Successful 2020 open house caps recruitment seasonJason Vesey speaks with visitors during Tuesday's open house.

     Pickaway-Ross’ sophomore tours  culminated Tuesday night with a successful open house for prospective students and their parents. This year’s activities underwent changes in light of the pandemic but hard work by staff members paid off.

     Once the online application went live at 5 p.m., 223 applications were submitted by 8 p.m. Some were completed at one of our three campus events while others applied online from home.

     Open house was scheduled differently this year, as students from specific high schools were assigned a specific hour to tour the career labs between 5 and 8 p.m.

     Jason Vesey, director of Secondary Education, said adjustments were being made throughout Tuesday as the COVID situation shifted.

     In addition to assigned visiting schedules to reduce capacity, each lab could have no more than 10 guests at a time. Staff members were asked to limit close contact and keep lab visits to less than 15 minutes, and visitors were required to wear a mask. Sanitizing wipes and gloves for students/parents who wished to complete applications were made available in the computer labs.  

     “While guidance and information changes daily, one thing remains constant — everything is a challenge during a pandemic,” Vesey said in an e-mail to staff members thanking them for their efforts during a challenging recruitment season. 

     “I am certain that we will see excited new juniors next August as a result of the work we have put in.”