Who can go to prom?
Any Junior or Senior Thornwood High School student in good standing is invited to
attend Prom and may bring a guest. Guests cannot be over the age of 20 and must be
approved regardless of whether or not they attend Thornwood.
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Good standing = academic eligibility AND discipline eligibility
Academic eligibility = Fall 2015 GPA 1.5 or higher AND passing at least 5
classes Spring 2016
Discipline eligibility = No loss of privileges AND approval by dean/administration
For seniors ONLY – you must complete ONE of the following and have proof of
completion on record in the College and Career Counselors Office
o FAFSA
o ASVAB
o WorKeys
What is prom?
The proms of today are lavish affairs that come complete with hotel ballrooms, live
bands, glamorous clothing, and stretch limousines. As the first formal event in the life of
a teenager, attendance at the prom is now popularly considered a vital rite of passage
to adulthood. Yet, proms were not always so lavish, expensive, or widespread. At one
point during their history, proms were actually quite simple affairs.
Proms were first mentioned in the high school yearbooks of the 1930s and 1940s, but
historians believe they may have existed as early as the late 1800s. Proms first began
in the elite colleges of the Northeast, taking their cue from the debutante balls of the rich
and well bred. Middle class parents admired the poise and composure of debutantes
and their escorts and began to institute formal dances as a means of instilling social
skills and etiquette in their children. The dances were strictly chaperoned and were
often restricted to only the senior class.
The formal dance we now call prom was first christened “the prom” in the 1890s. The
word prom is a shortened form of promenade, meaning a march of the guests at the
beginning of a ball or other formal event. The first reference to prom in popular history
comes from the journal of an Amherst College student who described his invitation and
attendance at an early prom at Smith College in 1894. While the writer used the word
prom to describe the dance, it was likely just a fancy name for a customary senior-class
ball held at the college. Prom, while important in the college setting, would fail to take on
iconic status until it emerged in high schools.
When high school proms began in the early 1900s, they were relatively simple affairs.
Students would come in their Sunday best, but would not purchase new clothes for the
event. The occasion called for tea, socializing, and dancing. During the 1920s and
1930s, American youth began to experience more freedom with the arrival of the car
and other luxury items. The high school prom expanded into a yearly class banquet at
which seniors arrived in party clothes and danced.
In the 1950s, as Americans enjoyed the luxury of the post-war economy, proms began
to become elaborate, expensive events.
It became very important to come with the best-looking date, and being named to the
prom court guaranteed instant social status. It was also during the 1950s that teenage
girls began to pay more attention to their prom dresses and make special shopping trips
for the perfect outfit. While the high school gym was adequate for sophomore dances,
the settings of junior and seniors proms were gradually moved to grander locations.
In the 1980s, the prom began to take on larger-than-life stature, as several teen movies
advertised it as the ultimate coming-of-age event in a young person’s life. Competition
for the prom court intensified greatly, with the title of prom queen becoming closely akin
to true royalty.
Where is prom?
Dinolfo’s Banquets
14447 W 159th St, Homer Glen, IL 60491
DiNolfo’s is a fully accessible ADA facility.
When is prom?
Saturday, May 14, 2016
7:00 – 11:00 pm
(doors close at 9:00 – no one will be admitted after this)
How much does prom cost?
The Prom Committee is busy fundraising to reduce tickets prices as much as possible.
The tickets should be no more than $95 per person. Tickets will be sold from 3/1/16 to
4/27/16. Tickets purchased after 4/27 will be charged a $25 late fee. No ticket can be
purchased after 5/4/16.
What else do I need to know about prom?
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All school fees MUST be paid before a prom ticket can be purchased.
All dresses MUST be approved before a prom ticket can be purchased.
All guests MUST be approved before a prom ticket can be purchased.
If for any reason a student loses the privilege to attend prom after a ticket has
been purchased, NO REFUNDS WILL BE GIVEN.
Who do I contact if I have any questions?
Mrs. Daryle Ann Flaherty
[email protected]
708-225-4881 (before 8:30 or after 2:30)
Room 2537 (before 8:30 or after 2:30)