Camp aims to add cheer to new year (video)

In just three days, many students at the inaugural Cheer Camp held at Billy Earl Dade Middle School went from never cheerleading at all to performing a detailed routine that involved dancing, cheers, and throwing a fellow cheerleader in the air before safely catching them.

Vonda Pipkin and Brittney Scott, two Distinguished Teacher Review-eligible teachers who voluntarily transferred to Dade Middle School as part of the district's Accelerating Campus Excellence Initiative, started the cheer camp as a way to promote team building and leadership skills. The camp featured more than 20 cheerleaders-in-training from schools across the district.

"It gives these students something positive to do over the summer," Pipkin said.

The camp ran from July 27–29 from 8 a.m.–5 p.m., and it concluded with a performance in front of friends and family. Pipkin and Scott said they hope to expand the cheer camp to more middle schools next summer.

Watch the above video to learn more.