Halloween will hopefully only bring “oohs” and “ahhs” to JC, as prospective students and families tour the halls during the annual Open House.

With the tight economy and many nearby state-of-the-art public schools, JC faces an ever-increasing challenge to maintain enrollment. However, the Open House is taking steps in the right direction, according to Associate Director of Enrollment Kim Brueggemann.

No “earth-shattering changes” are being made, according to Director of Admissions Jesse Roberts. “[Open House] will be enhanced based on customer and prospective student experience… [The changes will be] little things. We have a very successful product here,” Roberts said.

One major enhancement will increase the convenience of registration. The registration rooms will feature computers to register students. A database will recognize students who have already come for a “shadow” day or attended a school fair. These students will escape the “redundancy” of re-filling out an information card, Brueggemann said.

The electronic registration will “tie into our technology focus,” Roberts said. Prospective students will also receive “technology-focused gifts,” including flash drives that fit around the wrist and come preloaded with electronic promotional materials.

According to Brueggemann, another enhancement will change the athletic aspect of Open House. In the past, each team has had a table, but those often became disorganized and chaotic. This year, athletics will be presented more openly, with Athletic Director Larry Dukes speaking to families who will be seated on the bleachers. Coaches will be stationed around the gym and will “informally chat” with families.

“So, [the improved presentation of athletics] is a new highlight. I think sometimes students leave JC [or choose not to attend] because [they think] that a different school has a better sports’ program,” Brueggemann said.

 Along with these two main enhancements, JC’s art wing, technology, and theatre department will be highly emphasized. But according to Brueggemann, every aspect of JC will be highlighted in one form or another.

All departments will give presentations. For example, “our math department will speak to help people know that our math and science departments are as competitive as the Math and Science Academy’s and all of those competitive schools,” Brueggemann said.

“Facilities-wise, we are the age we are. So, we cannot compete with the look of Bel Air High School and Patterson Mill, because we’re 46 years old,” Brueggemann said. However, “I think the key is getting people here, getting people to come and see what we have and to not be put-off or turned away by the age of our facility. They need to come in and see what we’re all about… We have had an excellent turnout this year at high school fairs, and our shadow program is absolutely booming, so hopefully that’s a good sign.”

It will be difficult to judge the probable enrollment numbers for the class of 2015 from the Open House because students from sixth, seventh, and eighth grades will be in attendance, according to Roberts. However, the number of eighth graders that have already shadowed that return to Open House with their families “will be a real dashboard indicator, a key performance indicator” for the likely size of the 2015 class.

“It’s a huge day for us obviously and it’s not just a chance for us to talk to families. It really is a chance for us to celebrate the amazing things that happen here every day—the classroom demonstrations, the play, the chorus, the sports, the arts, I mean you name it. It’s really an opportunity for us to shine and to show what we do so well in so many different areas. I’m excited about it,” Roberts said.

Additional Reporting by Collin Hoofnagle