Thousands Expected To Participate In PHS Prom Festivities

Thousands of spectators are expected to take part in festivities leading up to what Reader’s Digest has called the “Best Prom in America.”

A public walk-through at Pennsbury High School takes place from 12 p.m. until 2:45 p.m. Saturday. It will be held at the school’s East campus located at 705 Hood Boulevard in Fairless Hills.

“We invite you to share in the excitement of this unique high school event that annually brings together an entire community,” Pennsbury Communication Coordinator Ann Langtry said.

Hundreds of students, faculty, parents and volunteers worked tirelessly for months to create the façade, and worked from after school Friday until early Saturday morning to put up the decorations.

“The Pennsbury senior prom culminates many months of planning and decorating by scores of students and their parents and teachers. A long-standing, popular tradition, the prom decorating also attracts local community members who participate as alumni and also parents of alumni,” Langtry said.

The theme of this year’s prom is "Bucket List: Find Your Passion, Follow Your Dreams.” It highlights wild adventures and dream experiences conceived by both teens and adults.

“It will featuring more hand-crafted 3D imagery than ever before. This year's prom promises to be a thrilling experience not only for Pennsbury seniors, but also for the public as well,” Langtry said.

The high school will also host the traditional Pennsbury Prom arrival parade cheered on by spectators from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. outdoors on the high school campus.

“The access road that connects PHS West to PHS East on the high school campus in Fairless Hills serves as the perfect parade route for the country's most unusual and creative forms of prom transportation. Spectators line the drive and cheer the prom-goers as they approach the red carpet at the entrance to PHS East. Mechanical dinosaur? Elaborate float? Cinderella's pumpkin chariot with horses? A line-up of segways? You never know what the students have been planning all year,” Langtry said.

All the events lead up to the highlight of the evening, the Pennsbury Senior Prom.

“At the prom itself, students and their dates enjoy fine dining, dancing, talented new singing artists, and a hypnotist show scheduled several times during the evening. The prom king and queen will be crowned. And of course, there are all the decorations and photo-op vignettes to explore. Many parent volunteers help to serve meals during three separate dinner seatings,” Langtry said.

PHS art teachers Tony Napoli and Curtis May were this year’s prom advisors. There are 31 student prom chairs this year. The principals of PHS are Lisa Becker and Shawn Neely. The PHS administrator overseeing the 2011 prom is Assistant Principal Robert Johnson.