On Campus, Off Hours
This weekend, I had the opportunity to spend time on campus for two very different events. The first being the Uppers dance on Friday night, and the second being Grounds Day on Sunday. Although dramatically different, both events speak volumes about the community here on campus. Additionally, these events were only successful because of the tremendous amount of work done by all the family volunteers.
Uppers Dance
When I think back to middle school dances, I think of very dramatic, even teary, nights. Trying to navigate changing hormones, crushes, and cliques was a large part of the middle school dance experience. Chaperoning the Uppers’ dance on Friday night was like a breath of fresh air and a complete opposition to the experience I had in middle school. To set the scene, the Upper’s parent volunteers completely transformed the All School room; there were fun lights, stacks of pizzas, not one but two chocolate fountains, and a photobooth set up in the corner stocked with signs and costumes.
Every student I talked to had something they loved about the dance:
“I liked to scream along with the songs!”
“It’s always fun when you first go in to see how everything is decorated. The lights and the food, it’s always so fun.”
“I loved playing with the glow sticks!”
“I think I should get a reward for dancing for so long without breaks! My favorite part was running around dancing with pompoms.”
“Eating was the best, definitely the chocolate fountain. And the photobooth.”
Students waited excitedly outside the front doors with their families, taking photos as a whole group, making sure to leave no one out. They were let in only once everyone arrived and told that the only rule of the night was to have fun. I can confirm that everyone followed that rule. Over the 2 and a half hours that followed, I witnessed thoughtful and inclusive behavior from every upper present. Any time I saw a student on their own, it took only a couple of minutes before they were pulled into either dancing or photos in the photobooth, or a quiet conversation on the stage. As teachers, we work all year long to make sure this group bonds and builds a sense of community that includes everyone, and this dance was a perfect opportunity to see this in action.
Grounds Day
The second event of the weekend was Grounds Day. Every time I come to this, I leave feeling so proud to be part of the Center School community. You get to leave knowing that you helped make a place that already feels so special just a little bit better and more taken care of. As Jenny said about adding a new mulch path, “It really feels nice to leave a place better than you found it!”
This Grounds Day, we had 3 main tasks: planting the Magnolia tree in honor of Charlie, spreading seeds and hay to help regrow the grass by the upper lot, and moving a massive pile of woodchips from the Meadow to be spread out for some paths to help with erosion. We had a total of 21 kids and adults who turned up on a dreary Sunday morning to help complete these tasks. These volunteers included Primes, Mups, Middles, Uppers, parents, staff, and an alum! Once again, over the course of 2 and a half hours, I watched people work together to accomplish a common goal. There were snacks, there was chatting, and much like the dance, it could not have been successful without the folks who volunteered. Both events reminded me that whether you are a staff member, community member, current student, or alumnus, the Center School community is one where you will always be welcomed. It’s a community where we take care of our spaces and each other, and isn’t that a wonderful thing to have?
