On Wednesday, Feb. 21, Student Council (StuCo) hosted their annual Valentine’s Dance for students with special needs from high schools throughout the district. After the event was discontinued during the COVID-19 pandemic, the tradition was revived in 2022 and has continued since. 

“We wanted to do something that would be inclusive of everyone,” StuCo Executive Secretary Sheevani Talati ‘24 said. “We always have Prom and Homecoming, and you don’t see many students from the special needs community there, [so] we wanted to do something about that.”

Volunteers from National Honors Society (NHS) and StuCo partnered with special needs students to be their buddies at the event and additionally helped set up and take down decorations.

“I was part of the setup crew, and we helped decorate the photo booth. I enjoyed helping decorate, it was fun and we got to be creative,” NHS volunteer Sebastian Grimaldo ‘25 said. “I would volunteer at this event next year if I get the chance.”

Students participated in activities such as card-making, bracelet-making, cookie decorating, and line dancing.

“I think the most well-received activity was the bracelet-making activity because people would make bracelets for themselves and also make a bracelet for their buddy,” Talati said. “It was nice to see them working together and doing stuff for each other.”

Looking ahead to next year, StuCo plans to expand its reach to get more schools to attend and more volunteers to participate in the event.

“I think StuCo wants to make the event bigger, get more people involved because this is one of the biggest events StuCo has in the spring,” StuCo Executive Reporter James Li ‘25 said. “We’re just trying to find a way to advertise it more.”