As in each of the past 47 years, building a new and vibrant school community is an important task at the beginning of each school year, and as always we've been hard at work on it this year. As we finish up the first Advisory and begin the second, it's been interesting to look back at all we've done toward that end.From our faculty first-aid training in August when we began to integrate Ave and Trey into our community, to the first day ice-breaking activities when we welcomed our new students, to the Billy Goat Trail hike which gave everyone something in common to struggle through, after the first week we had begun to get a sense of ourselves as a new community.
On to field trips to the King Memorial and the Occupy DC rallies, as well at trips closer to home, where classes had adventures that took them beyond the school walls.
The soccer season, while challenging in the "wins" department, allowed us to make some new friends at the Parkmont School.
Finally there are the retreats, four in all so far this year, with the Sophomore Rafting Trip still in line for May. The seniors went off to visit several colleges and work on their applications, then the SGA went off to plan social events for the year. This week, while the juniors were camping at the Sheridan Mountain Campus, the freshmen went off for a day of their own.
We've managed to create rain and muddy fields by scheduling the Student/Faculty Soccer game twice, without yet playing a single minute. Perhaps in the springtime when the weather is more cooperative we'll manage this. Coming up we have the Homecoming Dance tomorrow night and the Haunted Forest trip on Saturday.
So what have we learned about our new community so far this year? Academically they're doing very well, with Homework Club referrals at an all-time low. Socially they're a cohesive group. The seniors are serious about their plans for next year and are working hard to make them come to fruition. This year's juniors are braver than last year's juniors (sorry, guys, but they all did the leap of doom, er, faith from the top of that telephone pole). While there have been a few missteps, most have been recoverable. Our new teachers bring great energy and enthusiasm to their work, and we've all learned, once again, that creating community is hard, but rewarding, work.
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