Semester XIV – Hitting the Ground Running
On Monday, with much excitement and anticipation, we welcomed the 14th Alzar School Semester. With 37 students arriving from 19 states and 2 countries, this marks the largest Alzar School cohort yet! 20 families joined us on a cold, albeit sunny, winter day on campus to help their students get settled in the yurts, bunk spaces, and cubbies that they will call home for the next 5 months.
Classes kicked off in full force on Tuesday. iPads were unlocked, syllabi were shared and textbooks were downloaded as students gained a grasp on what their academics will amount to at Alzar School. Amidst freshly issued school assignments, scheduled mentor meetings and planned after-school activities, students are also learning the in’s and out’s of their residential life and responsibilities here at Alzar School. Chore groups, fearlessly led by designated staff, are tackling everything from taking out the trash, cleaning dinner dishes and even scrubbing toilet bowls.
Despite the overwhelming amount of information to absorb and life changes to adapt to, students are in high spirits. When asked to sum up their first two days at Alzar School in one word, Amiee said “roller-coaster,” Grace and Izzy said “tired,” Sadie and Mitchell said “excited” and Ruffin, breaking with our one word summaries,
As we embark upon this already historic semester at Alzar School, we are sure that challenges of homesickness and academic stress will surface. But, under the watchful and supportive eye of our teachers and staff, we are confident the next weeks and months will also be full of laughter, growth and life-long memories in the making. Here’s to a great start to Semester 14!