Peet formal offers fun, prizes

This year’s Peet ninth grade formal was on April 20. The theme was “Under the Stars” as voted by the students. 

Megan Bowden is one of the counselors at Peet. She said, “We have been planning the formal for several months now to make it the best night possible for our ninth graders. We are super fortunate to have a Peet parent take the lead and do a lot of the organizing, especially when it comes to finding donations so we can give out awesome prizes in the raffle. Students have helped with deciding the theme and creating decorations to transform Peet’s entryway and cafeteria.”

The parent who took the lead was Alexa Bottke. She was in charge of coordinating the dance and started in January. She said, “I attended Peet Junior High when I was in ninth grade, and I still remember that dance to this day. Freshmen work so hard to do what they need to do to be ready for high school and we have created an environment for students to dance, laugh and have fun creating memories with friends they have made along the way.”

The formal was a way to celebrate the end of the school year by hanging out with friends. The dance was two hours long and there were snacks, a DJ and a lot of prizes that many students won. Bowden said, “This year’s formal was very similar to the ninth grade dances we have had in the past. Every year there is a different theme, but it is always a really fun night.”

The highlight of many students nights was the raffle held at the end of the dance. Giftcards up to $100 to local stores in Cedar Falls were won by many students. Bottke said, “I have talked with local businesses who have been generous enough to donate to our raffles for students. We have also reached out to parents who have been very generous by donating money to PATT. We have used our funds to purchase raffle prizes, snacks, and drinks for students.”

Overall, students had an amazing time at this year’s formal with many positive comments made throughout the night. Bottke said, “This has been an amazing event to coordinate. People walk in and out of your life, but your junior high experience will always create memories to remember forever.”