Over 125 prospective students and parents, interested in joining a pre-nursery through twelve grade class, converged onto the Portledge campus for the Fall Open House on Sunday, November 6th. The gorgeous fall day showcased the beautiful 60-acre campus and the only thing better than the foliage in full bloom was the tone and spirit displayed by the various Portledge ambassadors!
Student Ambassadors were the first to greet the guests, welcoming them to Portledge and introducing them to administrators and teachers as all mingled prior to the program formally beginning. The day was opened with Admissions Director, Michael Coope, greeting everyone in the middle school atrium. His introductory remarks helped to set the stage for the day, as Mr. Coope discussed the power of Portledge School and its’ ability to transform a student experience and life. T
he program then shifted to a Student Panel where three Upper School students shared their insights on Portledge for the audience. Evan Adonailo ’13 (who started in early childhood left after eighth grade for a year to attend boarding school and came back in tenth grade), Lisa Dourmashkin ’12 (who is in her sixteenth year at Portledge after following her older brothers and beginning in pre-nursery) and Naseer Muhammad ’15 (who began Portledge this year coming from Buckley) highlighted the inclusive community, the student-teacher relationship, academic rigor, the benefits of small classes, leadership opportunities, sports, friendships and as Evan put it “the feeling of attending school that feels like home.” The three of them provided important thoughts for those looking at the Upper school, while also showing the many Lower school prospectives the real benefits of a Portledge education that begins in the primary years.
The group was then divided into divisional tours that were led by Division Heads, Alan Cohen, Susan Edwards-Bourdrez and Harry Grzelewski and assisted by faculty, students and parents. The Portledge Ambassadors played a central role in the campus tours, as they guided the interested families throughout the buildings, but more importantly were able to share their stories of the school they love.
“I like to “show off” my school to visitors. I am proud of Portledge and it is such a pretty place; it is easy to tour people and show them all the great areas like our playing fields, playground, cherry trees and the hill where we go sledding in the winter. And all of the questions I get from parents and students make me think and appreciate my school even more.”
Gillian Sloane’12, Student Ambassador
The tours not only walked the hallways and beautiful grounds, but also included a chance to meet with some of our teachers. Teachers Katie Henry and Evie Sarles met with Early Childhood and Lower school parents as they shared their insights on the student-centered learning and how the pedagogy is impacting the educational experiences of their students.
“The children’s passions lead the way in our classrooms into deeper studies and projects. We look at children as very capable individuals working collaboratively and respected for their unique traits. Children feel safe (safe-open parachute to learn) in their learning environment to take risks, make crucial learning mistakes, and have their needs and abilities understood and met."
Katie Henry ’99, Pre-Kindergarten teacher
Similar teacher presentations took place in the Middle and Upper school as mathematics teacher Skip Amadio spoke on how the middle school program is aimed at helping “students to develop age appropriate independence and accountability” while History Department Chair Trish Rigg addressed Upper school families, discussing how students manage the academic rigor, utilize the small class setting to maximize their educational experience and the process undertaken that helps make Portledge gradutes “superior writers and communicators.”
The afternoon concluded with everyone gathering in Bahnik Hall to listen to alumnus, Vanessa Diamataris ’07, University of Pennsylvania ’11; parent, Marla Wofson; and Head of School, Steven Hahn. Vanessa was clearly the star of the day. Her speech was dynamic as it engaged the audience and highlighted the reasons why she loves Portledge and how it is one of the main reasons she is successful today. Vanessa began by telling the story of how she arrived at Portledge in Lower School and what the environment provided for her.
“It took some time for me to get into Portledge. I was an ESL (English as a Second Language) student at Glen Head Elementary School. I wasn’t the best student and I didn’t have the motivation to do well in school because I didn’t feel confident in myself or my abilities. It really wasn’t until I joined the Portledge community, the Portledge family, that I felt comfortable to ask for help from my peers and my teachers – after all I am Greek, and recent current events have taught us that Greeks can be a little hard-headed and stubborn. The sense of camaraderie and guidance was like nothing I had ever experienced before – it was new and it was exciting. Although the ‘new’ aspect kind of wore off after a decade or so, the sense of community and camaraderie did not. Everyone works together for the betterment of the school and the betterment of each other.”
Vanessa Diamataris '07; UPENN '11
She concluded by stressing the benefits of her small school experience at Portledge stating that, “this school (Portledge) gave me the rock solid foundation to excel not only when I was a student here, but also when I was a student at the University of Pennsylvania. Telling you all of this, I’m trying to paint a picture of what you, the students, can accomplish with the help of your teachers and friends here at Portledge. As Mr. Hahn said, it’s impossible to be anonymous in a place like Portledge – there is no room for anonymity. You will be pushed to reach the best of your abilities. My parents’ decision to send me and my little brother here was one of their best!” And, as Vanessa tied her remarks together, she recognized that her story is simply one of many Portledge success stories, as she put it "any one of her fellow graduates of 2007 could have given this same speech, just with their own individual twists."
After the two hours, the message of small school, big opportunities shined through and everyone walked away knowing a little more about what makes Portledge unique. And as one perspective ninth grade parent said “my son came to the Portledge Open House and wondered if he would fit in, and he left with a sense of belonging.”