Anyone would tell you that putting a ribbon on something, makes it infinitely better. West Bloomfield High School had the same idea by doing a grand reveal of the new school. Parents, students, and faculty all gathered on the evening of September 12 to witness the ribbon cutting of the new school. The event was then followed by the annual open house, where parents could meet their children’s teachers.

Patrick Watson, Principal of WBHS, started off the event with a few remarks, regarding how excited he was for students to experience the flexible learning environment. Cutting the ribbon, cheers from everyone gathered could be heard.

One noticeable face in the crowd was Superintendent of West Bloomfield High School, Dr. Gerald Hill. Hill remarked that the renovations were an advantage in the student’s learning because “Students will have to take more responsibility and be more engaged in their learning. The whole idea is to not have students sitting in rows and desks- really rigid areas. They can decide how they learn best by deciding with who and where.”

Afterwards, the school was opened for the parents. From 6:30 to 8:30, parents were on a set schedule, visiting their children’s classes. Much like a regular school day, there were bells and parents could have been issued a tardy (with no repercussions of course).

Gathered in the atrium was a variety of clubs. From Law Club to Be the Change, parents could pick up information on any club that they thought their child might be interested in. Many parents took advantage of the opportunity to see the clubs and meet teachers.

Jaspreet Singh, a father of two juniors, commented that “It was a pleasure to meet the teachers, they were very welcoming and informative. We could sense the excitement and energy in the classrooms, each one unique in their style.  It also provided a nice snapshot of the kids schedule- running from room to room in only a few minutes. I was sweating.”

It appears WBHS is putting a real effort into improving the student’s learning conditions, with the most noticeable change being the new study pods and furniture. Whether this is a good or bad change depends on what the students think. Stay tuned to Spectrum to find out!