Monday night, {totally instead of FHE ;) , NOT!!! } Superman and I attended the Grad fashion show at the kids high school. Bailey graduates this year. She had worked hard on the sets for the show and wanted to show off her efforts....The show was impressive from the sets to the staging to the choreography....But...Half way through the first act...My jaw dropped as a group of students came out modeling , what I would consider as burlesque. I couldn't even watch. I was horrified for these girls. Then I was saddened, angry and so disappointed....
So here is the letter I sent to the Principal, two vices and the superintendent....
Tuesday, November 6, 2012
Dear JT, principal
SR vice principal
GF, vice principal
SE, superintendent
As a parent of three current students and another daughter who is a Grad of {high school}, I feel compelled to voice my concerns after last night’s 2013 Grad Fashion Show.
The fashion choices modeled by your students from the retailer J***** Clothing, who sponsored that portion of the show, not only demeaned but sexualized the students who wore them and were completely inappropriate for a school sponsored event, even more so because children and families were present
Where are boundaries and guidelines to keep our youth dignified and safe??? If not in our public schools, where? Are we afraid to hold our youth to the higher standard they deserve???
For an event that was so well presented in every other aspect. Sets, staging, choreography, food vendors….Why was the ball dropped here? This is not an issue of censorship, but one of safety, one of dignity.
I am saddened and disappointed by this event and expect that my concerns will be addressed quickly.
Thank you,
Mrs Robin L Kramer
This is the response I received from the principal this morning....
Hello Robin, and thank-you for bringing your concern to me.
I did some research yesterday on the procedures we use for the fashion show. Specifically, I looked into:
· How are clothing vendors selected?
· Who decides what clothes are worn during the show?
· Who provides coaching in how to conduct the walk?
· What are the safeguards to ensure inappropriate behaviour doesn’t take place?
As a result of this research, I learned that there are safeguards in place to ensure students do not engage in undesirable behaviour, including two rehearsals. These are not dress rehearsals, however, as the stores want our students to spend a minimum amount of time in their clothing. As for the fashion choice, I learned that this is negotiated between the student and the store. For the most part, the student picks something they want to wear, and the store agrees or disagrees with the choice. I learned that in a few cases, students wore clothing they did* want to wear, but this was not the case with J#####.
In the rehearsals, the student performance was within our guidelines. During the actual show, we saw two instances of the unexpected, and some unscripted performances were stopped before they could get on stage.
I deeply regret that you were offended by the clothing worn by some of our students. It has gone into our planning notes, and we inspect our clothing with a closer eye to this in the future. As you can appreciate, it is not always easy to see how a garment will look on a student when we examine it on a hanger, but we will make a better effort for next year. We want a show that everyone can enjoy.
**** I believe it should read didn't, and have asked for a clarification.
Alrighty then...Pretty much the response I expected. I respectfully disagree that there are appropriate safeguards in place...There are not. The school could and should do more to protect its students ....No Dress Rehearsal?? It's a FASHION show!?! .... "It's not always easy to see how a garment will look on a student when examined on a hanger"? A satin and lace bustier and black leather pants with zippers, buckles and chains...call me a Molly Mormon...but pretty sure that looks just as inappropriate on the hanger as on the student (please)
Oh great I've turned into that SOAP BOX parent again.
