December 9th

This week, everyone—students, faculty and apprentices included—has been busy finishing up classes, cramming for tests and working hard on final projects. Even with our busy schedules, we are still making time for chatting and to hang out with one another during free periods, at meals and in the cabins. 

In AP history this week we are talking about slavery in the South, the Civil War, and Reconstruction post-Civil War. English class had us learning about different mediums of communication in our world today and finishing our final portfolios, filled with our best work from throughout the semester. Advanced Spanish is working hard on literature and drawings for their children’s book, while Intermediate Spanish studied away for their final exam turned scavenger hunt. Lastly, the French students are busy writing analytical essays about their most recent read, L’homme qui plantait des arbres.

As our semester comes to an end, we have decided to enjoy what little time we have left with activities such as Assassin and the continuation of our Secret-Solstice, Non-Denominational, Winter-Season Gift Exchange Fun Times 3000 2.0. Students have been leaving anonymous notes around campus for their SSN-DWSGEFT32 recipients, and on Monday we will give the final gifts! Everyone is excited to figure out who has been leaving all the notes and soon it will be revealed. It is encouraged that the final gift is handmade, and everyone is getting creative!

Other activities to keep us busy include enjoying the company of kids from Full Circle, a mentor program for youth here in Leadville. Showing them around our school and playing together for the afternoon is bound to tire anybody out! Alas, from time to time, our minds wander toward our other home and we have been given tips to stay on track for this last little push. Molly has made it clear that going home is not an option yet, and she has given us some tips to keep us here in both mind and body:

1. Don’t go home yet
2. Don’t get lazy
3a. Give thanks to everyone who made it possible for you to be here.
3b. If you want more independence, take more responsibility.

As we approach our final week of classes and our last week at HMI, we will continue to receive these tips, but our community is working hard to stay present. Yesterday during Community Meeting we talked about values and how they have changed while being here at HMI. One student decided to make pi-cord bracelets as a symbol of Semester 27. She told the student to keep in mind that even if we are far away, the pi-cord will bring us back to this moment and we will never forget it!

The weekend looks full of final projects and homework assignments. But this will not let us get down. We will surely find a way to finish all those assignments and have a great time together.

Written by: Colleen Orr, Kelsey Hoekstra, Katie Eaton and Selene Munoz