“Complete and carefree silliness” abound during Whittier’s “lunchtime shenanigans”
Whittier students engage in lunchtime dance and singing parties
HEMET, Calif., — Asked what has been missing these past 18 months during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and public health crisis, Hemet Unified School District (HUSD) today told RCNS, “Complete and carefree silliness.”
To help young students remember the importance of just having fun and being silly, one Hemet counselor at Whittier Elementary has been been encouraging the school’s students to engage in dance and singalong parties to some of their favorite tunes during their Friday lunch breaks.
“This new implementation not only results in smiles from students but staff as well,” HUSD spokeswoman Alexandrea Sponheim said of the school’s “lunchtime shenanigans”.
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Thanks to an innovative idea by School Counselor Dave Kirkendall, students can be seen each Friday engaging in fun, outdoor activities while dancing and singing along to some of their favorite tunes; including Baby Shark, The Chicken Dance, and The Cha Cha Slide.
From its onset, lunchtime dance and karaoke has been a popular activity amongst Whittier students, Sponheim explained; adding that being held in an outdoor setting, students have ample space to move about while also honoring current health and safety protocols established by the District.
“Complete and carefree silliness” abound during Whittier Elementary’s “lunchtime shenanigans” led by school counselor Dave Kirkendall each Friday. HUSD photo
“The physicality of movement is also a welcome aspect of the activity as it provides a chance for students to get their blood moving and experience a burst in energy to guide them through the rest of the school day,” Sponheim continued.
“Following a year when a student’s only option may have been to dance along at home to their favorite songs on YouTube, the opportunity to be among their peers is proving to be a welcome activity,” she added.
When asked why he started the group, Dave shared a few of the reasons, including community togetherness, relationship building, school spirit, and an opportunity to provide the students with something the kids have been missing – “being together again in the fresh air, laughing, dancing, and enjoying life.”
“I went into this with unknown expectations,” Dave said of the rewarding experience, expressing that what he personally has taken away from the experience was “amazing”.
“Seeing the students have so much carefree fun with something as simple as music and togetherness brought joy to my heart,” he explained.
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The school plans on continuing the activity throughout the school year, according to Sponheim; who said the Friday activities have become a student and staff favorite.
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Trevor Montgomery, 50, moved in 2017 to the Intermountain area of Shasta County from Riverside County and runs Riverside County News Source (RCNS) and Shasta County News Source (SCNS).
Additionally, he writes or has written for several other news organizations; including Riverside County-based newspapers Valley News, Valley Chronicle, Anza Valley Outlook, and Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle; the Bonsall/Fallbrook Village News in San Diego County; and Mountain Echo in Shasta County. He is also a regular contributor to Thin Blue Line TV and Law Enforcement News Network and has had his stories featured on news stations throughout the Southern California and North State regions.
Trevor spent 10 years in the U.S. Army as an Orthopedic Specialist before joining the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department in 1998. He was medically retired after losing his leg, breaking his back, and suffering both spinal cord and brain injuries in an off-duty accident. (Click here to see segment of Discovery Channel documentary of Trevor’s accident.)
During his time with the sheriff’s department, Trevor worked at several different stations; including Robert Presley Detention Center, Southwest Station in Temecula, Hemet/Valle Vista Station, Ben Clark Public Safety Training Center, and Lake Elsinore Station; along with other locations.
Trevor’s assignments included Corrections, Patrol, DUI Enforcement, Boat and Personal Water-Craft based Lake Patrol, Off-Road Vehicle Enforcement, Problem Oriented Policing Team, and Personnel/Background Investigations. He finished his career while working as a Sex Crimes and Child Abuse Investigator and was a court-designated expert in child abuse and child sex-related crimes.
Trevor has been married for more than 30 years and was a foster parent to more than 60 children over 13 years. He is now an adoptive parent and his “fluid family” includes 13 children and 18 grandchildren.