Hundreds of prospective MICDS families were warmly welcomed to our School on Saturday, October 3, for our annual Fall Open House. As if on cue, the lengthy summer weather gave way to a crisp autumn day, making it the perfect temperature to visit our lively, colorful campus. With many current students, parents, faculty, and staff available throughout our Lower, Middle, and Upper Schools, families enjoyed meeting and chatting with our welcoming Rams community members. The open house-style format allowed attendees to explore campus at their own pace, learn about our leading educational program, and discover our vast resources and opportunities—all centered on developing the whole child and preparing them for a lifetime of learning.
Families were invited to experience our entire Junior Kindergarten (JK) through 12th-grade community with the all-school event. Across all 14 grades, families chatted directly with current students, teachers, and parents/guardians about their experiences at MICDS. Additionally, visitors popped into the newly renovated Lower School campus with its new library, dining hall, JK early childhood center, and more to better visualize what learning looks like for our youngest students!
Lower School Open House
In the Lower School, prospective families were greeted by our Middle School cheerleaders before proceeding indoors to check in. They then visited grade-level and specialist classrooms, where teachers led engaging activities for families to experience. Kids enjoyed STEM activities, math games, and coloring their very own set of ram horns. In our specialist rooms, families completed the bird beak challenge in science, made their own rhythms and melodies with boomwhackers in music, and used chop saws to make organic community sculptures out of cardboard and paint in art and makerspace.
There were also scheduled sessions for Lower School families. Head of School Chelle Wabrek, Head of Lower School Amy Scheer, and Assistant Head of Lower School Mattie Bashorun spoke briefly to prospective families and answered questions. The Michael W. and Quirsis V. Riney Family Community Room, where the session was held, provided traditional seating at the front and tables at the back with crayons, markers, and coloring sheets to keep our littlest visitors busy.
“Beyond Beasley,” held in our new Steward Family Library, was hosted by three of our outstanding Middle & Upper School students, who shared memories of their time at MICDS, along with some of their favorite things about Middle and Upper School. They were also available to answer questions.
Throughout the event, guests enjoyed face painting in our community room, visiting a selfie station with our MICDS step-and-repeat banner, making buttons in our hallway, and even trying on athletic gear downstairs for a great photo opp. It was a bustling Open House for our Lower School families!
Middle & Upper School Open House
In the Middle & Upper Schools, Open House attendees were greeted in Founders’ Court by the Upper School Wind Ensemble & Symphonic Band as they checked in. Then, they had the opportunity to make the rounds to over a dozen different stations that introduced them to each academic department and other important groups at our school. At each stop, they met teachers, staff, current students, and parents while collecting stamps to fill out an MICDS passport.
Stations included Admissions, Parents Association, College Counseling, Student Support Services, Connecting with MICDS Teachers & Exploring Class Offerings, Robotics & Makerspace, MICDS Traditions, Library & Digital Learning, Student Life & Leadership, Visual & Performing Arts, Physical Education, and Athletics. A Leadership Session with Ms. Wabrek, Head of Middle School Jen Schuckman, and Head of Upper School Scott Small provided families with a deeper look at the vision, values, and educational experience that define MICDS. A final stop at the nearby tennis courts offered families a chance to watch a tennis match and cheer on the Rams.
Beyond getting to know current community members and our campus, visiting families enjoyed many highlights. Students safely played with a unique fire lab (in their hands!) while experimenting under the guidance of our science teachers; they asked questions at the “Ask an Alum” station at the College Counseling table; they made their own buttons; and they saw student-created model roller coasters in the Makerspace along with a robot and our many maker tools/machines. It was a fun day of getting familiar with MICDS culture, activities, and Rams!
Our 2026 Open House would not have been as smooth without the hard work of many members of our community. Thank you to the Admission team and Associate Director of Events Sydney Brockman, for overseeing the entire event. Also, a huge thank you to ALL of our faculty, staff, and volunteers who helped prepare for the event and share what MICDS is all about. Last, but not least, to those who attended—thank you so much for coming! We were sincerely happy to have you, and we hope you learned a lot about our school and community!
To dive into more about MICDS, please visit our Admission web pages and be sure to attend our next admission events. Also, we encourage you to reach out to our Admission team if you have any questions. Whether you made it to Open House or not, we are always delighted to share more about MICDS with you and your family!
Go Rams and Future Rams!