NewsUpper SchoolStudent LifePre-K to 8Service
Community Prepares for 2000-2001 Year
Sep 6, 2000 8:00 AM
By Stefan Eady - Faculty
A number of events and meetings preceded the opening day of school to prepare faculty, students, and parents. New parent orientations were held by each school, new faculty were welcomed to Darlington during a lunch with department chairs and administrators on Aug. 13, and all faculty enjoyed a picnic dinner on Aug. 14 in honor of the new staff.
Student prefects spent the week of Aug. 14-20 attending meetings and orientation sessions, such as an overview of the prefect position, a peer counseling discussion, and a Student Support Team presentation. They also assisted the heads of house by organizing things in the house, checking in arriving students, helping to guide registration, and performing the manual labor required to move resident students into their houses.
"I’ve just been trying to get the dorm ready because there’s been a lot of construction. I’ve been getting lots of office supplies to keep in the dorm, too," Andrea Hogue, senior and head resident prefect for Gibbons House, said.
Day student prefects also lived in the houses during the orientation, demonstrating the cohesiveness of the house culture. Kent Harrison, senior and head day prefect for Barnes House, found the peer counseling session and learning about mediation particularly informative. "It helped us learn to communicate with people who have problems," Harrison commented."
Orientation for freshmen day students and their parents took place on Aug. 17. Headmaster David Rhodes walked the new students through a typical day and explained general information about the Upper School. Afterward, Director of Admission Lisa Schlenk led the parents through a separate orientation while the freshmen went on a campus tour.
A number of activities gave resident students opportunities to get to know each other. The houses held meetings and served desserts. All resident students and faculty were invited to a cookout on the Zelle Patio on Aug. 19 while resident parents attended an orientation dinner in the Dodd Dining Room. The new resident students enjoyed a day at Camp Winshape on Aug. 20 and joined returning resident students for a barbecue and square dance that evening.
The Upper School continued its tradition of Darlington Directions, competitive games held on the first day of school, Aug. 21. The competing teams were reorganized this year to accommodate the House System. To honor the senior class’ wishes, the senior team was preserved, and the three other teams consisted of the brother-sister partnerships of Gibbons and Zimmer houses, Harris and Steadman houses, and Griffeth and Barnes houses. The senior class not only got its way, but it was the all-time winner of Darlington Directions earning two Stucco Days!
After a bewildering but exciting first week of school, freshmen enjoyed the traditional Freshman Retreat held Aug. 26-27 at Camp Laney in Mentone, Ala. The Saturday evening thunderstorm and Sunday rains failed to dampen the freshmen's high spirits and growing class unity.
Student prefects spent the week of Aug. 14-20 attending meetings and orientation sessions, such as an overview of the prefect position, a peer counseling discussion, and a Student Support Team presentation. They also assisted the heads of house by organizing things in the house, checking in arriving students, helping to guide registration, and performing the manual labor required to move resident students into their houses.
"I’ve just been trying to get the dorm ready because there’s been a lot of construction. I’ve been getting lots of office supplies to keep in the dorm, too," Andrea Hogue, senior and head resident prefect for Gibbons House, said.
Day student prefects also lived in the houses during the orientation, demonstrating the cohesiveness of the house culture. Kent Harrison, senior and head day prefect for Barnes House, found the peer counseling session and learning about mediation particularly informative. "It helped us learn to communicate with people who have problems," Harrison commented."
Orientation for freshmen day students and their parents took place on Aug. 17. Headmaster David Rhodes walked the new students through a typical day and explained general information about the Upper School. Afterward, Director of Admission Lisa Schlenk led the parents through a separate orientation while the freshmen went on a campus tour.
A number of activities gave resident students opportunities to get to know each other. The houses held meetings and served desserts. All resident students and faculty were invited to a cookout on the Zelle Patio on Aug. 19 while resident parents attended an orientation dinner in the Dodd Dining Room. The new resident students enjoyed a day at Camp Winshape on Aug. 20 and joined returning resident students for a barbecue and square dance that evening.
The Upper School continued its tradition of Darlington Directions, competitive games held on the first day of school, Aug. 21. The competing teams were reorganized this year to accommodate the House System. To honor the senior class’ wishes, the senior team was preserved, and the three other teams consisted of the brother-sister partnerships of Gibbons and Zimmer houses, Harris and Steadman houses, and Griffeth and Barnes houses. The senior class not only got its way, but it was the all-time winner of Darlington Directions earning two Stucco Days!
After a bewildering but exciting first week of school, freshmen enjoyed the traditional Freshman Retreat held Aug. 26-27 at Camp Laney in Mentone, Ala. The Saturday evening thunderstorm and Sunday rains failed to dampen the freshmen's high spirits and growing class unity.
