On January 25, our Exceptional Eagles joined with other exceptional students from the community to celebrate their

very own prom! The event was held at Nashville Methodist Church and was staffed by about 60 student volunteers from RMA and about 65 adult volunteers from the RMA community, including staff and the Rocky Mount Academy Parents Organization. The volunteers helped to decorate the spacious fellowship hall, and some of the students from RMA joined the exceptional students as their dates to the prom.

To make the night special and reflect the Hollywood Nights theme, EC students rode a party bus around the block–which they loved!–before they walked down the red carpet as one of our volunteers, senior Terrence Pittman, served as the Master of Ceremonies and announced their names. Before going inside, they paused to have their pictures taken. And at the end of the night–because every EC student is royalty!–everyone was crowned as our prom kings and queens.

On this special night for the kids, EC students enjoyed seeing all of their friends from school and dancing to their favorite songs as colored lights flashed against the walls. As with any event, food was an important part of the night, and for dinner, EC students, their dates, and volunteers enjoyed Chick-fil-A chicken strips, Pizza Inn pizza, and a variety of sweets–all contributed by generous donors. To match the Hollywood/movie theme, there was also a popcorn bar where students could fill red and white popcorn boxes with freshly popped popcorn and top their salty snacks with the candy of their choice.

In previous years, the RMA EC class has participated in “Night to Shine” (a nationwide program that sponsors proms for children with special needs), but this year RMA decided to hold its own prom because the Night to Shine dates did not work well with the school’s schedule. The RMA community also wanted a smaller event with their class at the heart of things to make it even more special.

In the end, this was not only a special night for our exceptional students, but also a special night for our volunteers. Our Upper School EC teacher, Mrs. Whitehead, says, “We are especially grateful for the phenomenal group of students that volunteered to be buddies during the dance. Our students make us proud today and every day!”

Everyone agrees our Hollywood Nights prom was a huge success, and we plan to continue the tradition next year and for many years to come.