Despite the fact that it was raining, Open House went “excellently,” according to Principal Glenn Lipman.

Lipman delivered a speech to parents promoting the involvement of school staff in the individual lives of students and their parents. He felt that the open house went very well this year and that many parents were present. “[We] had a good crowd,” he said.

Some teachers disagreed with Lipman’s sentiment. “I was mostly unimpressed with the turnout for Open House,” said Mr. Joel Groves, integrated math and statistics teacher. “For example, in my Advanced Placement class, only one parent showed up, which is extremely unusual.”

Mrs. Adriana Gomez, special education teacher, was also slightly disappointed by parent attendance. “I had a very low turnout. In fact, I was all alone for two classes […] the parents I really would have liked to meet did not attend Open House,” she said.

However, having a small crowd was not a complete misfortune. “I was able to talk to [the one parent] about his son one-to-one. I think we both learned a little,” said Groves.

“The parents that did show up, cared a great deal about helping their teen succeed in my class,” said Gomez.

The evening started off in the gym with performances by Cam High’s visual arts electives. The collective symphonic and concert band played the maestoso “Chorale and Processional,” followed by the dance class who danced to “Mug Shot” by American songwriter MAX, and the mariachi band who played a traditional tune. The gym presentations were concluded with a routine from the cheerleaders.

At the end of the opening performances, parents were invited to attend ten-minute sessions, mirroring the periods in their child’s schedule, and experience a shortened version of the school day. Teachers also discussed plans and expectations for the upcoming semester.

“I liked the fact I can see my child’s progress in the classroom, and get to know the context of what my child is learning,” said Julie Cobey.

Karen Wood, another parent, also expressed the she enjoyed being able “to see teachers and feel a part of my son’s life.”