Marlborough’s annual retreat day returned this year. Various activities and outings were based on grade level, which gave students the opportunity to reconnect with one another and create new friendships while getting time off from classes.
Retreat Day officially kicked off with the Middle School sleepover after school on Sept. 14. This day was a long-anticipated event for middle school students due to its exciting events. Middle schoolers participated in a variety of activities such as a spa station, field games, a pool party and the annual advisory lip sync battle. Students were able to choose from four food trucks for dinner and dessert, before rolling out their sleeping bags to get comfy for the night with their friends, both new and old.
The Class of 2026 participated in the annual Sophomore Beach Cleanup, just South of the Santa Monica Pier. The day started off with a discussion about the effect trash and plastic on the beach has on ocean organisms. Upon arrival, the class competed among advisory groups to find the most trash, as well as the most unique piece of trash. This day provided the Class of 2026 an opportunity to bond, while simultaneously helping the greater Los Angeles community. For some, this day served as an eye-opening experience.
“When you’re just walking on the beach, you don’t notice how much trash there is, but when you are searching for it, you realize it’s everywhere,” Rainey ‘26 said.
The Class of 2025 spent their retreat day embarking on adventures all around Los Angeles for the annual “Explore LA” day, which is a Marlborough tradition for the junior class. Students had the opportunity to pick from a variety of exciting outings, including a food tour in East LA, a bike tour in the Arts District and an excursion to the Getty Museum, among others. New additions to the roster included a visit to the Hsi Lai Buddhist Temple in Hacienda Heights, an outing in little Tokyo and an “Urban Odyssey” excursion, which consisted of a tour of Black LA. Explore LA gave the junior class the opportunity to connect with new classmates, while also experiencing new parts of Los Angeles. One student, Mattie ‘25, enjoyed her time on the retreat.
“I thought that visiting the Buddhist temple was a great way to gain exposure to the community of Hacienda Heights,” Mattie said. “I loved getting to spend time with new classmates that I don’t normally talk to.”
The senior class’s retreat day involved staying on campus and utilizing the time without classes to discuss and accomplish many required senior-related tasks, such as finalizing the senior mascot selection and discussing graduation attire. To top the day off, seniors were treated to food trucks for a lunch of pizza and soft serve, which provided time to relax and connect with friends and classmates.
“I thought it was a great way to get closer with other people in my class, especially when we were working on things like picking out our mascot and working on our senior pages,” Novin ‘24 said.
