Pacifica Stories

Last week, Pacifica came together once again for one of our long-standing traditions: All School Retreat. Students, faculty, and staff piled into six charter buses to travel across state lines to the beautiful Lost Canyon, a Young Life camp facility in Northern Arizona. While it may be unconventional to step away from the classroom so early into the school year, at Pacifica, it’s an essential part of our yearly rhythm as a community. We take intentional time to get away from our everyday routines to build our Seawolf community, create connections between grade levels, and focus our students on questions of faith. Due to our returning Device-Free Retreat Policy, students also enjoy a week of unplugging from their phones and being fully present to their peers. At the center of it all is pure fun.

What would Retreat be without the competition? This year, students and faculty were divided into Red, Yellow, Blue, and Green teams under the larger theme of Harry Potter. Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin battled it out all week in competitions including water olympics, relay races, team games, puzzles, a lip-sync battle, flag-decorating, and more. In the end, there was only one clear winner. The Red team (Gryffindor), led by art teacher Carson Vandermade, declared victory and claimed the Pacifica Cup for the first time in years.

In the evenings, students entered a time of reflection as they watched three different acts of a play about a broken family seeking redemption. The play, starring Pacifica staff and students, focused on themes of darkness and light. Each character faced their own struggles with the darkness within and around themselves, and each was presented with an opportunity to accept grace and step into the light. The play set up discussions for our students in cabin time– a unique space where students, led by faculty and staff members, can be vulnerable about their thoughts related to faith and life in small groups with their cabinmates. Cabin time is a powerful time for students to question how their own stories fit into a larger picture of faith, express doubts or wonders, and support their peers as they learn more about one another. On the final night of camp, students are also given a 10-minute period of silence under the stars of Lost Canyon to simply be, whether they choose to think, pray, or marvel at the beauty of nature.

In between the high-energy competitions and quieter moments of faith exploration, at Retreat Seawolves got to roam free! From the zip line, rock wall, and big swing to the soccer field, pool, and game room, everyone had something to keep them entertained and in community throughout the day.

Retreat not only creates some of the best memories for our high schoolers to have, it also brings our entire community together in a way that is tangible throughout the rest of the school year. We return from Retreat united in friendship, purpose, and camaraderie.