Kicking off the school year with excitement and energy, Grade 7 and 8 students participated in trips meant to forge connections among teachers and peers and add to King’s vibrant sense of community. These immersive overnight adventures set the tone for new and returning students alike. While each grade’s trip offered a distinct experience, they both established camaraderie and strengthened the bonds within the King community.

This year, Grade 7 ventured to Camp Jewell in Colebrook, Connecticut, where they participated in a variety of individual and team-building activities that encourage critical thinking and problem-solving. 

“Students stayed within their advisories for all of the activities,” explained Grade 7 Team Leader Eleanor Bach. “This allowed those groups to bond and for the advisors to really get to know those kids before we were too far into the school year.”

Activities such as untangling a human knot and figuring out the next step on a climbing wall emphasized the importance of collaboration, while archery, candle-making, and outdoor living skills highlighted individual accomplishment.

Recalling the challenge of playing dodgeball blindfolded, Christophe Pham ’30 noted how his peers helped him navigate the game.

“We learned how to work together as a team,” he said. 

Carolina Reinhoefer Ribeiro ’30 echoed Christophe when describing her experience on the climbing wall.

“It helped me understand how to work with others better,” she shared.

Time around the campfire, making s'mores by the waterfront, and sharing communal meals provided a relaxing change of pace from the day’s activities.

Traveling south, Grade 8 students blended bonding with an educational focus in Philadelphia. The trip incorporated elements of early American history, tying into the students’ previous Grade 7 studies of ​​the early American experience while preparing them for upcoming studies on American foreign policy.

Visits to iconic sites such as the National Constitution Center, the Museum of the American Revolution, and the Benjamin Franklin Museum offered students a deeper understanding of U.S. history. The timing of the trip added an extra layer of excitement, as students visited the Constitution Center just two days after it hosted the September presidential debate.

In addition to the educational tours, students enjoyed an outing at Dave & Buster's, where they shared dinner and games, reinforcing the trip's social bonding aspect.

Grade 8 Team Leader Ken Lewis praised the class for their inclusivity and openness to new relationships. 

“I received a lot of positive feedback in the reflections they shared with me,” he said. “The new students found their ‘people’ and firmly became members of our King community.”