By Kaye Hauschild
Middle School Coordinator, Lakehill Preparatory School
I could not sleep last Thursday night. It was ridiculous, really. We have been having early morning cheer practices and after-hours projects like float building along with volleyball games that earned the varsity girls a place in the playoffs. Students and teachers have continued to keep their academic focus throughout these overscheduled days. There was every reason in the world to fall deep into some seriously needed REM. But I didn’t. Instead I anticipated the day and the night to come.
HOMECOMING!
You might think that I would be beyond bored participating in my 28th Lakehill Homecoming. No way! I am filled with the excitement that our Homecoming celebrations bring with them.
My first surprise was a Homecoming mum I received from my cheerleaders, decorated with miniature cowbells that rang with my every step. A second treat was the parade participation of a former Lakehill cheerleader from the early ’70s who wore part of her cheer uniform and used her original megaphone throughout the parade. After the hard work of our Upper School houses, it was no surprise that our first ever Homecoming parade was super spirited and fabulously fun. The pep rally that followed the parade was a labor of love, creativity, and skill from the Varsity cheerleaders and included performances from our Middle School cheerleaders and the senior guys. I was proud that everyone’s hard work paid off in what I heard some people call our most spirited pep rally ever!
On Friday night, Perry field was alive with cheers for our football team. The lines were long for the Dad’s Club cooking and the Alumni dinner catered by Mr. Wolf’s Rudy’s. No one could have predicted the incredible number of alumni who came to share in the fun. I loved seeing the new babies, the reunited friends, and the alumni parents who don’t want to miss the fun even if their child has graduated. It was definitely an honor to see how many of our past Homecoming queens came to join our halftime ceremony. And it was wonderfully unexpected when we sang our Alma Mater at the end of the game and so many alumni voices joined in.
I loved every minute of Homecoming 2011. It was definitely worth losing a little sleep over. Now I start dreaming of 2012…