1. What is the age requirement to attend the Homeschool Formal?

A student should be 13 years old by September 1, 2009.

2. Is there a policy about bringing a date to the formal?

We prefer to leave dating policies up to individual families. That being said, the formal is not set up as a dating event. Students with dates and those without will all have dance cards and will be expected to dance with their assigned partners.

Those who wish to attend with a date can do so. They will be assigned more dances with their dates, but they will be expected to dance with others on their dance cards also.

All dates must be designated on the girl and guy registration forms when they come in, and date requests must be signed by each student’s parent. We want to know that your date fits THEIR dating policy.

Young men, if you want to invite a young lady to the formal, ask her early. If her registration is already in, and your name and her parent’s signature is not on the form, we may not be able to honor the date request by giving you more dances together, though we will try to make sure you are seated together.

If, in the last days of registration, a young man tries to register with a young lady who is not on the waiting list, we may not be able to honor the date request or accept a young lady when others have been waiting.

3. Can I invite a friend who is not homeschooled?

Yes. We expect your friend to adhere by the same behavior guidelines as all other attendees. So feel free to invite a guest.

4. Why is there a waiting list if I registered on time?

In order for the formal to be fun for everyone, there needs to be a fairly close number of guys and girls at the event. We can’t make dance cards otherwise!

That being said, girls tend to register early, and guys tend to register late. Girls are put on the list in order of the date of their registration’s arrival. We will allow more girls on the list than guys, but we have a cut-off to make sure the difference is not too great. Once the girls’ list exceeds the guys’ list more than the acceptable difference, we will “hold” girls’ names on the list until more guy registrations are received.

Unfortunately, there are times when we are unable to accept all the girls who want to attend, although it is our desire to do so.

5. How do I get my name off the waiting list?

If you are a girl, you can get off the waiting list by recruiting (or having your parents recruit) a guy to attend. This is not a date—it allows your registration to be accepted while keeping the gap between girl and guy numbers the same.
If you get a guy to sign up, in order to get off the waiting list, we need to know which girl the guy is helping. He MUST write your name on his registration so we know who is coming off the waiting list. Otherwise we will assume he is just signing up alone and accept the girl at the top of the waiting list.

6. Do I have to take dance lessons?

Yes, the dance lessons are designed to build confidence. You will have much more fun if you know the basics of dances. In addition, the DJ at the formal will play a mix of the types of dances learned. Your partner will also have more fun dancing with you if you know what you are doing.

7. Do I have to take the dance lessons offered by the formal?

We offer beginner and intermediate classes for five weeks on Tuesday afternoons. We also offer a beginner workshop on Saturdays, which is open ONLY for students who are unable to make the Tuesday classes.

Students who have completed the dance classes through intermediate have the option of advanced workshops on Saturday. This is a good yearly refresher, so it is required for students annually.

A year-long dance class at CCPA on Mondays is also available. Students who are enrolled in the Monday class meet their dance class requirement that way.

8. Why do you use dance cards?

There are two reasons dance cards are used. First, dance cards ensure that each student meets new people at the formal. Secondly, dance cards are used to help guys and girls be more comfortable on the night of the formal. Guys are free from the fear of rejection when asking girls to dance, and girls are free from the worry that they might not get asked. Dance partners are assigned on the card, and students are required to dance with their assigned partner. Even if you don’t like the person, you can be a gentleman or a lady and graciously give three minutes of your time to help someone else have a nice evening. There are plenty of “free,” or unassigned dances where you can ask a partner to dance, take a break to get a drink of water, or just get off your feet and watch.

9. Why do you have dress guidelines?

We have dress guidelines because we feel modesty is important. There are plenty of modest dress choices available that still allow for freedom of expression and making a statement.

Parents can help us by being involved in the dress selection with their daughters and keeping the dress guidelines in mind. Being the police to tape plunging necklines to skin, pin slits together, and asking a girl to wear a wrap is NOT our favorite part of the job, and we would prefer not to have to do it. But we will.

Girls also need to keep in mind that they will be moving in the dress all evening. Sometimes a dress will look perfectly fine in a dressing room standing still but will slip down a little during a swing dance. When trying on a gown see if it stays put when twirling, or jumping. Check a short dress to see how short it is when bending over or spinning. If, when moving, you have to tug a dress back into place in the dressing room, it is better to choose another dress, or have your choice altered by a seamstress so it fits better.

10. How can I become a chaperone?

The number of chaperones each year is balanced between a need to get all the planning and work done for the formal, and not having so many adults present that the kids feel like they are dancing in a fishbowl.

Generally, chaperones with the formal continue from year to year, and we only need replacements when someone’s student graduates.

If you are interested in being a chaperone, feel free to let us know. We would also like to know what you are good at in terms of planning big events. The chaperones work year round on theme, table decorations, getting door prizes for the formal, making dance cards, securing a venue, DJ, photographer, etc.

If we can use more help, we will contact you.

11. If I am not a chaperone, how can I be a part of this event?

There are several ways for non-chaperone parents to still be involved.

1. Plan to drop your student off, come early and take pictures on the grounds. You are also free to hang out with your student during check-in, before the formal begins. We do ask that you leave younger students at home, if you are planning to stay and take pictures. We want the evening to be special for the teens—many young children running circles around them detracts from the formal atmosphere.
   
2. Arrive 20 minutes before the end of the formal to see the end of the evening. You are free to come in then and take pictures of the dancing, etc.
   
3. Plan an “after-party.” Arrange a reservation at an all-night restaurant that serves breakfast (it is good to get a head count and call ahead) or invite a few of your students’ friends over for breakfast afterwards and to spend the night. For the price of pancakes you can hear all about the formal and see the pictures and videos.

12. What are you serving for dinner?

Dinner selections are made by a student committee, according to the price guidelines that will keep the formal affordable. Plated dinners at hotels are expensive! Students are instructed to make selections that they believe most, if not all, the students will enjoy.

We prefer that dinner selections remain a surprise until the night of the event, so we do not disclose menu selections.

13. What if I have food allergies or dietary restrictions?

In most cases, food allergies and dietary restrictions can be accommodated, but we need to know in advance. If you let us know there are dietary restrictions on your student’s registration form, we will contact you for details and work with the catering staff to make sure your student’s needs are met.

14. Can I find out ahead of time which table I am seated at?

Traditionally at formal dinners, guests find out their seating arrangement when dinner is served. Likewise, we will not reveal seating arrangements until the evening of the formal.

On the registration form, you may select one or more friends you would like to be seated with. We will make sure that you have AT LEAST ONE of your friend selections at the table with you. If you are with a date, that date will be seated with you.

In many cases, we can also accommodate more than one friend on your list, but we cannot guarantee it. The seating arrangement takes many hours to plan, and once it is finished, even one change can start a domino effect of problems at other tables.

15. How did the formal get started?

Credit for the formal goes chiefly to Justin Painter, a student at CCI, who came to the administration in 2001 and requested a dance. Administrators thought about it for a few minutes and told him that if he wanted a dance, they would prefer he really learn how to dance so that the work of planning such an event would have a lasting benefit—he would at least be able to dance at his wedding or other formal social events he would attend!

A week later, Justin came back with a dance class flyer, and the formal was born.
Students took dance classes and invited the other homeschool dance attendees, and 45 students had a wonderful time at that venue overlooking Lake Travis.

The first year, the formal was held at a private home used for weddings and parties, the Della Rosa. Students attending worked at weddings for several months in order to get the venue at a reasonable price. Chaperones provided transportation from a central location so students would not be driving dark and winding roads out near Lake Travis late at night. The chaperones waited tables and washed dishes in the garage for hours, as well as moved tables from indoors during the dinner to outdoors so the students could dance.

So, even though everyone was exhausted, even the chaperones felt the event was well worth the effort and wanted to do it again! That was eight years ago! Since then, the formal has been held at the Westwood Country Club, Barton Creek Country Club, the Mansion at Judges Hill, and the Doubletree hotel.

16. What do I do if I have a problem with a dress slit tearing, a strap pulling way, a shoe breaking, a bleeding toe, if I feel sick or have another problem at the formal?

All these things have happened at the formal, though they are rare.

Please see one of the chaperones as soon as the problem arises. They are equipped with bandages, Neosporin, Tylenol, motrin, dress tape, safety pins, bobby pins, deodorant, dress tape and a cell phone that you can use to call home if you are ill and need to leave early.

If you are ill and need someone to pick you up, we will call and arrange the ride and a pick-up location. If you are able to drive home, we will contact your parents so they know you are leaving and can expect you.

No student who leaves the formal will be allowed to return.

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