Principal Wakes up at 6 a.m. & Is ‘In Shock’ upon Discovering More than 70 High School Seniors on Her Kitchen Floor

In the summer of 2023, a school principal discovered that she wasn't alone when she opened the door to her kitchen for her morning coffee. To her surprise, she found herself in the company of 70 additional individuals. The puzzling question remained: why were they all there at 6 a.m.?

In May 2023, a meticulously planned senior prank unfolded at St. Andrew's school in Middletown, Delaware, turning the school principal's on-campus residence into an unexpected dormitory for more than 70 graduating students.

The Class of 2023 surreptitiously infiltrated Joy McGrath's home around 1 a.m., armed with pillows, couch cushions, and blankets to create a makeshift campsite spanning the entire first floor. "Seventy-seven (students) in the living room, the library, the dining room, the back porch, the kitchen – they were everywhere," McGrath joyfully recalled.

A Heart-Warming Surprise

The prank, captured in a video shared on social media, showcased McGrath's unsuspecting reaction as she descended for her morning coffee at 6 a.m. and realized she had company. "I was in shock. They were in every possible corner like sardines. It took me a second to realize, 'This is a senior year prank!'" explained McGrath.

Despite the school's policy against phone usage, the youngsters never anticipated the prank's social media traction.

The footage, filmed by KaiChun "Austin" Chuang, who was a recent graduate at the time, showed the school head's initial shock as she opened the door to her kitchen and discovered the youngsters sprawled across her kitchen floor. Chuang mentioned that they had emphasized the need for quietness in the house, instructing everyone to go straight to bed so as not to wake her up and capture that memorable moment.

Clad in a bathrobe and yellow crocs, McGrath's jaw dropped as she briefly left the room, only to return seconds later and absorb the scene in front of her eyes. "Good morning, little bunnies!" she said in the video, triggering laughter from the students and marking the successful execution of their prank.

The 60-second clip garnered significant traction online and was shared on St. Andrew's Instagram page and YouTube channel. "It's senior prank season and boy did the Class of 2023 get Ms. McGrath good," read the caption on Instagram.

The caption went on to provide details about the events occurring on May 19, stating that the entire senior class had quietly entered McGrath's residence at 1 a.m., settling in for a night's sleep across the first floor. The plan was a huge success because the school principal didn't wake up and became aware of the prank only when she came down for her morning coffee.

How Was the Prank Executed?

McGrath's husband, Ty Jones, played a role in the well-executed prank, collaborating with the pupils by leaving the front door unlocked for their 1 a.m. entry. Unbeknownst to McGrath, her spouse, and other faculty members were accomplices in the wholesome gag.

The mastermind behind capturing McGrath's priceless reaction, Chuang, recounted the genesis of the idea, revealing that the high school seniors conceptualized the prank after their senior prom. The spark of inspiration occurred when McGrath invited them over for a late-night breakfast at 12 a.m.

During the gathering, someone humorously suggested going to bed in the living room, prompting a conspiratorial exchange among the students. Chuang, who was 18 at the time, explained that someone had joked about not minding going to bed right there in the living room. He added that a few of them exchanged glances, thinking, "hmmmm."

The seamless execution of their plan became evident as McGrath, known for her ability to sleep through anything, remained oblivious even during the prank. Reflecting on her own senior prank experience in 1992, she remarked, "I slept through that one, too!"

Following the lighthearted escapade, the seniors, before returning to their dorms, shared a breakfast of donuts and coffee with McGrath and her husband. Chuang expressed appreciation for McGrath's caring demeanor, mentioning that Mrs. McGrath took good care of them. He noted that whenever people had a problem, they felt comfortable talking to her, emphasizing her hard work in building trust.

Going Viral

In a letter addressed to the school and published on May 26, 2023, McGrath conveyed her lack of disturbance by the prank, finding humor in the situation. She expressed, "How can I be upset when this place really is a dream? It's just funny that in our cell phone-limited and social-media-shunning school that anything we do — much less the most ordinary of moments — could 'go viral.'"

Despite the school's policy against phone usage, the youngsters never anticipated the prank's social media traction. Ford Chapman, the co-class president for the Class of 2023, remarked on the irony, stating, "It's a little bit funny our big thing is a viral video." The students' initial intent was simply to capture McGrath's reaction and share it with another faculty member.

Regardless of the unexpected virality, McGrath and the seniors shared a consensus about the video's significance. McGrath reflected on the meaningful connections, expressing her joy at the prospect of encountering any of the students worldwide, emphasizing, "I would be happy to see any one of those kids, anywhere in the world, any time, just as happy as I was to see them that morning."

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