Conge 2016 at Duchesne Academy of the Sacred Heart

Seniors Georgi Doebbler, Callie Williams and Alexis Pullen spend some time on the tropical bounce house.

Conge is an annual community day when students take leave of their regular studies and channel all energy into having fun. Conges come when they are least expected, as the planning for is done in secret by a committee of just a few upperclassmen. Originally, the activities and games, such as cache-cache (a group form of hide-and-seek), were planned by the religious elders for the girls of the Sacred Heart boarding schools.

The tradition has carried over to many Sacred Heart Schools of today and provides an opportunity for older students to exercise skills of planning and organizing as they work with administrators and faculty members to prepare activities for the younger students.

This year, students and teachers were called to the gym for an assembly under the guise of a celebratory Mass for the mother of the Sacred Heart, Saint Madeline Sophie Duchesne. Sr. Sharon Karam gave an opening prayer honoring Saint Duchesne, and proceeded to introduce a video that she claimed was a tribute to the day’s celebrant. Mere seconds into the video, however, it became apparent that it was, in fact, the highly anticipated day of fun and games – Conge. Screams and shrieks of joy sounded throughout the gym as every DASH girl jumped for joy and hollered with her friends.

Emma Macinnes, a junior, and Alexis Pullen, a senior, celebrate Conge 2016 with face paint and festive leis. 

After the initial excitement subsided, the Conge Committee took to the podium to announce that the theme of this year’s Conge was “It’s Tikki Time” and that the first activity of the day would be the limbo. After a fierce competition between students and teachers, the party moved outside, where Lower School students were ushered to the field for jumping houses, a dunk tank, and refreshing snow cones, and Middle and Upper schoolers were treated to water balloons, a photo booth and dancing on the White House Lawn.

After a romp outside, everyone came back together for the final activity of the day – the fashion show. Students were broken up into groups and given a hodge-podge of materials to use in creating a Tikki-themed costume for the group’s model (typically a pre-K or Kindergarten student), which would then be presented to the school. There was a range of looks, from ethereal mermaids and island princesses, to sea witches and island monkeys, we truly had it all.

The day came to a close with a tropical-themed movie for every age group – Lilo and Stitch for the Lower School, and 50 First Dates for Upper School students.

All in all, Conge provided the perfect opportunity for students to let loose and enjoy a day off on in a tropical paradise – a sweet taste of summer. Aloha summer 2016!