Waddell Elementary School students, teachers and staff held a sparklestudded, cowboy-themed dance party on Friday afternoon to honor the late, great country singer Dolly Parton, who died last month at age 80.
The school was one of many across the country to recognize “Dolly Day” on Sept. 25, which plays on the numbers in her famous song “9-to-5.”
Around 15 minutes before the end of the school day, Waddell students were led into the gym class-by-class for some hilariously chaotic fun put together by their teachers. Some students were in full Dolly-themed regalia with cowboy hats, boots, feather boas and lots of pink. The littlest students wore hand-colored paper cowboy hats. Teachers also got into the spirit and led the high-energy line dance from the stage while the kids sang along at top volume.
The dance party was the last fun installment of a day of events to honor Parton, including Dolly-themed cookies at lunch. Another big part of the day was celebrating Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, which sends out free monthly books to children ages zero to 5 all over the country. Special readers came in to read books from the Imagination Library and older students also read to younger ones. The children also brought in pennies to donate to the Imagination Library, raising a total of $170.41.
Principal Kimberly Troise, decked out in a sparkly pink cowboy hat and a Dolly Parton shirt, said celebrating the legend at school made perfect sense because of the beloved legend’s principles and her ability to bring everyone together.
“She always worked to find the good in people, and that’s the piece that you should focus on,” Troise said. “Sometimes, that piece gets left out of all the other pieces that we get bogged down in. So, it’s nice to have someone who truly personifies what it means to be kind, gentle, caring and want the best for everyone.”
Troise said that Dolly Day, which was the suggestion of fourth-grade teacher Michelle Dittman, was a big success and one that she’ll consider holding again next year.
“Your party was amazing,” one child, Charlie, said on the way out the door to Troise.
Editor’s note: A video of the dance can be found on The News-Gazette’s website and on its Facebook page.
