HIGHLAND

At Camp Friendship, several teams worked together to move a rubber ball from
one end of a volleyball court to the other side only a plastic ring and rope.
“Camp Friendship gives us the unique opportunity to have our students truly
experience the lessons that we talk about in the classroom… They come to
understand how much both the faculty and their classmates support them
and want them to succeed.”
-Matt Ormiston, Middle School Director
after having heard them say repeatedly ‘I can’t’ as they
stand before some new obstacle or challenge.”
In the Upper School, Learning
Combines with Building Strong Bonds
Freshmen depart on the second day of school so they can
begin to form a class identity instead of seeing each other
as a collection of students from different middle schools. In
remote cabins on the Chesapeake Bay, removed from the
distractions of schedules and cell phones, they get to know
their classmates and core freshman teachers.
“Although the focus of the trip is environmental science,
a primary goal is to introduce these first year students
to the expectations of Upper School,” said Upper School
Director Cassin Bertke. “Freshmen return from this trip
feeling more comfortable with their classmates and thus
better able to focus on their studies. More than one has
commented: ‘I no longer remember who is new versus who
went to school with me last year. We’re one class now.’”
Sophomores and juniors have smaller experiences in
the fall, in anticipation of larger field studies programs
in the spring. Sophomores attend a Wellness Retreat in
which they learn about healthy decision-making and the
importance of building trust with classmates and teachers.
Excursions Both Near and Far
Juniors enjoy an urban excursion in Washington, D.C.,
exploring sights they will revisit in their study of American
History during the course of the year.
“Whereas freshmen are preparing to begin their high school
journey, seniors are making plans for their next stage of life,”
said Bertke. “We kick off Senior Field Studies with Senior
College Planning Night in which Renee Norden, Highland’s
College Counselor, describes the college search and
application process to seniors and their parents.
36 Highland Magazine highlandschool.org