Celebration of Learning Fosters Parent-Teacher Collaboration
Integrated 1 math teacher Mr. John Ceres speaks to parents and students during the Open House Showcase on March 3. Clubs, athletes and performing arts groups were all showcased during the event.
MOOR photo by AAQIL KHAN
CRYSTAL CHEAH
KENNETH HOU
Staff Writers
On March 3, AHS welcomed parents and students at the annual Open House, otherwise known as the Celebration of Learning.
Each year, Open House gives parents the opportunity to experience the hard work of students and faculty, and get a taste of the visual and performing arts at AHS. Students are encouraged to bring their parents to see projects and assignments from throughout the school year.
“Open House gives me the opportunity to speak to my daughter’s teachers and learn more about the activities available at school. As a parent it’s important to be involved to make sure I’m doing everything I can,” AHS parent Jose Avendano said.
This year, the Celebration of Learning began at 5 p.m. Parent-teacher conferences took place from 5-6 p.m., followed by a clubs and athletics fair that was held between C and D buildings from 6-7:45 p.m. At the same time, classrooms, filled with projects, essays and student work, were open for visitors.
Performances by various clubs and performing arts teams began at 6 p.m. and occurred in 30 minute intervals until the end of the Open House. Visitors were able to watch Speech and Debate, Moor Laughter, AMPS, Choir, Thespians, Large Jazz and Cheer showcase their performances.
“I like how I get to interact with parents and how I can [encourage] people to join our club, “ junior Jacy Zeng said.
Furthermore, some teachers commented on the advantages of Open House.
“Students and parents are [allowed] the opportunity to meet their teachers and have a face-to-face conversation instead of [using] the telephone or email,” social science teacher Bryan Venti said.
This year, 8th graders’ parents were also invited to visit AHS and preview the school’s academics and extracurriculars.
However, according to visitors and event organizers, there were many areas that could be improved upon in the future. One common suggestion was to improve the quality of the lighting between C and D building during the night.
“I would like to [see improvements on] the lights and having more [activities] on the other side of the school, because everything happened on one side,” ASB member Leslie Gutierrez said.
Level of attendance was also an area event organizers, such as senior Rebecca Lopez, strive to improve.
“As we get older, the involvement of parents or guardians in a child’s life decreases,” Lopez said. “Open House is one of the only times throughout the school year where families begin to understand all that students face […] on a daily basis. As more improvements [to Open House] are made, I look forward to seeing an increase in attendance.”