Every year, the Central Manor Elementary School (CMES) PTO traditionally hosts two dances: one for mothers and sons and the other for fathers and daughters. Due to a shortage of volunteers, the PTO decided to shake things up this year by combining the two dances to create a groovy new fundraiser.

On Feb. 9, CMES students and their parents broke out the bellbottoms and showed off their finest moves on the dance floor for the inaugural Disco and Desserts. Throughout the evening, students from kindergarten to sixth grade enjoyed treats, played games, and boogied beneath the disco ball in the gymnasium of the school, which is located at 3717 Blue Rock Road, Washington Boro.

"The kids had a lot of fun," said Lucy Gwyn, vice president of the CMES PTO. "It was a well-controlled event, but it was also an environment where they could have fun and enjoy themselves."

To ensure the gymnasium had enough space for everyone to get their groove on, the dance was held in three stages. Separate time slots were reserved for students from kindergarten to second grade, third and fourth grades, and fifth and sixth grades. The designated blocking allowed younger students to have fun without thinking about the opinions of their older schoolmates, and the fifth- and sixth- graders were given extra time on the dance floor to celebrate their final year at CMES.

Although the first Disco and Desserts was a success, the PTO already has plans to improve it. Many parents expressed that they missed the former daddy-daughter and mother-son dances, so Gwyn said the group plans to incorporate one of each special dance next year. CMES PTO also plans to modify the timeslots for the next dance to better accommodate the number of participants, as the school has nearly 600 students.

In addition to the dance fundraisers, CMES PTO partners with various restaurants such as Panera Bread and Moe's Southwest Grill throughout the year. Once a month, a different restaurant provides a designated code for students and their families to use when placing an order. A percentage of the restaurant's proceeds is then donated to the PTO, which uses the funds to pay for student enrichment projects such as field trips and classroom materials.

To stay up to date on future fundraisers at CMES, search for "Central Manor Elementary PTO" on Facebook.