As the year comes to an end and students head off for the summer, we reflect on the past year and the KO community that continues to grow stronger each year. The springtime calls for an even stronger on-campus community as nicer weather opens up the Senior Green and other outdoor spaces for community-building. However, what we sometimes tend to lack is general bonding and a sense of community within forms that can continue to grow throughout the year. We should grow our community by hosting more community-based events and trips, getting more involved in athletic endeavors, and overall forming a better sense of community.
Most activities hosted within forms tend to be very lowkey and sometimes poorly attended; field trips tend to always have some sort of assignment associated with them. Although taking field trips related to the material covered in our classes can help to emphasize lessons we’ve learned over the year, we should also have more relaxing, fun-centered trips to strengthen our bond as a community. Having more casual trips instead of serious academic-based trips would help to heighten positivity in our community and on campus. Aside from the Form Three trip to Camp Merriwood and the occasional form event, what else in our community can we do to ensure bonding throughout the entire year?
More casual class trips could potentially help connect everyone in the grade through a common interest and fun activities. This could increase the inclusivity of our community as more students discover their similarities. For example, if a form did a trip to Six Flags, students could bond with others that they normally would not talk to about their love for roller coasters or maybe their fear of roller coasters. In addition to day trips, KO should consider adding an overnight or weekend trip for the senior class as a way to wrap up their KO experience. This way, their time at KO could come full circle as in Form 3, they kick off their high school years at KO on an orientation trip.
Another idea to make our community more connected, we could host more events outside of school. This will allow students to connect outside of a potentially stressful environment and in a more relaxed setting, making school ultimately more enjoyable. There would be more to look forward to throughout the school year, which would benefit the mood in the community as well as students’ mental health. We could have an Upper School night at a Yard Goats or Hartford Athletics game. This way, students could bond with their friends or sports teams more outside of school. Another idea could be to rent out an ice rink for a DJ skate night. This way, even if students just go with their friends, it will be a great way to engage the community as a whole.
Another way to engage our community more could be through club presentations. During the school year, clubs work independently on their own projects and activities. Club presentations would allow students to share their experiences in a variety of clubs on campus and foster community. Club presentations at the beginning and end of each year would be a great way to get more students interested as they can share the productivity and growth they made throughout the past year. With more communication of what each club is doing, this could help to build up our school pride and community.
Sports make up such a vital part of our KO community, but with school pride lacking, our student-athletes are not recognized as much for their talents, and the events often lack enthusiasm. In the fall, all outdoor sports teams host an under-the-lights game. However, other than for football, the student section is missing school spirit instead of having a full den. Something that could possibly bring back more enthusiasm surrounding sporting events would be to make under-the-light games more interactive by having food trucks or activities on the green before the game begins. We should also host assemblies encouraging students to support their fellow classmates. The team could even get involved in the planning of their under-the-lights game by choosing the activities they would want to host before the game and the food truck they would prefer. This way, the students could get more involved, and hopefully choose activities that will encourage more members of the student body and faculty to come and support their classmates.
In hopes of making KO more community-based, we encourage both faculty and students to express their enthusiasm towards more community building activities and trips throughout the year. These activities and trips would ensure that community involvement is upheld throughout the entire year which therefore would strengthen our bond as a community.
