This Saturday, Amador Valley hosted its much anticipated annual Homecoming dance. Through spirited themed days and an action packed rally, the week culminated into a festive dance featuring a DJ and delicious offerings from various food trucks.
Homecoming Rally
The Homecoming Rally serves as the finishing touch on a spirited week full of activities. Students enjoyed a range of performances from groups on campus, engaging games, and creative class floats.
“The stands always cheer a lot when we come out – in terms of routine, we tried to make everything as perfect as we could in and out of practice,” said Pom dancer Jasmine Yeh (‘29).
Behind the scenes, countless hours of practice and preparation went into making the rally a resounding success. From perfecting choreography to organizing intricate details, students and staff worked tirelessly to ensure a smooth process.
“The hardest part is getting everyone on the same page. It was chaotic with everyone doing the routine on the field, but we all worked together,” said cheerleader Camille Garcia (‘27).
A Festive Dance
This year, Leadership made several changes to enhance the Homecoming experience. From food to music, everything was meticulously planned.
“I appreciated that there was a stage this year – everything was upgraded like the DJ area. The photobooths were nice as well, we’ve always had those, but it’s a great addition,” said Laasya Vemula (‘27).
In the background, logistics were key to ensure the most seamless possible experience for attendees. Coordinating schedules, setting up, and managing last minute changes required flexibility.
“Everything was pretty smooth. It was well-organized when we were trying to get inside and there weren’t many delays,” said Evelyn Roe (‘27).
“You always have people that have to drop out. For example, we had a food truck that ended up having to cancel, so then we had to find another one. Just all those little mishaps that always happen for every big event you’re throwing. Just being able to be flexible and redirect your attention to getting things done is the goal,” said ASB Executive Lucy Phard (‘26).
Safety at Homecoming
However, measures were taken through the dance to ensure student’s safety, which led to delays in the music. These precautions caused brief interruptions in the event.
“The music was getting stopped by the administration constantly, almost every thirty minutes. They were more strict with the rules this year – there should have been some ground rules set before Homecoming,” said Vemula.
In order to find a balance between safety measures and holding a flawless event, administrators stepped it to reset and reinforce expectations.
“There were a few more times that students were throwing things, so we stopped the music to give students the opportunity to reset and to restate our expectations. We want you to have fun. But we can’t have anyone getting hurt,” said AVHS Principal Malcom Norrington.
Despite everything, this year’s Homecoming proved to be a memorable and festive experience for all students to enjoy. “I really like the teamwork that we had this year and even for the setup. Everybody in Leadership had such a big role in planning. So just keeping that going for as long as we can for events,” said Phard.
