BEAUTIFICATION
Co-Chairs:  Truman Curtis (trumancurtis@optonline.net)

This committee helps to enhance the beauty of our school, year-round, starting with the 1st day of school.  With the help of volunteers, the Beautification committee decorates our school with back to school, holiday and seasonal decorations and plantings to create a warm and welcoming environment for our new and returning students and families. This committee is also responsible for the Garden over the summer.  This committee will also recruit volunteers to tend to the garden in the summer and coordinate with Mr. Ronca, who is the faculty member in charge of the Garden.  This chair will also meet with volunteers prior the summer and distribute an instruction list.

BOX TOPS

Chair:  Wendi Smith (wendijsmith1908@gmail.com)

This committee counts all box tops turned in throughout the school year and turns them in for money back to GCS.

FAITH - SERVICE - OUTREACH
Co-Chairs:  Kimberly Garcia (graciesmom77@yahoo.com)  & Andrea Kopilak (andrea_garin@msn.com)

This committee serves to encourage spiritual growth and fellowship for all GCS families by coordinating service opportunities and charitable drives to support various organizations in our community.

MARKETING

Chair:  Pilar Quartarolo (mquartarolo@hotmail.com)

The marketing chair is in charge of running My School Anywhere (MSA) as far as maintaining the school directory, creating storefronts & managing ticket sales for HSA events.  This committee also creates flyers for the various HSA events to help in promotion. This chairperson also pulls together any communications from the Parents Association and communicates that information to Advancement.

FACULTY LIAISON

Co-Chairs:  Nina Balestriere (girliesmom@hotmail.com) & Diane Mannello (dcnyitray@aol.com)
This committee runs the Apple Program, which provides teachers with donated gifts throughout the school year.  On a monthly basis, this committee, with the help of volunteers, puts together gift baskets which are handed out through a lottery amongst the teachers.  In addition, this committee is in charge of putting together, with volunteers, 2 teacher luncheons during the year – one during Catholic Schools Week in late January/early February, and the other during Teacher Appreciation Week in early May.  The committee also provides goodies each day for our teachers during Teacher Appreciation Week, as well as a gift for each teacher/staff. This committee also coordinates volunteers to donate snacks to be brought to the teachers lounges on a bi-monthly basis.

LIBRARY & ART COORDINATOR

Co-Chairs:  Kristin Galvin (kmaygal@hotmail.com)

The committee organizes both the library volunteer schedule for the library classes in 1st – 5th grades as well as general volunteers for the Librarian. These volunteers assist the Librarian in stacking and examining books. They also go online to find replacement books when needed.  These volunteers also assist the with special projects, curriculum support, helping teachers with research, supporting children during class time, and to check books in and out. These volunteers also coordinate volunteers for the art classes for 1st and 2nd grades.

BOOKFAIR

Co-Chairs:      Pilar Quartarolo  (mquartarolo@hotmail.com), Jen LaPietra (jenlapietra@gmail.com), Brigid Futch (brigidsfutch@hotmail.com), Katherine Blanding katblanding@gmail.com Sarah Gengo (roisin130@gmail.com)

The Book Fair Committee runs two Book Fairs throughout the year, in the fall and the spring.  With the help of Scholastic Books, and potentially other sources, the committee offers age appropriate, best-selling books as well as puts together teacher wish lists and required reading lists.  The Book Fair is open for four days to the entire GCS community.

PIZZA LUNCH
Co-Chairs: Kim Higgs, (kimjhiggs@hotmail.com) & Meghan Novack (Meghan.novack@gmail.com)

This committee organizes pizza hot lunch service that the students enjoy on Wednesdays throughout the school year.  Committee chairs are responsible for distributing and keeping track of student signups, ordering pizza and ice cream for Wednesday’s Pizza days, and organizing volunteers to help with the distribution and cleanup.

 

UNIFORM EXCHANGE/LOST & FOUND

Chair: Len Plantemoli, (len.plantemoli@yahoo.com)

This committee coordinates the collection of gently used uniform clothing throughout the school year.  Uniform Exchange is maintained in the designated closets in the cafeteria and parents are encouraged to drop off gently used, outgrown items, or to help themselves to items they may be in need of.  In addition, this committee manages the collection of the Lost & Found items throughout the year, contacting, where possible, the rightful owner for return. During teacher conference days, items are often set out in the lunchroom.  Unclaimed Lost & Found items are donated to charity at the end of the school year.

WELCOME
Chair: Jen LaPietra, (jenlapietra@gmail.com)
This committee, with the help of volunteers, welcomes new families to GCS.  “Buddies” are assigned to new families over the summer months to assist with any questions and to help make new families and students feel welcome to our community. Additionally, the Welcome Committee hosts a one hour cocktail party in advance of the Fall Cocktail Party to welcome new families to the school.  This committee also serves as the parent ambassador committee which is responsible for coordinating with the Admissions office to organize school tour volunteers.

HALLMARK

Chair: Kat Blanding, katblanding@gmail.com

This committee is responsible for sending cards, flowers and gifts to families and staff for birthdays, birthdays and deaths.

FATHER LIAISON

Chair: Jason Drexel

This committee coordinates casual events for the Dads during the year and communicates any special needs of the schools.

ROOM PARENT COORDINATOR

Chair: Susan McKee

This committee is responsible for communicating the needs of the HSA to the room parents and drafting any communication that needs to be distributed through the room parents.  This committee is also responsible for fielding any questions that the room parents have throughout the year. This committee chairperson is also responsible for training the room parents on how to enter their classroom volunteer opportunities in SignUp Genius. This person is also responsible for ensuring that the room parents host at least one welcome event for their class/grade so the parents in the class can get to know each other.

  

ANGEL DAY

Co-Chairs:  Gina Ilardi (gilardi@jenner.com), Jennifer Koenigsberger (jreeskoen@gmail.com), & Maura Lynn (mauralynn14@yahoo.com) 

The Chairpersons plan and coordinate a day when GCS families can invite Angels in the lives of their students (grandparents, aunts, uncles, special friends) to share part of the school day with them.  The Chairs main responsibilities include:  meeting with the appropriate faculty and staff to plan the day, creating invitations, tracking responses, organizing Mass for the students and Angels, arranging a sit down breakfast for the Angels, purchasing ornaments for the Angels, organizing many volunteers who help make the day possible and coordinating classroom visits.  The time commitment of this Committee runs from October through the beginning of December with an increased amount of time spent in the days before the event. Tickets were xxx in 2017.

BACK TO SCHOOL PICNIC

Chair:  Trip Curtis (trumancurtis@optonline.net)

The chair organizes a picnic in September for all GCS families to kick off the school year.  No cost to attend.

BREAKFAST WITH SANTA

Co-Chairs:  Liz Dunleavey (lizmdunleavy@gmail.com)  & Maureen Parker (Maureen.mt@gmail.com)

The chair is responsible for organizing a breakfast for the lower school to meet Santa during the holiday season.  Held in the Convent, Santa comes and brings a small gift for each child. Grades PreK - 1st, plus siblings, are invited.

BINGO NIGHT

Co-Chairs: Sue Robinson (suerobinson17@me.com), Mary Rose Driscoll maryrose_driscoll@yahoo.com), Mary Beth Brown (finnegan1@msn.com)

The chair plans and organizes a Family Fun Night event for all the families at GCS to take place during the second half of the school year. Traditionally, this night involves the coordination of up to 500 participants for the playing of Bingo with prizes and raffles for all.  Cost for tickets, includes pizza.

FATHER/DAUGHTER DANCE

Chair:  Audrey Sepulveda, (audreyandfreddysepulveda@yahoo.com)  

The committee organizes a dinner/dance for PreK-8th grade girls and their fathers to be held in the gymnasium.  

FIELD DAY

Co-Chairs:  Kim Higgs, (kimjhiggs@hotmail.com)  & Meghan Novack, (Meghan.novack@gmail.com)

The chair along with the athletic director organizes field activities and lunch for grades K-7 in June.

 

CULTURAL

Chair:  Colette Lesperance (colettelesp@optonline.net )

This committee works with the administration and plans enrichment programs for the students of GCS. Enrichment programs are designed for each grade level as well as the entire student body, and are geared toward promoting the students' awareness of different cultures, their own health and safety, kindness and understanding among themselves, arts, sciences, and nature.

 

HALLOWEEN PARTY

Chair: Magdalena Chrostowski (mkchrostowski@gmail.com) & Stacy Mack (stacysmack@gmail.com)

This Committee organizes a Fall Festival/Halloween Party in the gym for the students of GCS. Chairs must coordinate fun, seasonal activities, pizza, music and games for an afternoon of fun.

VOLUNTEER FAIR

Chair:  Maria Elena Gaztambide (mtrullols@hotmail.com)

The committee is responsible for the first official PA parent meeting of the school year which is a volunteer fair in the gymnasium.  This is also done in conjunction with the State of the School presentation by Mrs. Kopas.

WELOME BACK COCKTAIL PARTY

Chair: Cristina Hamel (tooncesham@gmail.com) & Jen LaPietra (jenlapietra@gmail.com)

This committee is responsible for the welcome back cocktail party for the whole school.  There is a cocktail party an hour in advance of the party to welcome new parents to the school.  

BACK-TO-BASICS BENEFIT

Chair: Elaine Guiffreda (elainepg@optimum.net)

The Back-to-Basics Benefit is GCS’s signature annual fundraising event.  The B2B committee coordinates all aspects of the event including decor, auction acquisitions, sponsorships, event journal advertisements, and the grade challenges.