In October, the current 8th grade class of 2027 went on an overnight field trip to St. Louis, which was a lot of fun and an important experience for the entire class.  

On Tuesday, October 18th, we arrived at school as normal, went over expectations and ground rules, and by 8:45, we were on our assigned buses and on our way to St. Louis. As soon as we got there, we headed to the famous Arch to eat lunch and take pictures. Then we could walk part of Mural Mile, a long wall of graffiti redecorated yearly. This was an enjoyable activity because we learned more about Making Your Mark, the Middle School theme, this year. As a class, we picked a phrase we felt embodied our theme the best, and each took pictures of letters we could find to spell in graffiti. We also had the chance to journal about specific portions of the graffiti if we wanted to. While walking back to the buses, we even paired up into partners and discussed ways that make our mark in our school community and what that means to us. 

Afterward, we arrived at the hotel, settled in, and were granted some free time. Some of us went swimming in the downstairs pool and hot tub, while some hung out in other rooms until it was time to leave for dinner. This was a lot of fun because it allowed us to hang out with our friends and showed that we could be responsible enough to handle ourselves without the constant supervision of our teachers and advisors. (They probably enjoyed having some free time of their own as well!) This is important because, as the leaders of the middle school and going into high school next year, it is crucial that we practice acting as responsibly and maturely as we can while still having fun and making memories. 

Next, we went to dinner at a restaurant called Pieces, where they have an abundance of board games, new and old, popular and rare. People split off into friend groups and played games while they waited for their food, which multiple people said was very delicious. This was an absolute blast, and we got back to the hotel around 9-9:30 but were allowed to roam around in other rooms until lights out. 

The next day we ate breakfast at the hotel, packed our things, and went to Union Station. It was an incredible experience learning about the train station, exploring the aquarium, and doing fun things like ferris wheel rides, a mirror maze, and mini golf. It was so fun to do different things with everyone, discover new friendships, and form bonds that would last a long time. Around lunchtime, we could go off in groups and eat lunch on our own, and a lot of people ate at a place called The Soda Fountain. After we ate lunch, we set off on our journey back to Day School. 

This experience helped bring our class closer because we had a lot of fun with each other, and some ended up hanging out with people they don’t typically talk to. Tuesday night before curfew, almost everyone gathered in Dylan, Eli, and Zy’Aire’s room and talked, joked around, and played games like Truth or Dare or Paranoia (a cool game Kenzie and Sydney introduced last year). This was super fun and helped us connect on a deeper level because while the things we were talking about were very surface-level, we got to spend more time together and learn new things about each other. This is important because the class of ‘27 is a large one, and to have a good relationship with your classmates is almost essential to a successful school experience, which EDS proudly supports. But when you have a large class like ours, sometimes it can be difficult to connect with everyone else. However, a trip like the one we went on allowed us to spend a lot of time together and get to know each other even better. 

It also helped some of the newer people connect even more with some of the people who have been at Day School longer and make friendships without feeling like they’ve missed out on anything. On this trip, strong bonds were formed, already strong bonds became stronger, and everyone was able to come together and celebrate how much fun we could have with each other and how much we’ve grown. 

It also helped connect the class with the teachers because we got to spend a lot of time with the teachers who joined us on the trip. One van had Mr. Bosler and his husband, and the other had Mrs. Brooks and Ms. Arrick. It was cool to talk to and joke around with the teachers we might see every day but don’t always spend time with. It allowed us to just have fun with each other without the stress of schoolwork interfering. 

This experience helped us learn about ourselves because we got to do things we had never done before and go places we had never been before. This taught us to be open-minded and go with the flow because you never know what’s around the corner, and sometimes even if you don’t think something is going to be enjoyable, it might end up being super fun. It also helped us realize how important it is to live in the moment and never take things for granted. For example, while on our trip, some noticed people living on the streets begging for change. This forced us to think about how lucky we are to have the things we do, be a part of the community we are a part of, and consider how we can help others who aren’t as fortunate. 

Overall, this trip was an amazingly transformative class experience. We learned so much about each other, spent a lot of time together, and discovered friendships that we hadn’t ever thought of before. It truly felt like we were a family, and that is what Day School prides itself on, the community it can create for its students and the memories that can be made along the way. We learned how to Make Our Mark in the world, individually and together, and made many fun memories and lasting friendships. 

Thank you so much to the teachers who put this trip together and the classmates who made it memorable!