While students from both High Schools North and South gear up for prom every year — with thoughts of dress shopping, limo reservations, flowers, hair, manicures, and tuxedo fittings filling their minds — some of their parents are busy planning post-prom, an all-night extravaganza aimed at keeping the seniors off the roads and away from drugs and alcohol.
“Post Prom is a time-honored tradition immediately following the prom for the students to be entertained, fed, wowed (the theme is a secret until the night of) and kept safe in a drug and alcohol-free environment for the overnight,” says Chris Cirkus, one of the chairs of this year’s High School North Post Prom event. “This is a totally parent-led evening, planned over the course of the entire senior year. Our decorating committee has been cutting, sawing, gluing, and glittering for months.”
“North’s event will be held during the overnight of June 6 to 7, beginning at midnight and ending at 5 a.m. with the junior parents coming in to break down all of the sets and decorations,” says Cirkus, also the manager of the West Windsor Farmers’ Market. “We will begin setting up Thursday, June 5, and continue after the students leave for the half day on Friday, June 6, at noon. It is a mad dash to get everything ready, but after heading this up for my older daughter three years ago, I was up for the challenge again.”
“Any parents who have lived Post Prom at both North or South would be nostalgic and readers who have younger children in the district can look to the future,” says Cirkus. “Volunteerism is down significantly, and to preserve this tradition, there will need to be a resurgence of parents at the helm.”
Examples of some of North’s past themes have been Knight Flight, Winter Wonderland, Ports of Call, Jersey Shore, A Knight Across America, and Wizard of Oz. High school seniors and parents have traditionally started to plan their Post Prom one year before their prom, so the planning process for the Class of 2015 will begin next week.
“Fundraising has been a challenge financially, and the 2014 kids were asked to pay something to attend post prom this year,” says Lori K. Bohling, a committee member of the 2016 event. “Something had to be done, and change is good.”
“There are kids in this town that truly cannot afford to pay. We want no one excluded, and we want to keep all kids safe after prom by throwing this extravaganza,” says Bohling. The parents met with the students and went into action. “This is the kids’ event, so other than the surprise theme of the post prom, the kids should really be involved as much as they can.”
“It was time to try some new things and leave a legacy for the 2017 and beyond,” says Bohling. “Mary Ann Harpel started the 2016 committee and asked Nancy Mann and myself to head it with her.”
The Class of 2016 has introduced a new fundraiser to the school known as “flocking.” When a house is “flocked” the homeowner will wake up to a flock of pink plastic flamingos on their front lawn. It’s a humorous but harmless prank and a unique way to raise money for a good cause.
Students, parents, or any resident can pay to “flock” someone’s house or you can purchase insurance not to get flocked. The students or staff can pay to rent a flock of 10, 24, or 36 flamingos for $10 to $30, and then the flocking committee will put the flamingos out in the specified yard for a day. Students, staff, and parents can also pay anti-flocking insurance to protect their lawn from the flock. E-mail postprom2016@gmail.com for details and ordering.
“With the backing and support of the West Windsor and Plainsboro police forces, our parents, and our community, the fundraiser should be a great success,” says Bohling.
