For many, coming into a new school can be a jarring experience. It’s a scary feeling to have new classes, new teachers and new classmates whom you’ve never met before. New students in new schools and new environments can often feel estranged or have a difficult time making friends. This however, is when a kind, friendly face can make an impact, making it easier for new students to integrate and make new friends. In the case of CA, that comes in the form of the Walwyn residence. 

On the last Saturday of August, the 31st, the Walwyn residence held a potluck for freshmen families new to CA. The vespers included food (obviously) and great advice to the Freshmen from students who had been in CA all of their lives.

“It went incredibly well,” says Rebecca Walwyn, current CA student and a host of the vespers. “There was a lot of bonding and we were all able to have a good time together, even though we didn’t all know each other.”

This is what the vespers strove for: building bridges between students and forming connections despite the unfamiliarity the students had from each other and the age differences between them. The freshmen were able to form bonds and relationships with their classmates despite not knowing each other at first, thus facilitating their schooldays and making classes something to look forward to.

This upcoming vespers, on Saturday 14, strives to accomplish the same set of goals, this time however, between all new students to CA, not just the freshmen. 

Every new student is more than welcome at the Walwyn residence to enjoy fellowship, “break bread” with their peers, and to familiarize themselves with the community here at Collegedale Academy.