After weeks and months of the school search process, prospective MICDS families celebrated officially becoming future MICDS Rams at the Accepted Families Celebration events this week. On Wednesday, both the Lower and Middle School welcomed newly-enrolled and accepted families to connect with their new community, ask any questions, and kick off their new chapters as Rams with gusto, gratitude, and glee. A similar celebration was conducted in February for our newly-accepted Upper School families.
Eric Brunt, Director of Enrollment Management, exclaimed, “These accepted events are what ‘fill our cups’ as admissions professionals—seeing, hearing, and feeling the palpable excitement and gratitude of the newest members of our community! We are so thrilled that these once prospective families, whom we’ve gotten to know so well over the past several months, are now future MICDS Rams! It’s wonderful to celebrate this momentous occasion with these families!”
And celebrate they did! Check out how our newest MICDS families were welcomed at both the Lower School and Middle School events.
Lower School Accepted Families Celebration
In Beasley Lower School, new families had the opportunity to meet other accepted students and their families, ask questions, and speak with current MICDS parents, students, and faculty. They were greeted in the Beasley Dining Hall and then shown the classrooms where they could explore their new world for learning.
“Our acceptance celebration is a much-anticipated event each year in Beasley,” reflects Kimberly Saur, Associate Director of Admission – Lower School. “Families from near and far made their way to campus and were warmly welcomed into our community by Lower School faculty and Parent Ambassadors. We look forward to seeing so many new families and having this first opportunity to bring together next year’s Junior Kindergarten, the MICDS Class of 2038. The energy and excitement did not disappoint!”
New Beasley families had a lot of fun playing in their classrooms, making new friends, giving Charger the Ram a hug, and proudly holding their “Home of a Future MICDS Ram” yard signs. Welcome, new Beasley families!
Middle School Accepted Families Celebration
Over in the McDonnell Athletic Center (the “MAC”), the entire gymnasium was buzzing with newly-accepted and newly-enrolled Middle School families on Wednesday morning. In fact, outside of the MAC doors, as families walked upstairs as they arrived for the event, music filled their ears as the Middle School choir, band, and orchestra members played to greet them. Once inside, new students and families heard student remarks from Willy Carpenter ’24 and Jordyn Haywood ’28, enjoyed breakfast, met current and future MICDS families, and interacted with faculty and staff. New students also participated in grade-specific scavenger hunts filled with fun challenges for connecting with their new school communities. Here were some of their scavenger hunt tasks:
- Tell a librarian about a book you love.
- High-five a Rams cheerleader.
- Meet your Dean.
- Find out the Head Dog’s name.
- Check out the Tower Challenge with Assistant Head of School Dr. Sally Maxwell.
- Find out the name of a future classmate.
The event was a BIG success from the perspective of Kerry Bryan, Associate Director of Admission – Middle School. “We had a huge turnout and I’ve heard from multiple teachers how much they enjoyed getting to speak with new families,” shared Ms. Bryan. “I hope that families walk away feeling like they had a genuine feel for our community. We are a warm and welcoming place. We have fun and love to learn. We know one another and cheer each other on here. I hope they felt that from the event and leave even more certain that this is a community they want to be part of for years to come.”
“After spending so much time getting to know these kids and their parents, it’s an honor to have a new group of Rams families who believe in the MICDS mission and want to be part of something special here,” Bryan adds.
To our newest Rams and families: WELCOME! We are delighted to learn and grow with you and your child in the 2024-25 school year ahead and beyond! Thank you to the community who helped welcome a whole new group of families this week who are just beginning their MICDS journeys. What an exciting adventure it will be in the school days to come!