"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.
2008 Woodie Awards
