PEER LEADERSHIP AND SCHOOL COUNCIL RETREATS
Members of both the Peer Leadership and School Council closed out summer with retreats to bond and come back with set goals and visions for the groups for this school year.
Peer Leaders went on their annual training retreat at Pocono Education Environmental Center from August 22-24, where 16 senior peer leaders considered what it really means to be a role model in word and deed, developed active listening skills, learned to give constructive feedback to others and experienced the stages of group development and how to facilitate productive discussions.
“The activities we did were good to get us to know each other and how compatible we are and we could find commonalities with people not in our friend groups,” Rahul Bendre ’19 said.
“The activities we did were good to get us to know each other and how compatible we are and we could find commonalities with people not in our friend groups,” Rahul Bendre ’19 said.
During the year, a pair of seniors will be assigned 13 freshmen. In each pairing, one senior started NA in Middle School, while the other started in Upper School. “The main purpose is to have someone in the Upper School you can speak to and relate with about and stresses or issues you have going on,” Rahul said, adding, “Peer group is the forefront of the community building we’re trying to do at NA.”
As for the annual School Council retreat, which was from August 25-26, the group rented a house locally where they bonded as a council, identified goals for the new school year, and planned for their many signature events like the Welcome Back BBQ, Spirit Week, and the Run for FOP Research.
They are also hoping to start new initiatives.
“The first is a series of spontaneous, small events during the school day called ‘Minis.’ Beyond large events, we are hoping to surprise the student body with smaller events during lunch periods and after school. Some ideas included giving out dumplings, decorating pumpkins and a sports tournament,” School Council President Drew Flanagan ’19 said. “Secondly, we are hoping to strengthen our communication. All grades have Instagram pages to inform their classmates of our initiatives. We also want to encourage students to talk to a council representative if they see an area of the school that needs improvement.”
An independent school for students in grades 6-12