Winterfest 2017

It's that time of year again!  This year’s Winterfest will take place on January 28 from 8:00-11:00 p.m. The theme is Casino Night and the venue for the dance is The Falls Event Center in Littleton.

Winterfest is semi-formal, meaning students should dress up, but certainly should not feel obligated to show up in brand new dresses or rented tuxedos. Many students travel as groups via a hired vehicle of some sort, but again no one should feel as if they must rent an expensive limo either.  

 

We really encourage students to go in groups, in order to alleviate some of the social pressure and emotional drama that seemed to accompany the Sadie Hawkins tradition (girl asks a boy) of the past. Not having a date should not hold a student back from attending the dance, which promises to be a fun time for all.  Groups can be single sex or co-ed and there is no need to worry about "who is going with whom."  

 

The event begins officially at 8:00 p.m., but typically students start arriving around 8:30 p.m. We require that everyone attending should arrive NO LATER THAN 9:30 p.m. The doors may be closed to them if they arrive after that. (If something beyond the student’s control occurs and their arrival will be later than expected, they should contact one of the chaperones at the event site.) Once a student or students leave the dance, they may not return.  Except for pre-arranged circumstances, the earliest we will allow a group of students to leave will be 10:30.  (Individual students may leave with a parent or guardian before then or may leave in their own car.)  The dance committee goes to a lot of work to set this event up, so we discourage the disruptions that are caused by a lot of coming and going.  We also understand that many students now arrive or depart using Uber or Lyft, which is certainly a family's prerogative.  If possible, please let one one the school officials know that is the arrangement you have made with your child, as we want to be sure students are not getting into unknown vehicles.  

 

Once again, I will make the same plea to parents and students that I make every year.  Inevitably, some events will be planned before and/or after Winterfest. . . . You should know that CA is not sponsoring any of these activities, so we would strongly encourage you to ask your students about their plans and then contact any other parents with whom your son or daughter is traveling or who may be hosting events at their homes. I encourage you to have a good conversation with your student(s) before the dance; make sure you are clear about where they will be and with whom. We have had some issues in the past with students making poor decisions in regard to behavior. If any student is caught with drugs or alcohol, or it is found that they came to the dance having been using, there will be serious disciplinary action.  Unfortunately, we have also had our efforts undermined by parents who host parties at their homes where alcohol is served – in some cases even with their tacit approval.  I would urge parents not to make this decision for any reason, as you are putting yourself, your children, and other people's children at risk.   Please help us to help your children make the safe and legal choices on this night.

Thanks, and please don't hesitate to contact me or sophomore class dean Emily Perez for more details.