That day, the Peck Place Student Council, with their teachers and parents hosted a Senior Prom for about 80 senior citizens from the local area. Rumor has it the kids invited everyone they could think of, and I was thrilled for them that so many people took them up on their invitation. I had an interesting conversation with one senior who had brought his signed dance card, complete with its satin tassel; his wife’s name was written in it next to the dances she had promised him. (You have to go back a ways to remember this dance card tradition!)
The prom authenticated so many of the virtues of a ‘real’ prom – there were decorations, music, and so much good food. Several of the students worked as DJ’s, playing a variety of tunes from today and ‘back in the day’. Other students arranged a bench where you could pose with a ‘date’ and have your prom pictures taken. But, the greatest fun took place on the dance where the Peck Place students and the seniors danced in conga lines, did the Macarena and the Hustle, twisted, and just had a wonderful time together. It was a mystery as to who was teaching whom these dances.
Events such as these are so important in a school community for a variety of reasons. Certainly, a elementary school and senior citizen prom helps to close that ever-talked-about ‘generation gap’ which has widened over the past two decades as extended families have been affected by job relocations. But more importantly, an event such as this requires that students come out of their comfort zones and enjoy themselves by giving of their time, attention, and talents to others. You couldn’t have been in the gymnasium with them without recognizing they ended their day with a positive sense of self, the spirit of altruism, and a sense of responsibility for the happiness of someone else.
I’ll let pictures tell the rest of the story…
