ALL ABOUT OUR EVENTS & FUNDRAISERS
Want to know what someone’s talking about when they say ‘“are you going to The Big Thong?” Got no idea how often we run a Walkathon or BBQ? And what time of year does the Disco usually run? Well … this page is for you!
Read on and go on a journey of Coogee Public School P&C’s annual and special events!
You can even pop your name down to express your interest in an event … even if it hasn’t been scheduled yet.
ANNUAL EVENTS
KINDY ORIENTATION
WHEN - run late October every year
WHO’S IT FOR - new families enrolling for the next year
WHO HOSTS IT - the school and the P&C
WHAT IS IT - A 2 day information session - one day run by the school and the other run by the P&C
VOLUNTEERS - The P&C President hosts the P&C day, the Canteen and Uniform Shop team present. We need volunteers on both days to run the morning tea, liaise with the Canteen, bake goods, help set up and pack down and talk with new families.
TEA & TISSUES
WHEN - run annually on the first day of Kindy
WHO’S IT FOR - new Kindy parents
WHO HOSTS IT - the P&C along with the previous years Kindy parents
WHAT IS IT - a morning tea for new parents straight after dropping off their new Kindy child on their first day. It gives new parents a chance to take a breath (maybe shed a little tear) and chat to other new parents and parents from the previous year (who remember all too well the first day jitters) while enjoying a cuppa and a biscuit. This is also the best time for new parents to sign up to their class email lists.
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED - We always need volunteers to manage the event, design the invitation, communications, liaise with the canteen, recruit other volunteers, prepare and serve morning tea, bake, chat with new kindy families. The team managing the event can list all their volunteer spots on our sign up page - super easy online system for people to sign up and receive reminders about their shifts. We encourage YEAR ONE families to take the reigns of this event.
WELCOME BBQ
WHEN - run annually during the first week or two of term 1
WHO’S IT FOR - our entire school community
WHO HOSTS IT - the P&C along with the Coogee Care Centre
WHAT IS IT - a fun social event to welcome in the new year hosted by the P&C! Think BBQ, live music, face painting and other activities and lots of smiling faces! Great opportunity to meet other families, chat to teachers and let the kids run around.
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED - We always need volunteers to manage the event (a small team is recommended), design an invitation / posters, set up, prepare food, work on the BBQ, face paint, crazy hair, offer to run any other fun stall (ideas welcome!), pack down, source live music … and think of any other fun additions to make the event a success. The team managing the event can list all their volunteer spots on our sign up page - super easy online system for people to sign up and receive reminders about their shifts. We encourage YEAR FOUR families to take the reigns of this event.
WALKATHON
WHEN - run annually
WHO’S IT FOR - Students
WHO HOSTS IT - the P&C
WHAT IS IT - A Fundraiser event where kids ask friends and family to sponsor them to walk laps around a local oval.
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED - Co-ordinator - Helen Campbell, Deputy Co-ordinator - Sally Godfrey
Class helpers for the event - 2 to 3 per class, organised by class parents with the call going put a few weeks before. A few folks the night before to cut up oranges and a few the day after to count cash in the evening.
The team managing the event can list all their volunteer spots on our sign up page - super easy online system for people to sign up and receive reminders about their shifts. We encourage YEAR FIVE families to volunteer for this event.
MOTHERS & FATHERS DAY STALLS
WHEN - run annually usually on a Thursday the week of Mothers / Fathers day.
WHO’S IT FOR - for students
WHO HOSTS IT - the P&C
WHAT IS IT - stalls set up with appropriate and gorgeous gifts at price points of $5 and $10 to purchase the parents/grandaperents/carers in their life a gift chosen by them. Students purchase vouchers to “spend” at the stalls via Flexischools prior to the day, with vouchers distributed in classes before the stalls open. All children should bring a reusable bag (e.g. library bags) to carry their gifts home in.
Volunteers will do our best to guide and assist, however this is a special chance for the kids to independently pick something wonderful for the people they love. As such, we cannot accommodate returns or refunds, and ask that you cherish the enthusiasm and pride with which the gift has been chosen.
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED - Please come and help out for an hour or two, we will be providing refreshments! We especially encourage first-time-volunteers to come along to these special events. We’re usually after volunteers who can help prepare and wrap the gifts earlier in the week, set up and prepare the stalls first thing in the morning, sell and restock the tables throughout the day and help with final sales and pack down in the afternoon (in time for pick up).
ANNUAL DISCO
WHEN - run annually in term 3 (but can change depending on the disco theme)
WHO’S IT FOR - our entire school community
WHO HOSTS IT - the P&C with child supervision provided by the Coogee Care Centre team
WHAT IS IT - a social event for the kids! Each year, the team of volunteers who run the disco decide on a theme and then go nuts making it a fun and magical event. The Hall is decorated to the nines - with lights, music and all the bells and whistles. Outside the Hall, stalls are set up … think BBQ, icy pops, light up accessories and more. Years K-2 are invited to have their disco first, while it’s still light outside. Once it’s dusk, it’s year 3-6 turn!
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED - The wonderful Krissy Gram has managed this event for many years … but she’s always looking for lots of volunteers to help dream up a theme, design the invitation, DJ the event, communications, recruit other volunteers, create decorations, set up the hall, source merchandise for sale, set up, pack down, face paint, prepare food and sell at the BBQ and more. The team managing the event can list all their volunteer spots on our sign up page - super easy online system for people to sign up and receive reminders about their shifts. We encourage YEAR THREE families to volunteer for this event.
GRANDPARENTS DAY
WHEN - run annually around week 8 of term one (approx 3rd week March)
WHO’S IT FOR - our entire school community’s Grandparents and significant older people in our children’s lives
WHO HOSTS IT - the school hosts the event, the P&C runs the morning tea along with YEAR TWO families
WHAT IS IT - Our children invite their Grandparents and/or significant older people to visit the school and the children’s classrooms. This is a great opportunity for children to showcase their classroom and school. As part of Grandparents Day the P&C runs a morning tea. This a great community event and a much loved day of the year. We serve around 400 cups of tea and coffee, going through 12 litres of milk! Members of our school community bake/provide yummy treats, serve morning tea and welcome our visitors to the school.
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED - This event has been run by our P&C Vice President Caroline for many years, with support from a number of regular volunteers who just adore helping out at this event. We always need more volunteers to help design the invitation, communications, prepare and serve morning tea, bake and chat with grandparents. The team managing the event can list all their volunteer spots on our sign up page - super easy online system for people to sign up and receive reminders about their shifts. We encourage YEAR TWO families to volunteer to help out at this event.
Volunteers on Grandparents Day
THE BIG THONG
WHEN - run annually
WHO’S IT FOR - Parents!
WHO HOSTS IT - the P&C
WHAT IS IT - The Big Thong was initially started by a group of musical parents at Coogee Public who wanted to put together a night of performance and fun as a social/ fundraising night for the school P&C. And 20 years later, there is no better way to have fun, meet other parents and help support your school.
There are opportunities to play in the band, join a dance group, the choir, or get together with some others to perform a song. There is always a different theme each year to guide the performers on what songs to choose and to assist the audience with costumes (if you're that way inclined) No matter how you look at it, The Big Thong has something for everyone!And from time to time, the Coogee Public School Teaching Staff get into the act and strut their stuff. Will they be making an appearance this year?
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED
HERE’S SOME IMAGES FROM OVER THE YEARS (There are so many awesome images … if you can’t get enough head to our facebook page (link in header) and scroll through all our photos)
THE LITTLE THONG
WHEN - run annually
WHO’S IT FOR - Students
WHO HOSTS IT - the P&C
WHAT IS IT - The Little Thong is the annual variety show that provides an opportunity for the children at CPS to perform on stage in front of family and friends. It is usually held at the end of the school year in November.
It is an event that is Co-Ordinated by the CPS P&C but it’s the children who decide what they will perform and rehearse in their own time till the day of the Little Thong. It is a relaxed afternoon held in the school hall, where family and friends gather to support and enjoy the performances. In previous years performers have included, solo/duo instrumentalists, rock bands, singers, dancers, actors, recitations, gymnastics, martial arts, comedians, magic shows, and impressionists. Every child brings their own individual talent to the Little Thong making it an amazing afternoon for everyone involved
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED
TRIVIA NIGHT
WHEN - run annually
WHO’S IT FOR - Parents
WHO HOSTS IT - the P&C
WHAT IS IT - Major fundraiser & a really great night out
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED - We always need volunteers to manage the event, design the invitation, communications, generate engagement, reach out for sponsorships, organise tickets
The team managing the event can list all their volunteer spots on our sign up page - super easy online system for people to sign up and receive reminders about their shifts. We encourage YEAR FIVE families to take the reigns of this event.
THE FOLLOWING EVENTS ARE HELD EVERY 1 -3 YEARS
FILM NIGHT
TIMELINE - Usually just after daylight savings finishes, so later term one or early term 2. Planning needs to commence months ahead - ideally at the beginning of the school year.
WHO’S IT FOR - The whole school community
WHO HOSTS IT - the P&C
WHAT IS IT - social event for the entire school community. Think moonlight cinema at the school ... picnic blankets, festoon lights and decorations, stalls and BBQ items for sale, and possibly some kids videos as the preview to the movie!
VOLUNTEERS -
SCHOOL CARNIVAL - MAJOR FUNDRAISER
TIMELINE - Usually in Term 3 to allow for the extensive planning and preparation it takes to pull of this amazing event!
WHO’S IT FOR - The entire school community
WHO HOSTS IT - The P&C - but the school staff are always heavily involved too!
WHAT IS IT - A major fundraiser carnival for the whole community. Each class (or two classes) are allocated a stall which they need to manage from start to finish.
VOLUNTEERS - YES!!
THE ART SHOW - MAJOR FUNDRAISER
TIMELINE - Planning starts at the beginning of the school year for an end of September event
WHO’S IT FOR - students to showcase their art, P&C to raise funds, sponsorship opportunity, community event
WHO HOSTS IT - the P&C with plenty of support from the school
WHAT IS IT - Every CPS student creates their own individual artwork within school Art Class time. Additionally, each class creates a collaborative masterpiece with the support of an artistically minded mentor and class parent (a little bit of class time but also outside of school hours). The original class artwork is professionally framed (if required) and sold under auction at our opening night. In the past, pieces have been sold for anything from a few hundred dollars to over a thousand. Both school and local community members bid on the artwork - many now hanging in homes and local businesses.
The opening night gallery & auction is an adults only red carpet event with wine and festoon lights ... then we open up the gallery to the kids over the weekend to show off their art to their families. During the weekend a festival atmosphere is created with music, BBQ and an ‘Art Trail’ of artworks hidden throughout the school and local community.
VOLUNTEERS - We need four teams to manage the event (Events Team, Art Team, Merch Team and Comms team) that we will need to lock in during Term 1
We need a class art mentor for every class: Whether you've just got a bit of artist flair, love a bit of craft, have a pinterest or etsy addiction, or are an artist, graphic designer, art director, sculptor, painter, designer, art connoisseur ... if you've got that eye for design and can help to dream up, inspire and help dream up an artwork concept that the whole class can contribute to - then WE NEED YOU. Mentors come up with an idea for the class artwork and work with the class parent and class teacher to make it happen. The class artwork needs to commence in term 1 and be fully completed by the second last week of term 2 (Friday 18 June) at the very latest.
There are LOTS of additional volunteer roles to ensure this event is a success, whether that be planning, negotiating sponsorships, marketing or just jumping in on the event weekend to help execute.
PREVIOUS YEARS CLASS ARTWORKS
2014 artworks (left) - 2017 artworks (above)
ART SHOW 2014 & 2017
ART TRAIL
CLASS ART CREATION
