"Remember Who You Are"

Mr. Spencer Jeffries led impactful and interactive sessions centered on relationships, encouraging students to prioritize their vertical relationship with God as the foundation for healthy, horizontal relationships with others. He also spoke about choosing friendships wisely and cultivating a healthy relationship with oneself—reminding students that taking care of their emotional, mental, and spiritual well-being is essential. 

 

 

Worship throughout the retreat was deeply uplifting, led by Ms. Évi Dobner and her husband, Elijah, with Mr. Beni Kiss joining them on the cajón. After each chapel session, students broke into small groups, where they dove into honest conversations, reflected on the message, and strengthened their relationships with one another. 

 

 

Between sessions, students bonded through creative and competitive games. Retreat highlights included a high-energy game of Capture the Flag, Mission Impossible, followed by a lively dance-off between grades, with each class performing a choreographed routine. The seniors took the win, but every group brought enthusiasm and creativity to the stage.

 

 

Friday night brought a special tradition, the freshman welcome. All of the freshmen were surprised when they were woken up late on the first night of retreat and asked to go outside. It was a cold night for a warm welcome. The freshmen were welcomed through creative activities designed by the senior class.  One activity involved a pledge where the seniors marked the freshman on the forehead, just as Simba was marked by Mufasa and then again by Rafiki in Disney's The Lion King. Once the freshmen were marked, they joined the outer circle, with the seniors forming a mark of unity. Senior, Lydia S., closed the ceremony in prayer, blessing the newest members of the high school community. 

It was cool to see what the seniors had planned for our class, both challenges as well as the pledge. It was a special time that was intentional for the freshmen, that will be a core memory of retreat. 

Freshman, Mary L.

 

 

Another beautiful moment, expressing the Upper School students' commitment to unity, occurred at the bonfire. Students not only shared words of gratitude toward friends and teachers, but many upperclassmen also gave a public, warm welcome to their siblings and expressed their excitement to share in the Upper School experience together. One new staff member who was present at the retreat expressed her amazement and noted how vastly different this is from how they have seen siblings treat each other in other school cultures. 

 

 

Moments like freshmen welcome and bonfire bonding are a couple of many expressions of ICSB's commitment to unity and to making this community a place where everyone can feel they belong. It is beautiful to see that this is not only a chapel theme or a commitment that the staff has put in place, but it is lived day in and day out by our incredible students and student leaders. As Mr. Jeffreys reminded the Upper School, as we prioritize our "vertical" relationship with God, may it continue to be the healthy foundation for our relationship with ourselves, and for the flourishing of our  "horizontal" relationships. As Mufasa reminds Simba, to "Remember Who You Are," may we continue spending time with the Lord and let him remind us who we are and whose we are, and be reminded to see each other in the same light.