Reunion Planning
Tips for Planning a Monte Vista Christian School Reunion
Printable version
Would your class like to hold a reunion? Here are some suggestions:
--Decide who will organize the event
One person could do it, but it’s more fun to have several people on the team. You can delegate different jobs to each person—one arranges for the location, one coordinates the food, one sets up the activities, etc.
--Pick a date
Summertime is usually a good time for a reunion, because it’s easier for people to get time off. It’s also safer to plan outdoor activities when you’re pretty sure the weather will be nice. The Fourth of July weekend has the advantage of extra days off, but has the disadvantage of possibly conflicting with people’s already-planned vacations.
If you’re starting a year in advance, you could do a poll offering a couple of different dates. This will also give you an idea of how many might come. Or, your organizing committee can pick a date that works for you, check with us if you want to hold it on campus, and then announce it early so your classmates can put it on their calendars.
--Pick a site
You are welcome to hold all or part of your reunion on the MVCS campus. With advance arrangement, on most weekends we can offer the use of lawns, tennis courts, basketball courts, the softball field, the volleyball court, and the swimming pool (bring your own certified lifeguard). If you want to arrange for food service, we can tell you how to reach the company that provides our cafeteria service, Epicurean. You can also arrange your own food service or catering, or have attendees bring their own picnics.
If you would like to meet on campus, you can view and print a Facilities Request form here. Please disregard the fees listed--there are no fees charged for class reunions. When you have completed the form, please mail it to Reunion Planning, Monte Vista Christian School, 2 School Way, Watsonville, CA 95076.
You could hold all or part of your reunion off campus. A dinner at a local restaurant might be nice way to enjoy a meal together and to minimize the planning needed. A day at the beach would be a low-cost event where children could run and play while adults talk. If you do this, it would be worth the cost of hiring a lifeguard to keep an eye on the kids in the water so parents can relax.
To request an on-campus event, or for more information, please email alumni@mvcs.org
--Determine the cost
Include things like invitations, signs, name tags, food, music, decorations, supplies for games or activities, entertainment for children, a lifeguard for the pool or beach, and photography. Your budget will give you an idea of how much to charge. Many classes find that their first reunion is lightly attended, so it’s better to keep costs low until you know how many are coming. You can always add things later if you get a big response. Be sure people pay in advance, so you don’t spend money on food for people who don’t show up.
It’s a good idea to set up a separate Reunion bank account, requiring two signatures, so everyone can see where the money is going.
--Invite people
The first place to look is the Alumni Class List page on the Monte Vista website at www.mvcs.org. The people listed have shown an interest in staying in touch, and have indicated that they are open to receiving emails from classmates. When you email them, be sure to ask whether they are in contact with any others who would like to know about the reunion.
Reunion announcements are usually listed on the right column of the Alumni Class List, with a contact name and email address for one of the organizers. If you’d like to be listed, please email your 2-3 sentence announcement to alumni@mvcs.org
You could invite graduates from more than one year. Maybe start with your class, and then invite everyone from the three years before and the three years after, so you can include the upperclassmen and underclassmen who were your friends.
Though we can’t release address lists of alums because of privacy issues, we can send email invitations to those for whom we have email addresses. Just compose your message, tell us which classes you want to cover, email it to alumni@mvcs.org, and we’ll send it out for free. If you want to send written invitations, which includes more people but costs money, we’ll tell you how many to print and how much the postage will be, and you can send them to us to mail out. Please deliver the written invitations to us at least a week before you want them to go out.
The website Classmates.com is also a good place to search. Be sure to list yourself, too.
--On the Big Day
Have greeters ready: hand out nametags as people arrive. You should have one color tag for alums, and another color for family members and guests. It’s best to have the greeters write the names, so they can do it in nice big clear letters that can be read from a distance.
Have a memory corner: a table for yearbooks, bulletin board for photos, trivia game of MVCS years, etc.
Music: it adds atmosphere, but make sure it isn't too loud - guests really want to talk! It would be fun to feature songs from your high school years.
Food: buffet or food stations allow people to move around. Position food tables away from beverage tables to increase mingling. Be sure you have plenty of trash and recycling cans nearby.
Contact list sign-up: Provide a sheet for people to write down their current names, addresses, emails, and whether they want to be included on the MVCS mailing list. If you give that to us after the reunion, we’ll add them to our list, and it will be easier for you to find them next time.
***
If you have been to reunions at other schools, and have some good tips for how to hold a successful MVCS reunion, please email them to us at alumni@mvcs.com. Your classmates will thank you!