No hall passes needed.

Hundreds of parents and their children had free rein to tour the high school last week as school officials hosted ‘Eighth Grade Night.’  The program is intended to give incoming students and their families a chance to tour the senior high school and a get a sampling of all that it has to offer.

Visitors got to listen to the band and chorus, and meet students involved in extracurricular activities. Lisa Archambault and her son Ethan, 14, toured the music wing where the high school band was playing in one room, advanced guitar students were performing in another, and the chorus was practicing a performance on the auditorium stage. 

“I think this is great,” she said.  “Students get to see the school and also see what they might want to participate in.”

She said Ethan already knows that he wants to play basketball for the Johnston High Panthers, but she wants to make sure he keeps all options open.

School Superintendent Bernard DiLullo credited high school principal Matt Velino with coming up with the idea of opening of the school to incoming freshmen.  It’s as much about helping students feel familiar with the school that they will attend next year, he said, as it is about making sure they get to see all the opportunities and choices they will have.

Walking the long hallways of the high school, it was clear that there is no lack of options for students.  In addition to music, there were presentations on display from by students enrolled in programs and activities that included robotics, biology and emergency medicine, mock trial skills and chess.

One hallway near the gymnasium was crowded with members of various sports teams and clubs, while basketball enthusiasts were inside the gym dribbling away and taking jump shots.

Some of the programs that captured visitor attention were courses that the high school offers through its career and technical pathways programs which give students hands-on experience in a variety of disciplines and leave them ready to move on to careers or further education upon graduation. The options include careers in business, the medical field, the arts, and more.

Students who took the self-guided tour through the high school last Wednesday seemed to enjoy it but parents were often the most impressed.  “It wasn’t like this when I was in high school,” was a common parental refrain as they moved from presentation to presentation.

It was clear that both students and teachers were happy to be there to welcome the eighth graders and their families and that the school brings its mission statement to life every day. 

The mission statement underscores teachers’ and administrators’ commitment to supporting every student, and states that students “will leave our school prepared with skills and knowledge that will give them advantages throughout their lives.”