The Prom Speech

The Prom Speech

May 10, 2019

This weekend is the Prom at our high school, and I teach seniors. Every year I give a big 'prom speech' to all of my seniors in class on the day before the big event (and a similar, but modified one before Winter Formal and graduation). There are a few variations year to year, but the main message is always the same. Here's what I tell them:

I'm going to give you my prom speech, because I'm a mama, and you'll just have to humor me. I have my own kids, but you're my kids, too, so you'll just have to deal with me being a mama for a moment. There are three things I'd like to talk to you about.

The first one is, that I'll be chaperoning the dance. (This is almost always the case.) I specifically sign up for prom duty, because I like to see you all dressed up. I love to see all the beautiful dresses and shoes, and I love to see the guys all dressed up in their tuxes. You all look so grown up, such ladies and gentlemen! It's one of my favorite things to see. Please come by, find me! I can't wait to see you all elegant and refined, meet your date, and take a few pictures. However, that being said, one of my least favorite things is seeing the dancing that goes on out on the dance floor. Having fun, or being close and romantic is one thing, but the 'freaking' on the dance floor? I don't need to see it. I don't need that image in my head.  I've got to look you in the face again on Monday morning, you know? Simulated sex on the dance floor is not dancing! And it totally undoes the elegant sophisticated look you took all day cultivating as you were getting dressed up like young ladies and gentlemen. I know some of you are going to do it anyway, because you think that's the way you're supposed to dance, or you don't know any other way. If that's the case, and I have the unfortunate luck to have my duty on the dance floor (I do, this year), please do me the courtesy of coming by, introducing me to your date, and then moving to the OPPOSITE SIDE OF THE DANCE FLOOR to dance.

The second part of the speech deals with a much more serious thing, which is the whole issue of drinking. There are a lot of you who think that because you're feeling all grown up and dressed up, and it's a festive time, that it's okay to drink. First of all, let me remind you that IT'S NOT LEGAL. But you know that, and some of you will choose to ignore that. So if you choose to make the first bad decision and drink on prom night, don't make a second bad decision to get behind the wheel of a car. When you are driving home from the prom, I will be, too, and I want to make it home alive. I have babies at home that want me to make it home alive. I want all of you to make it home alive and to be back here on Monday, safe and sound. I want you to make it to your graduation, which you have all worked so hard for.

This is not just about you drinking. If you are with someone who has been drinking, don't let them get behind the wheel. They might be mad at you, but that's okay. They'll get over it. You can get over being mad; you can't get over being dead. Don't be the one who watches someone drive away, and then later finds out he spun out of control on the way home because he shouldn't have been driving. Decisions like that--one stupid decision--can irrevocably alter people's lives. Forever. Don't be that person. Don't let your friend be that person. Make good decisions. And if you make the first bad decision to drink, make a second good decision, and stay where you are, or have a designated driver. Call mom or dad to pick you up. Call ME to pick you up. I don't care if you call me a three o'clock in the morning. I would jump in the car and come get you to take you home, rather than have you driving out on the road, drunk. I am absolutely sincere about that.

The last word about drinking is please don't show up to the prom already drunk. I've had students who have been ejected within 15 minutes of their arrival because they had so obviously been drinking. This is supposed to be a fun night, and getting kicked out of the prom is not fun. Even really good kids sometimes have a lapse of judgment, but you don't want that kind of lapse in judgment to put to waste all the money and time you spent getting ready for this event. And what if you are the girlfriend whose date got caught, drunk? You are either stuck there to finish out the prom alone, or you have to go home. Even worse, students who get caught drunk at the prom will get expelled under Zero Tolerance. After all those years of hard work, after all that time invested, don't make a decision that could lead to you not walking graduation with all of your classmates when you are so close to the light at the end of the tunnel.

And finally, speaking of graduation, let's do the math, shall we? We are about four weeks away from the big night, the culmination of all your years of academic work. Prom night is a big night for a lot of kids. You're feeling grown-up, you're feeling you are on the verge becoming a fully independent young adult. And a lot of students feel that this is the perfect time to experiment with other 'grown-up' behaviors. All I'm going to say is, that four weeks down the line, right about graduation time, you don't want to discover that you've accidentally come away from the Prom with an extra souvenir, ladies and gentlemen--one that will be with you forever.  When you are sitting at graduation, thinking about what your future looks like and all the possibilities ahead, and how you are ready to learn to become responsible for yourself as an adult, you don't also want to be wondering how in the world you're going to learn how to become responsible for another tiny human being as well.

Be careful. Make good choices.

And have a great time!

Mrs. L

Taylor's Prom

May 28, 2012

My beautiful niece Taylor, with her boyfriend Chris, getting ready for the prom.  She looks so grown up, and even more importantly, so happy.  I really wish I could have been there to help get her ready for the big night. 

Prom 2012

 May 6, 2012

This year's prom was out at Wolf Lakes again.  Prom duty is one of my favorite duties, because I love seeing all the kids dressed up and getting to meet their dates.  The only thing I ask is that I don't get dance floor duty--sometimes it's a little too close for comfort--and thankfully I've been pretty lucky for the past several years.  This year's duty station was just off to the side of the formal picture-taking set up, at a scenic little lakeside spot where I could take my own pictures.

My A.P. Lit. students, Robyn and Evan--Prom King and Queen

 Dilpreet, Anant, and Sydney are also some of my darling A.P. Lit kids

 JJ made her dress and her date's suit completely out of Duct Tape, as part of the annual Duck Tape scholarship contest.  The details were really quite impressive!  The endeavor took many hours, LOTS of duct tape, and the help of her sisters and her mom. 

 

The lovely Miss Kaitlyn

 

Mo and me

                                                    Lexi and Dasha

A Magical Night Under the Stars

May 4, 2011

Brianna looked so beautiful on the night of Prom. She had a beautiful dress, a knock-out smile, and lots of great friends to make the evening one to remember. She went with Simone, who was also beautiful as always. The two of them, along with several other couples, had dinner at Simone's home before their limo picked them up to transport them to Holland Park West, a lovely outdoor garden venue.

I chaperoned Prom this year, so I got to see them all there and take some pictures. Luckily, someone was looking out for me, so I didn't have the dreaded dance floor duty--I just got to check the kids in at the entrance and take lots of pictures!


Austin, Mallory, Simone, Bree, Kyle, Lena, Katie, Alyssa, Berto, and Nicole
Simone and Bree

Austin and Bree--friends since second grade, all grown up.

Second grade buddies--Austin, Nicole, and Bree


My beautiful baby and me
Austin, Nicole, and me
Macie and me

Put on Your Boogie Shoes

April 21, 2011

Bree's good friend Simone decided she and Bree should accompany each other to the prom coming up the beginning of May, so she invited her via a Prom Cake. Completely adorable-- I think they're going to have a great time!

Prom 2010

May 2, 2010

This time of the year, my students are over school. I get it--honestly, I do. They are over the homework and the tests and the dress code and the getting out of bed early when all they want to do is sleep, sleep, sleep. At this time of the year, I myself am not above falling into that mindset. We can all see the end of the road just out of reach. This is one of the biggest reasons I love to chaperone the prom every year--I get to see the kids in a whole different way, removed from all the stress and drama they associate with school. They're happy, relaxed, dressed up in all their finery, and having a great time. As a bonus, my friends and I also get to dress up and hang out with each other, too. This year's prom was held at a beautiful lakeside venue, and the weather couldn't have been nicer. It's just what we needed to give us the boost to make it through the end of the year.

The Road to Independence...and More

May 7, 2009

I'm a little slow in getting to this latest blog, because there's just so much going on. We did survive the kitchen flood with not too much damage, but it was quite inconvenient. As we head into the home stretch of school, we are both winding down and winding up. There are so many end of the year activities for me and each of the kids that May is the storm before the calm. Yeah, we do things a little backwards around here.

First of all, my AP students have their test today. Hallelujiah! All of the prep work for the whole year leads up to this morning, bright and early at 7:30. (Of course most of them have other AP tests next week, too, but they'll essentially be done with my class as soon as they turn in their tests later this morning.) I greeted them at their testing site this morning with a sugar-high snack for their break between the multiple choice part and the essay section--a box of Nerds and a giant Smarties candy roll for each of them. Get it? They're my AP kids, my own little loveable 'smarties' and 'nerds.'

Also, those of you who read my previous post know that I attended our school's prom on Saturday, and all of my darlins made it back safe and sound to class on Monday. I'm not kidding when I say it always makes me a little nervous to read the Sunday paper the day after the prom. I'm always worried there will be some big accident after prom that makes Sunday headlines. Thank goodness, no tragedies to report. The prom was beautiful, and not only did I get to see many of my students, but I got to hang out and chat with one of my good friends all evening, because our duty station was together (and not anywhere near the dance floor, to my relief!)

The kids also have lots going on in their worlds as they gear up for state testing and all of their end-of-the-year activities. I got to go see Danielle accept her award for Principal's Honor roll for the third straight quarter (she's gotten all As this whole year!). I am so proud of her, and I have just seen her self-confidence sky-rocket this year. She is also just loving softball, and has now gotten the taste of crossing home plate more than a few times. The whole team has really improved, and I can see them becoming more comfortable in working together to accomplish their goal. Danielle is our athlete AND scholar.














Nicholas has been a reading MACHINE, which is fabulous, because there was a time when he wouldn't pick up a book. (Much to the chagrin of his English teacher mom). If I'd let him, he'd stay up all hours of the night delving into his books (Star Wars novelizations are some of the biggest hits right now, but he'll read other stuff, too.) Come to think of it, I seem to remember my mom having to come in several times a night to turn my light off AGAIN or take away my flashlight because I was reading past bedtime. Anyway, what we are working on now with Nicholas is balance. He's getting so into whatever book he's reading that classwork is becoming a nuisance. Go figure. His grades this quarter weren't what he (or we) wanted, because he was spending so much time in his books that he wasn't finishing all of his classwork. I think he figured out that the cost of those grades (no video games--gasp!) wasn't worth the additional time reading in class, so it looks like we're back on track. Balance, my friend. It's a tough trick to learn.

Finally, Brianna had a spectacular week. She and a small group of her friends, mostly sophomores, decided they wanted to try out for the choir's Spring Show. Miss Organization got together her group, made the song selection, and planned the rehearsals. She had auditions last week, but then found out the list of those who made it wouldn't come out until this week. She was all nerves for a week, until yesterday morning, when the list finally went up. They are so excited and proud of themselves (as am I), and are now in the process of costume design. The concert is in a week and a half, and I can't wait! To make it an even more exciting week, Bree took (and passed!) her driver's permit test. She is officially on the road to independence! We went down to DMV on Monday afternoon, and as soon as we found out she passed, we took a little celebratory shopping trip and had a mommy-daughter dinner, just the two of us. (I was going to take her shopping and out to dinner either way--either celebrate or console. I'm so happy it was the first!) By the way, more about DMV in another post....














Two additional side notes:

It looks like Doug's work at the construction site is wrapping up. This could mean big changes for us, as it might mean he'll have to switch to the Bakersfield site, which is two hours away. If that's the case, he'll probably just work down there all week, and only come home on the weekends, which would be a huge bummer. But it would definitely beat him not working at all, which is a situation a lot of people are having to deal with right now, so I'm grateful that it looks like even if the Fresno gig is over, the work is probably not.

Also, my ex's mother is quite sick, and in the hospital right now recovering from surgery. I'm really hoping she gets better soon, because otherwise, Mother's Day will be a tough one for him. Sending good wishes her way....

The Prom Speech

Today is the Prom at our high school, and I teach seniors. Every year I give a big 'prom speech' to all of my seniors in class on the day before the big event (and a similar, but modified one before Winter Formal and graduation). There are a few variations year to year, but the main message is always the same. Here's what I tell them:

I'm going to give you my prom speech, because I'm a mama, and you'll just have to humor me. I have my own kids, but you're my kids, too, so you'll just have to deal with me being a mama for a moment. There are three things I'd like to talk to you about.

The first one is, that I'll be chaperoning the dance. (This is almost always the case.) I specifically sign up for prom duty, because I like to see you all dressed up. I love to see all the beautiful dresses, and I love to see the guys all dressed up in their tuxes. You all look so grown up, such ladies and gentlemen! It's one of my favorite things to see. Please come by, find me! I can't wait to see you, meet your date, and take a few pictures. However, that being said, one of my least favorite things is seeing the dancing that goes on out on the dance floor. Having fun, or being close and romantic is one thing, but the 'freaking' on the dance floor? I don't need to see it! I don't need that image in my head. Simulated sex on the dance floor is not dancing! And it totally undoes the elegant sophisticated look you took all day cultivating as you were getting dressed up like young ladies and gentlemen. I know some of you are going to do it anyway, because you think that's the way you're supposed to dance, or you don't know any other way. If that's the case, and I have the unfortunate luck to have my duty on the dance floor, please do me the courtesy of coming by, introducing me to your date, and then moving to the OPPOSITE SIDE OF THE DANCE FLOOR to dance.

The second part of the speech deals with a much more serious thing, which is the whole issue of drinking. There are a lot of you who think that because you're feeling all grown up and dressed up, and it's a festive time, that it's okay to drink. First of all, let me remind you that IT'S NOT LEGAL. But you know that, and some of you will choose to ignore that. So if you choose to make the first bad decision and drink on prom night, don't make a second bad decision to get behind the wheel of a car. When you are driving home from the prom, I will be, too, and I want to make it home alive. I have babies at home that want me to make it home alive. I want all of you to make it home alive and to be back here on Monday, safe and sound. I want you to make it to your graduation, which you have all worked so hard for.

This is not just about you drinking. If you are with someone who has been drinking, don't let them get behind the wheel. They might be mad at you, but that's okay. They'll get over it. Don't be the one who watches someone drive away, and then later finds out he spun out of control on the way home because he shouldn't have been driving. Decisions like that--one stupid decision--can irrevocably alter people's lives. Forever. Don't be that person. Don't let your friend be that person. Make good decisions. And if you make the first bad decision to drink, make a second good decision, and stay where you are, or have a designated driver. Call mom or dad to pick you up. Call ME to pick you up. I don't care if you call me a three o'clock in the morning. I would jump in the car and come get you to take you home, rather than have you driving out on the road, drunk. I am absolutely sincere about that.

The last word about drinking is please don't show up to the prom already drunk. I've had students who have been ejected within 15 minutes of their arrival because they had so obviously been drinking. This is supposed to be a fun night, and getting kicked out of the prom is not fun. Even really good kids sometimes have a lapse of judgment, but you don't want that kind of lapse in judgment to put to waste all the money and time you spent getting ready for this event. And what if you are the girlfriend whose date got caught, drunk? You are either stuck there to finish out the prom alone, or you have to go home. Even worse, students who get caught drunk at the prom will get expelled under Zero Tolerance. After all those years of hard work, after all that time invested, don't make a decision that could lead to you not walking graduation with all of your classmates when you are so close to the light at the end of the tunnel.

And finally, speaking of graduation, let's do the math, shall we? We are about five weeks away from the big night, the culmination of all your years of academic work. Prom night is a big night for a lot of kids. You're feeling grown-up, you're feeling you are on the verge becoming a fully independent young adult. And a lot of students feel that this is the perfect time to experiment with other 'grown-up' behaviors. All I'm going to say is, that five weeks down the line, right about graduation time, you don't want to discover that you've accidentally come away from the Prom with an extra souvenir, ladies--one that will be with you forever. Be careful. Make good choices.

And have a great time!

Donna Lutjens

www.msprimadonna67.blogspot.com