North vs Central Open House

My family went to both North and Central’s open houses, and both had many things to offer, and both things to learn from each other.

Once we came into North, we were immediately put with group tour #2. The principle spoke with us while we were waiting, and then we toured the rest of the school with a teacher as our guide, stopping at many different STEM Centered classrooms.  It was an hour, and then we spoke with the coaches and club sponsors for 30 minutes.

Group tours are something that I would suggest Central would enact. They were organized and allowed the students/parents to meet many of the different teachers and best areas of the school.

Student involvement was one of North’s most talked about points. They mentioned how their students have had much input into how the school runs, and even the shape of the building itself. Central could use more student input, and I believe that this would ensure the students who were intimidated by the size of Central that we would listen to their opinions.

Finally, the main subject of North was the amount of STEM programs that prepare their students for college or trade school. By focusing on how students may not go to college and the world is becoming more technological, this convinced parents that their kids would have a bright future in the world. Although Central does not have as many programs, we do have some and the Career Center has even more. The open house should defiantly have mentioned the STEM benefits Central provides.

When we came to North, we were ushered into the Assembly, where 3 or 4 people came up to speak on the traditions we have at Central, and our great academics. Then we were lead by a student tour guide all over Central, for the 4^th floor to the gym downstairs. It took more than 2 hours to everything.

The first thing I appreciated about Central was our student led tours, which were less organized, but also allowed kids to speak to actual students and find out the true version of Central. North could have had more students along in the different classrooms, so then you could at least hear more about what North was like.

The second element I enjoyed about Central was that we have a long history of excellence. Although the speech went on for a long time, they mentioned much of the history that started with the beginning of Nebraska. North did not talk much about the past, despite having been around for more than 20 years, and so they should have mentioned some of their alumni.

The final aspect I liked at Central was the passion of the teachers. Almost all the teachers we saw gave my brother their undivided attention, spoke on why the love Central, and talked about their passion for the subject they teach. North teachers may have some passion, but it did not compare the devotion Central teachers have for their school.

All in all, both school excelled and failed in different areas. North was more organized and STEM centered, while Central focused on it’s history and student leading.