Seventy-four younger brothers spent Thursday, Aug. 27, shadowing their older siblings through a full day of classes, lunch and activities at Detroit Catholic Central High School in Novi.

The all-boys school's Brothers Day, now in its third year, pairs seventh and eighth graders with current students so prospective families can experience campus life firsthand, according to the school's event recap. The event replaces the traditional 8th Grade Shadow Day for students who already have a brother enrolled.

The morning started in the Main Gym, where visiting siblings and their older brothers heard from administrators, reviewed the day's schedule and posed for photos. One shot was the standard smiling picture. The second: older brothers putting their little brothers in headlocks.

From there, the younger students sat in on classes alongside their brothers before gathering in the cafeteria for pizza. The day wrapped up around 1 p.m. back in the Main Gym with activities including a rock-paper-scissors tournament.

Brothers Day launched in August 2024, when more than 70 students hosted younger siblings for the inaugural event, according to the school. Attendance rose to 78 in August 2025, with 30 seventh graders and 48 eighth graders visiting, the school said. This year's count of 74 held close to that level.

The event is one of several ways the Wixom Road campus connects older and younger students. In a parent profile published Aug. 20, Novi-area parent Colleen Scagnetti described how upperclassmen took her son Chase, a Class of 2026 graduate, under their wing as a freshman tennis player. She said the school's teachers pushed him to grow while still letting him be a teenager.

Catholic Central's admissions calendar lists several upcoming events for prospective families, including 8th Grade Shadow Days, a Fall Open House and HSPT test dates. Families can find the full schedule at catholiccentral.net.