At St Michael’s, students are central to the Open Morning experience — leading tours in tandem with teachers and providing authentic commentary about life at the school. Molly, St Michael’s 2026 co-captain, has been a tour guide since Year 7.
What role do students play in Open Mornings?
Accompanied by a teacher, we tour families grouped by year levels of interest around the St Michael’s campus, answering questions and sharing more about student life, co-curricular opportunities and sport. When prospective students are also present, we are able to ask about their interests and ensure they see and hear about those subjects and opportunities.
What are some of your memories from you attended St Michael’s Open Day?
I have lots of positive memories of attending St Michael’s Open Day. It stood out to me compared to open days at other schools because it was more flexible and interactive.
What motivated you to get involved with Open Day?
I wanted to convey my genuine love for my school. I wanted to be able to show future students all the aspects of St Michael’s that made me want to go there, but also the elements of the school that tie in with their interests.
What does it feel like to know that you are representing the school and playing an important part in helping other families decide where to send their child?
Playing a role in helping families to make important decisions about where to send their child means a lot to me. I want every student to have the same positive experience at school that I have had.
Are there common themes in what students and families ask about the school during Open Day?
In general, most prospective students want to know about the school sports on offer, the performing arts program, experiential learning (camps and immersions), subjects on offer and co-curricular clubs and opportunities. Parents often want to know more about academics.
In your experience, did you find that there are a few main questions that everyone always asks?
The two questions I find everyone always asks are: “What is your favourite aspect of the school?” and “Why did I choose to go to St Michaels?”.
What can families expect to see throughout the tours?
The Open Morning starts in our award-winning Performing Arts Centre, which is a refurbished heritage church turned state-of-the-art theatre across the road. Families will also see our learning hubs such as the Gipson Commons, which houses our ELC-12 library and Science classrooms. Tours differ depending on the students’ stage of schooling, but I recommend that families ensure they see our centres of excellence across the school, the refurbished Junior School classrooms, and ask about not only our on-site sporting facilities, but also our partnerships with various sporting clubs and facilities in the local area.
What do you think are the best questions for prospective parents/carers to ask the tour guides on the day?
I recommend asking about the subjects or programs their child is interested in, as Open Days are a chance to get to know the school you’re touring, and it’s important to ensure that the facilities and opportunities are going to be available. It’s also important to ask about support programs available, such as career counsellors, psychologists, tutors and teachers. At St Michael’s, we have a House system that ensures that every student has additional caring adults, through Heads of House and House Tutors. The House system is something I would ask about, if I was looking at St Michael’s.
What’s been your best memory or highlight from giving your time back to the school community in this way?
My best memory from an Open Day was when a prospective student came up to me after the tour and said they really wanted to go to St Michael’s because of how enthusiastic I was about the school and how excited they we were about everything I had showed them. It just showed me the positive impact that Open Days can have.
Molly, St Michael’s 2026 co-captain
Originally a School for girls, St Michael’s became coeducational in the 1970s. We have been perfecting our delivery of coeducation […]