Upper School Newsletter – September 20, 2023

Greetings Huskies! Homecoming is quickly approaching, and I want to take a few moments to share some information that parents might find helpful. I am often asked, “Do students need a date to go to Homecoming?” In other words, is the culture that students ask each other to the dance, or do they just go in groups? Though my statistics aren’t precise, I can comfortably say that the vast majority of students simply show up and don’t treat this as an event with a “date.” This is particularly true when they get on the dance floor! I never see them coupling up, but, rather, they dance in massive groups, often forming hype circles. It’s actually one of the more inclusive and uplifting events as students run to the dance to jump and sing along. Expect them to come home starving and covered in perspiration after their hour-long dance cardio session.

Another question that I often get is, “Does everyone rent one of these party buses?” This is something that we have seen grow in popularity, but it certainly isn’t required or necessary. Many students are dropped off by their parents or ride in cars with older students. Though I understand the appeal of having organized transportation for your child throughout the night, be mindful that you’ll want to have a clear conversation with the other parents sharing that transportation with your child. Make sure everyone in your group is aligned on what the evening’s agenda will be (dinner, where to go post-dance, etc.), and it will be a much better experience.

My last comment is that awkward thing that I have to write as a high school administrator before a big weekend. For parents choosing to host students at their house that weekend, please make sure to supervise them and refrain from providing alcohol. Having worked at independent schools for almost 25 years, I have seen far too many parents suffer school consequences as well as legal or liability consequences for “parties,” “gatherings,” and “sleepovers.” Though it is not the school’s desire to monitor off-campus gatherings, we do reserve the right to enact school-based consequences for “student alcohol or drug involvement that occurs off-campus and affects the life of the school community,” per the family handbook.

I am confident that this year’s homecoming will be a great evening that matches the enthusiasm and joy of the previous years. If you have other questions as parents that you think will help you plan and navigate that weekend, don’t hesitate to reach out to either me or Upper School Dean of Students Howard Chang.