John Mills and Elmwood Students Make District 401 Glow!

Our elementary schools have been shining bright this spring! With multiple glow-in-the-dark events last month, both John Mills and Elmwood students lit up their schools with spirit.

On March 11, John Mills hosted its first-ever Glow Run! The Glow Run was a PTA fundraiser where students got to participate in a glow-in-the-dark event in the gymnasium. They listened to upbeat songs, walked, ran, danced, and enjoyed the glowing atmosphere. With a glowing arch, an inflatable tunnel, lights all over the gym, and neon attire, each grade from Pre-K–5 embraced the day and had an amazing time. The fundraiser initially started with a $10,000 goal, and over the course of a few weeks, John Mills completely surpassed it—raising a grand total of $29,772 for the school! We’re already so excited for next year’s event.

Check out our video for scenes from the daylong event:

For photos, visit our SmugMug site.

Another first-ever event held was Elmwood’s Glow Show! For this event, 3rd and 4th graders put on a mesmerizing performance to a few themed songs, including “Fireflies” by Owl City, “Counting Stars” by OneRepublic, “Yellow” by Coldplay, and “Blinding Lights” by The Weeknd. Directed by music teacher Meredith Dabbs, students performed with props like flashlights, scarves, blacklights, and Rockstix to achieve the glowing effect. Students had speaking parts in the show, and even performed tumbling and gymnastics as part of the performance!

Ms. Dabbs shared that after the show, she watched it back with her students in class. “I loved hearing kids gasp at seeing the lights sparkling on stage when they were all working together.” She also mentioned that parents reached out to share how much they enjoyed the performance. It was rewarding for her to see the show so well received.

Check out photos from the event here:

3rd Grade
4th Grade