COURT HOUSE – It appears high school seniors, and some juniors, will have their prom and graduation ceremony this spring, although they may look different than pre-pandemic events.
Middle Township and Wildwood high schools are having their prom and graduation ceremony, as is Cape Christian Academy (CCA) and Cape May County Technical High School.
Lower Cape May Regional (LCMR) High School is having a prom, but no decision has been made regarding graduation. Ocean City High School is planning a prom, but repeated efforts to contact the school district about graduation were unsuccessful.
According to a letter posted on its website, Ocean City High School’s prom will be May 22, on its “pristine” campus. Principal Dr. Matthew Jamison said a committee of students and administrators has been planning the prom, considering “many factors but none more than the senior prom survey.”
The prom will include red carpet introductions, dancing and a disc jockey, a catered dinner, outdoor dining, picture stations, and other activities.
“We believe this venue will afford the Class of 2021 a senior prom that is celebratory and safe,” Jamison stated, in the letter.
Wildwood High School Principal Philip Schaffer said there are plans for a prom June 5 and tentative graduation June 18.
“We are having a very informal, casual, Hawaiian, luau-themed event outdoors, at Fox Park,” Schaffer said, noting the prom is open to juniors and seniors only, as well as any Wildwood student who graduated last year since they did not have a prom experience.
The school’s culinary department and food truck will provide individualized food items, along with possibly one or two other food trucks.
“Our staff has done a phenomenal job trying to preserve the high school experience for the students,” he noted. “We call the (pandemic) guidelines ‘floating guidelines’ because they are constantly changing, and we need to be ready with a plan, no matter what.”
There will be a disc jockey on hand, and about 120 students will be invited to the event, with four to 10 staff chaperones.
“We are still going to have the prom king and queen and abide by social distancing rules and any other rules in place at the time,” he said.
The rain date is June 6.
Tentative plans for a June 18 graduation ceremony outside, at Maxwell Field, are also underway, like what was held last year, according to Schaffer.
“Last year, we had areas roped off, so families were in their own pod, socially distanced, assigned seats and individual signs made so people knew where to sit,” he explained. “We will also plan to livestream the event over our Facebook page.”
“The guidance on this event can still change, so we may need to change something before the event,” Schaffer added, “but we are trying to give these kids what they deserve and need. We are all trying to move forward to a new normal.”
At CCA, Administrator John Spriggs said, “As a smaller school, we are able to meet the social distancing guidelines. We don’t hold a prom, but we do have a senior social. It is an evening to honor our seniors. The underclassmen organize the event around a theme, and it is a fun evening for all. It is usually held at a local restaurant or country club, with plenty of room for everyone.
“We are also planning on holding graduation on campus, at Cape Christian Academy,” Spriggs said, adding there are two seniors this school year. “Our Student Life Center is large enough to hold the event, with proper social distancing, but we have not ruled out holding the event outside.”
Middle Township High School Principal George West is looking forward to seeing “all the dresses, tuxedos, suits, ties, jewelry and, most importantly, the smiles,” when their prom takes place “like always,” at the Flanders Hotel, in Ocean City, May 14. The promenade/red carpet event will kick off the evening in front of the school, at 4:45 p.m.
There are about 185 seniors and 200 juniors at Middle Township High School, and the event is open to underclassmen dates. Two years ago, 320 attended, according to West.
“The people at the Flanders have been extremely accommodating, allowing us to use all five of their rooms, so we can distance our students safely,” West said. “Instead of a buffet-style dinner, Flanders will serve the students dinner.”
There will not be a dance floor, but the students will have the opportunity to dance at their tables, as well as at smaller designated dancing areas, according to West.
“Our after-prom will be held inside our high school. We will set up different activities spread out in different areas of the high school, as well as outside the building. This will allow us to socially distance our students during the event,” he said.
Students will wear face masks throughout the evening, he added.
“In the end, I am excited that we are able to provide this experience for our students. I want to thank our board of education, Superintendent Dr. (David) Salvo, the high school staff, and the after-prom committee for supporting this event,” he said.
The district is planning a 4 p.m. graduation, on Memorial Field, June 17, but tickets will depend on guidelines from the state for outdoor gatherings, according to West.
“Last year, we gave each graduate two tickets for the event held July 7. The event was livestreamed, as well,” he said.
The LCMR junior prom is scheduled June 11, and the senior prom is scheduled June 12, at the Naval Air Station Wildwood Aviation Museum, in Erma, according to Principal Larry Ziemba. The venue was the site of a prom about 10 years ago.
“There will not be an after-prom event this year,” he said, although there will be a dance area for students at the event, which is being called a prom party.
“There will not be a formal meal served. Instead, we will have food trucks outside for the participants,” he said.
The district has not yet made a decision about graduation.
“We are still working on that and with Covid, so much could change,” Ziemba noted.
Cape May Tech is planning its “Under the Stars” senior prom, which is to be held May 21, at the Naval Air Station Wildwood Aviation Museum. Though specifics are subject to change, according to Principal Steven Vitiello, the prom is open to tech seniors only to comply with pandemic regulations.
“We are using the Air Station, as it is a combination of indoor/outdoor to help with meeting the health guidelines,” Vitiello explained. “Wildwoods Convention Center, which is our normal venue, is not hosting proms at this time.”
Their commencement ceremony will be held on the school’s athletic fields June 16. They currently have 156 seniors.
To contact Karen Knight, email kknight@cmcherald.com.
