After congregating as one school in the sacred space of Central Moravian Church for Opening Chapel, the entire Upper School travelled to Camp Canadensis for our Upper School Retreat. This, too, was sacred time. It was a formative opportunity to set the tone for the year, to honor our connections, and to try new things with the support of our peers.

Students engaged in many activities: low-rope courses, team-building challenges, kayaking, rock climbing, beach volleyball, the waterfall hike, just to name a few. At several points during the retreat, upperclass mentors led small freshperson groups in the interest of solidarity. Tuesday was capped off with a riveting game of Advisory Feud - borrowing from the classic game show, Family Feud, but tailored to MA. During downtime, students could be seen playing gaga ball, spike ball, badminton, volleyball, and creating art. 

A highlight for me was listening to the senior class sing together around the campfire. Amidst the natural darkness and quiet of the woods, the warm glow of fire and fellowship cut through the night to capture the heartening, paradigmatic moment. 

Wednesday morning began with advisory circles during which students and advisors greeted one another and began the process of creating social contracts (norms by which we agree to treat each other) and making Moravian stars. After more group activities, packing, cleaning, and lunch, we boarded the buses to return to MA - eager to bring back with us the camaraderie and enthusiasm shared among students and faculty.

A version of this article also appeared in the 2019 Moravian Academy Fall Journal.