A big part of our school culture is our House system, which we expanded across both campuses this year. Students were recently sorted into one of three houses: Ausdauer (German for perseverance), Confianza (Spanish for confidence) and Imani (Swahili for faith). Throughout the year, students gather in their mixed-grade houses for a variety of activities that will build sisterhood and friendship within the community. From healthy competitions to collaborative projects, Houses offer a place beyond the classroom for students to strengthen relationships and practice leadership.

The annual House Reveal is a core experience for our students, with those returning playing an important leadership role in welcoming new students to their houses. This year, new students at THEARC Campus (grades 6-8) were split into small groups to participate in a scavenger hunt to find their placement, with House leaders there to guide them along the way. In addition to practicing collaboration and critical thinking skills, this exercise also helped new students become familiar with their new school environment. At The View Campus (grades 3-5), students raced to locate their name card and house placement in the large field overlooking Washington, then jumped into their first house challenge.

Next up, the House groups will choreograph an original Step for the annual Step Show, and some houses have already begun their service learning experiences: the 8th grade members of Imani recently visited Catholic Charities to learn about their work in the community.

By expanding our House system to students at The View Campus, who previously had smaller mixed grade advisory groups, our hope is that our Houses will bring together our two campus communities and provide a continuity of experience that is rooted in our sisterhood and our core values.