Happy back to school!
For those of you who are returning to our yellow and gray checkered hallways, I offer you a warm welcome back. And to those yet to join our commuKNIGHTy officially, welcome for the first time!
As the Dalai Lama once said, “an old day passes, a new day arrives.” So, while yesterday you may have reveled in sleeping in and not having to carry an obscenely heavy backpack, that day has passed. A new day has arrived.
Regardless of how many semesters you have under your belt, there will still be some new surprises this fall. Well, maybe surprise is the wrong word, because is anyone really surprised that the schedule has changed again? But don’t be worried returning students, there are only three significant changes from last school year:
- Assembly Block has been moved to Monday, and Class Meetings will take place on Wednesday.
- There will also be an additional five minutes added to Wednesday CAB.
- A long block has been added on Wednesday, and the morning long block has been removed from Monday.
While these changes may seem daunting to those accustomed to their routine, and new students may still be utterly confused if they have first or second lunch, don’t fret. You can all continue to do what you have always done: Conveniently forget that your class meets during first lunch and take the full hour-and-a-half lunch break.
In fact, we should be excited about these new changes. Stop focusing on the long block intruding on our short Wednesdays, and see this as an opportunity. Maybe your teachers will believe you when you show up a minute late and say, “I didn’t know when this block started!”
That isn’t to say we condone tardiness at The Vanguard. Being early is on time, being on time is late, and being late is unacceptable, except when you swear you pulled into Grove Street just as the shuttle was leaving, and you promise that you were there five minutes early.
In other welcome back news, don’t forget to fill up your water bottle before making the trek up to the steamy, sweaty third floor. This message is unsponsored, but the water machine in the Drama Room has the coldest water in the school. Yes, you may struggle to pay attention due to the inescapable heat, and yes the sun may be beating down on your back through the walls of windows, but… well, there is no but. That’s the reality of early September at our school, but in no time you will forget all about the heat and will be complaining that The Commons is too drafty.
Now, a message for all the new students. Regardless of your grade, you will most likely be visiting Bivouac sometime in the coming weeks. Freshmen, you may be there right now, unable to read this editorial, or you might be using the paper it is printed on to build a fire. I encourage you to enjoy Bivouac as much as you can. It is a quintessential Upper School experience. Looking back, I promise you’ll be able to laugh about the sogginess of your socks or chuckle at the numbness you felt from sitting on the rock for what seemed like hours at a time.
For those of you participating in Short Stay, I encourage you to actually enjoy it. You may feel conflicted, but by the time you think to yourself, I’m not sure if this camping thing is for me, you will be loaded back onto the buses and supplied with plenty of snacks.
Freshmen, if you are reading this upon returning from your Bivouac experience, welcome back. All the teachers will, without a doubt, tell you that because you’ve made it through Biv you can do anything! This may well be true, but even if it isn’t, don’t sweat it. It is your job as a freshman to mess up a little.
Since this will be your first time in the Upper School, let us give you a quick geography lesson. While you may think that the building forms an “O” shape, you will quickly realize it is instead a funny-looking “J.” Also, a word to the wise: The third- floor arts room DOES NOT connect to the other third-floor classrooms. Additionally, please reference the above warning about the climate of the third floor.
Following recent events, we feel a new reminder should be issued regarding phishing emails. If you receive an email claiming that your classmate requires assistance to verify their “Zix” account, do not engage. You may want to be helpful, but, in this case, don’t.
We don’t mean to scare you. Here at The Vanguard, we want you to feel prepared for your first few weeks at the Upper School. So don’t be afraid to ask for help. Welcome to the 2024-25 school year. Let’s make it a bucking great year!
