On Sunday, Saint Xavier showcased all that it has to offer in terms of clubs, activities, and sports to perspective families coming in to see Open House.

Under the careful leadership of Mr. Curt White, Open House was very successful. The overall goal of the Open House this year was to show all that Saint Xavier has to offer to prospective students, while creating a fun and lively environment in the school. The school certainly felt alive, there were kids in the hallways, teachers talking about their classes, and the clubs they moderate, and even administrators getting into the fray giving talks to prospective students. The whole school was abuzz with excitement as everyone wanted to imprint the love they have for Saint Xavier, on the kids coming through the doors. 

The festivities started at the front door. The school’s band was out playing to get the prospective families excited about what they were going to see. 

While the academic side of the school was alive and buzzing the athletic teams came out too. All of the teams showed off their state championship trophies at their booths and many athletes gave notices about upcoming camps and clinics to prospective students. There were more than just words, the basketball team even came out and had open workouts that everyone could watch. This is always an important part because it allows future students to interact with players and coaches. That connection is very important when creating a team.

Even the art programs came out to show their facilities with the ceramics studio being full of people working away at their projects and art teachers proudly displaying all of the recent work completed in their classes. 

One of the busiest areas of the school was the innovation lab. There was a lot to do and see throughout the entire facility. This year there were robots to control, the 3-D printers were all going, and people were using the flight simulators. Because of all of the interactivity, it was very popular among the prospective students. A lot of them seemed enthralled with all the new technology and very excited at the prospect of being able to use the facility. 

Another important aspect is the booths in the gym. This gave prospective students and families an opportunity to look at what Saint Xavier has to offer as a whole. This is very important because future students get an opportunity to meet coaches and teachers who can answer specific questions toward their area of expertise. 

While almost every club was in the gym, clubs were also spread throughout the whole building in different classrooms ready bring interested students into their fold. They demonstrated and explained what their clubs do and why people should join them.

Tour guides led prospective families around the school on the tiger walk which covered almost every square inch of the school. Tours started and ended in the cafeteria, but families saw everything from campus ministry, the band room, and the innovation lab. Tours were in depth and covered all aspects of student life as well as information about the school in general. 

These individually guided tours are a part of what makes Open House so special. Instead of having large groups of families with one adult tour guide, each family is given their own tour guide to lead them around the tiger walk. The ability to tell their own experiences from the student perspective giving a better look into the school and is often the parents’ favorite part of their visit. 

Mr. Curt White believes that Open House is so successful because the faculty and staff know how important it is. He said, “With all of the clubs coming and showcasing what they have to offer, the faculty and students know how important the event is. Open House will always be successful.”