FOR ALL COMMITTEES: on behalf of the PA, committee chairs are responsible for arranging facilities needs, organizing volunteers, coordinating communications/publicity, and managing expenses/budget, according to school policies and Parents Association guidelines.

Class representatives serve as liaisons between parents and the school, on behalf of the Parents Association. To keep parents informed and to build understanding among all in the class, reps maintain regular e-mail communications with parents in the class, establish an emergency telephone chain, organize activities such as Parents in Action meetings, coffees with the division head and class cocktail parties. Reps also are responsible for coordinating Safety Patrol volunteers and, in general, supporting their children’s teachers and the division heads as requested. Reps are expected to attend an orientation session and three divisional meetings each year and are encouraged to attend monthly PA meetings as well. Good communication skills and a commitment to support the relationship between the school and all families are important qualities in a class rep. In Lower School each grade is represented by two class reps, each serving for two years (with the possible exception of Kindergarten). Middle and Upper School grades are usually supported by three representatives each.

The Annual Fund is a year-long fund-raising campaign in which all Collegiate families are contacted by mail and telephone and asked to participate. Annual Fund co-chairs work with the Development Office to organize parent volunteers for two or three phon -a-thons during the year and generally support the Development Office’s efforts to encourage parents’ participation.

The primary focus of the Archives Committee is the general upkeep of both the document and photograph collections. The chairs work with the school’s Archivist and Head Librarian to gather and file materials and identify and catalog photographs generated by the school and by students. Year-round.

The Arts Advisory Representative serves as the PA’s liaison to the Visual Arts, Drama and Music departments and reports regularly to parents at PA meetings and in the PA newsletter on upcoming events of interest. Year-round.

The Athletic Advisory Representatives (one each for the Middle and Upper Schools ) serve as the PA’s liaisons to the Department of Athletics and Physical Education and report three times per year to parents at PA meetings and in the PA newsletter on athletic news. Year-round.

Bargains for Boys is a sale of gently-used school clothing, used books, and athletic gear donated by members of the Collegiate community. The committee collects donations of items and organizes the one-day sale, which takes place in early fall; proceeds benefit the PA. The committee’s volunteers sort, price, and tag items in preparation for the sale and work as cashiers on the day of the event. September-October.

The fall Book Festival, inaugurated in 1996, is a three-day event that focuses on the sale of literature to all in the school community. An evening reception (for adults only) launches the event and hosts authors from the Collegiate community who are available to autograph their books. Proceeds benefit the PA. The event is usually held in October but the chairs assemble a committee in May or June of the preceding academic year to begin planning before the summer. Some time may be required over the summer to prepare for the October event.

Collegiate Collectibles is an assortment of novelty items with the Collegiate name or logo, such as ceramic mugs, neckties, tote bags, and stationery supplies, available for sale at specified PA meetings and events and through the website. The committee chooses, orders, and sells the items and works with the Athletic Department to support the sale of athletic apparel and backpacks. Year-round.

The Collegiate Festival is a major family-oriented event planned by the committee every other year, featuring performing arts, food, sporting activities, games, and arts and crafts projects from the many heritages represented at Collegiate. Through this spirited, colorful celebration, held at school on a Saturday afternoon, the committee encourages all families to enjoy and explore the history and traditions that shape us as individuals and as a community. Year-round.

Proceeds from the Collegiate Festival Bake Sale, which coincides with the December PA meeting, support the Collegiate Festival and the committee’s other events. October – December.

The mission of the Community Life committee is to support an inclusive environment at Collegiate, recognizing that families bring a mix of cultural backgrounds. The committee will plan activities, in addition to the Collegiate Festival, to foster a sense of belonging for all families in a community that is enriched by a variety of experiences and perspectives. Events will include opportunities for families to exchange views and promote a common understanding (e.g., games night, book club, informal discussions). The committee also plans other family events on In the off year of the festival, the committee also plans other family events, such as a cricket picnic and family games night.

The Community Service Committee supports student-driven or school-directed community service efforts and provides opportunities for students, parents, and faculty, to be involved in one-day events to support organizations in the neighborhood and the community beyond the school. Parents chair specific events, including the traditional Winter Coat Drive (December/January), and one-day events such as helping coordinate the Special Olympics (spring).

The Curriculum Nights committee works with the Lower School , Middle School and Upper School administration to coordinate volunteers, schedules and nametags for each of the three curriculum nights in October.

The Hospitality committee organizes three or four receptions hosted by the PA during the school year, including the New Parents Reception in September, the Faculty/Staff Appreciation Tea in January, and the New Kindergarten Reception in May.

Collegiate’s parent representatives to the Joint Schools Activities organization include one or two reps from each of grades 5-8 and one or two US parent reps who work with US student reps appointed by the student government. Joint Schools is a non-profit organization which coordinates co-ed social and service opportunities for students of member independent schools. Reps attend monthly JSA meetings, organize one class event with a paired girls’ school, and coordinate the mailing of invitations and need for chaperones related to other JSA-organized events. Year-round.

The Library Volunteers committee coordinates the parent volunteer efforts in the library, including communications and librarian support as needed. Year-round.

Library Week consists of book days in February, during which all students choose a book from a pre-bought selection of new books to donate to the library and parents pledge donations to the library. Each boy fills out a bookplate and places it in the selected book. The committee organizes the communications to parents, as well as setup and volunteer support needed for library visiting periods. The committee includes parents responsible for each of the three divisions. December-February.

The Lost and Found committee works with the division heads and the PE department to return articles of clothing and other objects to their proper owners, by communicating procedures to parents and students and scheduling and organizing displays for “retrieval” of lost clothing. Year-round.

The Mailings committee affixes address labels and stuffs envelopes for the school-wide monthly PA mailings, which consist of the PA newsletter, flyers about upcoming events, and information such as updates to the student directory. Organize volunteers and coordinate with the mailroom. Year-round.

The New Parents Welcoming committee helps families entering after kindergarten to become better acquainted with the Collegiate community by pairing them with current families who agree to serve as a resource for new students and their parents in their transition year. The chair(s) oversee arrangements with host families, including communications about their responsibilities, and arrange one or two follow-up coffees for new families in the late fall and/or spring.

The Newsletter editors produce the monthly PA newsletter following each PA meeting. The work includes written coverage of the PA meetings, gathering of regular columns and reports from school sources and other PA committees, and computer production of each issue. Committee members share responsibilities for the monthly deadlines following each PA meeting.

The Paperback Book Fair is a sale of new paperbacks held in the Alumni Gym in late spring, as a service to families to select summer reading. The committee works with the school’s librarians, an outside vendor, and other parent volunteers to organize the one-day sale of children’s and adult titles. Late May or early June event, with planning beginning three or four months in advance.

The Paperback Book Fair Bake Sale, concurrent with the Book Fair, sells baked items to the boys and parents. Committee chairs arrange the sale, including donations of baked goods and volunteers for setup, sales, and clean-up on the day of the event.

The Parent Receptions are dinners held in January for each division, to which all parents, division faculty, and members of the administration are invited. The committee chairs and divisional chairs organize the invitations, volunteers, decorations and arrangements with the caterer and Dining Services and coordinate with the boys’ choruses who perform at the dinners. Planning begins in late fall.

The Parents Association Gifts committee is responsible for purchasing gifts for faculty, staff and administration for various occasions throughout the year. Year-round, with the greatest portion of the work occurring in November through January.

Parents in Action is an outside organization that works with parents from member schools that supports parent education and trains facilitators for meetings to foster communication among parents and a supportive environment for their children. Collegiate’s rep attends PIA programs and arranges PIA facilitators for class meetings, working with the class reps. The PIA rep also coordinates the distribution of PIA information to Collegiate parents. Year-round.

The Parents League rep facilitates communications from this outside organization of parents from NYC independent schools, which provides information on education, entertainment, and enrichment opportunities for families in New York City. Individual families pay dues on a yearly basis. Year-round.

The Parents of Jamaa is a parent group that meets to support the boys in Jamaa (a student organization that supports students of color) and, consistent with the policies and mission of the PA, to help their families feel comfortable at Collegiate. Parents help organize an annual alumni dinner.

The Safety committee works with class reps to organize the Collegiate Safety Patrol and oversees safety issues on behalf of the PA, coordinating with neighborhood safety groups such as Safe Haven and the Police Liaison group as well as safety committees from other independent schools. The chairs also work with school administrators as needed to facilitate communications and regularly provide updates to parents through various PA channels.

The annual Scholarship Benefit is a major fund-raising event to support the school’s scholarship fund. The co-chairs work with the Development Office to organize this annual event, which incorporates the special talents and resources of the entire community. The committee plans the entertainment, reception, raffle and/or silent auction, invitations, mailing, and publicity. The event is typically held in the spring, and planning is year-round.