NewsUpper SchoolStudent LifeFaculty/StaffService
Juniors “connect” at class retreat
Feb 28, 2006 10:29 AM
By Tannika King - Faculty
Recognizing that the current junior class has been through more than its fair share of change during its tenure at Darlington, administrators and faculty members hosted a junior class retreat Feb. 2-3 in hopes of reconnecting classmates to one another in a fun environment.
“Our class has been through three pretty odd years at Darlington – new headmasters, a slew of curricular and administrative changes, and the loss of several well-known and well-liked students,” said Norman Bonnyman. “The School wanted to do something to clear our minds, serve as closure to the losses of Anna Kipp and the Tillmans, and build a sense of solidarity within the class.”
The retreat, held at Camp Skyline in Mentone, Ala., was led by Dean of Students Greg Griffeth, Upper School Principal David Rhodes and several faculty chaperones. Activities revolved around a central theme, “Connect,” and were designed to focus on teambuilding while giving the students a unique sense of identity.
Once the Dar buses arrived at Lookout Mountain and everyone was unpacked, the group was treated to a catered barbeque dinner. After the meal, they enjoyed a dance, a live band and a bonfire, where students played guitars and made s’mores for the remainder of the evening.
The next day, they participated in high and low ropes course training and team-building activities, relying on one another’s help to overcome obstacles both on the ground and in the sky. Although the high ropes were threatening to some at first, they soon became a favorite.
“I challenged myself to get outside my comfort zone,” said Brett Henson. “It was easy with all of the support my friends gave me while they watched on the ground.”
Following the outdoor activities, students were asked to sign a banner that will be laminated and displayed in Wilcox Hall at the beginning of the 2006-07 school year. Many students poured out their hearts in an attempt to come to grips with past experiences.
“I think I can speak for the vast majority of the class when I say students overwhelming had a great time, tried a lot of things they had never done before, and really bonded with their fellow classmates,” said Bonnyman. “After we got back, there was a real sense that things were looking up and that a lot of the events that may have troubled students had been put behind them.”
Many, like Griffeth, enjoyed seeing the students have a good time outside of the school environment and without the confines of walls and books. “It was neat to just watch the kids be themselves,” he said. “You got the sense they understood what it meant to belong to a larger whole.”
Nearly all juniors and faculty chaperones agreed that the retreat could not have been a greater success.
“Of the 28 years I have been at Darlington, it is the most amazing event I have had a chance to be a part of. When I got back home, the adrenaline was still flowing. The students were great and did what was asked of them with both feet in. If someone was there and didn’t get excited, they need a new pacemaker,” joked Rhodes.
The junior class retreat will become an annual event thanks, in part, to the Parent’s Association, which will fund half the cost of future junior retreats, and also plans to start a freshman class retreat in the coming years. Jacquelyn Wright, president, said she hopes the Parent’s Association can help make the junior class retreat a heritage that will foster the coming of good events from tragedy.
“We really wanted to demonstrate how strongly the parents are behind this,” said Wright. “The Parent’s Association is especially happy to fund class retreats because we know they will enhance the Darlington experience for everyone who goes through the Upper School. It is evident how important events like these are by just looking at all the positive experiences that have come out of this one.”
The next junior class retreat is planned for spring of 2007, and it is the hope of faculty members and students alike that the event will continue to serve as an activity that ushers in a smooth senior year.
“Senior year will be very challenging, but I learned from the retreat that we can all rise to meet those challenges, especially if we work together and support each other,” said Michelle-Marie Picon.
“I really learned that I’ll never again be privileged to be around such great peers,” said Bonnyman. “I hope I will carry with me next year the openness of the retreat, a consciousness of what a truly amazing class I am a part of, and the memory of our time together.”
“Our class has been through three pretty odd years at Darlington – new headmasters, a slew of curricular and administrative changes, and the loss of several well-known and well-liked students,” said Norman Bonnyman. “The School wanted to do something to clear our minds, serve as closure to the losses of Anna Kipp and the Tillmans, and build a sense of solidarity within the class.”
The retreat, held at Camp Skyline in Mentone, Ala., was led by Dean of Students Greg Griffeth, Upper School Principal David Rhodes and several faculty chaperones. Activities revolved around a central theme, “Connect,” and were designed to focus on teambuilding while giving the students a unique sense of identity.
Once the Dar buses arrived at Lookout Mountain and everyone was unpacked, the group was treated to a catered barbeque dinner. After the meal, they enjoyed a dance, a live band and a bonfire, where students played guitars and made s’mores for the remainder of the evening.
The next day, they participated in high and low ropes course training and team-building activities, relying on one another’s help to overcome obstacles both on the ground and in the sky. Although the high ropes were threatening to some at first, they soon became a favorite.
“I challenged myself to get outside my comfort zone,” said Brett Henson. “It was easy with all of the support my friends gave me while they watched on the ground.”
Following the outdoor activities, students were asked to sign a banner that will be laminated and displayed in Wilcox Hall at the beginning of the 2006-07 school year. Many students poured out their hearts in an attempt to come to grips with past experiences.
“I think I can speak for the vast majority of the class when I say students overwhelming had a great time, tried a lot of things they had never done before, and really bonded with their fellow classmates,” said Bonnyman. “After we got back, there was a real sense that things were looking up and that a lot of the events that may have troubled students had been put behind them.”
Many, like Griffeth, enjoyed seeing the students have a good time outside of the school environment and without the confines of walls and books. “It was neat to just watch the kids be themselves,” he said. “You got the sense they understood what it meant to belong to a larger whole.”
Nearly all juniors and faculty chaperones agreed that the retreat could not have been a greater success.
“Of the 28 years I have been at Darlington, it is the most amazing event I have had a chance to be a part of. When I got back home, the adrenaline was still flowing. The students were great and did what was asked of them with both feet in. If someone was there and didn’t get excited, they need a new pacemaker,” joked Rhodes.
The junior class retreat will become an annual event thanks, in part, to the Parent’s Association, which will fund half the cost of future junior retreats, and also plans to start a freshman class retreat in the coming years. Jacquelyn Wright, president, said she hopes the Parent’s Association can help make the junior class retreat a heritage that will foster the coming of good events from tragedy.
“We really wanted to demonstrate how strongly the parents are behind this,” said Wright. “The Parent’s Association is especially happy to fund class retreats because we know they will enhance the Darlington experience for everyone who goes through the Upper School. It is evident how important events like these are by just looking at all the positive experiences that have come out of this one.”
The next junior class retreat is planned for spring of 2007, and it is the hope of faculty members and students alike that the event will continue to serve as an activity that ushers in a smooth senior year.
“Senior year will be very challenging, but I learned from the retreat that we can all rise to meet those challenges, especially if we work together and support each other,” said Michelle-Marie Picon.
“I really learned that I’ll never again be privileged to be around such great peers,” said Bonnyman. “I hope I will carry with me next year the openness of the retreat, a consciousness of what a truly amazing class I am a part of, and the memory of our time together.”
