#ThisIsU/S Play Days

Last year, Liz Jones, Upper School holistic restorative coordinator, English teacher and yearbook advisor, introduced Play Day, an Upper School event that creates time for students to focus on building relationships through playful activities. These Play Days are referred to as #ThisIsU/S, with U/S representing the Upper School. The goal this school year is to offer four Play Days, the first of which took place on Tuesday, October 22. These events occur during advisory periods and consist of blended groups from all Upper School grades. This first Play Day of this school year featured a game of Pictionary.

“We pause to play as a way to create opportunities for new connections within the community to be made,” Liz explained. “Restorative practices do not solely focus on repair; that is only 20% of the work ideally. Relationships are the other 80%.  Along the continuum of restorative practices, building and maintaining relationships are the two foundational pillars. It is through these connections that a community establishes the ‘relationship collateral’ needed when facing times of harm where repair and redirection are necessary.” Liz added, “It is a learned skill to make space for someone who is different from you. We lean in to search for ways that we do connect. We begin by acknowledging and honoring the Light within each one. With that perspective, we practice entering into unfamiliar settings with new people with open minds and hearts. Through play, we are intentionally offering opportunities and making space to see and understand others outside of our comfort bubbles, such as classmates and teammates. We seek for connections; we uplift one another's Light. We are simultaneously glowing and growing.” 

Planning and executing a Play Day for more than 450 students is a huge feat, and Liz has a strong group of community-minded students who create, plan, and support these events. They are called the Corner Crew.  These members choose activities, help form teams, design posters and promote events on its social media handle (@community.corner.pc). One community corner member, sophomore Lulu Jordan, explained that “Play Days are unique compared to our normal activity blocks because they bring together people from different grades and friend groups in a setting focused solely on bonding and forming new friendships. They provide a refreshing change from being in advisory groups with the same people every Tuesday.” Freshman Ava Gottschalk shared, “I had the opportunity to meet different people from all grades and take a break from classes for part of the day. The Pictionary game created a fun atmosphere and was very different from other community activities we typically do. Overall, as it was my first year experiencing something like this, I really enjoyed it and hope to continue with similar activities.”

Senior Andres Garces, who has now participated in two years of Play Days, noted, “Play Days are geared to bring together individuals who might not typically interact, creating a stronger community through diverse relationships. The activities are both enjoyable and engaging; we started with Pictionary as a fun warm-up and concluded with the "10 Things" game. This second game, "10 Things," is an excellent opportunity to learn about one another as participants share experiences and discover who has done similar things. It may be difficult to open up and have new conversations with people you don’t know, but it’s a great opportunity to expand our social circles and connect with new individuals.”

“We must move away from the hustle culture and show our students that life is not just about crushing everything and getting it all done,” Liz expressed. “These Upper School Play Days provide time and space for our community to connect and build meaningful relationships that can enrich our lives.”

• Next Play Day will be January 7, 2025