Service Committees, Events & Activities

See the password protected “Parent Community” section of Collegiate’s website for a directory of Service Committee Chairs. Current committee activities are included in the PA Newsletter, also found in the "Parent Community."

The Annual Fund is a yearlong fund-raising campaign in which all Collegiate families are contacted by mail and telephone to ask them to participate. Voluntary contributions enable an array of program enhancements and equipment acquisitions that would not be possible if Collegiate had to rely on tuition alone for operations.

The primary focus of the Archives Committee is the general upkeep of both the document and photograph collections. Most work involves gathering and filing materials, and identifying and filing photographs generated by the school and by students. Volunteers work with the Archivist and the Head Librarian.

The Arts Advisory Representatives serve as liaisons to parents, students, and the Visual Arts, Drama and Music Departments.

The Athletic Advisory Representatives serve as liaisons to parents, students, and the Department of Athletics and Physical Education.

Bargains for Boys is a sale of gently used blazers, used books, and athletic gear donated by members of the Collegiate community. It is a service to the community. Proceeds benefit the PA. The sale takes place in early fall. Donations are placed in a box in the Platten Hall lobby in advance. Volunteers sort, price, and tag during the preceding weeks and sell on the day of the sale.

The Annual Scholarship Benefit is a major fund-raising event that incorporates the special talents and resources of the entire community. All proceeds are donated to Collegiate’s scholarship fund.

Collegiate Collectibles is an assortment of novelty items such as water bottles for bicycles, neckties, tote bags, and pencils, all with the Collegiate name or logo, available for sale at PA meetings and other events sponsored by the PA. The committee chooses, orders, and sells the items. Proceeds benefit the PA. See the password protected “Parent Community” section of Collegiate’s website for the price list and calendar of sale dates.

Athletic apparel and backpacks are sold through the Department of Athletics and Physical Education.

The Collegiate Festival, inaugurated in Spring 2000, is a family-oriented event that celebrates the Collegiate community and the cultural diversity that enriches our school. By focusing on the arts, food, sporting activities, games and much more, the Collegiate Festival encourages our community to enjoy and explore the history and traditions that make us who we are.

The Community Service Committee provides opportunities for the boys and their families to be involved in efforts to support organizations in the neighborhood and the community beyond the school. Activities take place both off site and at school, sometimes in conjunction with Parents Association events, and include boys from Lower, Middle, and Upper School. Past activities have included a shoe drive for the children of Tajikistan, used book drive, winter coat drive, and care packages for the elderly. The committee also provides information about community service activities in the city suitable for Lower and Middle School boys, which can be pursued by an individual class or families on their own. Click here to see a description of the Community Service Events planned for the 2003-2004 academic year.

The Fall Book Festival, inaugurated in 1996, is a three-day event that focuses on the sale of literature to both students and parents. The Festival is launched with a party, for adults only, at which authors from the Collegiate community are available to autograph their books. Library Week and the Paperback Book Fair are listed separately.

Grandparents and Special Friends Day is a biannual (even years) opportunity for grandparents and special friends to visit the kindergarten and first grade on a Friday morning in the spring. After refreshments, guests spend the morning in the classrooms, where the teachers provide special activities that involve the guests.

Holiday Giving collects gifts donated by the boys in December for distribution to needy children and senior citizens. The boys bring in unwrapped gifts and put them under a tree that is located in the Platten Hall lobby.

Hospitality organizes receptions hosted by the PA during the school year. These include: the New Parents Reception in September, the Parent-Faculty Appreciation Tea in January, the Gala Concert Reception in the winter, and the New Kindergarten Reception in May.

Jamaa is a support organization for students of color and their families. Upper School Jamaa works on issues of student awareness and on suggestions for curricular content, and sponsors an assembly on multicultural issues on or near the birthday of Martin Luther King Jr. Jamaa holds regular meetings for parents of color and organizes an annual dinner for them, and publishes a periodic newspaper, The Truth. Upper School members serve as mentors to Middle School students of color.

The Joint Schools Activities Committees are composed of representatives from the Middle and Upper Schools of Collegiate and other New York City independent schools. The committees coordinate after school and evening coed functions for Middle and Upper School students, respectively, by grade level or combinations of grade levels.

The Library Volunteer Committee coordinates the volunteer efforts in the library. Parents help in the library on a regular basis and in a number of ways. Many Lower School parents choose to read aloud during their son’s library period. Click here to see a description of the library.

Library Week consists of division-wide book days at which students choose a book from a pre-selected group to donate to the library. Each boy fills out a bookplate and places it in the selected book.

The Lost and Found Committee works with the Division Heads and the Physical Education Department to return articles of clothing and other objects to their proper owners.

The Mailings Committee affixes address labels and stuffs the envelopes of the school-wide monthly PA mailing, which consists of the PA newsletter, flyers about upcoming events, and other timely information.

The New Parents Welcoming Committee helps families entering Collegiate after Kindergarten become better acquainted with the Collegiate community by pairing them with current families.

The Newsletter Editors produce the monthly PA newsletter following each PA meeting. The newsletter describes the discussions of the meeting, lists upcoming events, and includes columns by the Headmaster, PA President, faculty and parents. It is considered a vital link to those parents who cannot attend the PA meetings.

The Paperback Book Fair is a sale of new paperbacks held in the Alumni Gym in late spring. The school’s librarians and the parent committee select a wide range of titles and make them available for purchase. Parents are welcome to accompany their sons at the fair; the librarians and parent volunteers are available to help unaccompanied boys make summer reading selections. Proceeds benefit the Library.

The Paperback Book Fair Bake Sale, concurrent with the Book Fair, sells baked items to the boys and parents. Proceeds benefit the Library.

The Parent-Faculty Chorus: Parents, faculty, and alumni of all levels of experience and ability are welcome to join The Collegiate Singers to enjoy singing with a faculty conductor. The chorus performs several times a year: at the Collegiate Celebrates Music Gala Concert with full orchestra in a major choral work, at the annual school Holiday Program, and also outside the school throughout the community.

Parents in Action is an organization of parents from many different schools and volunteers from the wider community. Parents in Action offers programs to help parents create an environment that will foster communication and support their children. Each independent school has a representative on the Parents in Action Committee. Programs include Middle and Upper School seminars and parent discussion groups for kindergarten through grade twelve, moderated by Parents in Action facilitators. In addition, the Parents in Action newsletter is included with PA mailings when appropriate.

The Parents League is a membership organization of parents and independent schools that provides current information on education, entertainment, and enrichment opportunities for families in New York City. Each independent school provides a representative and individual families may become members on a yearly, paid basis.

The Parent Receptions are dinners held in January for each division and include parents, division faculty, and members of the administration. These social evenings are organized by the PA.

The Safety Committee organizes the Collegiate Safety Patrol, which monitors the sidewalks between the Collegiate doorway and the nearest subway and bus stops for an hour and a half following dismissal each afternoon. The school requires that one parent from each family walk one day each year for each son enrolled at Collegiate. Sitters or other people who are not adult family members may not fulfill this obligation. Scheduling is arranged through the Class Representatives. The committee acts as a liaison with the 20th Precinct, organizes the Safe Haven program on Broadway between 72nd and 86th Streets, and investigates any reports of incidents. For more detailed information on the Safety Patrol and on safety issues, see the “Parent Communications” folder included in the password protected “Parent Community” section of Collegiate’s website.

The Student Employment Directory lists boys willing to work in such capacities as child-sitting, escorting younger boys to school, walking dogs, and helping at parties. It is produced by a parent volunteer and distributed to each Collegiate family in the fall. The complete student employment directory is included in the password protected “Parent Community” section of Collegiate’s website.