Revisit Day: A Chance to Expand the Cate Community

By:  Josie Song '28 and Devon Liang '27

Cate School experienced its highest-attended Revisit Day thus far on March 15, 2025, with more than 70 families invited to the Mesa. Attendees and prospective students were given an in-depth guide to what their life at Cate would be like by Cate’s current students. 

Participants sat in on different classes to witness the academic environment offered at Cate. They also got to see the modern athletic facilities and the expansive grounds of the school. Beyond sitting in classrooms, prospective students were also able to interact with the coaches of Cate’s sports teams. Each coach had a table set up in the gym for families to gather more information about the specific sports programs offered at Cate. This enabled visitors to inquire about training and competition timelines as well as the general atmosphere within the variety of teams.

One of the highlights of the day was the Revisit Day assembly, as students gathered around the bustling amphitheater. Following the Rock Band’s introduction piece, with Fiona Pan ‘27 impressing the crowd with her singing, head prefects Sam Jimenez ‘25 and Peter Lehman ‘25 introduced the dancers who entered in black and colorful neckties to perform a number from their recent Dance Convocation for the families. Many more assembly announcements were featured, such as President Joba Samson ‘25 and Vice-President Riley Valente ‘25 weekly kindness jar readings, along with an energetic appearance from the ram mascot.

After the assembly, students were guided to classes by their hosts while parents attended faculty and student panels. One of the panelists, Violette Hogan ‘28, shared her experience with over 100 parents about her life at Cate, as she stated, “It was daunting at first, having so many people looking at you for guidance, but soon I realized that the questions they asked were about my everyday life, and who knows better about my life than me.” 

When conversing with Head of Admissions, Kyle Mason, he noted proudly that this year’s Revisit Day not only met but exceeded expectations in every aspect. “The Attendance was awesome!" he shared joyfully, noting that more than 225 visitors came through campus, which is now a record-breaking turnout. This emerging interest was easily converted to strong post-enrollment numbers, suggesting how Cate’s welcoming atmosphere and programming resonated with many families. ”Last year was great, and this year we did it again. Epic Revisit Day!” 

Equally important was the Families of Color event held the Thursday evening before Revisit Day, which the admissions team cited as a great success. “We have managed to yield 90 percent of our families of color,” Mr. Mason states, which emphasizes the school’s inclusive environment and reflects its commitment to serving all members of the community. This informal social gathering allowed family members to interact in a more relaxed, affinity-based atmosphere and added real value to their Cate experience.

Looking ahead, the admissions team is already thinking about improvements for next year. On a lighter yet still practical note, the ice cream queue was excessively long. Mr. Mason mentioned jokingly, “Next year we will offer ice cream sandwiches, which are easier to grab and go.” More importantly, Mr. Mason emphasized that future Revisit Days will continue to depend on the full Cate community: “We cannot share this school without the support and involvement of all our community members. We appreciate and honor the teamwork!”

Many visiting families and faculty remarked that this year’s Revisit Day highlighted the growth of Cate School and the sense of community it has cultivated. Cate continues to attract interest from families seeking a well-rounded and challenging education, as indicated by the strong turnout. The event aimed to provide prospective families with a comprehensive view of the school, highlighting the school’s academic, athletic, and extracurricular offerings, while also emphasizing the tight-knit community experience that many students associate with Cate.