School Life
Our Traditions
The Dream Quilt reflects the personal dreams of all new girls who enter Orchard House at the beginning of each school year. It begins with the girls reading the Langston Hughes poems, "Dreams" and "I Dream a World." Each girl creates her own dream poem and configures her personal dreams into a quilt square – as a visual statement of hope, either for a personal goal or a vision, of how she hopes to contribute to the world.
Each girl presents her Dream Quilt square and an excerpt of her poem at the Closing Ceremony at the end of the school year. During the summer, the quilt squares are taken and pieced together. During December's Season of Light the following school year, families and friends of the Orchard House community are invited to hand quilt the dream squares in silver and gold thread. The colors symbolize friends old and new. The stitches represent community support for the girls and their dreams. Dream Quilts are hung on the walls throughout the building.
Thrones
Thrones at Orchard House mark a significant turning point for eighth graders. At our Winter Ceremony, eighth graders are honored for their leadership and presence within the school community. Eighth grade girls are given thrones designed and decorated for them by their secret sisters from the fifth grade class. At the Winter Ceremony, fifth graders reveal the name of their eighth graders and escort them to their thrones. The individual thrones are carefully painted and reflective of personalities, strengths, and spirit of each eighth grader. The eighth graders use their thrones two additional times in the school year, when they lead Morning Meeting and give a Throne Talk and at graduation where they are seated before the audience and then deliver a graduation speech. At the end of graduation, eighth graders have their throne to keep.Sanctuary Boxes: A Room of One's Own
A Room of One's Own is a classic text of feminine self discovery written by Virginia Woolfe. To honor the experience of discovering and nurturing one's talents, and using those talents for the benefit of the community, each seventh grader at Orchard House creates, literally, a room of her own, constructing a space and filling it with that which identifies her. These incredible mini-rooms and glimpses into the personalities and capabilities of Orchard House students are displayed in our building throughout the school year.
Having a Cow at Orchard House
We work hard at Orchard House promoting and maintaining an environment where differences are respected and conflicts are negotiated to positive resolution. One aspect of Orchard House life that helps resolve situations is Town Meetings when letters to the Cow are read. Any girl who has a problem she feels needs the attention of the Orchard House community may write an anonymous note and put it in the cow-shaped mailbox. (No names of other students or teachers can be used, and the complaints must be phrased respectfully.) Town Meetings occur on Fridays and are led by an eighth grade student. Cow notes are read and put to the school community for resolution. Issues include everything from friendship questions to backpacks that are too heavy to the need for bells.
