Visitation day gives adults a look at today’s Mount Si High School schedule

Published 2:20 pm Tuesday, April 5, 2011

Wildcat Court is crowded and noisy, a typical lunch period at Mount Si High School, for most people. Danny Raphael and Kelly Friday are both newcomers to the scene, taking classes with their kids on Parent Visitation Day.

Friday sits at a table jammed with seniors, including her daughter Misty, who’s wanted her mom to come to school on this day for the past three years. The Mount Si event was held March 3.

“I just wanted to bring back the high school experience for her,” says Misty.

“It’s not the same!” her mother laughs.

Over at a freshman table, Raphael is reaching the same conclusion.

“I didn’t really know how much I’d forgotten,” he says, after attending language arts and geometry classes with his freshman daughter Alexandra in the morning.

She takes the opportunity to point out “I’m probably smarter than you thought I was, right?” Definitely.

“She’s a lot smarter than her mother and I wish she were.”

Alexandra says it’s “awesome” having her dad attend classes with her for the day, “but kind of embarrassing, because he’s taking so many pictures…”

Some of the 23 parents who registered for the day have made this visitation an annual tradition. It was introduced at Mount Si High School five years ago, by Principal Randy Taylor, who said, “Getting parents into the school is beneficial.”

They can see what a typical day for their students is like, which he says helps them set expectations for their students’ success, and generally “update their perception of high school.”