School’s almost out for summer. But first the departing senior class will fill the corridors, the sports field and the classrooms with... well, actually, we’d better not say. Welcome to Prank Day – a long-standing ZIS tradition.

Words Lucy Jolin Photography Kate Peters

Fighting your way through balloons and a hay maze you suddenly see it: school reception is festooned with… bras. Outside, the Principal is walking back to his office… which is located in the middle of the sports field. And he’s being closely followed by a mariachi band… and a bunch of cowboys and cowgirls. Is this a fever dream? A surrealist art installation? No, it’s Senior Prank Day.

Where did Prank Day originate? As with so many traditions, nobody is quite sure when or why it started. But Grade 12 students celebrating their last days in school with pranks and a touch of mayhem was already a thing when Peter C Mott, who would go on to be ZIS Director between 2001 and 2012, joined AISZ in 1987. “We have so many rules at school that I think it’s important to have a day where norms can be stretched, where things are turned upside down,” he says. “And it gives the graduating class an identity, and a chance to celebrate their departure.”

And the results can be spectacular. “Probably the most memorable one was in 2011, when I arrived in the morning, came out of the garage, and realised that there were hundreds of little paper cups filled with water all over the stairs,” remembers Peter. “I couldn’t get out of the garage via the steps, so I had to walk round – and there were all these kids, laughing their heads off, because all the stairs in the building had these cups on them. There must have been a thousand or more!” How had the students done it? Peter asked one of the suspected culprits – his son Stefan, Class of 2011 (2004-11) – but his lips were sealed.

That same year, Amy Greene, Upper School Assistant Principal at ZIS from 2002 to 2017, made it through the water cup obstacle course – only to find her entire office wrapped in newspaper. “I had never seen anything like it in my life,” she says. “They wrapped everything, even down to the paperweight I had on my desk, my pencils, my pencil stand. I imagine they had a whole team dedicated to just my office. I can’t imagine how many hours that took. We were about to have an assembly, and one of my fellow teachers handed me a bunch of newspapers. I pushed my arms through them and covered my head with them, and walked in to a huge round of applause! And I should point out that the seniors cleaned everything up."

Rolling along

A perennial favourite of students everywhere, Prank day has had its fair share of toilet roll escapades, where everything - and we mean everything - gets covered until it's barely recognisable .

2015 and another highlight: students moved then Principal John Switzer’s entire office to the centre of the football pitch – complete with working computer. “I helped with that one!” confesses Amy. “Of course, we made sure that any confidential material was removed.” But another surprise was in store for Principal Switzer. “The kids had told me that along with the office prank, something else was going to happen – but they wouldn’t tell me what it was. I got to school early only to see a mariachi band following him out to the field. They followed him everywhere for the whole morning. It was one of the best pranks I’ve ever seen.”

And in 2017, seniors harnessed the power of Prank Day to help a charity. That wasn’t apparent at first glance, says Amy. “The students created – almost like a work of art – an enormous installation of hundreds of bras, strung together like garlands, from one end of the building to another, with a huge sign that read “Thanks For Your Support”. It was very funny – but then, they donated all these bras to a charitable organisation in Zurich, which was great.”

These days, the rules are simple. Nothing destructive is allowed, and students simply deciding not to turn up to classes one day is not encouraged. “I’d encourage them to think about how they wanted their Prank Day to be remembered: as a great laugh or as a real nuisance?” says Amy, now Assistant Superintendent at the American Community School of Abu Dhabi. While Senior Prank Day has no designated date (though doing it during exams is not allowed), staff are aware. “The idea is to put the school leadership on notice and create a bit of chaos,” says Peter. While prank ideas used to be run past a sympathetic teacher just to check they were acceptable, these days a team liaises with the Assistant Principal to ensure everything is kept above board.

So what’s it like to actually organise Prank Day? Renata Garibay Velasco (2011-12, 2020-24) and Eve Holzmann (2009-24) were grade reps for the Class of 2024. “It’s hard coming up with ideas, because there are a lot of restrictions – we couldn’t do anything with water, for example, so a beach party was out,” says Eve. “We knew we didn’t want to do anything aggressive and mean but we did want to go with the fun and get everyone involved.”

Eventually, they decided on a Wild West theme. They decorated the school in the style of the Wild West, wore cowboy hats and bandannas – and rented an enormous mechanical bull for would-be rodeo champions. Traditional Prank Day pursuits – such as putting teachers in the stocks and throwing whipped cream pies at them – fitted perfectly with the cowboy atmosphere. Classes were given free rein to find a prank that suited their room and their teacher: one room was filled with balloons, while another teacher found their room completely papered with old pictures of himself which the students had found online.

It was a lot of work to organise, they both agree. “It taught us a lot about leading and managing people!” says Eve. “For example, all ideas had to be approved, and there were some students who wanted to go their own way. We had to make it very clear what was allowed and what wasn’t.” But the Wild West day was a great success. “A lot of the teachers said it was the best they’d seen in years,” says Renata. “And the students liked it as well. It felt interactive and it was fun for everyone. I think Prank Day is a fun way to foster the sense of community at ZIS."

All wrapped up

Former Upper School Assistant Principal Amy Greene was amazed to find her entire office – and all its contents – wrapped carefully in newspaper. “I can’t imagine how many hours that took,” says Amy.

"Everyone has very different schedules, so it’s great to get different groups working together and creating a positive atmosphere. Even the teachers participate, and it’s a break from the everyday stresses of school. Plus, it gives the Lower School students something to look for when they are in the Secondary Campus.”

So whatever lies in store for unsuspecting staff and students this year, one thing’s for certain: Prank Day will continue to be an essential part of ZIS tradition – and a priceless memory for all involved. “I must admit, every spring we’d start to worry a little bit about what might happen – because you never knew what to expect,” says Amy. “And I’d be lying if I said I’d never had a few heart palpitations! But I look back on Prank Day so fondly now. It’s an incredible way for the kids to laugh and come together – and say goodbye to a place that is special to them.”