Grade 11 BBQ

The days in this school year are now numbered on one hand, a fact that both staff and students alike are excited and reflective about. With the end of the school year comes many things: exams, packing and cleaning, interhouse track and field, and final house outings, just to name a few.  Over his tenure as Head of School, Mr. Patel has made it a priority to host a barbeque for each grade, giving everyone an opportunity to relax during the chaos that is the final week of school. The Grade 11 BBQ was originally scheduled for last Thursday, but was moved to Friday due to the rain. Fortunately, the sun came out on Friday, making for a beautiful dinner setting.  Around 5:30, Grade 11s from every house trickled down to the Head’s Residence, where frisbees, volleyball, dinner, and a massive lawn awaited them. After a few minutes to get settled in, Mr. Patel called the students in for a picture and to inform us of the evening’s itinerary. Mr. Patel then dismissed his guests for dinner in a rather interesting fashion: he named various months and whoever was born in the named month got to eat. The food services staff put together an excellent meal consisting of a plethora of salads, bread rolls, chicken, and ribs. As a special treat, there were Haagen Dazs bars for dessert.  After the meal, the 11s returned to their many forms of entertainment, whether it be playing with the famous Patel dog, P.J., or enjoying a riveting game of volleyball. At 6:30, Mr. Patel called all the students to give a brief speech about the accomplishments of this year and the leadership opportunities to look forward to as Grads in 2017-2018. Following the speech, students were free to leave, as long as they shook Mr. Patel’s hand before making their exit.  A handful of students stayed until sign in, playing a boys vs girls game of volleyball. The boys won, and used the victory to entice Mr. Patel to create a boys’ volleyball team in the future.  With the wild rollercoaster of emotions that comes in the final week, the BBQ was an excellent way to reflect and have fun. Thank you to Mr. and Mrs. Patel for hosting all the students, as well as a huge order of gratitude to the kitchen staff for preparing 150 delicious meals for the special occasions.  Good luck on all your exams and enjoy these last few days of the 2016-2017 school year!   Mide O, Privett ‘18