On Sunday, October 15th, Xaverian hosted its annual Open House. Families joined together with the Clipper community to tour the building, hear from students and faculty, and learn about the endearing mission of the Clippers. 

To begin their day, prospective families were welcomed into the building by Xaverian’s Pipe and Drums, run by Mr. Michael Pasipanki ‘08. The school was decorated in blue and gold, showcasing the school’s abundance of pride. Stepping into the building, visitors were greeted by faculty members and students ready to assist in their journeys through the school’s campus.

To start off the tour, prospective students and their families went down to the gym, where tables were set up to display a variety of clubs and teams that offered information on different after-school opportunities. Ranging from the varsity basketball team to the speech and debate team, every club and team came to show support. Students running the tables were prepared to answer any questions that came their way!

Then, families made their way up to the auditorium, where a skit was put together by Mr. Eddie Mayrose ‘79, Associate Director of Advancement. The skit –  featuring Ariel Kovach ‘24, Leopold Chang-Herman ‘24, and Joseph Romano ‘25 – highlighted the students’ favorite parts of Xaverian, especially the various extracurricular activities. 

“Xaverian has allowed me to do so much that I didn’t even know I could do,” said Ariel Kovach ‘24 in the skit.

The auditorium presentation was also accompanied by the Select Band and speeches from Mr. Joseph Loposky, Mr. Robert Alesi ‘78, and Mr. Daniel Sharib ‘96. They told the families what it means to be a Clipper and how Xaverian is different from the rest. 

“When you choose Xaverian as your next step, you’re not just choosing a high school. You’re choosing your second home,” said Mr. Daniel Sharib ‘96. 

The next stop on the tour was an array of classroom presentations. In the classrooms, teachers and current students showed families what being a Clipper means to them, highlighting through photos what a day in the life is like at Xaverian. Students were also given the time to speak about certain aspects of their Xaverian career.

Varsity cheerleader Michelle Dinello ‘25 stated, “I’m so grateful to have an opportunity to give back to my school, after all they’ve done for me!” before presenting her speech to the large audience in Mrs. Eileen Postler’s classroom. 

Families then received a short presentation on academics from Mr. Spelman, and had the opportunity to explore various pathways and programs. 

“We work every year to make small changes to improve the experience for prospective families,” Ms. Kimberly Cruz, Assistant Principal of Enrollment, stated excitedly when talking about the future of the school. And it paid off. There was an abundant amount of positive feedback from the families. 

One family commented, “Wow, just wow. My daughter walked away from the open house, gave me a smile, and said, I LOVE it. This is after we saw four other high schools on Staten Island where we live, and I received mostly tepid responses to the same question. The school, faculty, and students exemplify exactly what I want for my daughter and, most importantly, what she wants for herself. The opportunities are abounding, the learning is experiential at so many levels, and the energy is just flat-out awesome.”

Open House was a major success, bringing in over 500 families looking to join the Clipper family!