On Tuesday, February 16, Cherry Hill East opened its doors to all prospective 8th graders for its annual Open House. Open House offers middle school students the chance to learn more about East and all that it has to offer. It also serves as a way for clubs to recruit potential freshmen for the next school year.
The students and their parents first attended an assembly, where they got the chance to hear about various aspects of East. They then toured the school to get a feel for the grounds before entering the cafeterias, where numerous clubs had set up tables promoting themselves.
Club members eagerly talked up their clubs to incoming freshmen. Many clubs also brought in props to attract observers, such as the World Culinary Club, whose table featured a variety of tasty foods, and the Quidditch Club, whose table had one of the hoops and broomsticks it uses in its games. As students and their parents eagerly milled around the tables, musical groups also performed various songs for their listening pleasure. A band, Inspiration, set up in Caf-2 and sang songs such as John Mayer’s “Waiting on the World to Change” and Aretha Franklin’s “Rock Steady.”
As the night came to an end, snippets of conversations floated over the air as 8th graders commented on their excitement about attending East.
One student, who chose to remain anonymous, commented, “Yeah, I was excited before because the transition from middle school to high school is just so big. But now, I’m even more excited because I realized that there’s actually a lot more to do here.”
Club representatives also left feeling satisfied.
Lona Wang (’10), a member of the Chinese Culture Club, said, “Even though I won’t be here next year, I still feel excited knowing that we have people that are really into joining our club. It feels good to know that our club is going to have a strong future.”
Open House had previously been scheduled for the previous Tuesday, February 9, but was moved back due to heavy snowfall. Despite the setback, Open House was a great success and gave an exciting glimpse into the next school year.