It started with one student who asked teacher Bethany Guilick a simple question. She had a ticket to Friday’s semi-formal “Snowflake Shake” dance, she had a date, but she didn’t have a dress. The Snowflake Shake is a highlight of the social calendar for Hudson Falls Middle School students and staff, and the first semi-formal event for many of the 7th and 8th graders.
Guilick says she dug into her own closet, and was able to find one for that girl. But it got her thinking. “If this student asked me about it, I was sure that there were others too nervous to ask,” said Guilick. That weekend she spent the weekend texting friends and family, and by Monday she had secured about 50 dresses.
Since then she’s teamed up with several other middle school teachers, who have provided everything from jewelry, to shoes, to racks, like you would find in a department store to display the outfits. The skills teacher has even pitched in to alter the dresses before the dance. Everything is housed in the girl’s locker room, where almost three dozen students have been outfitted.
The pampering will not stop until dance time. “We have volunteers handling their hair and makeup, too!”
“This is a wonderful example of our school community coming together for a great cause,” said Superintendent Linda Goewey. “I’m so proud of our faculty and staff for making this dance really special for all our students.”