Homeschool dances

[klmama]

Where I live there are three formal dances for homeschooled teens:  homecoming, winter ball, and prom.  (I do roll my eyes about calling the first one "homecoming," though.  Maybe that's just me....)  The dances are a nice way for homeschooled teens who otherwise would never connect to meet each other in a fun environment.  The kids form committees and plan everything out themselves.  Do the homeschooled teens in your area plan dances?     

 

 

 

 

 

[PinkyandtheBrains.]

 

We have a homeschool prom in our area.

[dirty ethel rackham]

They do, but they are mostly conservative Christian groups and have restrictive dress codes or other things that are code for "you heathens (meaning anyone not a conservative Christian homeschooling for the glory of God), stay away."  None of my kids were particularly interested.  

 

ETA:  There was one that didn't seem this way, but from what other parents told me, it was a way for the organizing mom to relive her high school years.  She billed it as THE homeschool prom and to "accept no substitutes."  

Edited September 18, 2017 by dirty ethel rackham

[Shelly in IL]

Our homeschooling community had the same 3 - only homecoming is called the Fall Ball or something like that. Our group has prob 150 families

[Pink and Green Mom]

Our area seems to have a homeschool prom for high school kids.  Our very large co-op has the high school student government class run a middle school dance as a fundraiser.  The kids love it and they really do a great job.  The middle schoolers dress up, there is a DJ, a photo booth, crafts, games, light snacks, a chocolate fountain, the multipurpose room is decorated well, etc.  It is very well attended.

[KungFuPanda]

Yes, but they don't call them homecoming or prom. I just saw an email about one of them. They cap ticket sales at 100 and have sold out in the past, so a lot more than 4 people are responding. My son isn't interested because they require pants :-/

[EMS83]

I think so, but I'm not a member of the one local group; I don't know what their policies are for "outsiders."

[Dmmetler]

One of the homeschool sports teams does a homecoming semi-formal. This year would be the first year DD is old enough to go, but she has a Herpetology conference that weekend, and snakes trump just about everything.

[AimeeM]

I help a friend of mine plan dances for our local homeschooled teens. We started a couple years ago and typically do two every year -- a spring dance and a halloween/fall dance. He (my friend) has access to a huge space and he's an epic planner. I'm a good right-hand-man, so it works out, lol. 

 

We didn't do one this past spring, but I think we're trying to plan a halloween for this year, albeit last minute.

 

We've had to fine tune a couple things, regarding how we word things, but the dances have been nice. And we've had to realize that we can't please everyone, lol. Somebody will complain, inevitably. 

 

For example: we have a professional DJ, a photographer, food and beverages, light machines, decorations, etc. Please do not expect that this is free. It isn't. Far, far from it. Despite charging what we feel is a minimal entrance fee, my friend and I always end up paying for quite a bit out of pocket. But, people do WANT all of these costly extras... some just don't want to pay for it and wonder why it costs :P

 

And we've had to start specifying age -- not grade. Too many homeschoolers are more than happy to tag their much younger kids as "middle school," if we specify "middle school and high school," to get them into a large social event. 

 

 

 

 

 

[itsheresomewhere]

They do but it is such a restricted dress it is really for very conservative Christians. Girls are not allowed to wear even those nice dress pants that look like a skirt.

Edited September 18, 2017 by itsheresomewhere

[skimomma]

No dances here.  There is a "formal dinner" where the kids can dress up but no dancing because many of the local homeschool families are opposed to dancing.  The dress code for the dinner is so long and picky that dd decided immediately that she was not interested.  Dd does often attend the public school dances with friends.  No one has said anything and until this thread it did not occur to me that she might need permission to attend.  Her friends often bring dates from other schools and as far as I know it is OK.  

[Loowit]

There is a family that puts on a prom with a different theme each year.  I hadn't heard about it until last year when DD found out about it at her art school for homeschoolers.  Last years them was Promicon (comic con themed).  I have heard that this year it will be 18th century themed.  DD has offered to help with the planning.

[heartlikealion]

At least one group I know of does this, but I don't know much about it. One mom I know is affiliated with it, but I don't know what exactly her duties are. Maybe the adults and teens work together? We used to be in the same group but her kids are too old now. I just learned that the dances exist recently lol.

[Catwoman]

They do, but they are mostly conservative Christian groups and have restrictive dress codes or other things that are code for "you heathens (meaning anyone not a conservative Christian homeschooling for the glory of God), stay away."  None of my kids were particularly interested.  

 

ETA:  There was one that didn't seem this way, but from what other parents told me, it was a way for the organizing mom to relive her high school years.  She billed it as THE homeschool prom and to "accept no substitutes."

 

Thank goodness you were informed of this, or your children might have accidentally suffered the lifelong embarrassment of knowing they accepted a substitute prom. Oh, the horror. ;)

[KungFuPanda]

No dances here.  There is a "formal dinner" where the kids can dress up but no dancing because many of the local homeschool families are opposed to dancing.  The dress code for the dinner is so long and picky that dd decided immediately that she was not interested.  Dd does often attend the public school dances with friends.  No one has said anything and until this thread it did not occur to me that she might need permission to attend.  Her friends often bring dates from other schools and as far as I know it is OK.

 

Do you live in that Footloose town?

[Guest]

My son is the "homeschooled teens" in the area. So any time he dances, it's a homeschool teen dance. (harhar)

[klmama]

LOL!

[QueenCat]

We had homeschool proms when my youngest was in high school. Absolutely loved them!

[skimomma]

Do you live in that Footloose town?

 

Ha ha!  No.  We just don't have many homeschoolers past elementary age.  The small percentage that do continue into high school are mostly from families that are homeschooling specifically to "protect" their kids from dances and other teen evil.

[FriedClams]

Nope. Zero. Nada.

[mschickie]

Several of the homeschool groups in our area have proms.  The dress codes are not terribly restrictive but there is normally one.  Girls are normally allowed to wear strapless dresses as long as everything is not hanging out.

[skimomma]

 Girls are normally allowed to wear strapless dresses as long as everything is not hanging out.

 

The dinner I referred to upthread had a 1.5 page dress code...for girls only, of course.  There was an entire paragraph devoted to sleeve length.  That is about when I quit reading.  I think it took longer to write the dress code than the dinner was to last.

[Rebel Yell]

The dinner I referred to upthread had a 1.5 page dress code...for girls only, of course. There was an entire paragraph devoted to sleeve length. That is about when I quit reading. I think it took longer to write the dress code than the dinner was to last.

At that point, why not just issue them all concert choir dresses? https://www.stageaccents.com/women-s/formal-dresses/maltese.html

Or is that not OK because it might scandalize people if they're aware that some girls are actually female-shaped?

I'd say just have the girls all wear potato sacks, and then hope someone shows up like this ;)

http://themindcircle.com/marilyn-monroe-and-the-potato-sack-dress/

 

Excessively restrictive dress codes that only target girls make me a very special kind of angry. I'm totally curious if you have a link to that dress code. I broke a tooth and I'm in a bad mood, so I'd love to focus my crankies somewhere better deserving

Edited September 19, 2017 by Rebel Yell

[Carrie12345]

Our large co-op does two a year, and they're adding family dances.  Our small co-op will attempt a family dance.  Locally, there's an annual prom. My kids haven't done prom yet.

[skimomma]

 

Excessively restrictive dress codes that only target girls make me a very special kind of angry. I'm totally curious if you have a link to that dress code. I broke a tooth and I'm in a bad mood, so I'd love to focus my crankies somewhere better deserving

 

 

I actually do wish I still had it.  This was two years ago and it was sent via email.  I was so mad that I just deleted it.  But more than once, I have thought that I wished I had saved it if for no other reason than to remind myself that this group is not for us. 

[dirty ethel rackham]

At that point, why not just issue them all concert choir dresses? https://www.stageaccents.com/women-s/formal-dresses/maltese.html

Or is that not OK because it might scandalize people if they're aware that some girls are actually female-shaped?

 

At first, I read this as choir ROBES and wondered how you could see a female shape in one of those.   :laugh:

[Elizabeth86]

Yes, but they don't call them homecoming or prom. I just saw an email about one of them. They cap ticket sales at 100 and have sold out in the past, so a lot more than 4 people are responding. My son isn't interested because they require pants :-/

they require pants

 

that had me laughing out loud

[DawnM]

Yes, there is.  My  boys have not been interested though and we have not participated.

[mamaraby]

No dances here. There is a "formal dinner" where the kids can dress up but no dancing because many of the local homeschool families are opposed to dancing. The dress code for the dinner is so long and picky that dd decided immediately that she was not interested.

Sounds like Moody where we had a "Junior Senior Banquet" because no dancing allowed. I did wear a sleeveless dress, but it had to be altered because the straps were not wide enough. It was among the more boring things I went to while in college. Right up there with Founder's Week.

 

There is a local group that does dances for homeschoolers here. Ds would not be interested. Dd would maybe enjoy it when she was older if they played normal music, but they don't and I think we're probably not the sort they want to associate with.

[purpleowl]

I know there's a "homeschool prom" here, but from what I've gathered, entire families attend. I could have the wrong impression; my kids are young enough that no one in my household is thinking of prom yet. :)

 

When I was in high school (private Christian school) we had a "junior/senior banquet." We joked that only the banquet part was school-sponsored, and the dancing that happened to take place immediately afterward, at the same location and with the teachers still acting as chaperones, was student-organized. Or we just said that after the banquet we would have some improvisational choreography. Once the Dean of Students was making announcements and referred to "the Junior/Senior...event." It was amusing, because everyone knew it was a prom, but we didn't call it that.