Graduation Night is coming around the corner for the Class of 2023. The Grad Party is a Monroe-Woodbury High School tradition that celebrates the graduation and triumph of the year’s graduating class. 

In past years, students attended the party at around 11 p.m. and celebrated until 4 a.m. the following day. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the idea of how the party would function changed due to safety regulations being in place at the time. In past graduation parties, the PTA and the high school administration offered an outdoor carnival in the parking lot, allowing students to celebrate, while still following COVID-19 guidelines. 

Special education teacher and Class of 2023 adviser, Ms. Matise, said, “We actually haven’t decided when the party will be.” 

Along with Ms. Matise, the graduation party is planned by the district Parent-Teacher Association(PTA) and other high school administrators. 

There are three options for when the event will take place: the day before graduation, the afternoon before graduation, or the night of graduation. The party had been confirmed to be held in Monroe-Woodbury High School, as it always has been.

This party isn’t put together solely for celebrating the seniors’ graduation. It is also used to insure their safety right before and after their graduation. 

“The purpose of the party was to keep the kids here and safe. So they didn’t go to other parties, where things going on at the party aren’t safe,” said Ms. Matise.

A main fear of seniors having their own private graduation parties is that they would use drugs and alcohol, if they were without parental vision. The party is a way to make sure that the seniors have fun, but in a safe environment. 

It is still unclear how this year’s party will be done, but previous graduation parties included attractions and activities such as food donated from local restaurants, games and tournaments, prizes and raffles, a D.J., a hypnotist, and even a money booth. 

“Typically, we would like to keep the events a surprise for the students. We have not yet reached that part of the planning, to be honest, because we still have to figure out how much money we have to spend,” said Matise. “This is a really expensive event to host, and that’s why the fundraising is what drives what we are able to offer.” 

Fundraising is a key component into making this year’s party the best it can be. Not only will it help support plans and events for the party, but the price to attend it. 

“In an ideal world, the kids would be able to come to their graduation party for free. But everything costs so much, money is always one of the biggest obstacles,” said Ms. Matise. “The cost of the ticket mainly depends on how much money we raise. I do remember them (the PTA) saying that they don’t want to charge the kids.” 

Another issue to keep in mind when planning is finding volunteers for the event. 

In hopes of finding volunteers, Ms. Matise mentioned her attempt to, “reach out to parents in hopes that they join the PTA and volunteer their time, donate items, or run a fundraiser for us.” She said there were many ways for adults to help the cause for the graduating seniors.