Oakwood 9th Grade Students Bond Over Hikes, S'mores, and the Oakwood Way in Yosemite

From August 24 to 26, Oakwood's 9th grade traveled to Yosemite for the Freshman Retreat. After a long four-hour drive, we finally arrived and started exploring the park with our Advisory groups through short hikes. Later, we had some time to relax with our cabinmates before ending the night with s'mores, although quite a few marshmallows didn't exactly survive the fire.

On the second day, we woke up early for our assigned hikes. Instead of complaining about the steep inclines and our sore feet, we spent the hike bonding with our new classmates, learning new names, and getting to know one another. By the end of the hike and a dip in the chilly rivers, we had gotten closer as a class, even if our legs weren't feeling quite the same.

On our third day, we spent our time talking about the Oakwood Way and working on our message for the mosaic. We pondered the questions "What are we gonna build? What makes Oakwood Oakwood?" raised by 9th grade student Carlos Perez in his speech about his interpretation of the Oakwood Way.

As for me, this trip has impacted me in many ways. I have heard many talk about the Oakwood Way, but as I have matured, I have come to care about it more than my 6th grade self would have. Watching our grade move on from the memories of last year while creating new ones is something I'll never forget, especially the Uno games at the diner, which somehow got way more competitive than they needed to be.

I'm sure this year will be filled with many moments to look back on, and this Yosemite retreat will definitely be one of them.

9th Grade Yosemite Retreat photo album