The weekend began with our usual Friday events, as students left for the weekend and we enjoyed the local Marin County adventure spots. Students visited Corte Madera’s Town Center and Novato’s Vintage Oaks shopping centers to stock up on supplies for the weekend, gear for their upcoming Spring Discovery trips, and enjoyed the simple pleasure of hanging out with their peers.
On Saturday, the students had an absolute blast at the Six Flags amusement park! SD Upper School students joined their fellow boarding classmates in a day of endless fun! Staff member and Interim Director of Resident Life Alexis Gerlach worked with students and provided her amazing support to organize this day of play and adventure. Students including Henri H. ’24 and Liza K. ’26 played the role of SD paparazzi and captured all the fun from their day and explorations in the park. Liza K. and Mia C. ’26 enjoyed hanging out together and sharing their very first amusement park rides and classic snacks.
Sunday gave everyone a chance to reset after the previous day’s excitement, including hanging out on campus and cooking with Resident Faculty and Chef Matt Polsinello.
On Monday, the students began a week of completing academics and projects in anticipation of their Spring Discovery trips. Students gathered all over campus, from the library, to the beautiful—and sunny!— Kesterson Field, to Mercedes lounge, as they studied for summative exams and finalized projects for the week ahead. Aarya C. ’24 joined fellow boarder Liza K. to work on assignments in harmonious quiet in Mercedes, enjoying the mutual workload despite not sharing classes together. One of the wonderful parts of boarding is getting to see students from different grades sharing in community together and bonding over academic endeavors.
Students in West 1 joined in a hosted Unity event in Mercedes Lounge. We had a huge turnout—including soda floats!—to discuss the upcoming SD soccer league. Students have begun an SD soccer league, complete with fantasy sports managers who trade amongst their teams and will compete in upcoming matches later this year. The conversation was full of friendly competition and lighthearted banter. Later, everyone played a group game of Among Us, a friendly competition in which the losers would help take out the recycling.
The week hummed along quietly as students managed their academic workload while preparing for their upcoming Spring Discovery trips. Spring Discovery is a wonderful time for students to get outside to play and learn in nature, collaborate, and have fun. We hope you have a wonderful week away and will see you when you return!
– Resident Dorm Head Jessica Farley