena, a lifelong musician, is preparing to release her seventh album this summer and said she hopes her continued creative work sends a message to her students.

“I am finally achieving dreams right now with my music that I dreamed about when I was 10,” she said. “We don’t give up because of age. We can make things happen at any age.”

The Time Capsule That Wasn’t Buried

One of the most anticipated features of the block party was a historical display, and the story of how it came together turned out to be its own piece of Alamo lore.

Kindergarten teacher Betty Liu, who has taught at Alamo for nearly 30 years, learned while planning the centennial that a time capsule had been created for the school’s 75th anniversary in 2001. Word among former staff was that it had been buried somewhere in the front garden, near a eucalyptus tree in the area dedicated to former State Sen. Milton Marks.

What followed was a multi-week search involving a borrowed metal detector, weekend digging sessions, parent volunteers with shovels and eventually a professional-grade metal detector. The team found pennies, bottle caps, rocks and pipes, but no time capsule.

The answer came unexpectedly. Music teacher Kat Sena mentioned she might have seen something labeled as a time capsule in basement storage. As the two were talking near the school office, Sena pointed to a box sitting near the school secretary’s desk.

Liu turned it over. The label read: “75th Anniversary Time Capsule.”

The capsule had apparently been moved from basement storage, likely after a pipe burst, and had been sitting in or near the school office, including a stint in Principal Fong’s office, for roughly a year. It was never buried.

Inside were photos, letters, a contents list and fabric fortune cookies (one per grade level) filled with wishes written by students from the 2000–01 school year. Teachers selected favorites for a display at the block party’s historian table.

Centennial Merchandise, a T-Shirt Contest and Special Guests

The school marked the occasion with limited-edition merchandise, including a design featuring an “Alamo 100” logo inspired by the nearby 4 Star Theater. A student T-shirt contest drew about 80 submissions from kids in transitional kindergarten through fifth grade. The winner was Florence Chen, a third grader, whose design – a blue shirt with a green gator and red accents – was printed and given to every student, educator and paraprofessional in the school to wear on Fridays for Spirit Day.

“It’s amazing seeing the sea of children wearing their blue shirts with the green gator and the red accents on it,” Touchstone said.

The school invited Mayor Daniel Lurie, Supervisor Connie Chan and SFUSD Superintendent Dr. Marina Su. The event also featured an appearance by Lou Seal, the San Francisco Giants mascot – a fitting guest, given that San Francisco Giants president and CEO Larry Baer is an Alamo alumnus.

Food at the event came from Brothers, a local Mexican food truck,and Smokin’ D’s, a fusion barbecue restaurant opening in the former K-Elements space at 23rd Avenue and Clement Street. Music was provided by a DJ, who is also an Alamo parent.

A beer garden featured kegs from Richmond Republic, a brewery co-owned by former Richmond District resident Dave Heft and Alamo parent Ender Markel, alongside wine donated by local wineries including Woods and Taft Street Wineries.

“At Richmond Republic, we don’t just serve this neighborhood ; we live here. As an Alamo parent, I think it’s essential for local businesses to step up and support the schools that anchor our community,” Markel said. “It’s about more than just a sponsorship. It’s about showing up for the families who make Richmond such a cool place to live. We’re happy to help bring everyone together for a great cause.”

Looking Back and Forward

For those who have spent their careers at Alamo, the centennial was a chance to reflect on what has made the school endure and what they hope comes next.

Fong said she wishes that students carry this moment with them long after the block party lights go down.

“I hope today’s students remember that they were part of something bigger than themselves, a truly special moment in the life of Alamo,” she said. “A 100th birthday only happens once.”

But beyond the celebration itself, she wants the year to leave students with something more lasting.

“I hope they remember how it felt to belong here: to learn, grow, make friends, discover their strengths and feel supported by a community that believes in them,” Fong said. “If students leave this centennial year feeling proud of their school and confident in their ability to shape the future, then I think we’ve honored this milestone in the best possible way.”

Liu, who grew up in the Richmond and has watched former students return as parents, sometimes with children, now in her kindergarten class, said the answer to Alamo’s longevity is simple: community.

“There’s always just been a cycle of people stepping in and stepping up to provide what the community needs,” she said.

Sena agreed. “I am so proud to have been part of this community for 30 years,” she said. “It’s a really special time right now.”

And Touchstone, for her part, said she hopes people remember who made it all possible.

“The educators are putting so much effort into everything at Alamo, that they deserve to be the stars.”