Subject: Letter to Parents and Guardians regarding the Homecoming Dance
From: "Michael Woods" <[email-masked]>
Date: 11 Oct 2017 18:06:07 -0400

October 11, 2017

Dear Upper School Parents and Guardians,

We anticipate a great Homecoming Day this Saturday and a great Homecoming Dance that evening to cap Spirit Week.  The students are having fun with the theme requirements of this week and will have more fun with themes for the dance.  As we want the fun to continue through to the end of the Homecoming Dance, this letter is meant to apprise you of the rules and logistics of our dance.

The Homecoming Dance will be held this Saturday, October 14, in the Dining Room from 8:30 pm – 10:30 pm.   All students should arrive before 9:15pm.  Please note that no student will be admitted after 9:30pm (without prior approval by the Dean of Students).   Moreover, once in the dance no student may leave and re-enter the building.   Please help your child plan to arrive promptly by reminding them of this time-line for the evening.  Please be clear with your child about how and when they will be picked up after the dance.

On Invited Guests:  Students who wish to bring a guest to the dance must register the guest with Ms. Matthews, the Assistant to the Dean of Students, before the dance.  A student may bring one guest to the dance; they must arrive together and check-in with the chaperones at the door.  Their guest must bring their high school photo ID.  The Sidwell host student is responsible for the behavior of his/her guest throughout the evening.

On Personal Conduct:  We remind students of the rules governing on-campus social events.   We include the reminder against drugs, alcohol, and violence as well as the reminder that they must abide by our community’s values written on pages 18-22 in the 2017/18 Community Handbook.  Prior to the dance, the school asks that you review these policies at home with your child; and that you review the Upper School’s discipline policies on pages 55-58 including the specific policy regarding student drug and alcohol use on page 57.  We will use the Breathalyzer when warranted and the family would be summoned to pick up their child in such a circumstance.   While I do not anticipate any problems at this dance, I urge you to review this policy.

Two annual reminders for parents and guardians:  Please know specifically how your child is getting to and from the dance and other events.  We encourage you to be emphatic with your son or daughter that they should not be driven by anyone under the influence of drugs or alcohol, no matter how little they appear to have consumed.  We suggest you make it clear that you would be willing to come and get them as an alternative means of travel.

On a similar note, we discourage parents from hosting teenage parties in which alcohol is served or even readily available.  Local jurisdictions have not only pursued parents who have hosted such parties, but have also stiffened the penalties for those adults.  We urge parental clarity on this issue with all of your guests and urge parental vigilance for the duration of your gathering.  If you are hosting many teenagers, you should consider inviting other parents to assist in a more active adult supervision.  In addition, we ask that any “After-Parties” begin after 11:30 pm.  We do not want the allure of an after-party to encourage students to leave our dance early.

We expect the students to have a great time Saturday night.  Thank you for your attention and feel free to contact me if you have further questions.

Best,

Michael Woods

Upper School Dean of Students

(202) 537-8160

[email-masked]

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