On Saturday, September 17, students across all class years participated in the first Pelican Day on the Island. Each class worked on community building and individual growth activities addressing the specific needs of the class at this point in their school careers.

Pelican Days are a new feature in the Loomis Chaffee calendar this year. The school has adopted a new class schedule, designed to equalize and make better use of class time during the week as well as reduce the frenzied pace of class days, and the change included the elimination of regular Saturday classroom instruction. Instead, Pelican Days will provide a space for learning beyond the classroom on two required Saturdays each term.

On the inaugural Pelican Day freshmen forged bonds and took in panoramic views of Hartford and the Farmington Valley by hiking to the iconic Heublein Tower in nearby Talcott Mountain State Park. Sophomores explored this year’s school theme of “Mind over Matter” through outdoor and nature activities, including art projects, canoeing, hiking, ropes course challenges, and other pursuits. Juniors learned stress reduction techniques, including meditation and yoga, under the direction of educator Sharon Gutterman. Seniors visited colleges or worked with Loomis’s College Guidance Office to prepare for the college application process.

Mike Donegan, dean of sophomores, reported that the experience was positive both for class bonding and for the class to refresh and renew as a group after the hectic pace of opening days.

“Fish were caught, campfires were started, rivers paddled, pictures were taken, poems written, birdhouses were made, pizzas made and eaten, dogs trained, [and] mazes solved,” noted Mike. “I loved what I saw” at all the sophomore activities.

Junior Eli Gould reported that learning techniques for being mindful and relaxing was “really beneficial for the junior class heading into this tough year.”

"It helped me to shift my mindset from worrying about school to just relaxing and focusing on the present," said junior Akash Chadalavada.

Drop-in application workshops for seniors seeking help with applications or essay writing were well attended. Associate Director of College Guidance Freddi Dupré said break-out sessions covering “fit statements” and tips for visiting and interviewing at colleges were standing room only.  

“Pelican Days give us the flexibility to provide important programming that does not fit neatly into the academic classroom schedule,” said Associate Dean of Faculty Andrew Matlack. He and Dean of Faculty Katherine Ballard said they are excited about the possibilities for covering important topics in a non-traditional educational forum.

“We expect Pelican Days will be fundamentally different from classroom instruction,” noted Katherine. Programming will be focused on non-curricular learning such as community building, community service, leadership, and the college application process, she said. In keeping with the “mindfulness” theme, she added, Saturday programming without homework and assessments will give students time and space to “think deeply,” contributing to students’ overall health and wellness.

Plans are in place for Pelican Days in the fall term, including on Parents Weekend, but not all the programming has been fully scheduled for the school year, said Andrew.

“[This]allows us to be responsive to the needs of the community,” he explained.