Campus is alive with the energy of sports, clubs, celebrations, and performances. Coming out of AP testing, everyone is balancing savoring the moments left with seniors, one year transfer friends, and staff who are departing after this school year, with wrapping up rehearsals, writing speeches, editing projects and prom-posals. Beautiful bright days call to us all to linger in the sunshine, gather around our memories of the year; how fast and slow it always goes. We started the week with a Senior Celebration dinner on Monday, a perfect snapshot of the mosaic of unique and intangibly precious relationships between us at SD. The menu was a mashup, a little bit of every dish we’ve loved this year, and the speeches were authentic through tears and laughs, glittering streamers dotting faces with flecks of sunlight, and poetic moments you just had to be there for. “You chose to befriend me despite knowing the risk of signing up for this difficult task,” imparted Courtney T. ’24, “I wish you a life filled with love, a beautiful family, and me in it of course.”

Off-campus trips abounded this week, including to the San Francisco Zoo, where Sela F. ’24, Paola E. ’27, Aarya C. ’24, and Martin P. ’25 connected with the wonder and curiosity of seeing grizzly bears, lions, red pandas, meerkats and more up close. They took advantage of every photo op! We debated the ethics of zoos, coming to the conclusion that animal welfare should always be top priority, and that zoos should continue to progress in their animal housing methods, particularly in such a historically and culturally rich location as SF. There were also a few thrifting trips for prom-prep, and a trip to a new hot yoga studio in town! Puppies and Ice Cream club worked hard on Saturday laying a new gravel walkway for Jelly’s Place, and as always we got to socialize with some adorable kittens and puppies after.

The last spirit week of the school year kicked off with Adam Sandler day, which saw the most participation; a sea of big T shirts, baggy shorts, and casual cool that only SD can embody so easily. Animal day was sparse, and Jersey/college merch day was advantageous; fun for seniors to show off merch from their future campuses. Pride day was a party, with clubs fundraising, ice cream, music, face painting, and games on the lawn. Aarya C. described the successful event, “So fun to hangout with everyone! We even brought out Hodor (Resident Faculty Charis Adam’s dog, icon, and friend to us all)!  It was a great time!” Friday is Senior Ditch day, a beloved tradition of gathering at the beach instead of the classroom. We hope it brings those who participate joy, and gratitude for their friendships, for the school that brought them together, and this irreplaceable moment at the cusp of congratulations and change.