High School Formals

A Night to Remember

14 November 2011 by admin in Formal Planning, Homepage, Uncategorized

By Laura Cornish

You’re so close to being an adult yourself, so it may come as a surprise that there is yet another night when you will be watched over: your high school formal. Your teachers and parents will be there, hopefully not to cramp your style, but to be good, old-fashioned chaperones.

The word chaperone comes from a French word for cape. Originally chaperones were hooded knights who dashed around the place, jumping off horses, swigging from goblets, and almost certainly guiding their young charges through swamps and caves and dragons. Must have been tough.

These days, your chaperone is less likely to be hooded. Just like you received an invitation to your high school formal, the teachers at your school would have too. And, for some of you, your parents as well. So, how do you make the most of an evening with these older folk?

If you’re not keen for your parents to remain the whole night, one way to get around it is the pre-emptive strike. Suggest your parents arrive for the pre-dinner drinks at the same time you pull up in your limousine/fire engine/trusty stead/Dad’s ute. Invite them—make them feel wanted. After all, they’ve helped you put yourself together for your big night, and probably pitched in a lot of money. They may also be very, very proud of you. Ask them to stay for photos and a glass or two, and then suggest they head off for a nice dinner with other parents.

When it comes to your teachers, however, it’s likely to be a different story. They have to be there, to supervise, to chaperone, to keep an eye on you. Often teachers have to pay for a ticket, just like you. If you’ve got a favourite, ask if they’re coming to let them know you’d like them there. And nothing says fun like a four-and-a-half-minute twirl around the dance floor with your favourite chaperone. If all else fails, ask the DJ to slip on ABBA’s Dancing Queen. It’ll get them every time.

One more night with the olds doesn’t have to be painful. Embrace the chaperone-factor at your high school formal. Slay those dragons. Slay that dance floor.