Less than three months after a gunman walked into Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, killing 17 students and teachers, seniors on Saturday night will celebrate their prom.

Still, the Parkland high school prom will be far from ordinary. Not only will it be held under tight security, but there will be a tribute honoring the lives of the four seniors killed during the February 14 tragedy.

With some students still saddened and emotions running high, local businesses, vendors and community members have come together to offer products and services at cost or even free of charge, in hopes of relieving students of their burdens- even if just for a night. The event should involve all the hallmarks of a typical American prom: eye-grabbing decorations, lots of flowers and a dance floor packed with students dressed to the nines.

The biggest contribution came from the Westin Fort Lauderdale Beach Resort, which has donated a ballroom and catering for the evening. The money saved allowed the prom planning committee to charge as little as $30 per ticket- down from the usual of about $100.

Other businesses also stepped up, offering hairstyling, makeup, photography and even prom dresses. To help ease students' pain, Gabriela Miller, an alumni and salon and spa owner, asked her staff to donate their time and services to girls preparing for the prom. They enthusiastically agreed. On Saturday, Miller and dozens of beauty experts from surrounding communities will do hair and makeup for more than 230 girls.

Apart from business, neighbors also did their part. Shawn Rosenthal, who lives a few miles south of Parkland, felt so moved by the attack that she organized a collection to provide free prom dresses to senior girls. Within days, with the help of her friends, they'd collected more than 100 prom dresses of all colors, shapes and sizes. They caught the eye of the Alumni Association, which was also gathering dresses, and pooled their efforts.

Such a community effort could help the students “heal for a moment.”

Secrets of top students

A professor of education who has conducted major studies of top students announced that top grades do not always go to the brightest students.【小题1】

Top students master a few basic principles that others can also learn. Top students study anywhere or everywhere. A top student who is also a top athlete recites biology terms as he works out every day.   Another student learns a new word every morning while brushing his teeth. Top students are also well organized. Top students immediately put the day's notes in different folders.【小题2】.

According to one professor, the student who turns in neat work is already on the way to scoring an A. In the classroom context, it is equally important for students to speak up and ask questions.【小题3】As a student puts it, "Better grades come from better understanding." Another technique is to do more than the homework. A student says that if her teacher gives five problems, she will undertake ten. In the student's words, "Part of learning is practicing. The more you practice, the more you learn."

【小题4】It showed that students who discussed homework and problems together, tried different approaches and explained their solutions to one another scored higher than those on their own.

Last but not least, all experts and top students agree that the most important "secret" lies in the contribution by parents. They set high standards for their children and hold them to those standards.【小题5】They impress the lessons of responsibility on their children, and the children deliver.