Annual Retreat Provides Day of Reflection and Service for Upper Schoolers

The freshman class embarked on its grade-level service learning project, Community Engagement 2019-20, through which all 9th Graders volunteer once a month from now through April (excluding December) at Richmond-area nonprofits. The program builds upon the experiences provided to students through the 7th Grade service learning program, Connect Richmond, and the 8th Grade Capstone program, Envision Richmond. Community Engagement encourages students to consider their responsibility toward others as they begin to understand local community needs, whether learning more about autism and elder care, or the obstacles that organizations and individuals face.  

 

Sites students will visit this year are Adams Elementary School, Circle Center Adult Day Services, Children’s Museum of Richmond, The Faison Center, The Hermitage, Lakewood Manor, Linwood Holton Elementary, Ridge Elementary School, Sarah Dooley Center for Autism, St. Francis Home, St. James’s Children’s Center, St. Mary’s Woods, The Virginia Home and the YWCA - The Sprout School.

 

Sophomores spent the morning taking the PSAT and then headed to the University of Richmond in the afternoon to experience what a typical admission tour is like and how to approach campus visits in general.  

 

Juniors stayed on Collegiate’s Upper School campus and participated in a substance abuse prevention workshop themed, Centering Yourself: What's been done? What to do. What will you do? Collegiate Director of Performing Arts Mike Boyd led the keynote session, sharing stories about his family and his days as a drummer for the well-known band Fighting Gravity. Breakout sessions included Mindfulness with former Collegiate mindfulness instructor Alex Peavey; The Power of Friendship with Upper School health and wellness teacher Jake McDonald ‘07 and Collegiate alum Wit Robertson ‘07; and a screening of Haze, a movie about college student Gordie Bailey, who lost his life as a result of alcohol use.

 

Seniors had the day off to work on college applications. All students return to classes tomorrow.