American high school traditions

American high schools have all sorts of traditions. There are lots of sports and musical events, plays and dances, but the biggest events are Homecoming and the Prom.

HOMECOMING

At the beginning of the school year students (and former students as well) celebrate Homecoming. There is usually a parade of floats, a football game with a rival school (with cheerleaders dancing and shouting to support their teams) and a big dance, too. Students vote for a Homecoming King and Queen who are usually chosen because they are popular or attractive. Often, the King and Queen are the best football player and a cheerleader.

At the end of the last year of high school there is a special huge party called a Prom. It's the last party before university and it takes place after you've passed all your exams. During the year, an elected committee meets up to discuss the theme, the place, the music and the DJs.

There is also all the excitement of who you'll go to the prom with. It may be your boyfriend or girlfriend or just a close friend.

After choosing a date, the real fun begins. Girls plan what they are going to wear months before and can spend hundreds of dollars on their dresses and shoes. Guys usually buy or rent a tuxedo.

On prom day girls usually get up very early and get their hair and nails done. Many girls get together at someone's house and spend most of the day preparing together — dressing, doing make­up, etc. Guys, on the other hand, hang together for a while, then get ready at the last moment.

Some students, especially crushes, go out to dinner before the prom and arrive at the party fashionably late.

Lots of people also take pictures on this special day. After all, it's the end of school life and the beginning of adulthood.

DID YOU KNOW?

American teens usually start high school at the age of 14. A student taking high school is called a freshman. In the second year he or she becomes a sophomore. Eleventh-grade students are called juniors, and twelfth-grade students are seniors. High school students usually take exams in the subjects they are studying at the end of each semester. Their marks (grades) are based partly on these examinations and partly on other tests, homework and work in class. They can get a grade of A, B, C, D or F (fail). Students who have passed enough courses graduate from high school at the end of the twelfth grade, and get a high school diploma. Anybody who wants to go to uni­versity must have a high-school diploma and take a test called the SAT based on multiple-choice questions. Some universities ask students to take tests in several subjects as well.

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