Janet Hicks was a Columbia High Scho dance teacher who loved poetry. 

Hicks also founded the Special Dance Company at CHS in the early 1970s. She passed away early in 2011.

Remembering her love of verse, Hicks' former CHS colleague and friend, Frank Niccoletti, honored her memory with a donation to the school — several books about the poetry of dance.

Niccoletti, who formerly taught English at CHS, met with the current members of the Columbia High School Dance Company to present the books and talk about Janet Hicks and her passion for dance. He also read to the students from one of the books he donated.

The books, selected with advice from Director of Media and Technology Terry Woolard and current members of the CHS English Department, include The Technical Manual of Dance and Ballet; Selected Poetry of Anna Akhmatova; Dance Me to the End of Love; The Dance: Poems; and Save the Last Dance.

In addition to the students, the presentation and reading was attended by current dance instructor Kandice Point-du-Jour, Supervisor of Physical Education, Nursing Services and Health Judy LoBianco, Woolard and Columbia Principal Lovie Lilly.