Last Friday, the Campus School of Boston College held its 11th annual semi-formal in the Murray Room of Yawkey Athletics Center. The event was an end-of-the-year celebration for the Campus School students. In the past, the dance was held in the Campus School multipurpose room, but a bigger room was needed to accommodate the event this year..
The BC Campus School, founded in 1970, seeks to provide special education to young people with severe disabilities. According to the Campus School Mission Statement, the program is "committed to providing quality education to learners ages 3-21 with multiple challenges including complex health care needs."
The holistic- and student-centered school serves the students in a school-based setting. There are currently 45 students enrolled in the Campus School, which allows for more personal attention between the students and teachers. The students receive a variety of therapies including special education, physical therapy, communication therapy, occupational therapy, music therapy, transition skills, vision services, and health care. The teachers focus on providing active and significant student participation, striving to tend to the students' special needs.
The theme of the dance was "a night under the stars" and featured a disc jockey and professional photographer as well as appetizers and drinks. The Special Events Committee, a branch of the Campus School Volunteers, organized the event. To attend the dance, the students must be at least 16 years old.
"It's like a rite of passage for the students," said Amy Piepiora, co-president of the Campus School Volunteers and LSOE '08. Teachers, parents, and Campus School Volunteers attended the dance to commemorate the school year. During the event, a PowerPoint presentation played that featured pictures of the students from throughout the school year.
To begin the dance, each student was escorted in by a teacher or volunteer. The students each selected a song to be played as they proceeded into the dance.
"It's a chance for all the teachers and volunteers in the school to come and celebrate the end of the year," Piepiora said. The dance was meant to serve as a homecoming or prom for the Campus School students, who may not have experienced such an event. The students were dressed in dresses and tuxedos, and had their pictures taken by the photographer. "It is a typical formal dance," Piepiora said. "[The Campus School students] are of the age of homecoming and prom and they should be able to experience that."
Though the event itself was not a fundraiser, the students of the Campus School raised money for the dance throughout the year. Each week, a different class in the school hosted a lunch for the rest of the students, known as Cafe.
On Wednesdays, the students were dismissed at 1 p.m. to participate in the lunches. All of the funds raised from Cafe were for the semi-formal dance. "One of the greatest things about the event is that it is such a collaboration of the students, teachers, and volunteers," Piepiora said.
Housed within the Lynch School of Education in Campion Hall, the Campus School utilizes many of the facilities on the BC campus. The University setting allows access to the libraries, including the LSOE Education Resource Center, the William Flynn Recreation Complex, and also the Media Technology Center. The Campus School has an outdoor playground for the students, as well as two wheelchair vans to provide the students with transportation to events or places in the surrounding area.
The BC student volunteers play an integral part in the success of the Campus School. The volunteers are broken into subcommittees, which each have different goals and jobs throughout the year. "The dance is one of the most fun events for the volunteers," Piepiora said.
The Special Events Committee planned the dance for the entire year to ensure its success. To foster interaction, the students helped with some of the dance planning as well. "[The dance] is meant to facilitate peer interactions between Campus School Volunteers and the students themselves," Piepiora said.
In addition to the semi-formal dance, the Campus School also sponsors a student team for the Boston Marathon. The students running the marathon through the Campus School are asked to raise money through personal contributions and to spread awareness of the Campus School.
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