Grade 6 student Callie Mayer and five of her classmates (Shivani Thaakur, Julie Broch, Gloria Zhu, Madeleine Hansen and Emma Gurleroglu) enjoyed a free-dress day and delicious luncheon on April 19, thanks to an Alumni Family Picnic teacher auction package that her parents won.

Chris Nikoloff, head of school, and Jennifer Gargano, assistant head of school for academic affairs, served as the stellar waitstaff for the ninth annual luncheon, which was held at the Blackford campus amphitheater.

“The parents of a middle school child bids on this, with the winner picking five classmates as their guests. They select the menu and theme, which this year was llamas. They had strawberry smoothies, homemade guacamole and chips, Caesar salad, rolls and butter, sushi, an ice cream trolley for make-your-own sundaes, cream puffs in the shapes of llamas and chocolate covered strawberries,” recalled middle school teacher Kate Murphy, the picnic package sponsor.