This year’s Open House, scheduled for Nov. 11, is projected to draw over 1,300 attendees. Several members of the Lion and Sword Society, the student ambassadorship arm of the admissions office will serve as tour guides.
For the first time in 20 years, Open House is planned to occur on a weekend because of the large number of attendees, and with more and more families showing up to open houses every year, the organization of these events will be a lot tougher.
The Admissions Board has worked around the issues of limited parking and traffic, dividing Open House into two sessions: a morning session, dedicated to the Lower School and an afternoon session, reserved for the Middle and Upper School.
The morning session runs from 10-11:30 a.m. and features a tour through Lower School and a discovery tour where the planetarium will be opened to visitors for the first time. Visitors will attend various interactive activities hosted by members of the Science Department. Along with planetarium shows available all day, the activities offered by Lion and Sword range from a teacher Q&A panel to a club fair in the Great Hall.
“[Lower School Science Specialist] Matt Dillon will host demonstrations in the Lower School Science Room in the Winn Science Center,” Director of Admission and Financial Aid David Baker said. “There will also be opportunities for guests to participate in discussions during programs in the Humanities, English and Fine Arts.”
The Middle and Upper School tours begin in the afternoon from 1-3:30 p.m and will feature an alumni panel including both alumni and teachers who will answer questions from students or parents. There will be a variety of programs from several academic disciplines.
“Our Open House is a unique opportunity for candidates and their families to explore our campus, sample some of our programs and, more importantly, meet members of our faculty, staff, administration and parent community,” Baker said. “We are excited to welcome our guests on Nov. 11.”
