Altara students have a ball at the hop

By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com

Poodle skirts, leather jackets, white T-shirts, bobby socks and some good ol’ rock ‘n’ roll— that’s what every sock hop needs and Altara second-graders didn’t disappoint.

At their traditional Valentine’s sock hop, the students paid homage to the 1950s doing the hand jive and The Twist. They also danced common novelty dances from the time period such as the Chicken Dance, Hokey Pokey and the Bunny Hop.

While they didn’t have to put a nickel in the jukebox, these youngsters where a twistin’ and a rockin’ before finishing their 45-minute dance with frosted cookies and root beer floats.

While sock hops became popular in the 1950s when teens would dance informally after taking off their shoes so they wouldn’t scratch schools’ wooden gym floors, it’s documented that sock hops were held in the mid1940s by the American Jr. Red Cross to help raise funds during World War II.

At Altara, the sock hops date back about 30 years, said Kristine Larson, who has taught second grade at the school for 27 years.

“The teachers before me started it,” she said. “We used to teach a little dance portion in PE before we had brain boosters (class rotations in elementary schools that include subjects such as PE, library, computers/ STEM, arts). Now, we teach them a song in our morning meetings or during our brain breaks.”

She said students look forward to the tradition every year, learning about it from their older siblings or neighbors. Besides learning movement and dance skills, and a little pop culture, Larson said they’re also learning social skills.

“The kids have fun dressing up ’50’s style and many of them borrow outfits from their older brothers, sisters or neighbors,” she said. “It’s a party every year.” l

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NeuroHealthUtah.Com

When I was a kid, I worried about four things: my Halloween candy being stolen by siblings, missing a spelling word on a test, accidentally eating mayonnaise and nuclear war. In that order.

While those four things were the main cause of concern, I also worried about rainy days because stupid boys would throw earthworms down my shirt. I worried about wearing dresses to school because stupid boys would look up my skirt.

I worried about running out of books to read because I couldn’t imagine that apocalyptic scenario. I worried about earthquakes because we were constantly told The Big One would happen when we least suspected.

I guess I worried a lot, but I’m pretty sure our state legislators at the time didn’t give a rat’s behind about my mental health. In fact, children in the 1970s weren’t really considered people until they had a job and started paying taxes.

But now, our illustrious leaders say they are really concerned about the mental health of Utah’s youth, but only in select situations. There is talk to ban social media for kids under 16 because of the harmful impact it has on their mental wellness.

However, representatives don’t seem