Cornwall-on-Hudson, NY
The Storm King School’s senior class participated in Senior Retreat on Saturday, September 9, and Sunday, September 10. Senior Retreat is a yearly tradition when the class leaves campus for a day to get closer to nature and reflect as they work on team-building, leadership, and community. The event helps solidify the bond between new and returning class members and sets a positive tone for the students’ final year at Storm King. This year, the Retreat was held at the Black Rock Forest Lodge in neighboring Black Rock Forest.
According to Senior Class Advisor Patrick Martha, the overnight excursion is much more than just a field trip. “The objective of the Retreat is to encourage students to dive into their goals and allow them to see potential for things they can do with their time left here at Storm King,” explained Mr. Martha. “Many students expressed their desire to make an impact in some way, so our goal was to help them decide what sort of legacy they could leave behind at the end of the year.”
Seniors walking back from Black Rock Lodge
During the 24-hour retreat, the class participated in a series of group activities where they shared their ideas and fears, expressed themselves, set goals for the future, and had a lot of fun. The program began as students and faculty discussed the question “How can I be a leader at SKS?” while walking from campus to the Lodge. Once the group was settled in, the games began. Games like “Shoulder Touches” and “Street Fighter” went on until dusk when the group took some time to relax before a short walk to Black Rock’s first reservoir. According to Mr. Martha, their time at the reservoir was one of the highlights of the program. “The moon was out and Mr. Freeman played his bagpipes from the other side of the lake. Everyone enjoyed the silence and just listened. The effect was magical,” he said.
Jeremy Freeman, Dean of Faculty, English Department Chair, and Bagpiper
Another highlight was the “Bonfire of Fears”- a traditional Senior Retreat activity. After reflecting at the first reservoir, the group traveled to the stone house near Black Rock’s Arthur’s Pond. As the bonfire was lit, groups of students and faculty discussed the seniors’ concerns about the coming year in regard to what they wish to accomplish as individuals and as a community. Once the bonfire grew, the students committed their fears to the flames.
By the time the seniors departed the Lodge on Sunday afternoon, the group had grown much closer and each student had a clearer vision of what they wanted to accomplish during their final year at SKS. “There were many great ideas that came out of the group, and they all came from the students themselves,” explained Mr. Martha. “We made an effort to create scenarios that would result in ideas that were actionable and I think we accomplished that. We’re looking forward to seeing the ideas come to fruition during the school year,” he said.