At our age and stage, we'll make any venue a date night

We bought a childcare package for a date night months ago with an expiration date of October 1.  Our last date was a triple date in which one of the couple's daughters wanted to babysit for us, so we could not use the package then.  We tried to plan date nights throughout the month of September, but illnesses and injuries forced us to keep postponing our plans.  This past weekend was our last chance, but I had already volunteered to help at Homecoming on Friday and to chaperone the hoedown on Saturday, so I asked if my husband could come so we could make chaperoning together a date night. They needed another "heavy" there, so he was invited. We reserved our childcare (note to self:  never send kids there again) and eagerly anticipated our date.  A date is what you make it, and at this stage in life, chaperoning a dance is good enough of a venue for us.  Yee-haw!

Our school divides 8th through 12th graders into houses to build family style community between grades.  Each house is named after a great Christian leader of influence.  Each house has elected leaders and specific responsibilities.  Faculty are also assigned to one of the houses.  Schaeffer House was responsible for the Hoedown, so they organized all the communication, music, dances, decorations, etc.  My partner in crime in the math department for the rhetoric school belongs to Schaeffer House, so she helped teach the students various dances during lunch time instruction sessions and at the dance.  She calls herself an introvert, but she danced with more enthusiasm than anyone else there.  You can take a girl of out of Alabama, but apparently you can't take Alabama country out of the girl.    She's in the red checked shirt up front.

Biology & Physics teacher + Field Hockey Coach helps lead

My husband and I joined them in leading as well, especially on the dances we knew best, like the Electric Slide, which the emcee and caller (a new teacher like me) noted was best taught by faculty over 40.  Yep!  The guy in back in black in the electric slide photo below is my husband.

They know the electric slide now.  Our work here is done.

I love the way the school organized this dance. Besides putting together some spectacular decorations including a fall archway entry with a path lined by candles in mason jars, they set up a wonderful photo op spot with lots of fall decor.  The decorations chairperson was a student of mine, so I was especially proud of her.

At this dance, every student participated.  The students created dance partner lists for every dance, so the guys had to go ask their assigned dance partner to dance, and she had to say yes.  A few ladies were absent so I filled in for them several times.  The lights stayed bright, and there was no room for pairing off as couples.  There were no wall flowers or hurt feelings or peer pressure.  Everyone was included and seemed to have a great time.  The Virginia Reel was one of the more popular dances.  Here are a few photos:

Many of my students demonstrate.

Three of my favorite students are pictured in the boy's line.

The pictures below were all taken and generously shared by the father of one of my students.

Shaeuffer House

This new teacher was a fabulous emcee / caller.

Checking the dance partner assignments so he'll know who he should ask to dance next.

The Rhetoric math teachers showed them how it's done!

Proof that my quiet guy (in back to the right) can bust a move (beside me) when warranted

My students were thrilled to finally meet my man!

I was asked to dance by a freshman in for the Virginia Reel (I'm to the right in white shirt & black boots).

I'm dying laughing in this pic because we were so clueless on this dance.

New teacher gets down!

Injured Football Players - Nick (left) is one of the most respectful and honorable young men I've ever met.

The boy in front played Sara's father in "The Little Princess" and is like a big brother to our daughter.

Clueless but clapping during the Virginia Reel

One of my first & most improved tutoring clients