This year’s Academy Night was held on Wednesday, Nov. 13, lasting from around 6:00 to 7:00 P.M. Parents of future high schoolers came with their children to see all the amazing things Gables has to offer its enrolled students. As they arrived, Gablettes and cheerleaders ushered them into the gym. The Gables marching band also played their drums at the entrance to welcome visitors as they walked in. The goal of the night was to help middle schoolers familiarize themselves with the school and find out what courses and extracurricular activities they participate in.

Academy Night is an annual Gables tradition where middle school students can learn about the different educational pathways the school offers. It is a great opportunity for future Cavaliers to familiarize themselves with the academic routes that they will eventually choose from and learn about the subjects they may want to focus on. 

“I’m the academy leader of the Academy of Health Science, Public Service and Law. We’re basically representing the electives through that academy. We have Law Studies, we have the Public Service which is JROTC, and then we have STEM and Health Science,” Mr. Garcia said.

Gables represented its many learning pathways such as the Academy of Finance and the Communication Arts, Film and Digital Media Academy with stands set up throughout the room. The numerous Cavalier clubs also arranged booths to engage newcomers and provide information about themselves.

Each stall was elaborately decorated and the members of each section volunteered to hand out pamphlets and speak about their involvement in these groups. Student publications such as Highlights and Cavsconnect also provided application information for anyone interested in journalism while promoting their classes.

“When students walk in through the entrance I pass them an issue of Highlights and give them a little taste of what Highlights is about,” freshman Isabella Morales said.

There were also presentations for parents to learn about the Academy of Finance and  International Baccalaureate programs. The Academy of Finance presentation was located in the media center and was led by academy leader, Ms. Lopez. Ms. Van Wyk, the IB coordinator led the IB presentation, located in the auditorium. She discussed the ongoing construction and how students can improve themselves at Gables, along with the history of IB and the program’s structure.

She also brought up other teachers to provide their own insight into the program. Mr. De Armas spoke about the history courses that are offered, while Ms. Kiely elaborated upon the sciences and some clubs. Ms. Barrow gave some information on her theater classes, and Mr. Nelson was brought up to discuss psychology.

“I like the IB program. I’ve been looking around and a lot of the clubs sound pretty fun,” eighth-grader Ava Volman said.

IB Honor Society council members Jesse Zambrano and Rodney Michel were called upon to speak about their experiences as International Baccalaureate students. They talked about their roles in student activities and how much they appreciate the opportunities Gables has provided them. IB counselors Ms. Lezcano and Ms. Bergouignan facilitated the meeting until its finalization at approximately 7:30 P.M.

At this point, parents and students left the school with all the information Gables staff and students provided. With luck, they were able to convince these prospective students to enroll at Gables once they graduate from their current level and advance to high school. From what was seen already, next year’s Cavaliers will be prepared and prospering when they join the student body.