Dear St. James Academy Parents:
St. James Academy’s Homecoming is coming up the week of October 2-7, and we are so excited to celebrate this event with our students! The Homecoming Dance will be held at St. James Academy on Saturday, October 7, from 8-11 p.m. in the Dining Hall. Students must arrive before 9:30 and cannot leave before 10:30. Tickets are available for purchase through SJA’s Ticketing webpage. This dance is open to seniors, juniors, and sophomores. Outside guests are permitted. All outside guests must be registered in advance by submitting the Outside Guest Form to Mrs. Bomhoff in the Activities Office (forms are available when you purchase tickets online). The theme chosen by our Senior Leaders is “Dancing through the Decades.” For more information about the Spirit Week please click here. The purpose of this letter is to raise parent awareness and involvement in our leadership’s focus on this celebration aligned with our mission.
Our administration has often referred to the privilege of partnering with parents to get kids through high school, and that includes integrity-filled events like Homecoming as well as the Afterball Dance and Prom. During the school day, we’re addressing implementation of our uniform policies as they reflect our Catholic mission. We’re also reinforcing behavior and attire policies at school events, especially dances.
To our parents of Female Students: Your daughter is probably already considering what to wear to Homecoming. We want to partner with you to ensure your daughter is dressed appropriately. It’s not easy with today’s styles, we know! Your oversight and diligence will pay off. See the handbook to review the standards. Most importantly, it states,
“No excessively tight dresses/clothes, no visible cleavage or low-cut dresses, midriff must be fully covered (no mesh or sheer material) and no crop-top or two piece dresses, solid material must extend from the front to the back with at least two inches showing on both sides of the back, length of the dress should be no shorter than four inches above the knee and any slits in the skirt should not extend above four inches above the knee.”
If your daughter would like to ask Mrs. Nearmyer, Mrs. Walters, or a female dean to approve their dress in advance of the dance, she may set up a time to meet with any of them during Thunder Block. We hope these conversations taking place prior to the dance will provide your daughter reassurance as she enters the dance. Our goal is that she’s comfortable and has fun, so asking in advance might give her the confidence that this will be a memorable event.
To our Parents of Male Students: For the Homecoming dance, male students should wear dress slacks (no jeans or shorts), collared/buttoned shirt, tie, and dress shoes (no tennis shoes or flip flops).
Please remind your son and daughter that the rules governing Christian modesty and pride in appearance are consistent for all school functions. Students who violate these rules will be held responsible for their choices. If your student’s attire is not in line with the policies stated in our handbook, they will be asked to change, alter their attire, or leave the dance.
In addition to attire, please help students make the best choices in behavior. Teenage alcohol and drug use can be a problem facing teens and families and is often responsible for ruining festive events like Homecoming. We reserve the right to use a breathalyzer at dances.
Parents, we encourage you to set reasonable limits.
- Make sure your student understands that teenage drinking and drug use are against the law and school rules regardless of whether they are driving. See the SJA policies in the Student Handbook.
- Check on the specific activities your student will be involved in before and after the dance. Know where they are going, and with whom, as well as when they will be home. Trust, but verify! The school roster is available on the SJA app when you are logged in with the parent email associated with your student’s Powerschool account. Use it to “verify” by calling other parents.
- Do not allow your home to be a place for a party, nor should you allow or provide hotel/motel room(s), where alcohol is available for students. It is against the law and can have legal consequences for both the students in attendance as well as the owners of the property where the party takes place.
We want all events at St. James Academy to be positive and in line with our mission. Your help in supporting these guidelines gives the entire St. James community a consistent message. We look forward to a Homecoming weekend that is filled with the joys of the Christian life.
In Christ,
Dr. Shane Rapp
Principal
