Subject: SFS 11th Grade Email #41 -- Prom and Post Prom
From: "Shu, Yingjie" <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 30 Mar 2011 11:55:48 -0400

Dear parents,

Please see the email from the prom Committee about the upcoming prom and post prom on May 14th.   The prom invitations were distributed to your juniors today.
Donna, Karen, Tanya, and Yingjie

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Dear Fellow Junior & Senior Parents:

Prom Time is approaching... Bright Lights, Big City!  Today the Student Prom Committee distributed Prom invitations to every Junior and Senior at School.   The Student Prom Committee has worked hard with the Parent Prom Committee to help make this year's Prom a fun, successful and safe evening.  It promises to be a fun night!

This letter details the plans of the Prom and After- Prom festivities.  You will be receiving other communications from the Parent Prom Committee as well as from Upper School Principal Lee Palmer and Dean of Students Michael Woods addressing School Policy on off-campus conduct and related issues.  For now, we want to focus on the logistics and keep you informed.

You will see from the details provided below that some Prom traditions from prior years remain the same, while other are new.  For example the Prom itself will once again be held at the National Press Club but the after party will be held at the new gym on campus this year.  We are excited to return to the Press Club and to have the after party at the new gym allowing the committee to customize the party.

In an effort to eliminate the unnecessary social and monetary fuss, and expense that comes with limousine and pre-Prom dinner arrangements all students are once again expected to dine at the Prom, and to use the luxury bus service that the School has very generously agreed to subsidize.  The School has already paid in full for five comfortable luxury buses to transport the students throughout the evening:  from Sidwell to the Prom venue and then back to the after party at the school.  The students' RSVP to the Prom is a commitment to ride the coach.  Students can choose to attend only the Post -Prom event, but still must RSVP.

As stated above, the Prom will be held again this year at the National Press Club.  With the active involvement of the Student Committee, the Parent Prom Committee has planned for a sophisticated, sit-down buffet dinner in the Press Club's ballroom.  The students will indicate on the RSVP's with whom they wish to sit, and the Student Committee along with the Dean of Students will make table assignments.  Best effort will be made to seat requests together but we cannot make any guarantees. There will be a DJ and a large dance floor in the ballroom.  There will be entertainment and photography provided in adjacent rooms.

Now that you have the background, here are the details we ask you discuss with your children:

THE PROM:

When:  Saturday, May 14, 2011.  Meet at Sidwell Parking Lot at 8:00 pm.  All coaches will depart for the National Press Club by 8:30pm

Where: The National Press Club- 529 14th Street, NW.  The event concludes at midnight

*         Dinner & Dancing

*         Entertainment

*         Photographs taken of couples, individuals, or groups and distributed to students

Dress:  Boys-suits or tuxedos; Girls- dresses, long or short

Who:  Your student can attend the dance by himself or herself, can ask a date from school or bring a date/friend from out of school.

Chaperones:  Teachers will chaperone the event.  In addition to School security, there will be at least one parent in the School parking lot between 1:30am and 3:00am on May 15th.

Tickets:  Invitations were affixed to each junior and senior locker today, 3/30.  The ticket price is $75 per person, with financial aid available.  RSVPs and sales are being managed by the Head of School Office by Adrianne Isaacs.  RSVPs and payment should be taken to her by May 5th.

Transportation: As stated above, all students will ride the luxury coaches from school to the Press Club; and then back to school to the After Prom.

Safety Measures:  In addition to the teacher and parent chaperones, there will be two Press Club security guards assigned to our event.  The students may not bring bags into the Press Club; they can leave on the bus, any backpacks or bags with less formal clothes for the After-Prom event.

SEE NEXT PAGE FOR POST -PROM INFORMATON- please note that as in past years all students who attend the prom will be required to attend the after party unless prior arrangements have been made with the Dean of Students.

POST PROM

When:  Sunday, May 15, 2011, 12:30 a.m. to 2:30 a.m.

Where:  New Gym on Sidwell Campus

*         gym will be transformed into our own espn zone/night club with lots of fun entertainment

*         breakfast served

*         snacks and beverages provided

*         locker rooms will be provided for students to change into sweats, jeans etc

Chaperones:  Parents will chaperone

Tickets: There is no charge for the After-Prom event, but RSVPs are still required so proper arrangements can be made.  Students may just come to the after -Prom event, if they wish

Safety Measures:  Once a student leaves the Gym commencing at 2:00 a.m., he or she will not be allowed to re-enter.

We suggest you make whatever pick-up arrangements from School you need to in advance of our child coming to the After-Prom.  Phone service in the gym is spotty.

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Thank you for discussing with your child the Prom evening and After-Prom morning hour events, and for your support in making this a safe, fun and memorable event for our kids.

Warmly,

Jamie Baldinger & Mimi Harris Kirstein
Parent Chairs, SFS Prom 2011