Prom, short for promenade, first debuted in Northeastern American colleges in the
late 19th century. The co-ed banquets were in débutante fashion, designed to celebrate the end of a school year and introduce young ladies to eligible bachelors. It has since evolved to an American high school tradition, affording teenagers the opportunity to dress to the nines and have a good time with their friends.
“If we don’t provide opportunities for our students to grow socially, they will only learn from the world."
While it’s expected at most high schools, not all private Christian schools will take on the prom. “The dancing, the music, the dresses — most Christian schools don’t want to touch that stuff,” said high school administrator, Laura Quinn.
Calvary Christian Academy’s mission is to make disciples of Jesus spiritually, academically, and
socially.
The latter objective is what opened the door to adopt a Junior/Senior Formal — a formal banquet and dance to celebrate upperclassmen. “If we don’t provide opportunities for our students to grow socially, they will only learn from the world,” said Quinn.
Surprisingly, there are a lot of social dynamics to navigate when it comes to prom. From dress guidelines to promposals, today’s prom presents teenagers with the potential for a lot of drama. Here is some advice for a few common situations that will help you have the best prom or formal you can have!
Formal events like prom really do provide student with opportunities to exercise they’re social skills and just have fun! That’s why CCA’s Junior/Senior Formal was established in the first place — to give students a fun and God-honoring environment to socialize.
“You can’t always do this perfectly,” said Quinn. “We’ve been on both sides of that line where kids hate it because it’s boring or it goes too far the other way. It’s not easy but it’s worth doing!” As you prepare for prom season, go into it with the right expectations and remember to honor the Lord in all that you say and do.