By Natalie Hutchinson, Upper School Dean of Students
Upper School Class Retreats serve as a cornerstone of the start of each new school year. Each retreat is designed to create meaningful community experiences that encourage students to step outside their comfort zones, strengthen connections with their classmates, develop problem-solving and leadership skills, and of course, have a lot of fun along the way.
The Ninth Grade Class Retreat takes place at Our Farm, where students engage in collaborative activities, goal setting, and a variety of hands-on challenges. They learn to make salsa using produce grown on site, navigate the low ropes course with precision, and take on a shelter-building challenge using only three materials: a tarp, string, and wood. With each shelter facing a wind element and needing to remain standing, students quickly discover the importance of communication, creativity, and perseverance. Our newest Upper School students rise to these personal and group challenges, building confidence and connections as they begin their four-year journey.
The Sophomore Class Retreat combines collaboration, creativity, and a joyful journey back to childhood. Students begin by competing in a series of Minute-to-Win-It challenges that require determination, strategy, and teamwork. Next, they design and launch bottle rockets, competing for the ultimate hang time. The day culminates with an epic game of Capture the Flag, complete with canisters of colored powder. Watching teenagers rediscover the simple joy of play is a beautiful sight—and a wonderful reminder of the power of shared experiences to bring a class together.
Camp Thunderbird serves as the setting for the Junior Class Retreat, where the mission is simple: build a boat capable of carrying one student onto Lake Wylie using only two materials—cardboard and tape. What follows is an exercise in creative design thinking, collaboration, persistence, and inevitably, a fair amount of failure and success. The result is an incredibly fun Country Day Regatta, complete with many wet 11th graders and plenty of laughter.
The Senior Class Retreat continues a long-standing tradition of rafting the Class IV rapids of the New River in West Virginia. While the experience certainly challenges students physically, its lasting impact is the collective memory it creates for the class. From gathering around a bonfire for s’mores to jumping from a rock into the cool water, seniors share moments of adventure, laughter, and connection. They return to campus with a renewed sense of camaraderie and a readiness to step into their roles as leaders of the Upper School.
Each Upper School Class Retreat sets the stage for the year ahead. Through adventure, collaboration, and a willingness to take on challenges together, our students strengthen their relationships, build confidence, and develop the problem-solving and leadership skills they will carry with them throughout the school year—and beyond. Most importantly, they discover that some of the best learning happens when they step outside their comfort zones, take a few risks, and experience something new together.