Duchesne Highlights of Fall 2016

Genna Montalbano defends against a player from St. John's School. 

From the time you enter high school, (and honestly, probably even before that) you’re told that junior year will be the hardest year of your high school life. I can confirm that that is incredibly true. Never before have I been pushed so hard and had so much on my plate at once. Right now, I’m juggling school (with 3 APs!), polo, photography, Model UN, School Buzz, (hopefully) a new Duchesne newsletter, German Klub, community service and still trying to keep up with friends and family!

With finals fast approaching (eek!) I wanted to take a moment to reflect on the school year thus far at Duchesne.

In our first semester, a lot has gone on. Here are just a few things that stood out: 

Julia Archer fights for the ball against a player from The British School. 

Varsity field hockey finished a great season, which including beating one of the top-ranked teams in the state, St. Johns! 

A group of seniors traveled to DC where they were able to get a close look at the inner-workings of our country’s governing system through the “Close Up” program. “Getting to see the live election results in Washington was very intense and educational experience. It brought together different perspectives in a fun way,” said McKenna Boehm, a senior. 

Grace Burgert and her mom Amy Plato on a college tour trip to Boston.

Juniors and seniors began touring colleges. 

The entire school headed over to Barnes and Noble for our annual book fair. “It’s my favorite event of the year! It is nice to go as a class and peruse the store. You learn a lot about your classmates through their book selections and it brings the whole community closer together,”said Julia Powell, a junior.

Eva Van Pelt, a junior, carves a patriotic pumpkin.

Juniors began work on their research papers, a huge project which takes place September through February when they’re due. “I chose to write about John Brown because there’s a controversy in the black community as to whether he was a terrorist or a savior. I thought that was really interesting to connect that to the Black Lives Matter movement and also what we’re talking about in class,” said Kailey Strozier. 

Halloween took over DASH like no other with an elementary school parade, costume contest, pumpkin carving contest and the traditional Halloween hallway put on by the juniors and seniors!

Miechelle Delong, a junior, paints a Frankenstein-themed pumpkin. 

The annual Mother-Daughter Luncheon and Fashion Show took place. 

In giving back to the community, juniors and seniors began work at their social awareness sites every Wednesday; sophomores have begun their out-of-school social awareness activities, a blanket drive for the homeless is ongoing, and numerous food drives and bake sales benefiting those in need have occurred.

I can’t wait to see what all we can do next semester! I wish everyone good luck on finals and hope you all have a good holiday season!