Congregation Beth Shalom gave their fourth-year preschoolers a fun send-off with their Preschool Prom on Sunday.
Around a dozen children will move on once the school year ends. This last prom for them featured a Cinco de Mayo theme, with patterned tablecloths and small maracas on each table. Some families dressed for the occasion and wore sombreros and sarapes.
Along with music and food, the prom also included a silent auction, with movie tickets, gift cards for The Cheesecake Factory and a room at the Beverly Hilton.
“We’re very lucky to have the people that donate to the silent auction,” said preschool co-president Jennifer Micciche. “That’s actually where the largest part of the fundraiser comes from.”
Proceeds go toward school events for the students, including the upcoming snow day in June.
“They want to go out with a bang, so we try to make the prom really special to accommodate that kind of emotional joy that comes with it,” she said. “It’s bittersweet, your kid’s graduating but it’s really such a cool place.”
Before the Preschool Prom ended, the families were led to the playground to look at a wooden wall dedicated to the Lippman family, according to Carol Bloom, preschool director.
Terry Lippman, who has a child set to graduate, wanted the preschool students to make their own music and have fun, so families donated pots and pans to attach to the wall and wooden spoons for children to strike the pots and pans. Painted over the wooden fencing read Psalm 150: “Praise God with drum and dance.”
