Portola High School held its annual family night for incoming freshmen students with record turnout on March 18. The event featured a shortened Club Expo, visual arts performances, an athletic expo and an informational session for parents.
“Our turnout was amazing,” Assistant Principal Amy Paulsen said. “We had a lot of people representing all kinds of things, so our parents and students could see everything from academic and philanthropy to fun.”
Students were able to stop by and interact with featured clubs, learning about the variety of communities at Portola High. Bulldog Crew, a club that pairs general education students with special education students to foster inclusivity and friendship, was able to pique the interests of attending freshmen and recruit new potential members for the upcoming year, according to Bulldog Crew publicist and senior Nada Yousef.
“Events like this are important for new students because I think coming to high school itself is hard,” Yousef said. Starting high school with something that you can be motivated by to ease the nerves a little bit is nice. I wish that I was able to interact more on family night, because if I got to see the clubs that align with my passions, it might take a different direction. I think that family night is a way for freshmen and their parents to establish what their goals are for the next four years.”
In addition to clubs, bands from Studio Music performed to showcase the music program to incoming freshmen. One band, Synapsis, performed “Geek U.S.A.” by The Smashing Pumpkins and “Smells Like Teen Spirit” by Nirvana. Events like Family Night are a good opportunity for musicians to gain exposure performing, according to vocalist and sophomore Audrina Wong.
“I just love performing,” Wong said. “For me, performing was scary, but as I got to perform more, it kind of helped me get over my stage fright. Events like these give people a first-hand experience because not many kids get to do this, and it is very helpful if they want to become musicians when they grow up.”
With Portola High’s increasing student body, administration hopes to split students into smaller groups for the student presentation rather than fitting all students in the gym in coming years. Portola High will continue to host Family Night annually, making improvements to the event with feedback from the previous years.
