Superintendent of Schools Teresa Prendergast unveiled a new Great Neck Public Schools logo during the Superintendent’s Conference Day program on Feb. 5.
This refresh of the venerable GNPS logo reflects the district’s new mission statement, first-ever motto (“Where Discovery Leads to Greatness”), and new hashtag (#DiscoverGreatness).
“Together, our mission statement, motto, hashtag, and logo unify our district and reaffirm our commitment to educational excellence,” Prendergast said.
When district administrators sought design ideas for the new logo during the 2017–18 school year, they turned to the art students at North High School and South High School. Prendergast and Technology Director Marc Epstein met with art classes in each high school to explain the project and frame their role as clients for this service.
Under the direction of art teachers Samantha Barratt at North High and Safia Fatimi at South High, students prepared for the project by researching designs and meanings behind well-known commercial and educational logos.
Students asked questions that would help them create a vision for the new Great Neck Public Schools logo. The artists developed drafts, refined their artwork throughout the school year, and critiqued each other’s designs. In June, Prendergast and Epstein met with the art teachers to select the finalists.
A committee that was assembled during the 2017–18 school year to create the new district motto and hashtag was reconvened this past fall to review the finalists’ designs. The committee selected the logo created by Shibo Zhou, who is currently a senior at South High School, as the design that best represents the district’s vision.
Committee members included central office administrators, building principals, program directors, and teachers.
More information about the logo selection process and a slide show of the finalists’ designs are available on the district website at www.greatneck.k12.ny.us/NewGNPSLogo.
