The week of April 25^th through 29^th featured the first annual Spirit Week at Hillside.  On Monday,  students came to school in their pajamas with their favorite stuffed animals in tow.   Tuesday, the classrooms were filled with hippies and various clashing shades of tie-dye.  Crazy hair and crazy hats abounded on Wednesday.   Thursday,  seemed almost “normal” until you realized that everyone was only wearing black or white.  The week ended with formal Friday, and students looked very sophisticated in dresses, shirts and ties. This week of fun, led up to the first annual club-style dance in Hillside history and it was a great success.

On Friday, the school was completely transformed into a night club,  complete with twinkling string lights and a black light dance floor.   Black light reactive décor was hung all over the ceiling and walls.   All of the work to decorate,  organize and advertise this event was  accomplished by the Dance Committee: Ari Schrier, Alden Littlefield, Charlie Catino, Amy Spens, Carter (Andreas) Wyatt, Corinna Nelson, Silke Vandenbossche,  Danielle Parter, Audrey and Riley Miller under the direction of Sherrie Littlefield and Monique Catino.

The dancing started at 7:30 pm,  with a retrospective of songs through the decades starting with Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis and Chuck Berry in the 50’s to  The Beatles, Beach Boys, and the Who in the 60’s.
The 70’s featured a few classic disco tunes by the Bee Gees and of course the YMCA by the Village People which segued into the 80’s with Michael Jackson:  Beat It,  Thriller. Rounding out the decade iconic 80’s new wave:  Safety Dance, Walk like an Egyptian and the B-52’s Love Shack blasted.  The 90’s decade featured U-2,  Jett, Green Day and the dance ended with the 21^st century pulsing strains of dance club hits by Lady Gaga, Daft Punk, Katy Perry, Usher and more.  The students decked themselves out in white and wore glow stick bangles in almost every combination imaginable.  It was “glow-rific”!

Many thanks to all those students who brought potluck snacks and drinks and showed their community spirit by dancing the night away.  Additional thanks and kudos to the dancing, dance chaperones:  Luke and Laura Colasurdo,  Amy and Brian Stotts, David and Sherrie Littlefield.