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Joey Airdo
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Posted: Mon Apr 21st, 2008 02:41 pm |
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Educators stress prom safety
Communication key to celebration
By Joey Airdo
Independent Newspapers
As prom approaches for three Northeast Valley high schools, officials are taking steps to ensure students arrive home safely at the end of the night.
Chaparral High School’s prom is slated for 8 p.m. Saturday, April 26 at Monterra at WestWorld, 16601 N. Pima Road, and six uniformed Scottsdale Police Department officers plan to be on-hand during the event. In addition, six school security personnel, about 30 parent chaperones and a number of administrators will be on site.
Saguaro High School’s prom, slated for 7 p.m. Saturday, April 26 at Scottsdale Hilton, 6333 N. Scottsdale Road, will have similar representation to ensure students’ safety.
However, Scottsdale Unified School District administrators hope 13 years of precautionary planning will render such representation unnecessary.
“A single message to parents and students is not the most preventive way to address substance abuse in our youth,” said Milissa Sackos, Ed.D., executive director of student and community services. “We do a lot — beginning in kindergarten — to build assets in our youth.”
Dr. Sackos noted SUSD implements a number of programs, including Lions-Quest, to educate students about appropriate decision-making skills.
“Prevention is really what we need to be focusing on when we are concerned with substance abuse,” she added. “Of course, we know events like prom heighten our awareness and concern for such abuse.”
Still, administrators know safety measures during prom itself are just as important. Dr. Sackos said officials put a lot of thought into selecting prom locations.
“We go to the location with [school resource officers], security and an administrative team and look at whether or not it is a place that is deemed safe with reduced points of entry,” said Dr. Sackos, noting administrators also remain at prom until the final student departs.
Dr. Sackos reminds prom attendees they are still high school students.
“They have a very long life ahead of them and the decisions they make, should they be destructive, sometimes have very severe consequences,” she explained.
Scottsdale Police Department School Resource Office Clark Lund offers similar suggestions to prom attendees.
“The advice that we give is that students should not drink because those that arrive impaired or are found to be drinking while at prom will be arrested and may receive school discipline,” Mr. Lund stated in an e-mail.
Dr. Sackos added poor decisions can also result in students’ deaths.
“It’s a great night to be had by our high school students ... but we have to remind them that making sound decisions is in their best interest,” she said. “We certainly want them to move on past high school.”
Dr. Sackos added parents should definitely not purchase alcohol for prom attendees or rent hotel rooms for them during prom.
Mr. Lund agrees, noting it is illegal to provide alcohol to minors, even if they are “supervising” the party.
“An adult that would like to host a party for their child can come up with creative ways for them to have a good time that do not include alcohol,” he said. “If we are advised of a party we have an on-call unit which deals specifically with those types of incidents.”
Notre Dame Preparatory parents already know this, as they were required to attend one of two information nights addressing the consequences of mixing prom with alcohol and drugs. According to the school’s Web site, if parents did not go through the informational meeting, their children were not permitted to attend the April 19 prom.
Jodi Malenfant’s son Taylor attended Notre Dame Preparatory’s prom. However, the experience will not be new as her two other children have already gone through the process.
“There are serious issues with prom,” she stated. “My husband and I picked my daughter up early from a different school’s prom a few years ago. We sat in the parking lot at WestWorld and watched several underage students go to the trunks of their cars and drink alcohol. It was very upsetting.”
At press time, Ms. Malenfant stated Taylor would be coming straight home after prom.
“He is an athlete and has chosen to make ‘smart decisions’ about his future,” she explained.
Mr. Lund noted parent-to-child communication is the best way to address prom safety.
“They should remind them of choices and consequences and what those entail,” he explained.
Dr. Sackos agrees.
“It takes a village to raise a child,” she added. “We need everybody sending the same message to our youth.”
Christine Schild, a member of the Scottsdale Neighborhood Enhancement Commission, has already been through the experience of sending a child to prom.
“My son and his date had a lovely time and arrived home safe and sound,” she stated in an e-mail. “Before he left, I told him the same thing I would tell any child of mine on prom night: Don’t go with a car full of kids, do drive carefully and defensively, don’t drink — and if you do, call your parents for a ride [and] do bring your date home at a respectable hour.”
Ms. Schild noted her advice mirrored that which she received from her own parents.
Pinnacle High School students are gearing up for their Saturday, May 10 prom slated for 7:30 p.m. at Venue of Scottsdale, 7117 E. Third Ave.
According to Paradise Valley Unified School District spokeswoman Judi Willis, administrators plan to make announcements to students in an effort to raise awareness about prom safety.
“The messages will stress personal and parental responsibility because, ultimately, it is the student who makes wise decisions regarding his or her behavior,” she stated.
A number of Cactus Shadows High School students, who already attended their prom, April 12 at Stoudemire’s Downtown, 3 S. 2nd St., agree about the importance of making wise decisions.
Student council member William Bals suggests students from other high schools that have yet to hold prom think before acting.
Whitney Daleiden, another student council member, recommends prom attendees drink plenty of fluids during the event to prevent dehydration.
At the same time, CSHS 2008 prom king Greg Gorraiz advises against drinking from anything other than unopened containers.
And ultimately, student council members Brain Dales and Daniel Walker suggest their peers from other high schools “savor the moment” and “have an awesome time” on prom night.
Registered members are encouraged to comment on this topic by clicking “reply” in the upper right corner of this entry. Comments posted online may be used in an upcoming edition of the North Scottsdale Independent. For more news, visit http://circulation.newszap.com to purchase an e-Subscription. As an e-Subscriber, you will be able to view the actual newspaper pages online, including every story, feature, advertisement and photo.
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