Friday, 11 May 2012
Greetings Upper School Parents:
As we approach what is sure to be a
successful MVS Prom weekend, I want to communicate clearly and directly to you
our expectations for student conduct. Prom will be held
on Saturday, 19 May at Dayton Racquet Club, lasting from 9-11:30PM. After Prom will be
held here at MVS (in the gymnasium
and atrium areas), immediately following Prom, from 12:midnight-3:30AM, with an abundance of food, activities, and
events, sponsored and organized by the MVS Parents’ Association.
Prom season is often depicted as a rite of
passage, celebrating friendships and accomplishments of the school year past,
while also looking forward to completing the academic year and the approach of
summer. I anticipate this year’s
Prom and After Prom, under the careful planning by the Junior Class of 2013 and
MVS Parents’ Association, will be enjoyable and memorable events. However, as
is the case in many school cultures, school dances and similar evening events
also raise potential anxieties about student at-risk behavior, including
drinking, unsafe driving, and other potential dangers. We are all concerned
about student safety. Throughout the year, but particularly during Homecoming
and Prom seasons, tragic incidents are portrayed in the local and national
press, reinforcing the fragility of human life and the potential dangers
associated with teen driving, the “rites of spring,” and other adolescent
vulnerabilities. Such events can be devastating to any community, so with your
added attention as parents, I want to further protect our students at MVS from
making unwise decisions that could carry significant, if not dire,
consequences.
As added protection of
our students (and for increased peace of mind for parents and teachers), we
will again administer individual breathalyzer tests to all students
attending Prom. The devises we selected
(and have used at a number of previous dances) are recommended both by law
enforcement and substance counseling programs. The use of these tests is to affirm that our students are
safe and secure, as well as to reduce suspicions about at-risk behaviors at MVS
events. As a school, MVS will not
tolerate any student drinking or illegal substance use before or during Prom or
After Prom; to that end, we will be vigilant in our monitoring of student
conduct.
If your Junior or Senior is attending Prom
(which we hope is the case), I encourage you to have candid discussions
with your child (as well as with her or his date and other friends) about the
important topics of safety and responsible decision making, carefully reviewing
their plans, your expectations, and communicating directly with other parents
regarding any questions you might have.
As parents, I request your assistance in modeling
proactive and responsible decision making by our students. Please resist all
temptations to offer alcohol to any students, even as a ceremonial toast or
glass of champagne with dinner, especially since such actions are in stark
conflict with MVS school policy, not to mention state laws. Such offers place
students in an unnecessarily precarious dilemma. If your daughter or son is
traveling in a limousine or carpooling with a group of friends, please take the
time to ask, then check to confirm, that there are no “smuggled containers or
substances” within their vehicles. It is better to be safe now, rather than
remorseful later. If students (or you, their parents) still feel compelled to
engage in any at-risk activities, they are advised to avoid Prom and After Prom
entirely. Any student, whom chaperones suspect to be under the influence, will
be denied from entering these events and, as a result, we will phone you, as
their parents, to come pick them up. Believe me, these are circumstances in
which no one wants to participate.
Chaperones (me included), who agree to work for the benefit of
students in supporting student events (without whom, there simply would be no
Prom) will use their best judgment in assessing student conduct; however, these
decisions will be at the discretion of faculty chaperones, Vin Romeo (as Junior
Dean), and me. I encourage you to be candid with your daughter or son in your
conversations surrounding alcohol, drug use, or other at-risk behaviors.
Obviously, any violation of the alcohol and drug policy at or around an MVS
event may result in serious consequences, up to and including expulsion. The
potential dangers of unsafe driving raise further concerns. Our hope is that
through active and direct discussions, transcending both home and school, such
matters can be avoided entirely, allowing everyone at Prom and After Prom to
safely enjoy the events as they are intended.
In the interest of ensuring student safety,
under no circumstances will a student be allowed to leave Prom or After Prom
before their conclusions, without first contacting a parent directly.
All students are to arrive at Prom by 9:30PM. Later, students should change out
of their prom attire at MVS, after driving directly to After
Prom. All students are to arrive at After Prom by 12:15AM. If any student
arrives late, or asks to leave early from either event, we will have him or her
phone you directly. If a student encounters an unanticipated delay, we ask that
she or he phone the main phone number at MVS (434-4444, ext 157, the
concessions stand in the MVS Atrium), to keep us informed of their status, just
to be safe. Once a student has officially departed Prom or After Prom (having
contacted a parent first), she or he will not be permitted to re-enter
the event. Students are expected to cooperate fully with chaperones, parent
volunteers, and staff members at these events. Attendance at Prom and After
Prom are indeed privileges, requiring an appropriate degree of student (and
parent) responsibility. We look forward to enjoying these activities with your
children; however, in the interest of student safety, we will be attentive in
monitoring student behavior and conduct.
A great deal of work has gone into planning
for Prom and After Prom, on the part of students, parents, faculty members, and
administrators. We will do our very best to create an environment that will be
safe and enjoyable for everyone involved. I am confident the students will have
a great time. Again, as partners in the essential support of MVS students,
please encourage your child (and her or his peers) to use sound judgment in
making Prom and After Prom a wonderful, enjoyable, and safe night for all
involved. Should you have any specific questions regarding Prom, feel free to
contact Vin Romeo (as Dean of the Junior Class).
With sincere regards,
Sam Wagner
Head of Upper School
