How do we kick off a school year together? By going on a three day, two night retreat together. Are we crazy? No. Do we believe in relationship building and fostering a healthy Middle School community? Absolutely.

Relationship building is at the heart of what we do at OJCS. Before the math lesson (don’t tell Mrs.Cleveland I said that) and mapping exercise in Social Studies, we need to ensure that our students feel a sense of belonging where they are supported, encouraged, and celebrated. Part of this is building healthy relationships with peers in their same grade, peers within the Middle School, and also the Middle School faculty.

Our theme for this year was ‘friendship’ because we certainly do ‘learn better together’ (North Star Alert) and need to synergize (7 Habits Alert) to ensure this is the best school year yet. The three days were filled with discussion, team building, rafting, hiking, praying, bonfires, and much more! Check out the retreat video on Dr.Mitzmacher’s blog ‘2019 Middle School Retreat’.