As the year comes to an end and the season of winter approaches, the sophomore class of Cape Coral High School is working together to put on a winter formal.
The winter formal is essentially a dance such as the annual homecoming event, but in the winter. Sandra Johnson says, “It’s a dance where the kids can dress up and enjoy a winter themed party in hot and sunny Florida.” Because of the usually dry Florida climate, the traditional winter activities like creating snowmen and snow angels can’t be done, making it harder to achieve that true winter experience.
“We chose to help put on a dance because next year the juniors are going to have to put on prom. So it’s like a good practice to help us get ready to put on prom,” stated Johnson. If the winter formal does well enough, there might be high expectations for next year’s prom.
The dance will be happening next year on Saturday, February 3, in the school cafeteria. This winter formal will be a turnabout dance. According to Class of 2026 president Austin Hewitt, the theme was an easy decision to make. “I honestly forgot who came up with the idea but someone had said, ‘what if we did it [where] the girls asked the guys to the dance,’ and we all just loved it.”
Traditional high school dances usually put the expectations on the boys to ask out the girls. “It puts a different perspective on [things]. Typically, it’s only the boys asking the girls out. So, it’s just a way to change things up,” says Secretary Cayden Linton.
While there are still about three months left, the 2026 class has already started planning the formal. “We’ve already finished order forms. Our decorations are coming in. Right now, we’re working on getting some chaperones,” says Hewitt.
Like everything else, the decorations they plan to get cost money. All the money they use on the formal will be accumulated from various fundraisers. “We did a Culver’s fundraiser and we’re going to be [helping with] the movie night. It’s being done by the freshmen class but we’re helping sell snacks so we’re gonna get fundraising from that,” Johnson stated.
The movie night will be on December 8, 2023. Linton said, “We are [going to be] selling pizza at the movie night.”
Currently, more fundraisers are being discussed. “So we haven’t talked about fundraisers yet. But I know that we have a meeting next Monday (December 4),” stated Linton.
To help raise money, “They can help out by coming to school fundraisers we put on so we can earn more money and buy better things to be able to make this dance what people would want it to be,” Linton said.
In the day and age we live in now, digital social media platforms play a key role in quickly spreading information. Flyers pinned around the school hallways won’t really do the trick anymore, especially with the already numerous papers already hung up.
“They can volunteer or help to decorate and they can share the information on social media to get their friends to come,” stated Hewitt.
More information about the winter formal will most likely be shared after winter break during the third quarter.
