Student ambassadors greeted families at North High, eager to show incoming freshmen the ins and outs of their school.
“My role today is to give tours to upcoming ninth graders and their families and explain to them all the various programs and classes we offer here at North,” said senior Aaliyah Farmer.
Omaha Public Schools is hosting middle and high school open houses throughout January to allow families to make their school selection preferences for 2023-24. During open houses, families can explore high school options, learn about athletics and activities, meet the staff and tour the school. Our district also hosted two, one-stop-shop school selection events in December. Each brought representatives from our nine comprehensive high schools to one place to visit with students and families.
“Open house is a great opportunity for students to go and explore schools they’re thinking about going to,” said Collette Nero, Ph.D., principal at North High. “You want to walk in and find the place that makes you feel at home.”
North High graduate and current assistant principal at Fontenelle Elementary, Jeona Jensen, and her daughter Irie attended North High's open house. They plan to visit four high schools to help decide where Irie will go next year.
“Choosing a high school is an important milestone in a student’s academic career. This is the place where students blossom into adulthood,” said Jensen. “When families go to open houses, it shows they are committed to their child’s learning.”
Irie, an eighth grader at Davis Middle, looks forward to starting her high school career next fall. She’s interested in joining basketball, track and swim teams. Her goal is to become a pediatric nurse someday, so she is looking for schools that offer programs to help her fulfill that dream.
“I’m kind of nervous about everything because it will all be new,” Irie said. “I’m also excited to meet new people and try new things. I hope we have cool classes because I want to learn about nursing.”
North High tours began with an orchestra performance in the auditorium, followed by a robotics demonstration in the computer science lab. Families also visited the school’s greenhouse, library and multi-purpose center. Although the staff was present, student ambassadors led the tours.
“We're the ones who go to school here every day,” said senior Dayanara Nambo, a student ambassador at North High. “We're the ones who are experiencing the classes, experiencing the hallways and the culture of the school.”
