With prom approaching, students are preparing for the event on Sat., May 2, at the Westin Fort Lauderdale Beach Resort from 7-11p.m. The event was planned by the senior class officers. This year’s theme is “The Great Gatsby.”
In order for seniors to attend, they had to fill out a permission slip for themselves and a separate form for a guest, if they chose to bring one. The forms were signed by guidance and student services to make sure students did not have any obligations before paying for a ticket. The papers were submitted to a Microsoft form and were due Tues., March 31, before tickets were up on the eStore.
The price for tickets was $156.25 and the window to purchase them was from Wed., April 1 through Fri., April 10.
On the day of prom students can get dropped off or drive themselves. If students drive, they must use the resort’s valet service and pay a cash fee.
Students also must provide photo identification and their ticket upon arrival. They can enter the resort up until 8 p.m. and cannot leave until 9 p.m. School staff will be used to chaperone prom along with security. Students will only be permitted to stay within the resort’s ballroom and there will be no reentering.
“For prom, we all discussed what prom theme we wanted and we’re starting to plan more for decorations,” senior class officer Georgia Wooley said. “Prom is a very important event for me because I’ve been waiting since freshman year to go and it just feels like a milestone that I’ve been looking forward to my whole life.”
Prom is funded through ticket sales as well as any money raised throughout the past four years from leadership for the senior class. Event costs include the venue which does the catering, as well as obtaining a DJ and decorations, which is done by Legendary Creations.
“The food is all catered by the hotel and we pick different menus every year based on the theme and availability,” senior class sponsor Danielle Driscoll said.
In order to organize and plan for this event, reservations must be made a year in advance to allow time for preparations. This year, a date will be picked for next year’s prom. This ensures a venue is ready which can be a challenge for large schools.
“I think that prom is important because it symbolizes the end of my days in high school and moving on to college and the real world,” senior Jacob Goodrich said.
The rising senior class officers will start planning next year’s prom by the end of the 2025-26 school year, as venues and vendors must be secured.
