Spring ’21 Family Weekend
If you can believe it, the official Semester 18 mid-point came and went last week, and Family Weekend will be upon us in just a couple of days. This is a unique opportunity for families to get a glimpse into life at Alzar School. Parents and families will witness student academic achievements, hear stories of expedition and skiing adventures, and get to know the students, teachers and faculty that make us the Alzar School community. Students will also get the chance to indulge in take-out meals, have a private movie night at our local theater, and soak in a local hot spring. While much of Family Weekend will be hosted remotely for family members, students are none-the-less excited to share their Alzar School progress, people, and place with loved ones back home.
In terms of progress, students will share academic presentations with Semester 18 families throughout scheduled activities. Students have been diligently practicing and perfecting these presentations. Some presentation topics families have to look forward to include: “Let’s be Honest: Math and Science are Cousins”, “Jim Crow and Authoritarianism”, “The History of Asian American Discrimination”, and “Challenging Common Messages Behind Leadership”.
Students have also expressed genuine excitement for sharing the new people in their lives with their families. Specifically, Fiona is excited for her parents to meet her yurt mates’ families and to draw connections between the driving forces of her peers’ quirks and nuances and their sources. Beckham is excited to introduce his new friends to his family members and is eager to share the interesting people, geography, and dynamics of his Alzar School experience thus far. Ka’Sha wants to reflect with her mom about the focus she has experienced during study hall so far.
As for sharing our place, central Idaho is often difficult for families to fathom. Now that our students know what it is like to exist in this landscape, they are excited to share their sense-of-place and bits of their day-to-day lives with folks back home. Ryan hopes that by engaging with his family this weekend, he can paint a more detailed picture of the challenges and opportunities presented in this setting, for instance, the novelty of a boarding school environment in which students live and learn in the same location. Several students expressed eagerness for their families to meet the teachers and staff who live amongst them, too.
Science and math teacher, Mike Perez, says he is most excited for students to have the chance to catch up with important people in their lives during this time, as well as for intermingling between families about their experiences having a student away from home for an entire semester. Community and experiential advocate, Asiah Allen, says she looks forward to seeing family dynamics, specifically how students may interact differently with their families than they do amongst peers and Alzar School staff.
We owe a special gratitude to our student Leaders of the Week, too! Chloe, Chris, M.J. and Maeve have been working hard to rally their peers, elicit feedback, and meet with staff to coordinate a special remote event for families, as well as a relaxing weekend for students. We are all excited for what is sure to be a rejuvenating experience for our community!
It is a courageous decision for students and families alike to commit to spending four months apart during these pivotal adolescent years. We are excited to showcase the midpoint outcomes of this commitment and meeting our Semester 18 families.