On Tuesday, Oct. 9, 2024, KO debuted a modified version of the long-running Form Two Fly-Up Day, which is now called Wyverns Rising. The annual event is intended to be an informative day for Form Two students. It has undergone substantial changes as part of an attempt to improve retention numbers among students going from the Middle School to the Upper School and increase the understanding eighth graders have about the Upper School experience.
Head of the Upper School Lisa Loeb explained the improvements and changes she and Dean of Students Kata Baker were looking to implement with this year’s version. “I was here from 1995 to 2012, and we had the Fly-Up Day back then,” Mrs. Loeb said. “It was a very low-key day.” The day simply consisted of eighth-graders from the KO Middle School visiting classes in the Upper School, and it was not having its intended effect. The school’s retention rate has been consistent through the years, but Mrs. Loeb is always up for a challenge and believed they could be improved with further efforts to immerse the students in the Upper School.
When brainstorming ways to improve and revamp the event with Ms. Baker, Mrs. Loeb took inspiration from the successful Admitted Students Day event that was run last year at KO. Mrs. Loeb credits Mrs. Baker for coming up with the idea and appreciates her effort and focus on putting this event on.
The name change from Fly-Up Day to Wyverns Rising represents the new energy behind the day. This year, Wyverns Rising included a parent panel, which provided perspective on the transition from KO’s Middle School to the Upper School, as everyone on the panel was a parent of a student who had made that transition a few years prior. This is all in addition to providing eighth-graders with the opportunity to shadow a freshman or a sophomore during the school day.
A point of emphasis of the day was to showcase the unique opportunities and experiences that KO offers students. “We have things to offer that other schools don’t,” Mrs. Loeb said. She detailed that these differences include the fact that KO is a day school and focuses on providing relationship-based learning in a way that other schools don’t. Additionally, KO fosters community, such as requiring all freshmen to participate in a team or group activity. These changes are being made with feedback from current students and the Admissions department in order to provide the engaging experience that characterizes each KO student’s experience.
In conclusion, Mrs. Loeb doesn’t know if the changes will lead to an increase in retention but is proud to provide students with more information and will use the data as feedback moving forward. Mrs. Loeb would love student involvement in the future for these events. “If people have good ideas, share them,” she said.
