Dear Parents,
We are delighted to inform you that Trinity will be hosting a prom for the 11th and 12th grade students on Saturday, April 22nd. As in years past, we have planned a dinner cruise on the Odyssey, which docks in Washington, D.C. The prom is a wonderful event for our juniors and seniors. We, as deans, will be meeting with them to discuss it, but we wanted to give you an outline of the event.
Trinity’s approach to the prom differs from that of most other schools. It’s a celebration of the two upper classes in the spirit of friendship rather than a romantic evening for couples. By now, these students have spent several years in a close-knit community, and have seen each other through good times and bad. We hope that they are recognizing their accomplishments not just in academics, but in the relationships they have built. There are several ways that Trinity honors this; the prom is one of them.
We encourage students to ask a date as a friend because it adds to the special quality of the evening. There is something of value in giving the students an opportunity to relate to each other as young men and women: to be attentive, considerate, gracious or gentlemanly, to engage one another in conversation, and so on. In asking each other as friends, they can be free from nervousness or anxiety, and will be able to look forward to the fun and excitement of the night. Within certain guidelines, they may also invite a junior or senior from another school. If they prefer to go without a date, they may do so. The goal is for everyone to be at the dance and to enjoy the company of the whole class.
In our conversations about prom, we meet with the boys and girls separately. We explain that the prom is an evening to celebrate friendship. The girls are encouraged to consider the invitations of any Trinity boy with kindness and friendliness. It may happen that it falls to a girl to do the asking, or that a boy asks a second girl if the first must decline. We tell students not to be troubled by this; it is all in friendship.
Finally, students are responsible for their own tickets, and are not expected to pay for their dates. We encourage students and parents to look at the cruise as the highlight of the evening and consider ways to keep costs down. There is no need to rent limousines, borrowing a dress can be as fun as purchasing one, and the boys look just as sharp in dark suits as in tuxedos.
Further details are on the way soon. We are excited for this wonderful event, and look forward to a beautiful evening with the students. Please do not hesitate to reach out to us with any questions or concerns.
In Christ,
Scott Niklason Liz Tehrani
Dean of Boys Dean of Girls
