Written by Journalism student, Lincoln N.
At the beginning of each school year, as the air starts to turn cooler and the building fills with kids after months of relative emptiness and quietness, there is a new senior class ready to take on the challenge of one final year at New Life Academy. To help each class prepare for the year that lies ahead, the school takes them on a 27-hour-long retreat.
“The purpose of the senior retreat is to bring the seniors together under the heading that they are now leaders,” explains Dr. Brian Schrader. “If the seniors step up and lead spiritually, the community grows.”
Senior Retreat has been going on for a long time, but elements of the trip have remained the same throughout. The senior class always gets split up into teams, and the retreat becomes a competition between the teams. There are ten different activities where the teams compete against each other in order to determine a final winner.
The teams are intentionally designed to put students in groups that aren’t their closest friends, and also get a variety of gifts on each team. The challenges are a mix of different events that bring out the gifts in all those different people. Schrader continues, “A key part in leading is the students using their God-given gifts, and we almost force that by creating the different challenges.”
The ten different retreat challenges are flag-making, creating a team name, kayaking, sandcastle building, home run derby, creating a leadership list, pyramid building, creating a chant, a bucket brigade, and a layup contest. In addition to all of the different challenges, the retreat contains three different messages. These messages are given by Bible teachers Dr. Schrader and Mrs. Jessica Kjelshus, as well as by Upper School Principal Jed Moseman. The pinnacle of the event was on Sunday night, when Mrs. Kjelshus spoke to the senior class, which was immediately followed by a time of discussion around a bonfire. “When it came to bonfire time, it seemed like they made some very simple and positive changes that can be kept,” reflects Dr. Schrader.
The purpose of the bonfire is to provide a platform for the students to speak their minds and talk about what they want this year to look like. Among the things that were discussed are: stepping into leadership opportunities, supporting each other through their events, intentionally leading the younger grades, and being present in the community. Senior year is a beautiful thing because it is, first and foremost, the gateway into a new chapter, yet it is also the end of a current one. For some, it is the curtain on a 13-year production at New Life. For others, it is the end of a brief chapter, but for all of the senior class, it’s one last chance to make an impact. Senior Retreat has become a crucial component in helping the seniors understand how they want to lead and the weight of that leadership.
Seniors had a variety of goals at the end of the trip, including:
I want my senior year to be a chance for me to use my gifts effectively and have fun with my grade before we graduate.
Cam F.
I hope my senior year is a great experience, not just for our grade, but for the whole high school.
Grant C.
Our senior year should be all about learning and growing in our leadership and our walk with Christ.
Dylan W.
I want my senior year to be a happy and eventful end to all of our journeys at New Life—a year that is full of memories and deep connections.
Emi H.