As the second semester hurtles by, most freshmen are looking ahead to the last days of school, summer excitement, and even to the three years of high school ahead. Before time catches up to us, let’s take a moment to look back.

The class of 2029 had a busy introduction to high school: a grade-wide overnight retreat, which was brought back for the first time since COVID.

Freshman orientation consisted of two on-campus programming days and two off-site retreat days, sandwiching the official “first day” of high school. In planning the orientation events and the overnight retreat, the administration hoped to strengthen bonds among students through the use of team-building activities, as well as unstructured time to hang out with new friends inside and outside of their assigned advisory group.

At 59 W. North Boulevard, full-day on-campus programming offered a basic overview of day-to-day life in the Upper School, as well as tidbits about Upper School traditions for new and returning students alike. Students learned about their new schedules, the Math, Writing, and Language Labs, WiFi connection, and printer procedures. While some of the new (and old) students were already familiar with each other from pre-season training for fall sports, many freshmen made new friends by nervously, bravely initiating conversations with peers during lunch periods and other frequent social breaks.

The overarching goal of the freshman orientation was “to give [the freshmen] a place and a space and time to get to know each other, make new connections, and sort of just be kids,” Ninth and 10th Grade Dean Lenny Goldman said.

For new students, entering a building full of unfamiliar faces can be scary, but the first days of orientation at Latin helped assuage that fear. “Coming into this year, I was unsure on how I was going to adjust to the school community, but through the different activities and spending time with one another, I feel I was able to build friendships with others and find the right people who share interests with me,” freshman Aldahir Frias said.

August orientation offered all students diverse opportunities to bond with other students and get to know their teachers. The weekend divided on-campus orientation days from the overnight retreat and offered everyone some time and space to process all of the new information and conversations from the exhilarating first few days.

Upper School Director Nick Baer said he feels this year’s freshman class adjusted confidently and seemed more connected to each other than in previous years. He credited the retreat, as well as pre-season sports and the ongoing first-semester F-block programming, with helping students feel more integrated with the school community.

“There’s a huge difference between going away somewhere and just being on campus,” Mr. Baer said. “Even just that one overnight starts to bring the class together faster. … It totally makes a difference.”

But where to offload these timid freshmen? Mr. Goldman thought that Dickson Valley, Illinois, would be the perfect location for an overnight retreat. “It has the right balance of structure and activities, but also space for [everyone] to roam and have some independence while navigating the natural awkwardness that comes with starting high school,” he said.

On the bus ride from Latin to the rural campus, everyone was caught up in chatter, games, and warm exchanges. “There’s something about a long bus ride, and just being with your classmates,” Mr. Baer said. “Like after dinner when, you know, you’re a little tired, you’re a little loopy, [but] it just loosens kids up, because you’re so nervous at the beginning of freshman year. I mean, most people are, right?”

Mr. Baer highlighted two main features of a successful orientation: the logistical piece and, most importantly, the bonding aspect. “Every year, we learn a little bit more about what freshmen really need,” he said. “Even if you’ve been here and you know people, there’s just so many new folks to talk to.”

The students viewed the retreat as a success as well. Moments of laughter and merriment, memories of team-building activities—like balancing on a 10-person seesaw, crossing a tightrope over a pool of muddy water, and flipping a tarp while standing on it—are now ingrained in everyone’s minds. “Random sleeping arrangements [let me] socialize with new girls and form new friendships,” freshman Liesl Hellweg said.

The retreat’s balance of structure and independence gave freshmen the noteworthy chance to be both supported and self-reliant, and to branch out beyond familiar faces. Together yet independent, alternating between listening and sharing individual stories, the retreat helped the freshmen lay the groundwork for relationships that may last for a lifetime. Freshman Mofe Onigbanjo said, “I think that I learned the most about the people in my advisory that first day [away].”

Months later, these early bonds still shape the way the class of 2029 moves through the hallways: sitting together at lunch, collaborating in class, and greeting one another with an ease that didn’t yet exist in August. For students who walked into Latin unsure of their place in the school, orientation offered not just understanding, but belonging.

“[The retreat] gave me some time to adjust to the new community, somewhere where I felt more free—which, in the end, allowed me to feel more comfortable with everyone,” Aldahir said.

Looking ahead, there’s always room to grow—perhaps by reviving Upper School traditions like the neighborhood scavenger hunt, or creating more opportunities for advisories to mix. Orientation may be over, but the community it built is still unfurling. After all, the first week of school is hard for anybody, and as Mr. Baer pointed out, “We didn’t even have phones this year!” But thanks to careful administrative planning and thoughtfulness, this year’s freshman class made it through the gauntlet, while also forming deep connections that will last for years.

Mr. Goldman summed it up nicely: “[Orientation] was much different than last year. The results were different. The vibes are different.”