There are no emails to respond to; my cell phone hasn’t dinged with text messages or calls; my Silhouette machine is dormant and silent; my to do list is comprised of laundry, housework, and dinner prep duties; Zack asked me ‘What’s for dinner?’ when he got up this morning instead of telling me how many days left until the dance; the whole house seems eerily quiet. My hubby expected a huge let down to hit me when arriving home last night after the dance, but instead was met with calm acceptance. How could there possibly be a let down? The joy and excitement every student experienced last night is why so many people put so much effort into the Silver & Gold Dance. When what you set out to do is accomplished, there is nothing left but a sincere sense of satisfaction.

Last night was amazing, but not just for the mere fact that the students had a great time. There was so much more that happened that many of you would not understand unless you were part of the planning, coordination, and implementation of the entire event. The absolutely wonderful group of parents, caregivers, staff, and teachers that took part and pitched in to help throughout this endeavor give new meaning to the word AMAZING. Yes, the food was enjoyed by all. Yes, the music and dancing was electric. Yes, the photo booth was a success. Sure the decorations looked pretty. But in the end, what struck me more than anything was how so many individuals, from varying roles in our students lives, stepped up and worked together to pull this whole thing off. It wasn’t just one or two people. In fact I cannot even begin to count the number of people that helped out. I have incomplete lists of parent/caregiver volunteers, staff/teachers, and even the students themselves and at risk of omitting anyone I will attempt to list who I know.

First, thank you to John Nader and Nick DeVault for approving this event and allowing the parent group to take over the school for more hours than they probably bargained for. Their support, guidance, and input during the months of preparation and planning was indispensable. I cannot tell you how many times they helped us stay on track and keep the ultimate goals in perspective.

Then there was the parent group board. After receiving the proposal for the dance, it was all hands on deck. Everyone contributed with ideas, support, or guidance to get this project off the ground. From encouraging words, researching supplies, and putting up with my compulsion to push things to the limit, they helped forge the road that led to the success of our first ever Silver & Gold Dance.

I’ve heard said that the surest way NOT to get something done is to form a committee. Obviously the person who said that has never worked with the right people. The people on the dance committee – Ann Martin, Sandy Young, and Julie Berger – were the true backbone to this evening. From sourcing and booking E4 Digital Marketing for the photo booth, organizing and purchasing supplies for every type of set-up emergency, coordinating volunteers and securing donations, ordering and designing the cakes, purchasing ice cream and other last minute supplies, to talking me off the ledge many a day and helping in ways that only giving, selfless, exceptional individuals can, these women went above and beyond when it came to making everything PERFECT. There is no way the evening could have been pulled off without all the effort and work they did before, during and after the dance. Their type of dedication is priceless.

Beyond the initial committee members there were countless parent/guardian volunteers that donated time, supplies, man power, and again support throughout the planning and implementation of the dance. At the risk of forgetting someone I hesitate to list names, but here it goes. Please forgive any omissions, it was a crazy night and although we tried to keep track of who helped out, with so much help, it became an impossibility.

• Barb Parker – Who took charge in the cafeteria during set-up and organized everything so when other volunteers arrived things were ready to go, was there throughout the evening and stuck it out to the end of clean-up. Plus recruited her daughter Megan to finish up some last minute favor bags.
• Maricelly Gray – Who came early with her daughter Samantha and worked diligently in the gym to cover the walls with stars and then helped during the dance as well.
• Shelly Meade – Who also came early, worked in the gym, helped keep our volunteers hydrated, was there throughout the dance, and helped organize and coordinate the cleanup.
• Colleen & Victoria Maniaci – What can I say — they helped out wherever and whenever needed. From getting on the ladder and hanging stars from the cafeteria ceiling, to serving pizza and even helping us pass out favors at the end of the night. Plus they donated the plastic forks and spoons for the evening and son/brother Anthony pitched in a helped Megan with those favor bags.
• Bob & Mary Johnson – What didn’t they do? That is a far better question. I could sit here and list everything they did and we could ooh and ahh about it, but I’d rather tell you how much I personally appreciate their presence at the dance. Not only were they an intricate part of setup, serving, and cleanup, but when I felt overwhelmed or stressed (which I hate to admit but was more often than not), just seeing them helping out and working away gave me a sense of calm that helped to remind me to enjoy the moment and not sweat the small stuff. A few times during the evening I found myself searching out Bob just so I could chat with him and ground myself. As for Mary, well I knew having her in the cafeteria spearheading every detail of the operation there meant I had nothing to worry about.
• Xuan Lam – Did you happen to visit the photo booth? Well if you did, you would have met Xuan there. After helping out with set-up in the cafeteria, she spent most the evening helping everyone in the photo booth to make sure they got their photos and knew exactly when to smile, make faces, or pose for however they wanted to be remembered for all posterity. It was hot in there, suffocating almost, and she stuck it out to the end. Fantastic job Xuan — Can I put you down for that job next year? If not, we’ll completely understand. You’ve earned your retirement from that, but know if you want it, it’s yours!
• Janni McLean – From helping out with setup and donating water to keep the students and everyone else hydrated, to encouraging students and parents to visit the photo booth and chaperoning in the gym, everywhere I looked, she was there.
• Samantha Baker – First I need to apologize to her. She texted and called me the afternoon of the dance with concerns about the ice she was donating and my phone was locked away in my car while working to set up. I got those messages at 9:45 that evening. So sorry about that. Regardless, she made an executive decision on how much ice to get and it worked out perfectly. We had ice to keep the ice cream cold, ice to keep the bottled water cold, and just a little ice to spare. Then she stuck around and helped out chaperoning during the dance.
• Kim Barks – You know those nice sturdy Chinet plates we serve the pizza on? Well all of those were donated by her. We have found we have far less spills with these plates and truly appreciate when a parent volunteers to donate these for pizza service. Along with this she pitched in wherever we need her most.
• Lanise Adams, Susan Osterling, Tonya Johnson, Norma Joshua-Lee & Donna Morgan – They were all there to help chaperone during the dance, help out whenever needed, and many stayed late to help us clean up. It was wonderful to see so many parents interacting with the students.
• Melissa Martin – How could I forget you? I can’t believe in the first publishing of this post I neglected to put you in it. Shame on me! You are at every event and always willing and able to pitch in. For this dance you came right from a camping trip and as tired as you were, you worked on rolling that streamer so we could use it again next year. Unbelievable! Thank you so much for that and everything else you did that night and each and every time you help us.
• And last, but certainly not least…Jim Young – I swear there’s more than one of him. Everywhere I went, he was there. If I was in the gym he was standing against the wall monitoring the action. If I was walking between the gym and the cafeteria, there he was walking the opposite way toward where I had just come from. If I was in the cafeteria, you guessed it, he was there too. And during clean-up, well thanks to him, all those streamers and hanging stars & spirals were down in record time. He volunteered to take the board I was using to release the paperclips from the ceiling tiles and made short work of it, plus did so much more.

I apologize if I didn’t list you and you helped out. There were parents that on seeing us cleaning up, volunteered to pitch in and unfortunately I know their faces, but names escape me. One would be Shae’s mom and the other was the gentleman that was working with Melissa Martin on the streamer. I am sorry I don’t know your names, but please know I appreciate the work you did.  And to all the other parents/caregivers that helped out, thank you so much.

Now, the next group of people that we need to thank are the teachers and staff that volunteer to come and chaperone the dance. Without all the support from them, there is no way we could have one of these dances. It’s one thing for a teacher or staff member that the students know to say something or try to diffuse a situation, it’s a completely different things for a parent volunteer who the student doesn’t know to say something. Their presence is key to these functions and I cannot begin to think how we would do this without them. The list I was given of the teachers and staff that volunteered to help only a few people on it. The amount of staff I saw at the dance…well let’s just say it was a lot! The ones I think I saw for certain are: Catie B, Sue C., Patti H., Jenny L., Susan P., Pam P., Wendi P. Caleb S., Justin S., Lauren S., Michele V., and Jill W. There were more, but I am sorry to say I do not know their names. Know that we truly appreciate everything you do for our students. Just yet another reason we celebrate you during Staff Appreciation Month.

We also owe a huge thank you to Heidi Price in the office for collecting all the registration forms, working the registration table at the dance, and everything that she does for us all year long. Plus, Chris Moore and his invaluable suggestions for decorating set-up, supplying us with the tables, easels, chairs, and all the equipment we need to set-up, and especially for hanging the Completer’s Banner in the gym. Both Heidi and Chris go above and beyond the call of duty and we surely appreciate this.

Other than the volunteers and staff, Tony Woznicki contacted the high schools to see if we could get any volunteers as well. Being summer we were not optimistic, but low and behold, two showed up. Catie T. and Alexis H. from Chippewa Valley High School could be found out on the dance floor with our students, dancing the night away. What young man doesn’t enjoy dancing with a pretty girl?  Let’s just say Catie’s and Alexis’s dance cards were full with a waiting list to next year.

Did you see the gold and silver favor bags filled with Hershey kisses with the LPG heart/paw print logo on the bottom of each that were passed out at the end of the evening? Well, in an effort to include our students in the dance prep, we asked Vinny’s class Production and Assembly if they could complete the task of putting on those stickers and bagging the kisses. Just a few days later Vinny told me the bags were done, and it was all done by one student who took charge and finished it himself. Thank you so much! It means a lot to the parent group to include students if we can in our endeavors to enrich the lives of our students.

Lastly I have to put in a very personal thank you. My daughter (Kaila), my Mom (Judy), and son (Zack) were an intricate part of this entire event. Kaila and my mom were my rocks and Zack my inspiration. For months they have been my sounding boards, advised, pitched in, shopped, and donated both time and items in preparation for this dance and then were at the school with me yesterday for set-up and there until after 9:00 when we left. Kaila and my mom single-handedly put up all the streamer and stars and spirals in the hallways. Kaila thinks her legs are permanently imprinted with the name of the ladder she went up and down more than 100 times securing everything to the ceiling tiles. My mom donated all the toppings for the sundae bar and along with myself donated the Completer’s Banner to the school to be used for many years to come — we hope. And Zack — well besides being my living hourglass counting down the days, hours, and minutes to the dance, he helped with decorations, topping choices, the Completer’s Banner, and keeping our purpose front and center. Thanks so much to all of you — I know I couldn’t have done this without you.

So because of everyone that volunteered and supported this dance, everything turned out Perfect!

Using the term ‘Perfect’ may seem a bit presumptuous, because as with any event, mishaps are bound to happen. The key however is to let go of what isn’t really important and stay on course for WHY you are doing something. That is what happened last night. Not everything went according to plan, stress was definitely at the forefront of the evening on occasion, but throughout, every person that came to support the dance or pitched in to help seemed to look the other way or perhaps didn’t notice. In the end, the goal was to have one last hoorah for the 2018/19 school year for the students to enjoy one “Last Dance” with their completing friends and welcome in some new ones. That is exactly what we did. Anything above and beyond that — well, as a person that believes cliche’s enhance writing rather than detract from it — was just gravy.

Thanks for reading to the end. I’m not known for my tweeting — more so my long-windedness, but it took a lot of people to pull this off and I didn’t want to forget anyone.

Thank you and I hope we get to do this again next year.

Lisa Dukicin