The 11th graders hiked to the top of Old Rag Mountain in Shenandoah National Park for a hiking retreat. It was a beautiful, clear day for the girls to hike and bond with one another and continue to build a strong foundation with their teachers as the beginning of a new school year starts. Upper School Director Lisa Pence shared her reflections with the community by writing a letter addressed to the 11th graders about the overall experience:
Dear Fellow Hikers,
You did a great job today. You
tackled a challenging hike regardless of how you made your way to the summit,
and you did it with a great sense of teamwork, spirit, and stamina.
I witnessed acts of kindness,
friendship, and courage today. Had it not been difficult or even daunting at
times, you would not have needed to muster your courage, nor would you have
needed to reach out to each other as friends.
You were great companions on the
trail, at the summit, and on the bus. Well done!
I hope you all enjoyed
yourselves as much as you deserve to given all the good energy you brought to
today’s retreat. Go 2017!
Thanks to Mrs. Acerra, Mrs.
Case, Mr. DeJohn, Mr. Duan, Ms. Gajendragadkar, Mrs. Scherbel, Mr. Seltzer, and
Mrs. Takis for being such great trail leaders, and to Mrs. Squeglia for
planning such a great day (and ordering up perfect weather – she’s amazing).
Oh – one more thing J
-- please take some time to do some good stretching before you go to sleep
tonight. You might want to go online to find some good stretches for hikers.
You should stretch your quads, hamstrings, calves, and shoulders/back/neck.
Also, give your ankles a twirl or two in each direction. This all will make for
a slightly less sore tomorrow. (Some soreness, of course, is always good, since
it helps you remember the hike and feel proud).
Sleep well and have a great
weekend,
Mrs. Pence
