This year’s Prom for the Bernards High School Seniors is scheduled for Wednesday, June 2nd, 2021. With the new obstacles presented by COVID-19, Senior Prom will be looking different than it has in the past, yet the Bernards staff has worked to put together a safe and entertaining environment for the students in attendance.
The Senior Prom will be from 7:00-11:00 p.m at the Forest Lodge in Warren, New Jersey, in their newly renovated venue called the Maple Grove. This outdoor facility is covered, comfortable, and provides a plethora of open-air space. Senior class advisor and coordinator of the Prom, Ms. Angela Callahan, is responsible for the majority of the planning. When describing the decision behind choosing the Forest Lodge she says that “this venue gave us an outside option, so if the capacity was lowered, we had comfort and security”. This allowed for flexibility for COVID-19 restrictions, which have been subject to change, and ensure that a last minute switch in venues would not happen.
The Prom is “exclusively for the seniors this year due to the restrictions and concerns relating to COVID-19,” according to Ms. Callahan, which includes no students from other schools. This limit has been put in place to prevent spreading the virus to multiple classes, and ensure safety among our seniors. Seniors will be asked to wear a mask, unless eating or drinking, and abide by CDC and NJDOH guidelines.
While some of the prom customs have been changed this year, there is still a lot for seniors to look forward to. There will be a DJ providing live music, and a plentiful buffet, which serves many options that aid any health or dietary needs. Some “stations” include pasta, fish, salad, meat, and dessert. Additionally, students will be able to choose their table members. This table seating not only provides formality, but imbeds contact tracing (if there is a case), according to Ms. Callahan. The continuance of the formal seating will give the Senior Prom an elegant style, with an added safety bonus.
With a clean, tasteful space, and organized plans, the 2021 Senior Prom is ready to go. With the support of the Administration, Board of Education, and District, Ms. Callahan is “very confident that this will be a fun event,” and is looking forward to a great Prom for this class.
Seniors should keep these important dates in mind. Monday, May 3rd, all permission slips are due on Google Classroom, and payments are due on Revtrak. By Thursday, May 13th, the official headcount is due, so all refunds will not be granted after this date. Finally, the week of May 17th, selections of seating arrangements via an electronic system will take place.
