By Helena Pierry
August transitions to September, and the new school year is marked by orientation trips where new connections are formed. 9th, 10th, and 11th graders all took part in trips where they were able to meet new people and strengthen their connections with classmates. This year, 9th graders spent Thursday, September 10th on campus doing orientation activities, such as sharing trees, where students shared their interests and found similarities with their classmates. On Friday, they boarded a bus to Boundless Adventures, where ropes courses in the trees awaited them. After enjoying themselves on the courses, 9th graders went back to RCDS where they reflected on their day and the lessons they learned. Winnie Wang ‘30, 9th grade Vice President, shares that on the trip she learned to “not be afraid to ask for help” and that they “connected skills in school to skills in the adventure courses.”
Early Thursday morning, 10th graders started their journey to the Poconos in Pennsylvania. Once they arrived, they went to their cabins and unpacked before choosing what to do. Their activities included a zipline, a ropes course, paddleboarding, canoeing, swimming, and beach volleyball. After lunch, small groups of 10th graders met with the deans. The day concluded with group bonding activities in small randomized groups and then s’mores around a campfire.
Like the 10th graders, 11th graders also went on an overnight trip. The 11th graders spent Thursday and Friday, September 10th and 11th, at Frost Valley YMCA, where they played different sports, hung out with friends, boated at sunset, sat around a bonfire while stargazing, and participated in team bonding activities in randomized groups.
The trips did not just begin when the grades boarded the buses, as planning had already taken place. With the help of the deans, STUGO was able to ensure that each trip was successful. Despite the school already having a general plan for the trip, Audrey Demong ‘29, 10th grade Senator, comments that STUGO’s responsibility is to “make sure everybody is happy with the activities and help with the rooms.” While discussing the process of organizing the rooms, Sadie Kolodner ‘28, 11th grade Senator, comments that STUGO “sent out a form to everyone where they filled out between 5 and 10 people they wanted to be with.” Demong also adds that “the hardest part of helping plan was making sure that everybody in the grade had one or two people in their room that they wanted.” Kolodner agrees that rooming is a challenge. She specifically mentions that “it was hard to choose which rooms the new students would go in because they did not have the opportunity to fill out the form.”
While planning proved to have some difficulties, the trips turned out to be filled with fun memories. Wang shares that her favorite part of the trip was that “even though there were a lot of people I didn’t know, when I saw them on the courses, everyone, including me, would cheer them on.” She comments on how everyone helped create a really supportive and encouraging environment. Demong also shares that her favorite part was the sense of community on the trip. She truly enjoyed “being outside with everyone during free time” and “how everyone was playing sports, like volleyball, together.” Kolodner’s favorite activity occurred at night when her grade was “stargazing next to the bonfire.”
A strong plan for the trips does not always guarantee that there will be no surprises. Wang found that “Boundless Adventures was a lot harder than what I thought, so I was definitely grateful to have the support of my classmates.” Demong comments that she was surprised “with how many different activities Poconos had to offer and also how many different games people brought.” She also mentions that she was surprised that “the trip was fun because of the people that were there and not necessarily the activities.” Despite many students wanting their phones during the trip, Kolodner surprisingly enjoyed not having hers. She mentions that she thought “it made the trip more special and forced us to connect with each other.”
While reflecting on the trip, Wang mentions that she wishes they had more time at the park, as they left around noon. She also believes that with more time she “would have been able to meet more people.” While she truly enjoyed the trip, Demong wishes “that we had more time to talk to the deans and get to know them better.” Kolodner really enjoyed the team bonding activities and hopes that in the future there will be more of it, as she felt that her “group was really bonded after.”
While thinking about the purpose of the field trips, Kolodner says it is to “get to know the grade better and meet the new students.” She also believes that the goal was achieved as she “got to talk to people I usually don’t talk to and I definitely got to know the new students more.” Wang also believes that “this trip was very worthwhile, as it helped me and my friends bond and shake off some beginning of school nerves.” Demong similarly believes that the goal of the trip was accomplished, as “we [10th grade] definitely bonded more and connected with more people.”
