This year’s Middle & Upper School Open House followed a fresh format filled with chances to get to know MICDS. The Leadership Sessions offered in McCulloch Library allowed families to hear from Head of School Jay Rainey and our Student Council Co-Heads Carrie Clennan ’26 and Sean Hogan ’26. Attendees could also mix and mingle with Head of Middle School Jen Schuckman, Head of Upper School Scott Small, our deans, and student leaders in between presentations.
At the Curricular Fair held in Brauer Hall & McDonnell Hall, families could meet our teachers and learn about our academic program. Throughout the STEM building, each of our academic departments was stationed, ready to share its offerings, and folks could meet representatives from college counseling, student support services, library and digital learning services, student leadership clubs, the Parents Association, our makerspace, and much more. A highlight for many was when our MICDS science teachers safely lit the hands of prospective students on fire while using dish soap! What an exciting experience to burn in the minds of visitors as a memorable highlight from their Open House experience!
Next, prospective Ram families got a taste of our arts and athletics opportunities. In Messing Gallery and Orthwein Theatre, attendees enjoyed interactive art activities, witnessed play practice in action, and walked through a contemporary alumni art exhibit. There were string performances on stage in Brauer Auditorium, band performances outside on the patio, and a singing quartet in the Messing Courtyard.
To explore our athletics and physical education programs, attendees visited the Steward Family Aquatic Center and McDonnell Gymnasium to chat with our coaches and move about with fun PE activities. Lastly, they could embark on a self-guided tour to further explore the campus and learn about our traditions, community, and service learning. They were even challenged to unlock a special mystery phrase along the way.
This new format made for the perfect setup for getting to know our school. “We were very optimistic about the new format for Open House, and the event turned out wonderfully,” reflected Teron Sutherlin, Associate Director of Upper School Admission. “The experiences for the prospective families were organic, fresh, and full of energy.”
The format and flames weren’t the only parts of the event that shone for our Open House participants. Associate Director of Middle School Admission Kerry Bryan stated, “My favorite part of the day was watching our students truly enjoy engaging with one another and prospective families as they performed or spoke about their experiences at MICDS. For example, the girls singing in the Messing Courtyard—I could have watched them all day. You could tell how much fun they were having with one another, doing something they loved. The same goes for the students performing in the band and orchestra. Many prospective families mentioned they could tell our students were truly enjoying what they were doing, and that spoke to them about the experience at MICDS.”
Thank you to our admission team, our faculty and staff, and our student and parent Rambassadors for making our 2025 MICDS Middle & Upper School Open House a brilliant success! We hope the time at MICDS helped answer any questions and fired up interested families about our school.
To those interested in our Junior Kindergarten through fourth grades, we hope to see you at our MICDS Lower School Open House on Saturday, October 11! Go Rams and go prospective Rams!