The annual sophomore retreat was held on Monday, Sept. 26. The sophomores enjoyed a day of fun at the Irvine Ranch Outdoor Education Center. The retreat focused on sisterhood, bonding, and trust.

Once split into groups, the sophomores conquered a high ropes course, climbing wall, and zip-line. Stacey Stroud ‘25 remarked, “It was a really good experience and it taught me how to trust others more. The craziest part was I did a zip-line for the first time ever and it was so fun.”

Avery Rabago ’25 adds, “It was scary, but it helped me to get closer with my class. I had to trust that my classmates would catch me on the rock wall.”

When they weren’t doing any of the gravity-defying activities, they participated in two bonding activities. Ms. Marquez led the sophomores in an affirmation activity: each girl had a piece of paper taped to her back, and her classmates wrote affirmations and nice things about her.

Sophia Gomez ’25 talked about how much she appreciated the activity: “This activity was great. Not only did it make me happy to see girls from different groups connect, but it was also great to see all of my classmates smile after they read the affirmations from their peers.”

The other activity was led by Mrs. Kearns ’78 and Mrs. Flati. Each team was given a song that they were required to choreograph a dance to, and at the end of the retreat, they had one great lip-sync battle. Sophomore Lexi Valazquez shared about her experience, “The song helped with our teamwork and let everyone share their own special skills.”

Overall, Mrs. Kearns ’78 described the day as “spectacular.” The sophomores’ next retreat will be held in March and focused on their spiritual connection to God. This year’s freshmen should be looking forward to a fun-filled retreat next year.