On Friday, May 5, the Senior class traveled to Camp Jones Gulch in the Santa Cruz mountains as part of Mid-Pen's year-end Senior Retreat tradition. Activities kicked off in the morning with a game called 5 Tricks, designed to help players learn about cross-cultural communication. This was a valuable exercise as Dragons prepare for life after Mid-Pen. The afternoon provided free time for students to relax and enjoy outdoor activities such as hiking to an old-growth redwood grove, practicing their archery skills, or just hanging out to savor their Mid-Pen friendships before heading off in a range of directions next year. The retreat wrapped up with a traditional Mid-Pen circle, during which students passed around a ball of yarn and shared appreciation for their classmates. By doing this, students could see a visual representation of how they had built connections and a sense of belonging in their time together at Mid-Pen.