CSI Spring Fling: Letting Students Take Lead

Our sixth and seventh grade dance was a huge success, due to their hard work in planning and executing a great event.

We had our first "middle school dance" this last Friday evening.  Three students came to the Principal's office last November inquiring about the possibility of a dance in the spring. Their answer? "Absolutely! I'm excited for you to do some research and come back with a plan." So often, our students have big ideas that they want to achieve and they have no idea where to start. They often wait for the adults to step in and take lead or take over. 

Our small team of seventh grade students took this on and made it their project. They worked their lunch times and arranged meetings as they organized their plans. They had a little help securing their DJ and one of their teachers took a couple of them on a field trip to the Dollar Store and made a Costco run, but the students developed their budget, made lists of what was needed, and set up their decorating team as well as organized their clean-up plan. They sold tickets during their break time and produced flyers and videos advertising the event. They established a dress code and set behavior expectations. They also helped create the information that went home to families. 

On the day of the dance, the Innovation Cooking class made several gallons of lemonade (after sending out an ask for lemons and sugar which parents happily supplied) and at the end of the school day, the students moved our lunch tables outside with the help of our custodian. They then got busy decorating the Bistro (our multi-pupose room) and preparing for the big event. They had organized food tables and assigned staff to different locations and different jobs. By 5:30 when the doors opened, they were ready! 

Students arrived dressed in semi-formal attire and the exitement was evident from the smiles to the dancing through the door. The students invited our staff to dance with them, laugh with them and talk with them, and we enjoyed getting to know them in a very different atmosphere. Their ownership of this event was evident. At the end of the night, they were exhaused and very proud of what they had accomplished. Their Spring Fling was a huge success!