Dress to impress for this year’s Father Daughter Dance at Sonoma Heights Elementary School (SHES) on Feb. 9 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Communities In Schools of Nevada (CIS) is collecting gently used and news dresses, fancy shoes, and hair accessories for students in kindergarten through fourth grade until Feb. 2.
Elizabeth Speer, CIS Site Coordinator for SHES, said in an email that this is the first year that clothing will be collected for students and that “The idea of the Dress Drive is to support any student/family attending the Father Daughter Dance who might need an outfit to wear. The thought behind the dress drive is to ensure that any student can make this a special memory.”
The Dress Drive is taking place from now through Feb. 2. Clothes (sizes 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16), shoes (sizes 9-3 for smaller children and shoe sizes 3.5-7 for bigger children), and accessories can be dropped off at the entryway or front office of SHES.
According to Speer, students will get to pick their dress and accessories individually from the CIS Resource Room at the school with her help. They are also accepting outerwear as a part of the dress drive since the event is in winter.
Tickets for the dance, exclusive to Sonoma students, are for sale in the SHES front office for $25 each per couple (cash only) with $5 each for additional Sonoma Heights Daughters, and include refreshments and a keepsake.
Speer explained that girls may be escorted by dad, grandpa, uncle, or any other role model. Teachers and parents will also be helping to set up, chaperone, and clean up after the dance, along with herself.
CIS has been at SHES for three years, working to connect with students and help impact absence rates.
“We use an evidence-based model, implemented by trained site coordinators, to connect students and their families to critical educational and community-based resources. This involves working directly with schools, communities, and families to identify their unique needs and surround students with a caring network of support. At Sonoma Heights, our goal this year is attendance and reducing the number of students who are chronically absent,” explained Speer.
CIS serves six schools in Winnemucca, but stretches across northeastern Nevada from Winnemucca to Wendover.
“Communities In Schools of Nevada is one of the largest state operations within the nation’s leading dropout prevention organization, proven to keep students in school and on the path to graduation,” explained Speer.
The Dress Drive is just one example of the programs and events that CIS helps coordinate and implement for the benefit of students.
To donate directly or ask questions, contact Elizabeth Speer at 775.623.8165 ext. 641.