Ranney National Honor Society Hosts Third Annual Senior Senior Prom

More than seventy residents of the Applewood Estates retirement community gathered in the center’s performing arts hall on Saturday, March 7, for a wonderful walk down memory lane as they took part in the third annual Senior Senior prom hosted by Ranney School’s National Honor Society (NHS). For residents of the Freehold retirement community, the evening of live music, dancing and socializing is something to look forward to each year.

“It’s a whole night of nostalgia,” explained resident Aileen Surges. “The music can make me kind of sad because it brings up so many memories, but seeing the young children dancing and talking and having a good time makes me feel absolutely wonderful.”

Thirteen students, smartly dressed in suits, ties and semi-formal dresses, quietly went from table to table throughout the evening, offering to dance with their senior guests, bringing refreshments or in some cases, just socializing. Applewood resident Ethel Guire-Pietz, who will be 104-years-old this month, was content to sit and sing along to the live music provided by the band The Nocturnes, remembering every word to the Gershwin tune “Nice Work If You Can Get It.” Others residents were just as eager to take to the dance floor to show off their considerable dancing skills. Howard and Beverly Strauss, grandparents of Ranney alumni Jamie Unterman’99 and Jason Unterman ’02, made quite an impression on the young students with their fluid dance moves. Another Ranney alumni parent, Jeff Shields, father of Holly Shields ’07, was also there as a trumpet player with The Nocturnes.

NHS Advisor and Art Department Chair Kate Greenberg says the students get as much out of the evening as the residents do. The group sells milkshakes during lunch period to raise money for the event, and then for weeks prior to the prom, gathers in the school’s auxiliary gym to practice swing dancing with volunteer instructor and Middle School teacher Stacy Goto. The students were more than happy to try out their newly acquired skills in front of such a warm and enthusiastic audience, and based on the reviews from the admiring crowd, they did just fine.

For additional information on all Ranney School news, please contact the Communications Department at communications@ranneyschool.org.