In an effort to create a more dynamic and immersive experience, Communications High School’s (CHS) information sessions have been completely remodeled.
Prospective students are now able to visit Career Technical Education (CTE) classrooms freely and partake in hands-on activities and discussions with CHS students. The new format aims to move away from a standard presentation and showcase the school in an interactive way.
For years, CHS information sessions have followed the same style. Current students gave presentations in various classrooms and spoke about the programs that the school has to offer. While this effectively portrayed the general scope of the school curriculum, Principal Emily Bonilla believes that this didn’t properly convey what the high school is about.
“I wanted to combine what I’ve seen work in the past with the amazing talents of our student body,” Bonilla said.
Principal Bonilla advocated for taking a more hands-on approach during these sessions. She believes the most important change is to play into CHS students’ strong suits and allow prospective students to feel they are a part of the experience.
In order to execute these changes, Bonilla worked with the Student Government Association (SGA) and re-evaluated the previous system of information sessions. The new format features students from each specialized CTE path stationed in their corresponding classrooms. Attendees are given the opportunity to roam the hallways and visit each area of their choosing.
Families are encouraged to stop by all of the classrooms and ask questions to students representing each field. Many classrooms feature interactive activities and hands-on demonstrations of what students would be doing in each class.
Senior and SGA president Phin Whedon of Wall Township describes the process of reimagining information sessions.
“There are so many unknowns when it comes to creating something entirely new and it’s hard to know for sure if it’s going to come out the way you want it to,” Whedon said.
Despite the challenges along the way, the finished product was deemed a success by those involved.
The goal of the revamped sessions is to encourage more applicants and increase interest in CHS, which has been dwindling in recent years. Students hope that a more engaging presentation style will cause a spike in generated interest and applications and break the recent trend of decreasing applicants. Whedon feels that this new style immerses prospective students into CHS and exposes them to the passion of current students.
“Thanks to Ms. Bonilla’s structural ideas, we received a lot of positive feedback from touring eighth graders,” Whedon said. “Letting prospective students hear what life is like from an actual student perspective is what, in my opinion, sells the school the most.”
