District news

CHS Post Prom Party is named one of top three national SADD events

The National Students Against Destructive Decisions organization has named Canajoharie High School's Post Prom Party as one of the top three SADD National Activities of the Year. CHS SADD advisor Carol Ann Hammons will accept the award and a cash prize at the National SADD Conference in June.

 "Canajoharie High School's After Prom Party exemplifies our idea of a successful SADD activity. Our panel of judges found particularly impressive your community-wide approach to a challenging problem, your chapter members' creativity and enthusiasm, your integration of several important themes and issues, and your broad-based and varied use of resources. We believe this activity could be creatively and usefully adapted by SADD chapters across the country,” said Penny Wells, the President and Executive Director of SADD, Inc.

History

The CHS Post Prom Party began in 1988 SADD advisor Mrs. Suzanne Collins and principal Dr. Donald L. Bowden set a goal "to make prom night safe for the students at Canajoharie High School!" They wrote grants  and forged partnerships were forged with the PTA, community organizations and businesses.

That first year students warned that, "no one will come; you're wasting your time." Dr. Bowden responded saying that if that were true, it would be a great party for only a few people. But, the naysayers were wrong! Almost every Junior and Senior attended, a pattern that has held steady every year. In fact, over the past several years, attendance at the PPP has surpassed the attendance of the Prom itself since we allow all freshman and sophomore SADD members who work at the PPP to attend in addition to all Juniors, Seniors and their guests.

Why has this crazy idea flourished? Canajoharie High School has a base of teachers, parents, and community members who volunteer each year. And students have come to look forward to each year's PPP. SADD members raise funds all year long selling Thanksgiving pies, Christmas wreaths, Breeze Freeze, computer fun surveys, photo reprints, Winter Ball DVD's, and hold an Annual Talent Show, "Breakfast with Santa", Halloween Dance, Valentine's Day Dance, car washes, Ecophones recycling (collection of cell phones, DVDs, CDs and ink cartridges), bake sales, spaghetti and lasagna dinners, and bottle returns, and participate in the Sean French Memorial Run in Chatham. PPP also owes its success to the extremely generous donations from businesses and individuals in the entire area.

How it works

Prom couples sign up for the PPP when they buy their tickets for the Prom. If they sign up for the Prom, but decide not to sign up for the PPP, Dr. Bowden or Mrs. Hammons will personally call the parents to let them know that their children neglected to sign up for the PPP. Inevitably those students sign up for the PPP the following day.

The communication between school and home also assures the evening's success. The PPP begins at midnight, but all students must arrive and be signed in by 1:00 a.m. Dr. Bowden sits at the entrance and checks each student in himself. Attendees and volunteers receive their free PPP t-shirts and the fun begins.

For those few students to register for PPP, but fail to arrive by the deadline, Dr. Bowden or Mrs. Hammons again personally call each parent. And, if a student decides to leave early, the parents receive a phone call telling them their child is leaving.

An evening of food, fun, and prizes

Over the years, PPP activities have included

• gyro ball

• sumo wrestling

• jousting

• human foosball

• velcro wall

• human slingshot

• laser tag

• computerized horoscopes

• photo key chains

• spin art

• non-permanent tattoos

• caricatures

• old time photos

• dunking booth

• hypnotists

• psychics

• comedians

• magicians

• DJ's and karaoke

• Egg Hunt (there are two grand prizes this year, $50.00 and $100.00)

• swim in the Nellis pool (which always includes a bell-flop contest)

• the area's largest outdoor slip and slide,

• "Let's Make A Deal," bingo, and carnival games for cash and prizes

• movies

• board games

• video games (Dance, Dance Revolution and Guitar Hero)

• beach volleyball

• basketball

• cash machine

• and more...

Food, food, and more food!

Family and Consumer Science teacher, Dolores Talmadge overseas a menu of snacks and food that flow continuously through the night. With the help of a small army of student and adult volunteers, a stream of fresh fruit salad, veggies with dips, tacos, grilled shrimp, shish kabobs, hamburgers, hot dogs, chicken wings, subs, pizza, shrimp cocktail, trail mix, popcorn, make-your-own sundaes, chocolate fountains with a variety of fruits, biscuits and cookies, frozen slushies and then donuts and French toast for breakfast finds its way to the buffet tables. The menu is the same every year. Why? Because when students are asked what they want to change, they respond by saying they don't want to change anything!

Prizes, prizes, and more prizes!

Throughout the entire night, attendees win smaller prizes in various random drawings. At 5:30 a.m., Juniors and Seniors may win a drawing for DVD players, cameras, camcorders, CD players, portable DVD players, televisions, microwaves, luggage, trail bikes, I-Pods, and gift certificates. (At one time SADD drew for one large gift such as a computer or a trip, but students agreed that they liked the idea of many prizes instead.) Gift buying responsibilities rest with the SADD president and vice-president who tackle the chore with help from high school science teacher and ten-year shopping veteran Lynn Saltsman.

T-shirts

The PPP shares the Prom theme. After the formal evening of tuxedos and gowns, it's time to dress down with a prom t—shirt. Thanks to Kathy Van Loan's art students, each year's shirt is an original design. Art students submit a series of designs to SADD officers who choose the top ten. They display the designs in the school cafeteria for everyone to see. The Juniors and Seniors, then, vote to choose the design decorates that year's Post Prom t-shirt.

Day of the Dead

Stealing the name from our Spanish class (Dia de las muertas), Day of the Dead is a one-day pre-prom drinking and driving awareness program held a day or two before the actual prom. Throughout the day, the "Grim Reaper" steps into classrooms, selecting individuals to don a black "Victim" shirt. Victims remain silent for the remainder of the day, symbolizing the loss of young people to senseless drinking and driving accidents. As each person "dies" a photo of that student victim is displayed in a coffin next to a story of a tragic, true accident victim. At the end of school that day, all students pass through a gauntlet of victims and the coffin. Outside the school entrance lays a car which had been involved in a fatal accident. Chalk outlines of victims drawn on the sidewalk and facts about the dangers of drinking and driving confront the students.

20 years of success

This year marks Canajoharie High Schools 20th Anniversary of what has continued to be an extremely successful and highly anticipated Post Prom Party. In acknowledging this National Award, Mrs. Hammons said, “We are all very grateful to the many people and organizations who work each year to make this project such a success.

Our donors have been very generous over the years, and this award goes to them as well for their unflagging support. Most of all, I hope that this award reinforces the message we want to send our high school youngsters that their safety is so important to us that the people of this school and community are willing to give of their time and money to make sure that they have a safe and enjoyable prom night!”