On Thursday, August 29, the entire student body at Dana Hall went on a retreat for a full day. They were divided by grade levels and traveled to locations as close as Kimball Farm and as far as New Hampshire.
The freshman class went to Hale Reservation in Westwood, Massachusetts. They spent time bonding as 9th graders by doing a ropes course and getting to know one another while enjoying the outdoors. Most of the girls were enthusiastic about their retreat experience. Soomin Mah ’17 and Ye Ri Lee ’17 said, “We liked the retreat, especially when we spent time in the woods and climbed trees.”
The sophomore class visited New Hampshire Food Bank Production Garden, where sophomores dug trenches and pulled weeds, in keeping with the sophomore retreat’s emphasis on community service. Ms. Macedo said, “I think that asking the 10th graders to work together and get a start on their service requirement is a great way to begin sophomore year!” She also commented, “The trip to the New Hampshire Food Bank farm gave all us, 10th grade advisors included, a glimpse of the rigor of farming life.” That rigor was not enjoyed by everyone, and Erin Kim ’16, Laura Lee ’16, and Irene Hong ’16 mentioned that many students returned to school with minor aches and pains.
The junior class went white water rafting at Moxie Outdoor Adventures in Deerfield, Massachusetts. Juniors left the school grounds in the early morning and came back late at night. Most of the juniors enjoyed the retreat, but there were a few negative comments from those who expected a more thrilling raft ride. Chloe Moon ’15 said, “It was not as good as I thought because the current was not strong enough.” The juniors used to travel to Maine, where they experienced wilder raft rides, but last year, all class retreats became one day only. According to Ms. Reid, a former junior class dean, “The trip in Maine was fun, but students complained about the very long drive up there and back,” a challenge the retreat no longer faces.
The seniors stayed closest to home, remaining on campus during the morning to concentrate on traditions and on leadership. Ms. Hamel, the advisor of the senior class, commented that her favorite part of the retreat is “the senior class working so nicely together on beanies and posters.” She also noted, “As I looked around Beveridge at all the smiling faces, I was reminded of how all these traditions have a way of bringing people together. I could feel the excitement in the air.” In the afternoon the class travelled to Kimball Farm in Westford, Massachusetts, for hamburgers, hotdogs, and ice cream and then an evening of miniature golf, bumper boats, and other attractions. And frequently during the retreat, seniors turned to each other to ask “can you guys believe this is actually the last retreat we have together?”
Photo: Juniors prepare to take to the river in their rafts. Photo credit: Karl Neumann.
