SEPTEMBER ’11 IN REVIEW

Once again, we spent the day before classes welcoming our new and returning students to the dorm. There were a few cases of homesickness but within a couple of days everyone was used to the routine – and the rules! Even the bad weather during the first get-to-know-you weekend didn’t dampen our spirits.

On Friday, we had torrential rains waiting for the start of the Bluefish Bridgeport game, so we ate dinner while our plates and cups filled with water, danced in the rain (it was over 85 degrees), and sang along to the music. It hardly mattered that they postponed the game till the next evening! Saturday arrived with cooler weather than expected, so we gave the students a choice: bowling and a movie, or venture to the Brownstone Exploration Discovery Park. The discoverers are convinced they ended up with the best choice – jumping off cliffs, travelling along a 750-foot zipline, climbing over the water obstacle course, wakeboarding, and watersliding.

Sunday was the traditional Sherwood Island beach/cookout day. Like those before them, the students had a blast catching crabs, digging holes in the sand, building sand castles, or just chatting with friends and dorm faculty. By Sunday night, everyone was exhausted but homesickness was a non-issue. In fact, we were already seeing early signs of improved self-esteem and self-confidence in many of the students.

And the best part of the weekend for the staff? Simply watching kids be kids.

Next up? Family Fun Day, Halloween parties, and getting into the mix of classes, sports, and activities.

Joy Delisle