Community Activities

With one glance at the Scattergood calendar, it quickly becomes obvious that special, all-community events are a fundamental part of the school schedule. This is a conscious decision, arising from the belief that community does not just happen, but is built through a process of living, working, and playing together. Oftentimes, it is during these special events that the community "gels".

Camping Weekend

Our annual Fall Camping Trip happens at the end of Block One. The entire school packs tents, sleeping bags, and other gear into the bus and school vans and heads to a nearby campground for two days and nights. A pavilion serves as the central meeting point during the weekend, as students and staff gather to cook meals, play games, sing, make campfires and s'mores and tell stories. The nearby woods and nature trails offer plenty of opportunities to hike, explore and see the fall colors. This special outing gives us a time to be away from the bustle of school and to get to know each other in a relaxed and fun context.

Arts Fest

The end of the school year is marked by several events, perhaps the most anticipated is Arts Fest. During the Saturday before graduation, parents, alumni, families and friends of the school gather on campus to celebrate the conclusion of the school year, the graduation of our senior class the accomplishments of all students. Student art work is put on display, demonstrations by fencing and dance students can be seen throughout the day as well as the final performance by the drama class. Students and staff become rivals as they play against each other in Soccer, Field Hockey and Ultimate Frisbee, these are some of the most exciting games of the whole year.
Like every other aspect of Scattergood, Arts Fest is all about the community. This is the last time that the community as we knew it all year will be together. Arts Fest is a bittersweet event in the school year as we talk, laugh and reminisce knowing that the next day we will all part ways for a couple of months and in some cases much longer. We rest assured however, that many of our community members will return for a visit before too long and we will hear stories of all their adventures.

Coffee House

Coffee House is Scattergood's twice-yearly performance event in which community members showcase their talents. Students involved in projects often use this opportunity to show what they learned throughout the block. During the course of the evening, one may see a dance performance, impov, skits, comedy routines and lots of musical performances. Coffeehouse is announced weeks in advance giving the community time to plan and prepare their performances. Committees take on the responsibility of baking cookies, preparing snacks and making coffee for the event as well as decorating and setting up the “Coffee House”.

Commencement

Scattergood’s graduation ceremony follows the school tradition of holding special events within a context of attentive silence. Accordingly, our commencement takes place in the school Meetinghouse. Attendees sit quietly for several minutes as the meeting “gathers.” Then the senior class sweeps in and down the aisle to sit on a long facing bench at the front of the room. Out of the continuing silence, friends and family members may share appreciations, bits of wisdom, or anecdotes about the seniors. Before the end of the ceremony, a diploma is given by the Head of School to each graduating student. And then after a few more moments of quiet, a sophomore who has been chosen by the senior class rushes out to ring the final bell of the year. This bell announces the end of the meeting, which is officially broken with the shaking of hands all around.

Cross-Country Skiing Week

While the rest of the community takes Intersession courses at Scattergood, a group of students and staff head toward a lodge in the Boundary Waters of Northern Minnesota for a week of cross-country skiing. They spend their days exploring trails, watching for deer, foxes, and other wildlife, and enjoying other winter activities. Nights are spent warming up by a fire, singing songs, and playing games.

Faculty Follies

During January and February each year, staff members spend their free time secretly planning for the current rendition of “Faculty Follies.” The intent of this mid-winter event is to present the students with a colorful extravaganza of drama, food and fun. The exact date is a surprise, as is the theme. Some recent themes have been Star Trek, Wild West, 50’s Sock Hop, Pirates, Time Machine, and State Fair. No matter what the theme, costumes, food or activities, this exciting evening provides a warm and bright spot to contrast to the winter climate outside.

February Intersession

Between blocks five and six, Scattergood spends a week on mini-courses in a variety of topics that do not easily fit into the regular school year. Some of these courses are taught by staff members, others by students or their parents, and all tend to be "hands-on." They might include arts and crafts activities such as knitting, candle making, sewing or making pinhole cameras. We have had a segment on Tolkien, a poetry class, cooking and baking, rock climbing, duct tape creations, Shakespeare readings, martial arts classes, museum hopping, and the list continually evolves. A number of community service projects are also offered during this time. Recently students have volunteered at a local animal shelter, a homeless shelter, a soup kitchen, and a health clinic. The offerings change each year as our community changes, and we welcome each new idea and opportunity.

Holiday Dinner and Gift Exchange

At the end of Block 4, just before students and staff leave for the month-long semester break, we all gather for an evening to celebrate the community and mark the end of the calendar year. The celebration begins with a holiday banquet complete with the traditional fare, gourmet vegetarian dishes, and luscious desserts. The tables are arranged in a large circle, so the community can come together as an extended family. After singing carols in the social room, we hold our gift exchange and then head for the Meetinghouse. In this holiday Meeting for Worship, candles give the room a soft light and spirits are full. Usually many students share their personal experiences or insights as they light a candle on the center table. This special meeting provides a poignant sense of closure for the first semester, as people leave toward far-flung places for the holidays.

Prom

Prom night at Scattergood is, well... different. It features food and dancing just as any other high school, but the creativity of Scattergood students and staff make Prom seem a bit more like a costume ball than a time to model your best dress.
A committee made up of students and staff members plan each year’s prom, including the selection of a theme. Recent themes have been Shanghai Nights, Masquerade Ball, and Hollywood. Rather than buying $200 dresses or renting tuxedoes, students often go on a creative search through area thrift stores looking for a theme-perfect outfit.

Scattergood Days

Scattergood weekend is our version of Homecoming. Every fall, parents, alumni and friends of Scattergood visit the school and take part in a variety of activities. Parents have the option of meeting with their student's teachers in the morning to discuss their progress or special concerns. After the mornings meetings, parents and staff get the chance to connect at a tea in the early afternoon. This is an opportunity for parents to share their feelings about Scattergood and for the staff to formally introduce themselves. It is also a time for parents to ask questions of the staff regarding the general community.
Then with all the pressing issues out of the way, the parents and staff join the rest of the community and visitors for games of field hockey and soccer. These games are always interesting because the students play on one team and the staff, alumni and parents play on the opposite team. No matter how competitive our sports program becomes, this will always be the game everyone looks forward to each year. Students will go after a ball with a vengeance if their coach or former teammate is making a great play. Alumni and staff have been known to resort to roguish tricks like putting students in headlocks when they know they have been beaten by much younger and faster legs. While this may seem extreme, both sides know that it is all in fun and laughter can be heard coming from both fields throughout the games. In the end, it isn't handshakes that conclude the games, but hugs and compliments and finally, lots of photographs.
After the tremendous amount of activity, everyone is treated to a home cooked meal made primarily from Scattergood-grown meats and vegetables... and who can forget the apple cider from our orchard. Following the meal, everyone gathers in the auditorium to watch students perform. The Drama class puts on a skit and students from other projects may do a song or dance. The night ends with a great round of applause for the performers and many good-night hugs and kisses.
On Sunday, the community joins together again with our guests for breakfast and Meeting for Worship before parents and alumni say their good-byes... until next year.

Scattergood Awards Ceremony

At the end of every year, we have about a week of fun and festive events. The Scattergood Awards Show, which includes Senior Wills and Bequeaths and Slip Awards among others. That night, everyone dresses up and a traditional Scattergood dinner is served. After dinner has been cleaned up, everyone gathers in our Social Room where a podium and chairs have been set up. We give students and staff time to mill about for a little while commenting on each others outfits and in what category students and staff will win awards this year. The scene loosely resembles a night at the Academy Awards, without the million dollar dresses and tons of photographers and stars.
The show begins with a Master of Ceremonies, usually a staff member who is willing to make a fool out of him/herself, giving a little speech or comedy routine about how the school year went and how hard it was to pick winners for the awards. Awards are then presented by staff and students who have been given their section of the script ahead of time. We often have at least two people who relate to the theme of the award presenting (ex. the winner of the award last year, the most well-known couch potato awarding the most active student or staff member). The 'awards' are not traditional trophies but rather something much more valuable to our students: candy!
The night ends with the Senior Wills and Bequeaths. As a group, the senior class writes a will for every member of the class except for themselves. One never knows what creative thing the seniors will come up with, sometimes it is a personality trait; sometimes a tangible object. Though this moment could be a sad one, it always ends with everyone laughing and gives each senior a memory they will never forget.

Spring Trips

Each year after 7th Block, most of the community splits into several groups that head out on various adventures. Choices are presented during Block 6 and sign-ups begin. Some groups have gone hiking in the Smokey Mountains, the Ozarks, or through national parks in Utah. Others go bicycling across Iowa or canoeing down the Missouri River. Still others take a community service road trip to cities like St. Louis, Des Moines or Chicago. The object of all of these trips is to help develop teamwork and understanding among group members and to encourage learning in environments outside of the classroom.
Utah Hiking Trip
Spelunking TripLocal Farms Volunteer Trip

Senior Week

While the rest of the student body is away from school, the senior class remains on campus to spend the week working on school-improvement projects in a relaxed atmosphere (which includes evening fun). In past years seniors have planted hundreds of trees along the soccer field and sound wall, built a deck around a front-campus maple tree, planted flowers, built a tent platform and fire ring near the pond, and created a brick patio outside our auditorium. In this way, the seniors can make an important contribution to the school campus which will be remembered fondly in years to come.