During the week of January 12, life for juniors looked a little different. Upon their arrival from their annual retreat, Kairos, more than half the grade and many of the retreat leaders got sick with the flu. This outbreak had a massive impact on school activities as many were canceled or postponed, including the annual Talent how. “Just by looking around, everything was just really quiet, and you could feel the sickness everywhere,” said Cali Lopez ‘27.
And symptoms were miserable. “I could see that the flu was definitely more severe than [other sicknesses],” said Lopez, “especially the fever part. My sister couldn’t get out of bed for days.”
Many teachers, especially retreat chaperones, became ill. Others noticed a significant drop in attendance for the following week. “I feel amazed I didn’t get it,” said Upper School English Teacher Ms. Stojsic before knocking on wood. Classrooms that were usually full felt unusually empty; hallways that are normally loud during passing periods were noticeably silent, and a certain laughter and radiance were missing from the Upper School.
When students finally returned, they were faced with a lot of make-up work. Assessments had been postponed and the Assessment Center was packed.
It took weeks for attendance to finally improve and tests to be made up. School has finally returned to normal, and daily routines have resumed as students and teachers move forward from the outbreak. For a while, it felt like everything was on pause, but now school finally feels like school again.
According to the CDC, to maintain health during and after retreats, it’s important to remember to wash hands before and after meals. This kills bacteria and doesn’t let them come in. It is also important to sleep and stay warm especially on retreat to ensure a happy and healthy return.
