It’s a tradition that might be as old as school itself. The Senior Prank.
Through the years, mascots have been stolen, livestock left in principals’ offices and hallways filled with hundreds of balloons. But not until recently have we seen the likes of this newest prank.
And boy, did it require some logistics planning and help from a sneaky husband.
When Joy McGrath, who teaches at St. Andrew’s School In Middletown, DE., woke up one morning, recently, she put on her robe and headed down to her kitchen.
When she opened the door, though, she took one look and quickly slammed the door shut. After a few seconds, McGrath slowly opened it back up. Still there was the sight that had greeted her only seconds before: The entire senior class, all 80 of them, crammed into her house for one final epic sleepover before graduating.
The kids had been planning the prank for months. KaiChun ‘Austin’ Chuang, who took the now-viral video, told “Today” reporters that he and some friends came up with the idea after prom night. McGrath, who is also the head of the school, had invited students over for a much-needed breakfast following the dance.
Someone joked that they wouldn’t mind going to bed right there in the living room. Then a couple of us glanced at each other like, ‘hmmmm,'” he said.
With the help of McGrath’s husband, Ty Jones, the entire senior class snuck into her home at 1 a.m. and got settled for sleep.
Joy McGrath peeks out to see what has happened in her house. Photo from Instagram
After her initial shock, her happiness is evident. She greets the kids with a ‘good morning, little bunnies!” She then made her way through the kitchen and into the living room, as more and more students began popping out of doorways, and from the stairway.
She told “Today,” “I can sleep through anything.” Which means the prank was something that was quite easy in the end to pull off. McGrath said it took a minute to realize it was a senior prank. “I was in shock. They were in every possible corner, like sardines.”
Her home, which is situated on campus, made for easy access, with a little help from her husband, who she laughingly calls out to in the video – “You’re in the most trouble.”
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After enjoying breakfast with the seniors, McGrath let them all head back to their dorms.
The students said they just wanted to do something she’d never forget. “Mrs. McGrath takes such good care of us,” Chuang said.
Whenever people have a problem, they feel comfortable talking to her. She works hard to build trust.”
Commenters to the viral video, which has more than 60 million views, couldn’t help but agree with them.
- “This is what you call a teacher that is making an impact and doing something right with our youth!!”
- “Clearly the kids are welcome anytime – the amount of coffee mugs and coffee supplies on the table are a dead giveaway! This would be amazing to be a part of! She’s a lucky lady and these students are equally as lucky!”
- “This would be all I needed to validate the reason I was on this earth,” someone else wrote. “You can see the love instantly. WELL DONE”
It’s heartwarming to see how much love these students have for their amazing teacher. You know that in the years to come, her influence will follow them in all they do.
To watch the hilarious video, look below.
