Homecoming at MICDS really is one of the most wonderful times of the year—and a little rain only made the memories flood in that much more over the weekend! After a successful Spirit Week, complete with themed dress-up days, spirit wear sales, and an all-school pep rally, Homecoming Weekend charged through the clouds for our full community of Junior Kindergarteners through 12th-grade students, parents, alumni, faculty, and staff to enjoy! Check out the numerous special events and athletic contests that made Homecoming Weekend 2024 one to remember (with umbrellas in tow)!
Food Truck Friday
Friday night kicked off the weekend’s festivities with eight different food trucks offering a smorgasbord of delicious dinner and dessert options. Families sheltered under their umbrellas while ordering food from the trucks outside and then dined inside the McDonnell Athletic Center (MAC). The MICDS Arts Boosters offered a face painting station, while the Sports Boosters helped ensure every attendee could get a Ram tattoo if they wanted one! Charger, of course, made an appearance, and the band Raised on Radio, with lead guitarist and student Luke McGinness ’26, performed as the soundtrack for the evening.
Parade and Bonfire
At sunfall, the traditional bagpipers played as they led the procession of cheerleaders and football players from the Upper School campus down to the bonfire field. Marching to their rhythmic music, the food truck attendees soon spilled out of the MAC as they heard the bagpipes play, including one alum bagpiper leading the crew. Then, the large crowd of Rams gathered to watch the football players light the bonfire, which was topped with a wooden bomb (to represent our rival), as created in the makerspace by Upper School Athletics Committee Representatives Lily Harris ’28, Abby Walsh ’28, Wyatt Giles ’28, and Luke Peritore ’28. Arm in arm, the players and cheerleaders took in the moment as the bonfire warmed the night, singing the CODASCO Fight Song. Rams and their families were all aglow, marveling at the bright moment before heading to get some rest before a day of athletic contests and more Homecoming events.
Fun Run
The MICDS-JBS Family Fun Run got Saturday off to an exciting start as both Ram and Bomber families ventured along the 2.5-mile route from MICDS to Burroughs. Families walked and ran with spirit wear, strollers, wagons, and dogs—many with their whole family braving the course! The weather ended up being perfect for the 8:00 a.m. start. It was off to the races!
Homecoming Carnival and Barbecue
One of the events that makes Homecoming so special at our School is the Homecoming Carnival. The MAC was transformed overnight into a bustling space of pure fun for Ram families with kids of all ages. For two hours on Saturday, families jumped in bounce houses, raced in inflatable obstacle courses, had their faces painted, showed off balloon artist creations, played carnival games, earned prizes, treated themselves to popcorn, and enjoyed a complimentary BBQ lunch provided by FLIK Foodservice on the north patio. There were plenty of smiles to go around!
Athletic Contests
The Rams took on the Bombers throughout the weekend in various athletic contests. This year, the varsity games took place on the John Burroughs campus, while the non-varsity contests were held at MICDS. The day was packed with Girls Tennis, Boys Soccer, Boys Swimming & Diving, Volleyball, and Field Hockey contests—all before the 2 p.m. Varsity Football game. Congratulations to Boys Swimming & Diving for their morning victory over JBS, and way to go to all of our Rams!
Ram Run & Football Game
The culminating athletic event of the day was the MICDS versus JBS Homecoming football game! The famous Ram Run preceded the game as MICDS Upper School students in the Rams Army spirit club raced into the JBS football stadium together, decked out in white attire, white body paint, and a cloud of baby powder. The cheerleaders led the MICDS section in supporting the Rams while the football players worked hard on the field. The final score of the game was 29-0, with MICDS as the victor. Way to go, Rams!
Saturday evening, Upper Schoolers ended the celebratory weekend with the Homecoming Dance. What a fun way to dance off any remaining energy from a very busy MICDS week!
The excitement of Homecoming Weekend could not have all come together as smoothly without the incredible work of Associate Director of Events Sarah Keen. We also are very thankful for all of the support from our parents, alumni, and student volunteers, along with the coaches and game officials, the grounds, maintenance, housekeeping, technology, and security crews, the MICDS Parents Association, FLIK Independent School Dining, and our talented student-athletes and sports fans. Thank you to John Burroughs School for the friendly competition and to all who worked hard to make this weekend a bright success, even through the rain on Friday. What a happy Homecoming Weekend 2024!