High School Hosts Open House Under The Big Top

ALEXUS UNDERWOOD/SPECIAL TO MCDONALD COUNTY PRESS Pictures is Stacie Campbell and Michele Womack at the popcorn and cotton candy station. By the end of the night, Campbell could make multi-colored cotton candy flowers.
ALEXUS UNDERWOOD/SPECIAL TO MCDONALD COUNTY PRESS Pictures is Stacie Campbell and Michele Womack at the popcorn and cotton candy station. By the end of the night, Campbell could make multi-colored cotton candy flowers.

ANDERSON -- As McDonald County high school students prepared to begin their upcoming school year, the high school offered their annual open house event, but this year there was a twist: a carnival theme.

All high school students and their families were encouraged to attend MCHS for the open house event on Aug. 23, from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Event attendees entered a high school full of games, prizes, food, and staff members dressed in carnival costumes.

Jill Williams, MCHS librarian, initially thought a carnival theme would be fun to do in the library, but after approaching principal Angie Brewer with the idea, Brewer knew the school could work in unison to execute the theme during the open house event. Williams said she wanted to offer an exciting theme for the open house as students have faced a lot of challenges in school due to covid-19.

"One thing that kept going through my mind was, these kids have had a rough couple of years. Not just kids, everybody," Williams said. "We've all had a rough couple of years with covid and all of the things connected to that. So, I wanted to come up with an idea just to get kids excited and to give them something fun, something to look forward to, something to be excited about."

Williams said, in addition to the open house being a time for students to find their classrooms and meet their teachers, she wanted them to have fun things to look forward to at the event. Williams said event attendees could get free cotton candy, kettle corn, popcorn, hotdogs, balloons, see fortune tellers, get temporary tattoos, play games, and see the staff dressed in carnival-themed costumes and on posters along the walls.

Stacie Campbell, choir teacher at MCHS and the Anderson Middle School, said she thought the themed open house event got students and their families more excited for the upcoming school year.

"I know last night we had a lot of excitement, so I know it really promoted excitement for the starting of school," Campbell said. "We want to start out on a positive note."

Campbell said that, during the event, she made and gave cotton candy to event attendees, with more than 200 cotton candies being distributed to attendees through the night. Campbell said the food and games made the night more fun and memorable for all who were involved.

"I'm hoping it'll show them that you can have fun at school," Campbell said. "You can have fun and still learn. It doesn't have to be, 'now you're in high school, you don't get to have any fun anymore.' It does promote that excitement to get started back."

Michele Womack, a special education paraprofessional, said the event was interactive and family-oriented, offering all event attendees something to do. Womack added the event solidified how well MCHS works together as a team to offer a fun environment for students and families.

"I think it just shows the teamwork that we have in our building," Womack said. "It started with the administration all the way down to support staff, everybody was there, willing to help and pitch in wherever. We did what we needed to do to make it an enjoyable evening."

Womack, as well as additional staff, said this open house event was one of the largest open house events MCHS has seen in recent years. Womack said she could tell that students were just as excited as educators to be back in school.

It was estimated that more than 1,000 people attended the Open House Under the Big Top event, many full of excitement and with popcorn in hand.

ALEXUS UNDERWOOD/SPECIAL TO MCDONALD COUNTY PRESS Pictured is Jill Williams and student volunteers at a temporary tattoo table. Williams is wearing a themed open house shirt that Angie Brewer provided staff members who were not wearing costumes.
ALEXUS UNDERWOOD/SPECIAL TO MCDONALD COUNTY PRESS Pictured is Jill Williams and student volunteers at a temporary tattoo table. Williams is wearing a themed open house shirt that Angie Brewer provided staff members who were not wearing costumes.
ALEXUS UNDERWOOD/SPECIAL TO MCDONALD COUNTY PRESS Pictured is principal Angie Brewer handing out fortunes to high school students. The fortunes distributed by Brewer predicted things such as "you'll have a great upcoming school year."
ALEXUS UNDERWOOD/SPECIAL TO MCDONALD COUNTY PRESS Pictured is principal Angie Brewer handing out fortunes to high school students. The fortunes distributed by Brewer predicted things such as "you'll have a great upcoming school year."
ALEXUS UNDERWOOD/SPECIAL TO MCDONALD COUNTY PRESS Art teachers offered face painting near their classrooms. Different games, activities, and stations were available for event attendees throughout the high school.
ALEXUS UNDERWOOD/SPECIAL TO MCDONALD COUNTY PRESS Art teachers offered face painting near their classrooms. Different games, activities, and stations were available for event attendees throughout the high school.