Hundreds of parents returned to the classroom for Whitman’s first in-person Back to School Night in three years on Thursday evening. 

After browsing a Back to School Night fair at the school’s main entrance and listening to a message from Principal Robert Dodd on the announcements, parents filled the halls to attend the first of seven 10-minute class periods. 

Due to pandemic health restrictions, Whitman hosted Back to School Night virtually in 2020 and 2021, with parents joining each teacher’s Zoom room for an abbreviated class period. Reverting to the pre-pandemic norm, parents this year were able to navigate Whitman’s hallways and sit in students’ desks as they learned about their children’s classes and met their teachers.

Student navigators like senior Maya Walton distributed paper maps and schedules, and helped parents find their student’s classrooms.

“It was fun to see all of the parents working their way through the hallways like new students,” Walton said. “The conversations with parents were interesting and I had a really good time.”

Student groups also hosted a new Back to School Night fair to showcase Whitman’s academic programs and clubs. Parents crowded around the DECA table at the school’s main entrance, and in the commons, student representatives from the Leadership Academy for Social Justice (LASJ), The Black & White and SAGA displayed informational posters and sold subscriptions for student publications.

On the third floor, students and staff from the World Language Cafe welcomed parents by playing French music and lining the halls with language-themed. The Japanese language table presented colorful banners that introduced the department’s courses, and Spanish teachers spoke to parents against the backdrop of flags of different Spanish-speaking countries.

Still, some parents said that they would have preferred to attend the event on Zoom. For parent Melanie Teplinsky, her preference for a virtual event was a matter of avoiding exposure to COVID-19, she said. 

“I would prefer to attend if [back to school night] was on Zoom,” Teplinksy said. “Mainly for convenience and health reasons.”