Blayze Dennis played musical chairs blindfolded, tossed water balloons with blankets, learned some cheers and wrote a letter to his future senior self.  

And that was all in one day.

Blayze, a ninth-grade student new to Stratford this year, was one of 76 students who participated in the annual freshman retreat at the Amerson River Park on Friday, Aug. 24.

The retreat is an annual tradition to promote bonding and teamwork among ninth-graders who have been learning their way in Upper School these past two weeks.

“I loved being able to bond with my homeroom and get to know my peer mentors better,” freshmen Dylan Driver said,

The ninth-graders, along with their peer mentors and advisors, spent the entire day at the river park and had pizza for lunch.

“Well,  now I know how to spell lettuce L-E-T-T-U-C-E,” ninth-grader Naina Rugnath said.