Live . . . From Cassidy's School . . . It's FRIDAY NIGHT LIVE!!!!

Each year a huge event, called Friday Night Live, takes place at Cassidy's school.

In short, it's an event . . . almost a rite of passage for 4th and 5th graders at the school . . . that celebrates and embraces reading. There's nothing short OR small about this "shindig" however. What takes place over the span of 14 hours is absolutely amazing. Additionally, to make things even more challenging, is that the theme of the night is top secret. Therefore, any work or preparation that goes on has to take place in private meetings, work sessions, hushed conversations, and code language while in the presence of 10 and 11 year-olds, who are so hyped about finding out the theme, that the possiblilites are discussed all year long.

Below are some photos from the big night. It takes a small army to pull this event off. The creative genius behind the evening would be Cassidy's teacher, Mr. K. The "worker bees" are a slew of parents, older siblings of the 4th and 5th graders and school staff.

This first photo is a "before" shot . . . the walls of the cafeteria/gym had just finished being draped in plastic. The photo immediately following shows a "birds eye view" of the room after the guests of honor have arrived.







The kids arrive with sleeping bags and pillows in tow and set up a comfy spot for themselves in their assigned group. Once the evening begins, the plot is introduced and the kids watch the events unfold via skits, songs and dances-usually performed by nearly the entire staff, and the occasional family member of an unsuspecting 4th or 5th grader. And yes, Cassidy's family was recruited to appear during the evening. Interspersed between these events are silent reading times.

Various storybook characters "came to life" as the evening unfolded. I portrayed Hermione Granger, Gregg rode across the room on a zip line as Harry Potter and Thing 2 morphed into Raggedy Ann.




In fact, Mackenzie even got some new facial features for her character-thanks to a 5th grader's talented mom, who just happens to be a drama teacher at an area high school.



After volunteering my services to do some choreography, I got to work with Cassidy's school principal and her husband, both of whom portrayed Mary Poppins and Burt throughout the evening.



FNL usually incorporates a "field trip" to a cool destination that is worked into the evening's plot line. This year was no exception and in the photo below, you can see Mr. K greeting the kids at a local park. The kids arrived to a fire burning on the beach, a quest to find missing treasure, an assist from the Navy Seals, and ultimately witnessing the evening's arch enemies taken away by boat into the eerie darkness of the night. Ah, I'm always a sucker for a happy ending!





FNL concluded at the high school, where the kids had an opportunity to swim, dance, sign eachother's limited edition FNL shirts and eat. more. food.



And as I watched these kids have a ball and saw the joy on my own daughter's face, I started thinking . . .



I wonder what next year's theme will be!!