After-School Activities Cancelled Due to Severe Weather

May 8, 2024

With strong storms in the forecast this afternoon, MICDS is canceling all after-school activities today, May 8. This includes all extracurricular activities and athletic practices and games, both at home and away. The Middle School ASAP program and Lower School Extended Day program are also canceled. Please make arrangements to pick up your children at our usual dismissal time today (3 p.m. for Lower School, 3:15 p.m. for Middle and Upper School). Campus will be closed at 4:00 p.m. Please note: the Band Concert scheduled for this evening will be rescheduled for tomorrow night, Thursday, May 9, with the 6th/7th Grade Band Concert beginning at 6 p.m. and the 8th Grade/Upper School Bands performing at 7:30 p.m. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Bernard Berry.

Winter Dance Concert Wows Students and Parents Alike

The annual Winter Dance Concert was an inspiring event once again this year! Upper School dancers graced the stage for three audiences: Lower and Middle School students and teachers during their respective assemblies; and parents, guardians, family members and friends at an evening performance. Performances included several styles of dance, including classical Indian dance, contemporary/musical theater jazz, ballet and K-pop (which is a « dance cover » of hit Korean pop dances available online to learn and practice). Students not only performed, they also choreographed ten of the eleven pieces and designed the lighting and costumes for their dances.

Summer Beasley, Dance Coordinator and Middle School P.E. Faculty Member, worked with the dancers to prepare for the concert. The performers took the lead on dance styles, choreography, lighting and costume design, and Beasley was there to inspire, support and guide them in their efforts and organize the overall performance. Beasley shared, « I am so proud of the dancers for their physical abilities and artistic talents demonstrated in each of the dance performances. We had a wide variety of dance styles in this year’s show, and that is something to celebrate! »

Tista Mandal ’20 had so much fun in her last dance performance as an Upper School student. « I have performed in the dance concert every year, so this last one is a little bittersweet. I have learned so much from my peers in a very collaborative environment. Dance has been my favorite experience in high school, and I wouldn’t trade it for anything. »

On the flip side, Angel Pura ’23 said that this was her first experience with dance ever. « Going into the season, I was very nervous because all the other dancers were so good. But they were so welcoming and patient with me, and they helped me learn to dance. I look up to the older dancers as role models. They’ve inspired me to keep dancing throughout high school and maybe even in college, too. »

After the Lower School performance, one second grade boy tapped Ms. Beasley to ask « Is this something I can do when I get to Upper School? » This is yet another great example of how the JK-12 community at MICDS is so rewarding for all students. Younger students look up to older students, and older students gain confidence by serving as role models for younger students.