Every year, around two weeks before graduation, the senior class heads over to Colin Powell Center for a day of togetherness, according to senior counselor Laura King.

The retreat took place during the school day May 20. According to King, the Wisdom Retreat is a tradition that helps seniors finish off their high school career on a strong note.

“I think the goal of the Wisdom Retreat is to get the seniors to a place where they really appreciate each other and themselves, and bring the Respect Retreat from ninth grade full circle, and really to give them the confidence to move forward,” King said.

King said the retreat aims to provide closure to the high school experience. She said it draw on many of the themes brought up in the Respect Retreat in the fall of freshman year.

“Four years later, when they’re going through their Wisdom Retreat, it takes them further,” King said. “I think it’s an opportunity for them to really reflect on how the time in high school has been spent and give them a chance to thank those and show appreciation to those that have made it positive.”

King said seniors are busy people in general, so the retreat gives them a chance to take a break and reflect.

“The Wisdom Retreat is kind of a time out to say, ‘I want to take some time to really honor what I’ve done over the past four years and celebrate that and to appreciate my classmates,’” King said.

Senior Danielle Pardessi said she most enjoyed the closing activity of the retreat, which provided students with the opportunity to share their feelings about their high school experiences.

“We sat in a circle and they put a candle in the middle next to a microphone,” Pardessi said. “You get to know people in your class that you didn’t based on what they said.”

King said the experience was upbeat for the most part and included many interactive games and activities. At some points, however, she said students felt sentimental.

“It was a pretty lighthearted atmosphere, but at times could be somewhat emotional,” King said.

Senior Giovanni Barrera said he thinks the retreat had little to offer to students. He said the games and activities were unrelated to the theme of wisdom.

“It was kind of pointless because we just kind of played games and didn’t do anything about wisdom,” Barrera said. “They didn’t change anything from the Respect Retreat.”

Barrera said though he did not enjoy many of the activities on the retreat, he saw value in the closing activity.

“It just brought us all together,” Barrera said.

King said as a piece of advice to students who will participate in the retreat in the future, she encourages participants to keep an open mind during the retreat.

“Sometimes those retreats can be intimidating,” King said. “I just encourage students to stick with it because by day’s end, they’ll find it to be a rewarding experience.”