Over the last two weeks, approximately twelve Clark students along with Mr. Rubio, Dr. Hairapetian, Ms. Johnson, Ms. Boyadjian, and Mrs. Tatevosian, have visited all the GUSD middle schools to inform students about Clark as one of their prospective schools for the upcoming school year. The end of this “road show” is the Clark expo which has one final presentation for parents who were not able to attend the evening Zoom info session.
The Clark Expo hosted on Saturday, January 20th from 10 am-1 pm, was much more than just a presentation, as it was also an open house allowing prospective students to tour the campus, talk to teachers, staff, and current students, to get an idea of what Clark is all about.
As families walked through the black gates, they were greeted by the ASB senior class who were selling donuts and coffee in front of the auditoria. Inside was where the presentations were held. Many students volunteered to talk about the different classes that Clark has to offer. In particular, the Mock Trial class had students present about the unique aspects of their class, such as the yearly Mock Trial showcase, the competition they participate in, and their exciting escape rooms.
When the info session was concluded around 11:05, families quickly left to begin their tour. Most of the teachers who teach the same subject (ie., Math, English, Social Science) met in one classroom to make it easier for families to navigate. On the first floor, the math department all met in Mr. Bassam Abisaab’s room. “Many of the incoming students and applicants were relatives of my former and current students, so it was a great opportunity to greet them and share about our school’s traditions,” Clark math teacher Mr. Amir Ghavam said.
Other teachers, like Ms. Anna Mkrtchyan-Antonyan and Ms. Zovig Minassian, had interactive activities that families could try out. In Ms. Minassian’s room, she had students from both Biology and AP Biology classes demonstrate and assist families with fun labs. Similarly, Ms. Mkrtchyan had her AP Chemistry and Chemistry students demonstrate different labs that they perform in the class.
Even with the labs, the classrooms that seemed to get the most crowds were the CTE (Career and Technical Education) classes. Mr. Amir Ohanis had some of his students from the robotics class help families learn how to control the robot that the 696 team has built and get a feel of what the robotics and manufacturing classes are all about. Mr. Anthony Lockhart had his classroom filled with his students from the many different classes that he teaches, showcasing the art skills that they learned throughout the class. “Talking to families about how great the class is and the many different skills that we learn for art was a great opportunity. It felt great to represent one of the career options that are offered at Clark” Intermediate Commercial Art student, junior Vahagn Manukyan said.
Many of the middle school students who attended the expo had a memorable experience and were astonished by the uniqueness of Clark. “The atmosphere and students were very welcoming, and I enjoyed getting to know the teachers and school,” eighth grader from Wilson Middle School Arina Amiryan said. “I liked how the school had a wide variety of electives to choose from since it gives an opportunity for every student to find their path.”
It’s safe to say that this year’s Expo went smoothly and left future Clark students and families impressed.
