After a year of sitting still and staring at a screen, Shamong students will have a chance to get up and dance this month.
The Indian Mills Home and School Association (HSA) will host Dance Fit, a fundraiser where community members sponsor students participating in a dance marathon. The week-long event begins on March 21 and will also feature stories from student athletes across the country.
“Kids are just glued to devices all day,” said HSA President Ali Ferrell. “We’re trying to get them active, but keeping them distanced in the classroom has been really hard. So, this is really going to be a fun activity.”
All students will be able to participate, whether they’re hybrid or remote learning or if they raise money. The HSA has a goal of collecting $8,000 to support future initiatives at the elementary and middle schools.
During each day leading up to the dance-a-thon, students will tune into a Google Meet where leaders will present stories from student athletes that teach a variety of positive character traits, like courage, care and teamwork.
“The kids get caught up in social media and peer pressure and anxiety and all these different things that they’re faced with,” Ferrell explained. “It’s important to focus on these traits that will help make these kids be the best adults that they can possibly be.”
On March 31 and April 1 (the program is split by school cohort), students will follow a half-hour dance program created by Boosterthon, in collaboration with the video game Just Dance. In person students will dance from their classrooms, while remote students are invited to follow the program virtually.
Dance Fit is the HSA’s largest spring fundraiser and Ferrell said the group was drawn to the program because it allowed all students to get involved, regardless of financial status. Last school year, the HSA reached a hefty fundraising goal and built a new playground for elementary students.
“It was a little bit refreshing to not be begging people for money this year,” Ferrell noted. “We’re trying to be sensitive to everybody’s financial situation right now and not put people in positions where they feel uncomfortable if they’re not able to donate.”
After Dance Fit, the HSA will wrap up its 2020-’21 events with the annual Staff Appreciation Week. Typically, the group treats all teachers to a luncheon, but due to the pandemic, they will be recognized with gifts.
“They’re teaching live students in class and they’re also live on a Google Meet all day,” said Ferrell, also a teacher. “It’s very hard on the teachers.They made lemonade from lemons and I truly believe that they’re doing an amazing job.”
To support the HSA, community members can sponsor students they know or donate to the organization’s general fund at https://funrun.boosterthon.com/v3/dash/VTVk4dL4.
