One pop-up, two pockets and lots of heart
Prom event brings pretty dresses at a beautiful price
s Olivia Howard looked through the racks of prom
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dresses, she spied a short burgundy dress and a long
fuchsia dress she wanted to try on.
“Look, the long one has pockets and it fits perfectly. I
think this is the one,” Olivia told her sister and friends as
she twirled with her hands in the pockets. Heads nodded,
compliments flowed and she said yes to the dress.
The best part of all? She wasn’t in a mall and the dress
cost $10. Olivia and her friends were shopping at East
Mecklenburg High’s cafeteria.
The Pop Up Prom event has been sponsored by the
student congress for four years. It is open to all CMS
students. The project began with a Chick-fil-A Leader
Academy microgrant of $1,000 and it has continued
to gain momentum. The initial funds went towards
purchasing mirrors, racks and all the materials needed to
build dressing rooms as well as the cost of dry cleaning
and publicity material.
For three years, senior Alisa Casey has coordinated the pop-up. Many of her
peers call her “the mastermind” behind it all.
“I look forward to this every year,” she said. “Planning starts as early as
January. Working on this project has taught me so many skills that I can use
anywhere. I have to get on the phone and request dress donations, create
and mail out flyers, take inventory and work with the other students involved
to make sure we are on task. Because there are so many moving parts, time
management is extremely important or else you won’t meet the deadlines.”
Her tenacity and ability to listen to others has been an asset. Last year, they
had nearly 400 dresses, thanks to donations from Imagine On, the school
community and others. Based on student feedback, this year, they offered
about 650 dresses in all colors and styles ranging from size 0 to 22. Alisa and
her classmate Corie Griebel personally sorted about 150 dresses, which were
donated by Ready Volunteers, Inc., the Saturday prior to
the event. The student congress made it a two-day event
and extended the hours until 5 p.m. to accommodate
students who had after-school commitments.
“This is a great option for people to buy those $200
trendy dresses for a small donation,” said 11-grader and
student council member Luz Garcia. “The best part is
when someone finds their dress and leaves here feeling
beautiful.”
The donation request for the new and gently used
dresses is $5 for short dresses and $10 for long ones.
“The donations go right back to students,” said Alisa.
“It helps us pay for the alteration gift
cards we offer for dresses that have
broken zippers and it also goes towards
purchasing prom tickets for those who
want to attend but can’t afford it.”
Kathryn Thompson, a teacher and student
counsel advisor, said she works with the
school social worker to determine the
recipients of the prom tickets.
“We’ve already been able to purchase
four tickets,” said Thompson. “This is a
wonderful community service project. The
students do a wonderful job every year
with every detail. I’m very proud of them.”
The remaining dresses will be stored for
next year’s event. Anyone wanting to
donate can contact Thompson at East
Mecklenburg High.
Supporting social and emotional health
Board of Education honors three outstanding student support professionals
arch was National Social Work Month and the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education honored three outstanding student support professionals at its
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March 12 meeting. School social workers assist students in developing positive peer and teacher relationships, engage families in the educational process
and eliminate barriers to student achievement. They also support students and families with basic needs, mental health supports, housing and mentors.
Each year, CMS recognizes a social worker who goes above and beyond in a school. This year’s 2019 CMS School Social Worker of the Year recipient
is Rose Smith from Hornets Nest Elementary. Smith works diligently at Hornets Nest, taking the initiative to develop programs to increase parent
engagement at the school. She is active in the community, serves on many boards and provides resources for struggling individuals in several ways.
The board also recognized school psychologist Rhonda Armistead and Piedmont IB Middle school counselor Marie Delaney.
Armistead received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Association of School Psychologists. She retired in August 2018 after almost 22
years with CMS. She helped thousands of students connect with caring adults. She showed them where to find resources for basic needs. She directed
them to mental health supports, to housing and to mentors. In doing this, she helped these students navigate around obstacles that could have been
barriers to success.
Delaney received the 2019 Marvin R. Pittman NC Champions for Education award from the North Carolina Department of Instruction. The award is given
to recognize individuals who demonstrate “an extraordinary commitment to student success, who exemplify leadership in education, and make significant
impact on students in our state.” Delaney is a national board-certified counselor who embraces diverse students and supports their individual needs.
“Thank you, Ms. Smith, Ms. Armistead and Ms. Delaney. Thank you for caring about what matters most
to all of us – our children,” said Mary McCray, chairperson of the Board of Education.
Parent Teacher Magazine •May/June 2019 • 3