With the pandemic still claiming lives and school not yet fully in-person, this year’s WJ seniors have not gotten the opportunity to have all the traditional senior celebrations of years past. However, now that many of them are vaccinated and trends show the pandemic losing its grip, they seniors have gotten the opportunity to celebrate their accomplishments through different group events.
Senior Party
As an alternative to a senior prom, the WJ PTSA hosted a luau themed senior class party on May 15. The party had food, dancing and activities. There were two different time slots (12 – 2 p.m. and 2:30 – 4:30 p.m.) and required sign-ups to help keep the groups small. Many students came in Hawaiian-themed clothes.
Powderpuff
On May 21, the WJ SGA hosted a powderpuff game between senior girls on the field at WJ. There were two teams – a pink one and a black one – and students were asked to sign up online to join a team. Powderpuff games have happened at WJ many times before, often between juniors and seniors, so this event was a partial return to normalcy after it did not occur last year.
Graduation
The class of 2021 had their graduation on June 4 at 9:00 a.m.. The event was held on the WJ field rather than a major auditorium (like at UMD or UMBC) like it has been in the past. Each student only had two tickets to the graduation but they were allowed to bring up to 4 guests (each ticket equals 2 guests) and everyone attending was required to register online beforehand. The program itself was similar to years past and it was live streamed online.
Senior Unity Day
Every MCPS high school hosted a “Senior Unity Day” to honor the class of 2021. WJ’s was on Wednesday, May 19 from 10:00 – 3:00. The event was a drive-thru where students were celebrated by WJ staff and teachers. They were able to pick up their cap and gown and there was also a banner for seniors to sign before departing the drive-thru.
Unofficial Proms
Although there was no school-sponsored prom this year, students from WJ and other local high schools took it upon themselves to get dressed up and go downtown to take pictures by the monuments. Prom photos with the backdrop of the reflecting pool is a long-held tradition in the DMV and this year’s seniors didn’t want to miss out. Instead of a dance, many students followed up the photos with smaller group gatherings.
