Making the grade: Class Activity Day a winning start

It’s hard to say exactly when cringe turns to grins, when the obligatory teenage defense mode gives way to unfettered fun. But it is as sure as the sunrise; Class Activity Day never disappoints.

Much of Exeter daily life revolves around dorms, clubs and teams, filled with students from ninth grade to 12th. But this day is all about classmates, when each of Exeter’s four grades gather to connect and collaborate before classwork begins and the school year races away.

The class orientation program was launched in 2017 with funding from a generous donor. It consists of some ice-breaking activities — cue the cringe — and picks up speed as leaders prompt the students to perform challenges as a team. The ninth, 10th and 11th graders stuck to campus, while the seniors bused off to nearby Kensington. The products of their labor — 2-liter bottle rockets, impromptu dance moves — are temporary. The collaboration, however, will serve each student as they pass a classmate on the path or find themselves partnered with a classmate in a lab.