Seneca High School students are learning first hand how to put together a fashion show.
Grace McCloskey, Seneca High School business teacher and advisor for the DECA club, said the fashion show is an event planned by students after they’ve learned sales and marketing in the classroom.
Students decide on the theme (this year’s is “Under the Sea”) and create promotional items.
The show is Feb. 9 at the Seneca High School auditorium.
Some students are models and the show is choreographed.
As many as 60 students work on the show and they all learn about putting an event together, including how sponsorship works and how to publicize it.
“As they learn something then they actually apply it,” McCloskey said, noting students have made commercials in the TV technology department. “They work hard.”
Having the TV technology has been “phenomenal,” she said. The students also utilize the media center.
Kids learn how to edit and how to add audio, McCloskey said.
She also said most of the students have after school part-time jobs.
“So they talk to the business owners that they have a relationship with to see if they want to participate on sponsorship of the show,” McCloskey said. “It really is a great experience for the kids.
“I have to say I have great students. I have great kids.
“There’s never a concern there. They always use their information.”
McCloskey said the best part of the show is when the event’s over and the students see what they did.
The show is recorded and each student gets a digital copy to show prospective schools or employers.
“I’ve learned that if you give the students a challenge, they will meet it,” McCloskey said.
Senior Tom Monaghan, 18, said the show is “just a really positive event for the entire student body.
“Everybody always gets together and we have a good time and it helps generate funds for the DECA club.”
The Tabernacle resident said everyone wants to be a model — and that getting businesses to help sponsor the event is most challenging. Being able to look out at the crowd when on stage is the best part of the event.
This is Monaghan’s fourth year putting the show together.
Shamong’s Monica Paulson, 18, agrees with her fellow senior.
“I think the fashion show is a positive way for the business students to demonstrate what they’ve learned in class,” Paulson said, including marketing, promotion and soliciting sponsors.
Also in her fourth year with the event, she will be a model this year.
Paulson said the fashion show provides real-life experience.
“I think that sales and marketing prepares us for the future,” she said.
