OCRS Students Enjoy Team Building Retreat

Saturday, Oak Creek Ranch Students spent the day on campus participating in a Teambuilding Retreat. Students planned this event during coffee house, a weekly meeting where students have a voice in choosing positive programs, speakers and activities to help better their community. The group began by dividing the student body into groups, choosing students to lead each group,  and devising the day's schedule. They pulled from their personal experiences and what they felt would be beneficial for the OCRS boarding community.

Students participating in the planning of this event determined what they felt defined a healthy community:
    ⁃    Listening to one another, not just in words but also actions, reactions, responses and nonverbal communications
    ⁃    Work together to solve problems, mediate conflict, and help those that are struggling
    ⁃    Care about each other, take time to get to know each other
    ⁃    Trust each other
    ⁃    Have fun together
After defining a ‘healthy community,’ students suggested activities that would help build these qualities within the chosen groups.

While the day started with varying degrees of interest (or disinterest), the student leaders did a great job pulling their teams together. The groups started off by creating team names and designing a team logo. The logo had to represent something they each brought to their group and the community. Names varied from Real Talk, ELE (everybody loves everybody), and Peace, Love and Unity. Activities included the Magic Carpet, Toxic Dump, Blind Shapes, Led through Dangerous Country (at the Corral), and Drawing Blind. After each activity, the groups answered a series of question to help them relate their experience to making the community a better place.

The retreat ended with the activity "Cross the Line". Students and staff stood together and were asked to cross a line on the field if the statement read applied to them. This helped students see how many of their peers and teachers have had similar life experiences as them. It was a very meaningful way in which to close the event.

It was exciting to watch as the groups laughed, struggled, cried and experienced success throughout the day. I am extremely proud of the student leaders who put this event together and the student body for making it a success.

Life is Good!

Kim Hollingsworth
Assistant Dean of Residential Life

Oak Creek Ranch School is an co-ed boarding school for teens, ages 13-19 (grades 7-12). For 40 years OCRS has specialized in helping ADD, ADHD, and undermotivated boys and girls become successful students. The Arizona Boarding School is located near Sedona, Arizona, 100 miles north of Phoenix. Enrollments are accepted year round. Three summer boarding school sessions are available that are tailored to help students with learning differences succeed. For more information please visit us online at http://www.ocrs.com