Class Day was held on the first Friday of the 2021-22 academic year, September 3, at Concord Academy. Instead of attending school as usual, students had a modified schedule, with each class having specialized programming.
The 9th graders continued their orientation on campus. “We did more orientation stuff—a little bit about organizing our Google Calendars and Schoology, a slideshow about the library, a general Q&A session about CA, and a workshop about community. We also got ice cream sandwiches,” said Sue Kelman ’25.
The 10th grade students completed team-building activities led by Grant Hightower, followed by a trip to Kimball Farm. Grace Kalere ’24 described the experience: “Our day started off at the Dance Studio in the SHAC meeting with Grant Hightower, CA’s New Director of C&E, for some programming about self-identity. Looking at each other’s drawings which showcased our life stories and hearing each other explain our individual stories allowed us to build stronger connections within our class, new and old. Additionally, we brainstormed the support needed from the CA community after talking about being back on campus thus far. Lastly, we all boarded two buses and went on our way to Kimball Farm. Once there, there were many fun options and things to do and eat; personal favorites included golf, BBQ-style lunch, mini-golf, sand volleyball, and many more fun activities.”
The 11th graders traveled to YMCA in Hopkinton to do various class bonding activities and games, including bingo, where the wind blows, and rock paper scissor tournaments. They then enjoyed a delicious lunch and had the chance to relax and catch up with friends. Later in the day, there was an option to climb the high ropes courses at YMCA. The activities were challenging but were a great way to build trust between classmates. The trip was a good opportunity to learn leadership skills as well as to take risks.
The 12th graders attended a college counseling bootcamp. They completed mock interviews, learned how to improve their essays, and received further application advice. “I had a really productive interview with John McGarry,” said Sarah Heuer ’22. “We went over difficult questions and how to frame clear responses. I also consulted with a few CA English teachers. We sat behind the MAC on the picnic tables, and I was able to read aloud, and received valuable feedback on my personal statement. In the afternoon, I participated in the Diving Deeper into the Search with Natasha Workshop where I researched my potential ED schools and learned more about resources beyond the college’s website. I found the day to be really productive as I was able to get a lot of work done and get a sense of upcoming deadlines.”
Photo courtesy of Grace B. Kalere '24