What a whirlwind this first quarter has been! It seems as if the start of the new school year was only a few days ago, yet now we are already coming out of October with piles of stress growing into mountains of accumulated stress. Let’s look at some of the highlights of the first quarter: 

Our year started on August 22 with anticipation filling the air. The school listened to a delightful story from Ms. Merz involving a near-death experience and lightning, and afterward, the usual clamor and confusion of the first day ensued. The anticipated “yeehaw”-themed Back To School Dance followed suit on that Friday, where students dressed up in western clothes and enjoyed a late night at school. 

Perhaps the most anticipated event of this quarter was the grade-level retreat. While the freshmen traveled to Big Bear, the sophomores went roller skating, the juniors headed to a trampoline park, and the seniors were able to experience retreat twice – through a pool party and a special trip back to Big Bear, the destination we all went to during freshman year. The day of retreats ended with insightful speeches from alumni. 

Our annual club fair was held on September 21st. Over 50 clubs participated during lunchtime while almost everyone signed up for more clubs than they planned to. Back to School night ensued, and our teachers welcomed our parents into their classrooms for brief, 10-minute introductions to their classes. 

The quarter ended with the first Service Learning day of the year, which started a reversed Sage Center Stars ceremony – this time, the teachers, not the students, were the ones receiving the awards. Afterward, each grade participated in its various Service Learning activities. 

As the chapter closes on this quarter, we look forward to the next. The second quarter of the year approaches, and finals suddenly don’t seem so far ahead, so remember to take some time to rest, relax, and congratulate yourself on making it through these trying times.