“It is an honor and a pleasure to be speaking with you here today,” senior Olivia Hanley said. “Four years ago, I was more or less exactly where you are. While I may have been seated in Parker’s auditorium and not staring at a Zoom screen, I am guessing you are experiencing the same range of emotions I once felt.” Hanley was this year’s senior keynote speaker at Parker’s Upper School Open House.
Every year, the Parker Upper School welcomes 20 new students to the community. One of the events that the admissions office puts on to advertise Parker is an Upper School Open House. The Open House is usually a way to see the school and hear from members of the community. This year, due to COVID-19, the admissions office held a virtual Open House on November 14.
The Open House this year was conducted through a webinar on Zoom. Despite being online, it still included much of the same content as an in-person Open House. The Open House included remarks from Principal Daniel Frank, Head of Upper School Justin Brandon, The Joan Feitler ‘49 Director of College Counseling Susan Weingartner, Athletic Director Bobby Starks, Upper School Dean of Student Life Joe Bruno, and a performance from Grape Jam, the Advanced Choral Ensemble. It also featured a student and faculty to add perspective to the event. The Open House also had a question and answer session.
One of the parts of the Open House that usually excites people most about Parker is the community. Translating a communal vibe is a difficult task on Zoom, but the Parker admissions office was hopeful that it would translate well online. “We have got feedback from the first two Open House’s that everyone being together on Zoom, felt like in person because our students are so articulate, authentic, and energetic even on screens, so we hope that comes through to prospective families,”Assistant Director of Admissions Paige Walus said.
Bruno agrees that the event’s genuineness will make it a successful event. “One of my mantras in life is being authentic and getting across why I love working at Parker and being a part of this community and why it is so special,” Bruno said.
Bruno also likes this event as it gives him an opportunity to see the work that others are doing to better the Parker community which he loves. “The chance to see what other offices are doing and how they represent the bigger piece that is Parker, is really fun and exciting,” Bruno said.
One aspect of the previous Open Houses that has been successful is the student panels, and there was one implemented into the Upper School Open House. The admissions office took the positive feedback they received from the Middle School Open House and applied it to the Upper School event, encouraging student panelists to be themselves and bring energy to the event.
Director of Enrollment and Financial Aid Karen Fisher believes that the students’ insight and personalities bring a lot to the table. “I am always incredibly impressed with our students and our faculty when they talk about Parker. They do so with so much love and enthusiasm that it even makes me tear up a little, even though I have been around the school for a long time,” Fisher said. “I hope our visitors feel that as well.”
Bruno believes that his role for the Open House is to be of use to the admissions office and give insight on Parker. “Typically, I am there to speak about the student experience: clubs, organizations, affinity groups, student support, student services, advocacy, what makes Parker special, what makes Parker shine,” Bruno said.
The Open House usually also serves as an opportunity for prospective families to see Parker’s campus, but that is not the case this year. “We know that when we bring people on campus and when they see our light filled campus and all of our amazing resources, that is a big pull for them, so we try to describe not only what the building looks like, but what it feels like,” Fisher said. “That is what comes through with the people.”
In addition, Walus and Fisher created a video which they call the Three Pillars Video. The Three pillars are that the school should be a model home, a complete community, and an embryonic democracy. The video incorporates archival video-tape and photos, so prospective families can see what inside Parker looks like. “We pieced that together to give that look and feel of the facilities, but really the most important thing is what it feels like,” Fisher said.
This year is filled with many differences and Bruno believes that prospective families will recognize these differences when logging on to the Open House. “I think people will approach the virtual Open House for what it is knowing we are only operating within our capacity and although it might be great, it is not the experience we would be giving in person,” Bruno said. Despite the fact that there will be aspects of the Open House missing, due to the coronavirus, he believes it will be a “smashing success.”
Leading up to November 14, Walus was also excited for the students to be in the spotlight and share their opinions. “They always give nice advice to the applicants, too. I am always excited for the opportunity for prospective families to hear from the Parker people so to speak: the administration, the faculty, and the students,” Walus said.
Going into the Zoom event, Walus was scared about the technology, as Zoom malfunctions are not outside of the norm. In spite of that concern, on the day of the event there were no technological difficulties, which was a relief to Walus as well as the rest of the admissions team.
The Open House began with a Grape Jam performance. Prospective families’ screens lit up with pink boxes, smiling faces, and delightful voices. Walus loved this performance, as well as many different aspects of the event including, but not limited to, the student and faculty panels. “The students themselves are always a highlight, so families at home can learn what Parker students are involved in and what they love about Parker,” Walus said.
The attendance was not as high as the in-person event usually is, but the admissions team still felt that they had good attendance. Also, the majority of the attendees stayed for the whole duration of the event.
Walus was also happy with the number of participants who took time out of their weekends to help showcase Parker. Walus liked to hear all of the different voices and perspectives that were brought to the Open House. She also believes that all of different perspectives helped to represent Parker accurately. “We felt as it represented Parker very authentically. It was informative, hopefully entertaining, and hopefully showcased the joy that lives at Parker and makes it so special,” Walus said.
Prospective Parker student Asher Friedman thought the Open House was filled with a lot of useful information. Specifically, Friedman appreciated the student panel.“It was nice hearing what the students themselves think about Parker, and it gave me a good idea on what my experience would be like if I were going there now,” Friedman said.
The Open House served as a place for prospective families to assess if they think Parker is a good first for their child and their family. Fisher and Walus also hope that Open House lured people in and increased their interest in Parker. “We want to keep them curious and interested in Parker and our community events and come to some of our smaller events that we have created this year to drop the breadcrumbs to lead them to the application,” Fisher said, “and through the application process to their decision making process of having a preference for Parker.”
The Open House was only the beginning of the admissions process for Parker. The admissions office will also be following up with other virtual events. One of these is a series of events called Lunch and Learn which will teach parents about various topics including financial assistance, diversity, equity, and inclusion. “Those small events will help to fully complement the few things the virtual Open House doesn’t have time to touch on,” Fisher said.
The admissions office will also be hosting smaller events with student and parent panels. These events are taking place so prospective families can feel more involved in the community. “Students can connect more one-on-one in small group settings, and parents can also connect,” Walus said.