EVENTS & FUNDRAISERS   

FALL FAMILY FESTIVAL.  This is our first big event of the school year, held on a Saturday in October.  It is an outdoor event (weather permitting) open to all Great Neck Community School families. The activities include playing on our playground, scarecrow making, music and other entertainment, face-painting, cookie decorating, and crafts.  We also provide refreshments.  Families pay a “per family” admission fee.  Traditionally, we have also had raffle prizes.  Volunteers will help plan and run the activities, work at craft tables and refreshment tables, solicit local stores for donations of raffle prizes and food, pick up and deliver food, and clean up.

BOOKFAIR.  In collaboration with Scholastic Books, Great Neck Community School runs a Book Fair in late January or early February of each school year.  The Book Fair opens for business on a Saturday and continues during school hours and in the evening on Monday and Tuesday as well as on Wednesday morning.  Scholastic Books provides all of the books and displays.  Volunteers unpack the boxes and set up the displays, re-stock as necessary and collect payment for the books sold.  At the evening hours, we also have pajama parties and storytelling for the children, as well as crafts and refreshments.  Traditionally, Clifford the Big Red Dog (a parent dressed in costume) has visited the children on opening day.  The children really enjoy all of the activities associated with the Book Fair. 

HEALTH FAIR.  This event, which takes place during school hours on a Friday in March, is run by the Health Committee, a description of which is listed under Administrative Committees (below). 

PARENT SOCIAL/SILENT AUCTION.  This event is a special “grown up” night out for the parents and teachers. It is traditionally held in March.  In the past few years, the Parent Social has been held in such places as the Harbor Links Golf Club, the Knickerbocker Yacht Club and the Merchant Marine Academy.  It is a night of cocktails, dinner and dancing, and includes a Silent Auction and raffle prizes.  

MAYFAIR.  This is the last big event of the year, traditionally held in May (and occasionally early June).  Like Fall Festival, it is a big celebration for Great Neck Community School families held outdoors on our playground (weather-permitting).  MayFair has traditionally been more carnival-like than Fall Festival and in the past few years has includes a bouncy castle, a juggler and other fun activities. Families pay a “per family” admission fee.  Traditionally, we have also had raffle prizes.  Volunteers will help plan and run the activities; work at games, crafts and refreshment tables; solicit local restaurants for donations of food and drinks; pick up and deliver food; and clean up. 

TEACHER RECOGNITION EVENING.  This is a very special night held in honor of all of the teachers.  Parents of 4-year-olds who are “graduating” and board members are invited, as are the teachers.  It has traditionally been held at the home of a Great Neck Community School parent and parents provide the food.  In the past, it has been held a day or two after school ends in June.

FUNDRAISING.  Great Neck Community School has a fundraising committee that seeks out new ways to raise money for the school and then helps to publicize the fundraisers to the parents.  The committee is headed by the school’s Financial Secretary, who is a member of the Executive Board.  In the past, we have had shopping days at Macy’s and Barnes and Noble, gift wrapping at Barnes and Noble, a day where Pancho’s donated a percentage of dinner checks to our school, as well as an ArtWare fundraiser, which prints your child’s artwork on t-shirts, mugs, mouse pads, etc.  We have also been quite successful selling items on EBay and need volunteers if we are to continue doing that. 

YEARBOOK.  For the past several years, Great Neck Community School has had a yearbook which includes individual and class photographs of all of the children, as well as highlights of the events throughout the year.  Parents are also invited to place ads in the yearbook with special messages for their children and/or for the teachers.  The yearbook is a great memento for the children to remember their years at Great Neck Community School.

PHOTO DAY.  In October or November, a professional school photographer comes to Great Neck Community School to take individual and class photographs of the children.  Parents are given the opportunity to review the proofs and order photographs.  The photographs are also published in our Yearbook.  Parent volunteers are needed to help organize the classes and staff on Photo Day and to follow-up with orders, money collection and distribution of the photographs.

ADMINISTRATIVE COMMITTEES  

BUDGET AND FINANCE.  Working with the Treasurer, who is a member of the Executive Board, the Budget and Finance Committee reviews the income and expense information of the school and prepares the school’s operating budget for the following school year.  The budget is what determines tuition for the upcoming year, as well as any increases to teacher salaries.  Most of the committee’s work is done in November, December and January. 

CONTRACTS AND LEGAL.   From time to time, Great Neck Community School needs an attorney to review contracts (such as enrollment contracts) and other legal documents.  The school may also need legal advice with respect to contracts or in other areas of law.  Members of this committee must be attorneys and will need to become familiar with the school’s by-laws. 

OFFICE ASSISTANCE & PARENT COORDINATOR.  From time to time, the Business Administrator of Great Neck Community School will need additional help with office work or will be out for the day.  On these days, parent volunteers are asked to help in the office by answering phones and doing light office work. 

HEALTH.  The Health Committee has several responsibilities during the school year.  The big event that they plan (and for which the most volunteers are needed) is the Health Fair.  This event, which takes place during school hours on a Friday in March, introduces children to things that they may encounter at a visit to a doctor’s office.  It is intended to alleviate any fear or hesitation that children may have in visiting the doctor.  The event is a lot of fun for the children.  They learn about x-rays, nutrition, physical fitness, and how our bodies work.  The Health Committee is also responsible for reviewing vaccination forms and completing a report to the state on the number of children who have all of their required vaccinations.  Finally, volunteers are needed to help with the vision screening and hearing screening, to assist the professionals who run the screenings and to record results.

HOSPITALITY & SHOPPING ASSISTANCE.  Volunteers are asked to purchase items needed at the school (and are reimbursed by the school).  For example, they may be asked to buy several bottles of apple juice, boxes of crackers, bags of pretzels, paper goods, etc.  More shopping usually takes place around holidays, when classes may have special parties.

SCHOLASTIC ADMINISTRATION.   Approximately six to eight times during the school year, parents are given the opportunity to order specially-priced books from Scholastic Books.  An order form is distributed to the parents.  This is a one person committee.  The person who chooses this position will be responsible for tallying each class’ book order onto a master order form and submitting the order to Scholastic by mail.  You will also need to check each child’s order to see that forms are completed and that the correct amount of money is submitted.

TECHNOLOGY.  This committee is responsible for investigating ways to better utilize current technology in the school’s office.  This entails researching and evaluating technology tools for use in the school, such as new hardware and software, and setting up of new hardware and software.  

BUILDINGS, GROUNDS & BEAUTIFICATION.  This committee is responsible for gardening and general beautification of the school grounds, including seasonal decorating and basic assembly tasks, such as putting together picnic tables, benches, etc. 

LIBRARY.  The school has a library upstairs, above the office.  New books are added from time to time and the collection needs to maintained approximately monthly. 

COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT.  Great Neck Community School likes to teach children the importance of the community outside of our school and homes.  This committee is responsible for finding appropriate avenues to involve the school in community service activities, such as clothing drives, holiday toy drives, special projects with senior citizens, and involvement with other needy causes. 

PUBLICITY.  The publicity committee is responsible for the marketing of the school to the public, with a goal towards enrolling new families.  This committee creates our advertising and marketing tools, such as the advertisements that we place in newspapers.  

PUBLIC RELATIONS.  This committee is responsible for writing news articles about events and current happenings at Great Neck Community School and submitting the articles to local newspapers for publication. 

PHOTO HISTORIAN.  This committee is responsible for organizing and storing (preferably digitally) photos and historical documents that belong to Great Neck Community School.  This would include the backlog of historical photos and news articles as well as current photos and articles.