Events

The Art Show occurs in the spring in conjunction with Grandparents' and Special Friends' Day and is an opportunity for children's artwork to be displayed for parents and visitors to see. Art curators are encouraged to assist with this event.

Chair Role: The Chair organizes volunteers and works with the art faculty to support the Art Show. Volunteering usually entails matting and labeling artwork, setting up the art room with stands, pinning artwork to boards, and so on. Art expertise is not needed.

The Book Exchange is a fun, free, community building night when we celebrate our love of reading and our appreciation for resuming and recycling books. Starting in early January, families can donate used books for children and adults, games, puzzles, CDs, and DVDs. Donations are sorted into categories, and on the night of the Book Exchange, families come and pick up any and all books they would like to take home. We provide the pizza and the rest of the dinner is a potluck. Every year, there are children curled up between the tables reading away, and children skipping out the door with bags of new books to enjoy.

Chair Role: The chair role is responsible for coordinating the various aspects of the event, which include: marketing the event to the community, organizing book sorting, procuring the boxes into which to sort books, coordinating the (very minimal) decorations, ordering/organizing food, coordinating setup and cleanup, and donating the remaining books at the end of the night to charities. The Book Exchange is a wonderful event to chair if you'd like your efforts concentrated into a short, finite time period.

Greening Day is our campus beautification day usually held just prior to Grandparents' and Special Friends' Day in the spring. We pull weeds, turn and amend the soil, and put in many beautiful plants and bulbs. It's a fun event that brings the community together, is a great way to get our children involved--they love getting dirty, right?--and helps them learn to appreciate and take pride in their school and campus.

Chair Role: Recruit and organize volunteers. Review and current state of the campus landscape, create a plan of action, and order supplies needed, such as mulch and plants. Review the current state of the campus. It is customary to provide breakfast, water, and snacks for the volunteers (reimbursable by the FA).

Hosted by parents and guardians, this event is a fun way to express appreciation to our fantastic faculty/staff and administration, so they can enjoy a relaxing meal.

Chair Role: The chair is responsible for coordinating food, beverages, decorations and organizing volunteers for the event.  

The Mark Day School Family Fun Run is a way to celebrate family, fitness, and fun with our school community. All ages and abilities are welcome to participate in the .5-mile, 1-mile, or 5k course, and prizes are awarded not only for speed but also for special categories that highlight the character and spirit that permeate Mark Day School. It is typically held in early October, depending on the school calendar in a given year.

Chair Role: This is a great event for two chairs. Responsibilities include (1) soliciting donations for supplies and other swag; (2) coordinating, organizing, and helping to prep drinks; (3) working with administrative staff and the FA president to determine date, time, and recipient of the funds raised; (5) coordinate finish line, race bibs, prizes, communications, design, etc; (6) work with volunteers. 

Grandparents' and Special Friends' Day is an event that lets our school spirit shine as our students and teachers share their campus and classrooms to showcase all that happens during the school year. There are many wonderful presentations, displays, and demonstrations designed to highlight our thriving school community all the way from kindergarten through 8th grade. It is truly one of the most heartwarming and gratifying events of the year as students, faculty, and honored attendees share moments of love, gratitude, and pride.

Chair Role: The Chair, with the help of faculty, staff, and dedicated volunteers, plans, organizes, and executes the overall program for the day. Tasks include designing a theme and envisioning decorations, having invitations created and ensuring they go home in a timely fashion with students, arranging the catering for the breakfast and snacks throughout the day (usually cookies and fresh fruit donated and/or made by parents), arranging photography for the day (parent/guardian volunteers), and making sure classroom rotations go smoothly.

The Family Association spring fundraiser is a chance for the Mark Day School community to come together for a clear purpose--to support the programs and educational opportunities that enrich our children's lives. It is our largest fundraiser and typically raises more than $200,000, directly supporting the school's overall operating budget. Highlights of the evening are the silent and live auctions, dinner, and dancing.

Chair Role: Lead and coordinate the efforts of a team to develop a theme and visual identity, plan the event, contract with vendors for food and beverages when necessary, solicit donations, do publicity, and manage the silent and live auctions (including coordinating media/production needs).

Each year the day before school starts, we host a celebration for the new families of all grades. It is a great way to get everyone together in a festive and fun environment to kick off the school year. Buddies and teachers attend and the school store is open to get all of the last minute Mark Day School goodies (including the blue collared shirt) you need.

Chair Role: The Chair is responsible for arranging the day, selecting the food, decorations, communicating with buddies, faculty and staff, planning activities and communicating with the other volunteers to assure the event runs smoothly. Also, coordinating volunteers to assist with set up, running the event and breaking down/cleaning up.

Held in May, the sprint new parent/guardian welcome is a fun event in the early evening. Parents and guardians of newly admitted students mingle with administrators, some faculty, the Head of School, and buddy families. This is primarily a chance for newcomers to meet school members in an informal setting.

Chair Role: The Chair works with the Admissions Director and staff to prepare the event, which include working with a small team of volunteers who act as hosts and securing wine and other beverages, table linens, and name tags.

During this day, all of our students are immersed in another world; it might be a country, a region, a culture, or an experience (such as being differently abled). The day begins with a special assembly, proceeds with workshop rotations with groups arranged by grade, and ends with another assembly, which often includes music, dance, or other performance.

Chair Role: The Chair for this program is most often a parent/guardian who steps forward to propose a "destination" for the day (so someone with background or interest in a particular place or experience). Working closely with Fernanda Pernambuco, our Director of Partnerships, Equity, and Inclusion, the Chair oversees a team of parent/guardian volunteers: (1) to find presenters in art, music, or craft; relevant science topics; sports or other physical activities; and performers for the closing assembly; (2) to help arrange a schedule of workshop rotations for the day; (3) to coordinate themed lunch--nut free--for all students (including alternatives); and (4) to develop a graphical look for the event that will drive the creation of posters and other designed materials for the day.

Trivia Night is a fundraiser for our partner school, eSibonisweni Primary, in rural northeastern South Africa. (Specifically, the event raises money for ePOP, the eSibonisweni Primary Orphan Program, which provides food, hygiene supplies, and school supplies for approximately 70 AIDS orphans at the school.) The event is run by the Upper Division mentor groups and is open to families in 6th through 8th grade as well as alumni.

Chair Role: The Chair is responsible for making sure there is enough food and paper goods for 200 to 250 people. We order and serve pizza, make salad, and ask the parent body to make baked goods for dessert. The committee is also responsible for cleaning up the kitchen after the event. We also request underwriting for the pizza and other items so that as much as possible of the funds raised go directly to ePOP. This event requires about 10 people to help at the event and more to bake.

Every year in May, all students from 4th to 8th grade enjoy a special afternoon of friendly competition in their chosen track and field events. Whether your child runs, jumps, or throws, this event celebrates their athleticism.

Chair Role: The P.E. runs this program, so the event chair meets with them several weeks before to get his "vision" for the day and find out where he needs help. The Chair is responsible for recruiting and organizing volunteers to help set up the field area, move equipment (hurdles, landing mats, tables, etc.) to the track area, and set up a water refill station the morning of the meet.