Welcome back Seniors: Let’s go to camp!
Colleen Cranna
October 31, 2023
The first senior event to commence this final year for the graduating class kicked off with a road trip full of anticipation. The senior retreat is a widely loved tradition here at Field, where for two days, the senior class is sent to Sandy Hill Camp and Retreat Center for relaxing, engaging with your friends, and bonding with your classmates. The Field seniors– full of music, laughter, and excitement to be heading off to a retreat style experience– boarded our beloved blue buses and departed on their road trip on a warm September morning.
Located about two hours from campus, Sandy Hill serves the larger DMV region as a highly coveted spot for relaxation. The center first opened in 1995 as a traditional summer camp for elementary schoolers through high schoolers. The gorgeous setting also offers retreat-style experiences during the year for schools and organizations, as well as various larger events such as weddings or reunions.
For Field’s seniors, the camp offered kayaking and canoeing on the Chesapeake, beach volleyball, Gaga ball pits, and plenty of open space for organized games. Upon arrival, students were shown their dorm-style quarters for the following two days, and students reveled in the opportunity to simply enjoy time together as a class.
“It felt like summer camp,” Greta ‘24 shared about the activities Sandy Hill offered. Student events kicked off right away that first day with trips down to the water, beach volleyball tournaments, and a grade-wide game of manhunt that ended the night. “I loved the unstructured time we had,” Lia ‘24 mentioned, “it really helped us choose and build our sense of community.”
Field seniors engaging in a highly competitive co-ed volleyball tournament.
Grade representative Emma ‘24 emphasized the importance of this trip in terms of grade-wide bonding: “It was great to have activities together as a class and having people hanging out together when they wouldn’t normally.” Many of these activities saw students engage and spend time with other students they don’t normally have class with or see for extracurriculars, broadening our senior class’ horizons.
The final night of the retreat showcased a sing-along as the sun set. As students gathered on the docks to take in the sights of the Chesapeake Bay, a guitar appeared in the hands of student Greta ‘24 and the crowd erupted in a ripping rendition of “Riptide” by Vance Joy. . Classic songs, brought forth by the voices of these students, echoed around the camp until the sun sank below the placid water.
To cap off the night, Field chaperones organized a bonfire on the beach. “What are your favorite memories from your time at Field?” chaperone David K prompted the seniors. Students shared memories of Field from the past year or two, as well as Field moments from nearly seven years ago. A few tears were shed, but mostly the joyous laughter of the seniors rang throughout the bonfire.
Members of the senior class gather along the Chesapeake for a musical melody.
The senior class returned to Field with copious photos,videos, and memories that will stand the test of time. As the seniors look towards the big year ahead– college applications, decisions, graduation, and goodbyes– events like the senior retreat help to remind the graduating class to slow down, to take it all in, and to commemorate the community they have built.
Senior retreat video: Allison Burke ‘24