Isabella Kim Jikal greets onlookers as she, as well as the rest of the middle school, arrives from the middle school retreat. [by Isabella Kim]
by Isabella Kim
Many middle school students have had their expectations on high for this year’s middle school retreat that happened on the 19th to 20th of February. Nearly two thirds of the middle school students attended the MS Retreat last year, with only the sixth grade students and other new students at PACA attending the retreat for the first time.
This year’s retreat, as well as the past years, was hosted in Rio Selvagem, an area with beautiful trees, a huge lake and many activities as well as cabins where students stayed.
Matheus Kim, a 6th grader, mentioned he heard a lot about Middle School retreats from other middle schoolers. His excitement was not only toward the many activities of the place but especially towards fishing in the lake.
“I heard that there is a lake where you can fish,” says Kim. “ So I’m excited about that.”
He also says that he had already packed his fishing gear and other things such as his pillow and his clothes.
When questioned about what he was anxious about, the first thing he said was that he was nervous about who he would share a cabin with. But Kim was not the only one concerned about cabin mates.
While interviewing Sarah Lin, a 7th grader, she also confessed her nervousness about who she would be sharing a cabin with.
When asked why she was nervous about who she would be sharing a cabin with, Lin said, “I’m nervous because I want to share a cabin with my friends.”
Their nervousness was not unwarranted because wondering who you’ll be sharing a room with for 3 days can be a source of anxiety for middle school students. However, as activities took place, their anxiety subsided.
Planned activities included kayaking, stand up paddle boarding, river rafting, a ropes course, soccer, zip line and so much more. Making the middle school, especially the newcomers, excited for the retreat.
After the retreat however, many students complained about the fact that because of the rain, they weren’t able to experience much of the activities the place had to offer leaving them a bit disappointed.
Still, the students were able to have fun indoors despite the rain, whether it was ping-pong, Foosball, pool or even just sitting down to chat. This encouraged new friendships and helped form a stronger bond between friends.
Despite the retreat not being exactly how many expected it to be, it was still full of fun and separate time with God.
