Buena’s Showcase took place Monday, Nov. 18 from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Colorful club, sport and elective booths were displayed in the cafeteria to drum up enrollment at Buena, which has been impacted by declining enrollment. A number of students are shifting to online learning and many families are moving away because of high living costs in the area. Current 8th graders and parents from around the school district and county filed into Buena’s McConnell auditorium as the jazz band played a few songs onstage. Students sat with friends and family as they waited for Buena’s presentation.
Buena’s principal, Dr. Audrey Asplund took to the stage and welcomed guests. She played a video showing seniors who were interviewed about their favorite part of Buena. Many of the seniors mentioned their teachers as the preeminent part of their high school experience.
“I got to see some new faces … get out of my comfort zone and do some public speaking,” dance captain junior Haeun Puengrod said, “Hopefully, later in the year, we can do more events like these.”
After the video, Buena’s ASB President Kim Chavarria went onstage to describe the different events that happen on campus throughout the year, such as school dances, sports games, food fair and theatre productions.
When Chavarria finished her speech, two videos were played about the different career pathways and electives that can be taken at the high school, including automotive, woodworking, choir, stagecraft, languages, Law and Justice, First Responders, culinary, welding and others. Afterwards, assistant principals Tiffany Dyer, Tina Perez and Derek Rusk were invited onstage to share a few words about why Buena is a great high school choice.
“One of the great things about Buena is that we are a comprehensive high school that has a ton of different programs and courses available,” assistant principal Tiffany Dyer said.
After the introduction, potential students and their families headed to the cafeteria, where they were greeted by high school students representing their clubs, electives, sports, and other programs offered by the school.
“Coming in, I was most interested in the music department,” eighth grader Avery Verardo said. “But as I worked my way through the night, I found myself very interested in the social studies department and the literary department.”
While some potential students were walking around the cafeteria and exploring the different departments, ASB students were leading other potential students on campus tours.
“It was really cool how I got to see what it’s like here, not just … the classes you can take, but more [about] what it’s like going to school here,” eighth grader Lauren Fredricks said.
Attendance was relatively high for the duration of the event. The middle schoolers seemed to be having a good time, staying to talk to teachers and current students. Families left with a smile on their faces and a clearer image of the high school they could be attending.
“I think the night went pretty well,” Verardo said. “I enjoyed seeing all the classrooms and hearing all the teachers talk, and I found out there was a lot more to offer than I had previously come to see.”
