Trending

Advertisement

Rancho Bernardo High Grad Nite is returning to gym

Share

After four years of holding its Grad Nite parties off campus, Rancho Bernardo High School is returning the celebration to its gymnasium on June 11.

“It’s very exciting,” said Terry Norwood, RB High’s PTSA president. “There are cost reasons and it’s a tradition we do not want to lose. Taking it off-campus still took quite a bit to put it together, so we’re streamlining (the organizational aspects).”

Moving back on campus is not the only major change in the works. Since the alcohol- and drug-free party for graduates began decades ago, there has been an aspect of secrecy surrounding it in order to not spoil the party’s surprises for the seniors. That meant underclassmen could not come to the preview — an open house where adults in the community walk around to see the elaborately decorated gym the night before — so they could be surprised when it was their turn.

This time underclassmen will be helping to make those decorations — a switch that not only takes a lot of the time-consuming set building responsibilities off parents, but one that Norwood said will hopefully generate undergraduates’ interest in and excitement for Grad Nite when it is their turn to attend the all-night party.

Since moving off campus, Norwood said seniors’ attendance at Grad Nite dropped to a little over 50 percent of the graduating class. Its highest attendance in recent years was in 2009, when around 80 percent of new graduates attended.

Norwood said a number of factors that contributed to the attendance decline over the past four years. Holding an off-campus party organized by Party Pals required less parent volunteers since they no longer had to work for months in advance building and painting the elaborate sets. It also meant fewer party chaperones were needed. However, this meant new expenses like renting a facility and chartering buses to transport graduates between campus and the venue, a contributing factor to Grad Nite ticket prices rising.

The decrease in needed parental involvement during the months leading up to Grad Nite meant students did not hear about the party from their parents and Norwood said it factored into their declining interest in attending.

Norwood said having juniors, sophomores and freshmen — plus their parents — involved in putting on Grad Nite will hopefully mean that within a few years attendance will increase to a vast majority of the class.

“Now there will be more talk (about Grad Nite) on campus,” she said, explaining this year organizers are hoping to have students in the art department design the themed-facade that seniors walk through to enter the gym plus the logo for their T-shirts. They also would like to work with students in the theater department to get help with set construction, since they are experienced in building sets for plays that go up and come down within a short time frame.

There are other ways Norwood and other volunteers are trying to streamline Grad Nite. Party Pals will still be contracted to run the event. This year’s Grad Nite theme — “It’s Personal” — is the same one chosen by the senior class for their school’s yearbook, even though bringing that visually to life will be “a challenge,” she said. Having the same theme for the yearbook and party started last year, Norwood added.

Despite organizational changes, much of what makes Grad Nite a beloved tradition will remain, she said. This includes providing plenty of entertainment for the graduates, including a casino area, electronic and carnival games, inflatables, rock climbing wall, photo booth, lots of prizes, music plus plenty of food and non-alcoholic beverages.

“This started as a way to keep (the graduates) at a safe party so they will not be drunk drivers and we know where they are,” Norwood said.

Fundraising over the next few months will still be an essential component since it will require at least $20,000 to put on the party. While a lot of that will be covered through ticket revenue, it cannot cover everything, she said. To date, around $5,000 has been raised.

Upcoming fundraisers are a shred-a-thon and e-waste recycling event this Saturday (see below for details); a pasta dinner and silent auction on March 30; an online auction this spring and a new fundraiser, a monthly farm stand on campus offering a limited selection of organic produce for sale to the community. The farm stand will likely start in March, she said.

Parent volunteers plan on soliciting local businesses for Grad Nite prizes, silent and online auction donations, plus monetary and in-kind donations of food or other services during the party.

Monetary donations will soon be accepted on the Grad Nite website at https://tinyurl.com/RBHS-GradNite, where parents can also purchase graduation leis, raffle tickets and earrings, which all serve as other fundraising methods. Businesses and others wanting to help with Grad Nite in any way can contact Norwood at ptsa.rbhs@gmail.com or 858-829-5190.

Shred-a-Thon and e-Waste Fundraiser

Rancho Bernardo High School’s PTSA is holding a shred-a-thon and e-waste drop-off fundraiser from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 31 in the Carmel Mountain Plaza parking lot in front of Sears Outlet, 12080 Carmel Mountain Road in Carmel Mountain Ranch.

Shredding is available for $5 per box or $20 for five boxes. Computer hard drive removal and destruction is $20. Destruction of already removed hard drives is $10. Electronics can be dropped off for free. For questions, call 858-829-5190 or go to ptsa.rbhs@gmail.com.

Advertisement