Dear Parents:
April 15, 2015
Prom time is here again and we are busy preparing for this annual celebration. The Senior Prom will be held
on Friday, May 29th, 2015 at Drexelbrook in Drexel Hill. We want this event to be a fitting culmination to an
exciting and productive senior year. It is our goal to make the prom a dignified, memorable and safe
experience for the class of 2015. Tickets will be on sale in the West cafeteria between April 27th and May 1st
during all lunch periods. No tickets will be sold after May 1st. The ticket cost is $75.00 per person; checks
should be payable to Downingtown High School West Campus Class of 2015. Each senior may bring one
guest to the prom provided he/she submits the required signatures for the guest at time the tickets are
purchased. Spencer Studios will provide the photography for the event. Picture proofs will be available for
purchase through the photographer's website; all ordering information will be provided at the photo station
during the prom.
We would also like to encourage you to have your son or daughter attend the Post Prom Party which will be
held at Downingtown West. This party is sponsored by parents in an effort to provide a safe and entertaining
evening following the prom. As in past years, the party is free and is open to all seniors and their guests. We
have included a flyer and registration packet that will provide further information regarding this event.
In order to maintain safety, decorum and dignity, we are reminding students that all school rules and policies
will be in effect at the Drexelbrook. Our Student/Parent/School Agreement form is included in this letter.
This form indicates that all students, their guests and parents understand the expectations and rules related to
the prom. Students must have this form completed and signed in order to purchase tickets. We also ask that
you read the letter from Mrs. Bigelow regarding prom safety. The following is an outline of the rules and
expectations for the Senior Prom:
*All students must have cleared their obligations and presented a “Graduation Project” in order to
purchase Prom tickets.
*All students must have the enclosed Student/Parent/School Agreement signed prior to purchasing
tickets.
*Students must pass a “Passive Alcohol Sensor” test at the front door.
*All purses and bags will be searched before students may bring them into the banquet facility.
*All students will remain in the building and designated prom areas at all times.
*Smoking and/or drinking alcohol will not be permitted on the prom grounds. Students found to be under
the influence of an illegal substance will be detained until parents can pick them up and the police have
been notified.
*Dancing must be appropriate to a school event. Excessive “grinding,” “twerking” and/or other dancing
that is not appropriate to the school setting will not be allowed.
*State law restricts students under the age of 18 from driving between the hours of 11:00 p.m. and 5:00
a.m. If your child will not be at least 18 years old by May 29, 2015, we strongly encourage you to prohibit
him or her from driving to and from the Drexelbrook for the prom.
A. Kurt Barker
Principal
Patricia E. Bell, Ed.D
Assistant Principal
Stefan Muller
Ryan P. Farrell
Earl Burnham
Assistant Principal
Assistant Principal
Athletic Director
Students who violate the rules or policies will be subject to regular school disciplinary action. Parents will be
notified and asked to pick up their son or daughter.
Please sign the enclosed form to indicate that you clearly understand the aforementioned details. Students will
be required to submit the attached slip when purchasing their prom tickets. Please feel free to contact Mrs.
Bigelow, Senior Class Advisor, by email at cbigelow@dasd.org if you have any questions or concerns.
I know that with your help we will make this an evening to be long remembered.
Sincerely,
A. Kurt Barker
Principal
AKB/sdt
A. Kurt Barker
Principal
Patricia E. Bell, Ed.D
Assistant Principal
Stefan Muller
Ryan P. Farrell
Earl Burnham
Assistant Principal
Assistant Principal
Athletic Director
STUDENT/PARENT/SCHOOL AGREEMENT
Each person attending the prom must turn in this completed permission form.
Student Name
(please print)
Address
Home Telephone_________________________
Emergency Telephone ______________________Home Telephone_________________________
I have read the letter explaining the regulations to be followed at the Downingtown Senior High School West
Campus Senior Prom on Friday, May 29, 2015 from 7:00 p.m. to 12:00 a.m. at Drexelbrook in Drexel Hill, Pa.
I have discussed the rules with my child and understand that they must be followed.
*All students must have cleared their obligations and presented a “Graduation Project” in order to purchase
tickets.
*All students must have the Student/Parent/School Agreement (included) signed prior to purchasing tickets.
*Students must pass a “Passive Alcohol Sensor” test at the front door.
*All purses and bags will be searched before students may bring them into the banquet facility.
*All students will remain in the building and designated prom areas at all times.
*Smoking and/or drinking of alcohol will not be permitted on the prom grounds. Any student found to be under
the influence would be detained until parents can pick him/her up and the police have been notified.
*Dancing must be appropriate to a school event. Excessive “grinding,” “twerking” and/or other dancing that is
not appropriate to the school setting will not be allowed.
*State law restricts students under the age of 18 from driving between the hours of 11:00 p.m. and 5:00 a.m. If
your child will not be at least 18 years old by May 29, 2015, we strongly encourage you to prohibit him or her from
driving to and from the Drexelbrook for the prom.
Student Birth Date (please include the year) ____________________
_________________
Parent/Guardian Signature
______________________
Student Signature
___________________
__________________
Student Print Name
Parent/Guardian Print Name
___________________
Home Telephone No.
Downingtown High School West
School Name
Student Birth Date (please include the year) ________________ (guest)
_________________
Student Signature
___________________
Home Telephone No.
___________________________
Student Print Name
___________________________
School Name (other than West)
_________________
Parent/Guardian Signature
___________________
Parent/Guardian Print Name
For student guests not attending DWSWC: This student has our permission to attend your Senior
Prom and is not a discipline problem.
_____________________________________ _____________________
Visitor School Administer
Visitor School Name
____________________________________
_____________________
Visitor School Administrator Signature
School Telephone no.
April 17, 2015
Dear Parents and Guardians:
Each spring, high school students across Pennsylvania anticipate the prom and graduation season.
Unfortunately, the celebrations that accompany this time of year involve many unwise decisions by some
students. Too many celebrate by drinking alcohol and/or using drugs. Many of them ultimately get into a
car impaired or with an impaired driver. In 2008, more than 30,000 Pennsylvania drivers under age 21
were involved in reportable crashes. Of the 30,000, over 1,200 were crashes where the driver was
drinking. Of the total number of drinking driver deaths in 2008, 21.6% were drivers between the ages of
16 and 20.
Pennsylvania is tough on underage drinking. The PA Zero Tolerance Law (Act 93, 1996) makes it illegal
for anyone under the age of 21 to drive with any measurable amount of alcohol in his/her blood. Also, any
person under the age of 21 who purchases, attempts to purchase, possesses, transports, or consumes
alcohol is guilty of a summary offense and faces up to $300 in fines and loss of his or her driver’s license
(Act 31, 1988).
Effective December 1999, new licensing requirements for young drivers were established to enable young
drivers to better prepare to drive safely. The Graduated Driver License Law (Act 23, 1999) allows young
drivers the time they need to learn the skills that only experience and maturity can teach. Two very
important restrictions that will affect the teen driver are the 11:00 p.m. driving curfew on a junior
license and the restriction that the number of passengers in the vehicle cannot exceed the number of seat
belts. In addition, as of December 2011, Act 81 places further restrictions on the passengers that may be
transported by drivers within the first six months of receiving their junior license.
Nationally, more than 50 percent of all teenage motor vehicle deaths occur on weekends. Add it all up
and America loses one average-size high school senior class each week to auto fatalities.
The teachers at Downingtown High School West Campus urge you to take the following steps to increase
your teenager’s safety:
 Attend the Post Prom Party at the Downingtown West.
 Insist that your teen attend only alcohol-free and drug-free parties.
 Call other parents to be sure the party is supervised.
 Limit occupants in your teen’s vehicle to the number of seat belts and insist all passengers use
them.
 Limit nighttime/weekend driving.
As a teacher and a parent, my first priority for the senior prom each year is the safety and well-being of
our students as they enjoy this exciting rite of passage in their lives. I am grateful for your partnership in
this endeavor.
Thank you,
Charlene Bigelow
Charlene Bigelow
Senior Class Advisor
Information provided by the Pennsylvania Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Bureau of Highway Safety and Traffic
Engineering, Pennsylvania Department of Transportation
A. Kurt Barker
Principal
Patricia E. Bell, Ed.D
Assistant Principal
Stefan Muller
Ryan P. Farrell
Earl Burnham
Assistant Principal
Assistant Principal
Athletic Director