Students will trade classrooms for sea creatures this Saturday, as the Junior and Senior Prom—held at the New England Aquarium in Boston—dives into its Under the Sea theme.
A Prom Committee of Juniors and Seniors, led by Student Life Coordinator Tess Cicala, has spent weeks planning the event—from food and décor to logistics and promotion. Since April, the group has worked to build excitement across the Upper School and boost turnout. This year’s focus is on breaking from tradition, offering a fresh, more memorable experience for attendees.
Unlike last year’s hotel venue, the committee chose the New England Aquarium for its more intimate atmosphere.
The night promises to be visually striking, with sea animals on display—“swimming around,” as Cicala put it.
A Pre-Prom gathering will take place at 5:15 p.m. at Head of School Judy Guild’s house, where students and their families are invited to attend before departing by bus from campus to the New England Aquarium.
“They can take pictures and they’ll have little d’oeuvres [finger food] and things like that, and then [students] will take buses over to the venue,” Cicala said.
In addition to the unique venue, this year’s prom also will promise a variety of interesting elements that will go beyond just dancing and music. According to members of the committee, students should expect a DJ which will be operating at the event, who will play a varying set of music genres.
Once students arrive at the Aquarium, the first hour will be a seated dining event, in which a variety of foods will be offered to attending students.
Following the dinner, the remaining time will be estimated to two hours for dancing and will finish off with a dessert. The aquarium was picked this year due to the tightly packed space that the prom was held last year, so this area was picked for its unique location and open space.
The dress code will remain formal, with students encouraged to express their personal style within the bounds of appropriate prom attire.
“I like the relationships that I make with the students in planning the prom,” Cicala said. “I feel like I’ve gotten to know them really well.”
