Last Open House for 2017-2018

Last+Open+House+for+2017-2018

Stephanie Ibrahim, Staff Writer

On Thursday, April 12, 2018, Hawthorne Math and Science Academy had their last Open House of the year. Open House is a time where students take their parents around campus and show them the different classes they take. During this time parents also have the opportunity to speak to their child’s teachers and learn more about the classrooms. Students also showed their parents assignments and projects that they completed in class, explaining what each assignment is about.

On Thursday, students were dismissed at 2:10 pm in order for the teachers to prepare their classrooms. Before school ended, students were given a paper that listed their schedule with the room numbers in order to help guide their parents through the campus. Open House started from 6:00 pm and ended at 7:30 pm.

This year, Hawthorne Math and Science Academy decided to organize their open house differently. Some departments brought all artwork into one classroom. For example, the history department was located in Mr. Launius’ classroom. His classroom was divided into three different sections; World History (10th grade), U.S. History (11th grade), and U.S. Government/ Economics (12th grade). This new setup made it easier for parents who had more than one child that attended Hawthorne Math and Science Academy. Parents also had the opportunity to look at projects and assignments their child might have to do in the future. Combining all three history classes into one room decreased the awkwardness that may have been felt if it was a large empty room.

Besides the combination of all three history classes, the English Department also took a new and different approach to Open House. Each English Teacher chose students they saw excelling in their class. Once the students were chosen, they were asked to be interviewed. During the interview, the students were asked questions related to the assignments they did in class. Some of the teachers had questions already prepared for each student to answer. Some students described their favorite book while others talked about artwork they drew in AP Literature. The videos of the students being interviewed were then played during Open House.

Other than visiting the classrooms parents and students also had the opportunity to by some snacks since some clubs sold items during Open House. For example, the Class of 2018 sold churros during Open House. Open House allowed parents to see their child’s progress in school as well as any accomplishments. Overall, Open House was an enjoyable day for parents and students who attended.