Project Graduation is the official community send-off of our graduating seniors. It is our gift of safety and one last party - organized and paid for by the parents of the graduating class. The purpose is to give our graduates a memorable night together – one that is alcohol and drug-free. This is separate from all other senior activities, such as prom, yearbook, senior mania, senior fashion show, etc.
The entire project takes four years of planning, and the cost varies. The committee starts freshman year. The chairperson coordinates with a team of about ten parents to find the venue, entertainment, and food – which usually finalizes in junior year. The venue and plans are top secret. Volunteers are needed to chaperone and assist in all preparations. All volunteers and committee members must be a PTA member in good standing with their dues paid in full.
Previous Project Graduations include barbeques, casino night, Met Life Stadium, Great Adventure, etc. The price depends on the plan – but should be as reasonable as possible to maximize that all students can participate.
Senior graduation is at the high school on the last day of school, around 6:00 p.m. As the ceremony ends and family pictures are done, all seniors report to the cafeteria to check in for project graduation. Once they are inside the school, they cannot leave. They are escorted onto a bus and taken to a surprise location, where they party the night away until they return to the school in the early morning hours. Paramus Police Department provides us with two police officers for security, and the board of education provides us with bus transportation.
Fundraising to offset the cost is technically allowed; however, it must be planned carefully and with plenty of time so not to interfere with any other graduating class or sports or club fundraisers.
The Paramus High School PTA encourages no fuss, one-price ticket for Project Graduation. However, we do maintain our 503c(3) status, a not-for-profit organization that lends its umbrella of liability insurance, gaming licensure, tax-exempt status, assistance with permits, etc., to maximize funds for our seniors!
Please see the link for your child’s graduating class, stay up to date, and volunteer to help in any way (big or small) as your time permits. Please share your ideas with your class chair.
The PTA meetings follow the Roberts Rules and are about 20 minutes long, with a transition into a town-hall style event dedicated to a specific class. For example, in September there will be a meeting for incoming freshman parents. At this meeting, the PTA will introduce our mission and objective and promote membership. The PTA will also explain project graduation and seek committee members for the class of 2025. Following, we will transition into a town hall with Principal Kiem, vice principals, teachers, and staff to answer all freshman questions. The focus of the meeting is everything freshman. We welcome any questions you have the week before the meeting so we can have answers and information ready. The best way to communicate questions is on our email.
In the future, we will advertise all PTA meetings on our website, and we expect to have a virtual option to maximize your ability to attend and participate.
