Eighth grader Daina Polikaitis stood beside classmate, Marija Cyvas facing the large viewing audience at St. Joseph School’s end of year V.I.P. Day. They shared the microphone and spoke of the two teachers who made this special event possible. They presented flowers to these exceptional teachers as they gave hugs. It was bittersweet as their speeches helped close out their years at St. Joseph.
V.I.P. Day brings celebratory emotion to the end of school year while honoring the special people in the lives of St. Joseph students. This annual event is created with the guidance of Music teacher, Mary Schmitt and Art teacher, Ginny Clark. Together they bring guests a hall filled with colorful characters both on stage and in decoration.
The two who represented the eighth grade thanked their teachers for the extra effort they put into this special annual event.
“I was touched when I heard they asked to personally say thank you this year. That has never happened before,” said Schmitt. She could see that some of her students didn’t want to say good-bye to their VIP Day performances. “There were some who it meant a lot to.”
“Since kindergarten, I’ve always looked forward to VIP Day,” said Polikaitis. The early years bring group performances by the individual grade levels, but as the students get up in grades, they are given more and more opportunities. “I like to perform,” she said, “and group performances are very comfortable and offer a great opportunity to get used to performing.”
As you get older, VIP Day brings more try-out possibilities with solos and specialty numbers. Many students involve themselves in choreography. Set design through art class is also an option. Students find opportunities and often develop pieces with the guidance Ginny Clark.
This year’s VIP theme was “Holidays” and featured unique songs that Schmitt collected over the past year. Schmitt plans each year's event carefully, often attending summer seminars to find the perfect mix of music. "Last year we celebrated the school's centennial, and I was lucky to find our music through catalogs. With several collections of music, I can collect and build both musically and artistically,” she said.
This year’s theme included unique songs highlighting the many holidays of the year. The school performs the show four times, once for students, then parents, and finally two actual VIP Day performances for their special guests.
Just as many of their classmates did, both Cyvas and Polikaitis took advantage of the opportunities provided. In addition to the eighth grade performance of “Stepping Out with Santa Claus,” the two choreographed and performed in a specialty song involving 40 eighth graders, “Be My Valentine.”
“We thought of dance moves that we learned in Mrs. Schmitt’s Ballroom classes. We used some of those ideas and thought of moves that might work with those,” said Polikaitis.
The two orchestrated weekly early morning practice sessions to make this performance come together. “We scheduled our practices once a week at 7:10 a.m. That gave us 40 minutes to practice before school started,” she added. Cyvas explained that it wasn’t mandatory, but that 40 of the 60 eighth graders participated in this specialty song.
This year’s program provided Polikaitis a solo in the group performance of “Count Your Blessings.” Cyvas remembered enjoying a solo in a Wizard of Oz Medley in a past performance and has been more involved in choreography. Both were involved with artwork both in and out of class time.
Just like many of their fellow students at St. Joseph, both plan to continue in the Arts. Both will be attending Benet Academy in the fall. “They have a drama department, so I plan to continue singing and dancing,” said Polikaitis, who has also studied piano and has played flute with St. Joseph’s Band program. She plans to join Benet’s choir and will continue with Midwest Ballet Academy where she has studied dance. Cyvas, also a St. Joe Band member, looks forward to using her flute in Benet’s Concert Band and plans to become more active in sports.
And of leaving St. Joseph School, Cyvas was sentimental. “My family has been at St. Joseph for 19 years. Being the youngest in my family, it’s kind of sad, yet I’m excited to move on.” Cyvas explained that she has been running around the school since she was 3-years-old while her mom volunteered. “I was very comfortable with the St. Joseph environment and knew all the teachers.” She admitted that she plans to return often.
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