As the excitement began to build surrounding the upcoming winter formal dance, students and staff recently received the news that it would be postponed to a later date: February 26. 

With this new change, cheer coach Mrs. Allison Wouters made adjustments to the original plan for the night.

“The new date will change some aspects of the dance, like the DJ, but luckily he is being very flexible and working with the change. Nowadays, most people understand things like this,” Mrs. Wouters said. 

Each year, the cheer squads and coaches come together to coordinate and plan out winter formal, which usually occurs in January.

The senior cheerleaders, including Jane Peck, use teamwork and communication to put on a fun night for their fellow students. 

“I have been looking forward to being involved in planning this for a few years now, and I really hope that we still get to have the dance. Planning it is so fun,” senior Jane Peck said. 

Luckily, the dance was postponed rather than fully canceled. 

With the new Omicron variant sweeping the school, administrators believe this new date will allow for a safer gathering of students. 

“We hope that the new date will keep the Covid numbers low after the dance,” Mrs. Wouters said. 

The spread of Covid is a large concern for not only staff, but students. 

Many students hope to continue classes in-person, yet worry that winter formal will be a super-spreader event. 

“I found out about this date change about a week ago. I feel like it was a little bit last minute compared to the prior date set. However, it will be totally worth the wait if we can continue everything else school-related,” Peck said. 

On a lighter note, students are thrilled about the “winter rave” theme for this year’s dance. 

Conversations about finding dates have been floating through the halls for weeks. 

“I love to go to winter formal because I get to go with some of my closest friends. It’s much more fun than homecoming,” junior Anna Campbell said. 

Winter formal is a great night that truly brings friends together. 

Preparing for winter formal is just part of the fun that students get to experience.

“I think my favorite part of the entire dance is getting ready with my best friends beforehand,” Peck said. 

School functions, like winter formal, take preparation from both those putting it on and those attending, specifically buying the “right” dress.

There are many shopping websites with great options for the dance. 

“I love to shop at Nordstrom and Revolve. The past two years I have been looking online due to Covid. I’ve noticed a lot of stores have limited selection in person,” Campbell said. 

While Covid may have changed a number of things, such as the winter formal date and class schedules, the Chagrin Falls students have maintained a positive attitude throughout all of the madness. 

“No matter when the dance happens, it will be such a fun night for everybody,” Mrs. Wouters said.