Sanchez Intermediate held its first-ever dance Sept. 18, featuring a Dust and Diamonds theme that brought students together. 

The dance was originally planned for the amphitheater; however, sudden rain forced the event indoors to the multipurpose room (MPR). The unexpected change didn’t wash out the positive energy of the night.

The MPR was decorated with string lights and a painted photo backdrop handmade by the school leadership team. 

Many students wore sparkly outfits or Western-style hats and boots. They formed dance circles and conga lines, and lined up outside to purchase pizza and candy from staff members.

For Leadership adviser Sophia Barretta, the dance was a great opportunity for students to take a break from academics and enjoy the opening of the school. 

“The purpose of the dance is for students to have an opportunity to interact with each other outside of school hours and to just have some fun,” Barretta said. 

Staff and students were thrilled to see more students attend than expected. Barretta explained that the goal was to sell 100 tickets, but 180 tickets were sold. She was originally worried attendance would be low since the school is new.

Seventh-grade student Lyndsey H. was surprised about what happened at the dance. 

“I imagined it would be boys standing on one side and girls standing on the other, and nobody would talk to each other,” Lyndsey said. “But I was surprised to see that they actually danced together.” 

For Barretta, planning the dance was a detailed process since it was the school’s first. It also served as a chance for student council members to practice organizing an event. 

“It was our first school dance and we wanted to make it really fun for everyone,” Barretta said. “It was a good way to kick off the year and see how the student council is going to help out throughout the year. It was important because it helped us build relationships and see who can do what or how each other’s skills help with real-life events.”

Even though the dance was upbeat, Barretta said students and staff scrambled to adjust decorations after the sudden move indoors. 

“We had lights that were supposed to go outside on poles, but when we moved inside, we had to figure out how to put them up in the cafeteria,” Barretta said. “At first, it took forever—almost half an hour. But thankfully, Mr. Tovar came in, knew exactly what to do, and got it done instantly. After that, everything went smoothly.”

With the help of the Leadership team, the Dust and Diamonds dance became a sparkling milestone, marking the beginning of campus traditions.