Erica Baker

At the freshman retreat, freshmen Julia Iglesias and Annie Fertitta pose behind the Stoney Creek Ranch sign, getting ready to take an exhilarating ride down the zipline. “The zipline was my favorite activity of the freshman retreat,” freshman Annie Fertitta said. Although students weren’t able to spend the night at the ranch, they were still able to make many new memories and form lifelong friendships.

After a full-day of campus activities led by senior peer mentors a recent Friday evening, ninth-graders expected to spend the next night at Stoney Creek Ranch.

However, ninth-graders’ evening plans were cut short and they were picked by their parents late at night. 

Early Saturday morning, ninth-graders boarded a bus for an hour long ride to Stoney Creek Ranch to enjoy a day’s worth of bonding activities before an overnight stay in hopes of making new friends in their grade.  

“My favorite activities were the group games on the field, the pool and the lake,” said freshman Leighton Vermillion. 

The purpose of the trip was to help students ease into the new school year and form connections between returning and new students. Normally, the trip to Stoney Creek is an overnight stay, but logistical issues changed that plan.

“I wish it was overnight because I feel like we could grow a deeper connection with the new students if we were there for longer,” freshman Catherine Clampitt said.

Many other students said they felt the same way and believed that if the retreat was longer, they would have been given a better opportunity to create lasting friendships. 

“Whenever we did the retreat with just the peer mentors at Stoney Creek, I felt like I was able to get close with my grade. I was sympathetic when I heard the freshman wouldn’t get to spend the night this year,” senior peer mentor Jordan Roberts said. 

Some students felt like despite not spending the night, they had enough time to create lasting bonds with new friends.

“I already knew some of the new students before the freshman retreat, but I feel like I will remember it forever because of the connections I made,” ninth-grader Wyatt Cureton said. 

The students spent their time playing pickleball, basketball, gaga ball and nine square and they also enjoyed a zip line, ropes course, capture the flag, and, a fan favorite, the blob.

“My community group had so much fun doing the blob all together; it was a great bonding activity and I feel like the kids really got to know each other better,” senior peer mentor Bennett Bowman said.