Pep rallies energize a crowd before a sporting event in middle school, high school, or college. But that’s the whole point, isn’t it? Pep rallies are supposed to encourage school spirit and cheer members of the sports team towards victory. Well, last week, students at Lake Mary High School in Lake Mary, Florida, got a special pep to their rally. Now, most people assume that high school principals are pretty strict. But Dr. Donna Reynolds, aka Mickey, proved to all of her students that she was the embodiment of a cool and hip principal when she joined the rally and starting dancing alongside the students and some of the teachers. Then they brought the house and the internet down!In fact, that’s how this story began. The Lake Marionettes are Lake Mary High School’s award-winning dance team. The performers knew that cheering and dancing was the best way to encourage their team, who were about to go against the school’s longtime rival, Lake Brantley High.
But halfway through the routine, everything changed when 31 uninvited guests crashed the party. But these folks weren’t trying to ruin the dance. They just wanted to join in, and the students were beyond thrilled.
A school environment is supposed to be a place where students can learn and grow, but Reynolds knows that there are obstacles along the way, and teachers can help these kids through them. But not every child is comfortable reaching out to their mentors.
Principal Reynolds wanted to help the students, particularly the freshman class, who sometimes struggle with acclimating to high school life. With a little extra support, she was sure she could make Lake Mary High a safe haven for everyone. And the pep rally was the perfect starting point.
She set out to prove to students that teachers are real people who like to have some fun. But were the students ready to see the staff join the pep rally? Probably not. But once they did, they were glad the grownups were there.
Principal Reynolds wanted to find a way to really bring the house down, and the only way to do that was for the grownups to join in on the fun. But that meant that she had to do something no other principal had done before.
The lady in the blue shirt and white pants is Principal Reynolds, and she joined the Lake Marionettes in a pep rally performance unlike any that the school had ever seen. Everyone was speechless, particularly by the fact that Reynolds had some serious dance moves.
She walked onto the court with 30 of her faculty and staff, and they were a hit. In fact, once their performance was recorded and uploaded, it was viewed over 94,000 times. But there was more to this act than just showing team spirit.
She felt that special moments like this one would help build a bridge between the faculty and the students. She’s still hopeful that this will ultimately help improve communication, and teach the students that teachers and school principals can have fun too.
**Watch the video below to see Principal Reynolds and her staff perform side by side with the Lake Marionettes.**