Traditions & Activities

Slaying dragons and exploring tide pools are Saint George’s traditions

Middle School students grow through the challenging and fun Dragon Slayers Program. They get outside their comfort zone by serving the local food bank, learning stories from the American civil rights movement, or going cross country skiing for the first time. After each new experience they reflect on what they have learned and the dragons – fears, negative ideas and attitudes – that they have overcome.

Plus, each grade has its own traditions that build community while giving students hands-on experiences that bring their studies alive. Sixth graders complete coursework on Native American cultures and the biology of salmon with a visit to the Nez Perce reservation – sleeping in tipis – and tours of two fish hatcheries. The seventh graders learn team-building skills on a three-day retreat in the North Idaho woods that combines eco-games, challenge activities, and fly fishing on a mountain lake.

But one of the classic Saint George’s traditions, now over 30 years old, is the eighth grade Coast Trip. Students on this week-long camping excursion in May near Port Angeles explore tide pool biology, the rain forest ecosystem, and World War II shore defenses while preparing to move up to the Upper School. The learning is so exciting that kids will drag their parents back to the same beach during the summer to share what they’ve learned about starfish and hermit crabs.

Our son thrives at Saint George’s because he is surrounded by classmates who are as excited by academic excellence as they are by athletics.

Wendy Start, Middle School parent