There have been some new faces among the crowds of students and teachers in the Ramaz hallways during the month of November: prospective eighth grade students. For the first time in two years, eighth graders have been able to tour the building, sit in on live classes, and experience a day in the life of a Ramaz high-schooler. Ms. Lieber, Associate Director of Admissions, emphasizes how important it is to physically welcome eighth graders back into the building, “Some things were great…virtually. But you can’t replace a half day visit.”

The pandemic inevitably prevented applicants to the Ramaz class of ’25 from the experience of a half-day visit during a real school day. Those who had never been to the building before had the opportunity to come and visit, as select Sunday tours were offered after acceptances had been sent out. However, those visits did not provide the same insight into Ramaz as midday visits do: “The feeling of the energy of this building was missing,” Ms. Lieber points out. For students who had already been inside the Upper School, an array of programs conducted virtually were offered instead. “PanoRAMa Week” was a program held in lieu of sample classes, usually on the night of the open house, where prospective students met with teachers on Zoom for model lessons. The offerings were diverse, ranging from Judaic Studies to STEM to Humanities. “We tried to do as many activities virtually as possible to give the feeling of what it’s like to be a student here,” Ms. Lieber says. Another program was a virtual tour from Ms. Krupka, which gave prospective students and parents a closer glimpse at the building, albeit by way of Vimeo. 

For a visiting Ramaz eighth grader, the schedule aims for them to sit in on at least one Judaic Studies and one General Studies class, with a third class being either of the two. This differentiates this year from last as students are able to engage in live classes as opposed to sample lessons. In the average year, visitors would eat lunch with Upper School students, but that changed this year for health and safety reasons. While the Open House and student interviews will also be conducted virtually this year, it is still too early to determine about placement tests or other aspects of the admissions process. 

The return of in-person visitors from the Ramaz Middle School was largely a success. Although the vast majority of students from the Ramaz Middle School continue onto the Upper School (as on average only roughly 10% of students in eighth grade at Ramaz move elsewhere for high school), it was still important for half-days to resume. “They went really well. The kids had a great time, and everyone was safe.” Ms. Lieber says.