Recent “Hornet Fair” aims to attract more students to BHS

By Leila Verzella

Branford High School recently held the “Hornet Fair,” intended for rising freshman from Walsh Intermediate School (WIS) to see what Branford High School has to offer.

The school has held orientation activities for rising freshman in the past, but this year, the fair took on a different meaning.

According to recent enrollment numbers from the district, the number of students who attend eight-grade at WIS compared to those who continue freshman year at the high school is down 5% in the last couple of years.

The student population has been decreasing at BHS historically; the total number of students at the school today sits around 500 less than it was in 2006.

The fair, which was held on January 29, was an opportunity not only for rising freshman to connect with high school students, but also an opportunity for them to peruse the variety of clubs and sports the high school has to offer.

This year’s fair had a different layout as to years previous, explains BHS Principal Lee Panagoulias.

“We’ve reimagined our traditional March event into something earlier, more engaging, and designed with [the students] in mind,” he said.

The fair had two parts: The first half hour was an academic and elective spotlight which allowed students to hear from the various department leaders about different courses and pathways that BHS has to offer.

Afterwards, students and their families headed to the BHS Student Center and got to meet with student leaders and club representatives. This gave them the opportunity to “discover activities to join, teams to try out for, and the many ways to get involved from day one,” Panagoulias noted.

The event featured a multitude of clubs ranging from the Art Club to Tech Crew, Board Games Club, Science Olympiad, BHS / WIS Drone Team, Excel Club, Hive Live Crew, and many more, including The Branford Buzz.

Students also had the opportunity to see the newly refurbished Gymnasium and Athletics Facility Lobby. There, they could meet with representatives from the school’s 26 athletic teams, each set up with interactive activities students could participate in.

The fair was a great success, according to House Principal Joseph Briganti.

“Our guests were able to experience the strong sense of community and school spirit that makes BHS such a special place,” he said.