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ODA Traditions: The Senior-Kindergarten Picnic

This week the Class of 2022 traveled to Siesta Key to spend time bonding with their kindergarten buddies. Click here for photos.
Small groups of three—two seniors paired with a kindergartener—dotted the grounds of the Siesta Key campus on Thursday during the annual Senior-Kindergarten Picnic. The twelfth graders and their kindergarten buddies spent time getting to know one another during their visit, asking questions about their likes and dislikes, pets, favorite subjects, hobbies, and what activities they do outside of school. 

"I loved spending time talking and getting to know my buddy Vivian. After chatting for a little while we found out that one of the things we have in common is that we both love marine science." said senior Peyton Wells. "I have been a student here at ODA since first grade and I've been back to the Lower Campus many times—it's always fun to visit and see the changes that have been made and I love coming back to see my former teachers. This visit was special because we got to have the time to spend with our kindergarteners."

After their initial introductions, all of the students ate lunch outside in the Thunder Hut before heading over to the playground for time to run, slide, swing, and climb together. The kindergarteners had a great time showing the seniors all of the playground equipment, demonstrating how to scale the climbing wall and navigate the playscape. The time together helped form a bond between the two groups of students, and gave them time to get to know each other through unstructured play.   

"My buddy Rohan and I bonded immediately. He told me all about the new puppy his family just got. He had so much to share about it and it gave us a lot to talk about." said Maddie Simonds '22. "I plan on going into elementary education, and being able to have this time with the kindergarteners solidified how much I like working with young children. I think this ODA tradition is great–I’m so glad we had this opportunity at Siesta Key today!"
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The Out-of-Door Academy

LOWER SCHOOL |  Historic Siesta Key Campus  |  Pre-K – Grade 5
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LOWER SCHOOL |  Lower School Campus on Clark Road  |  Pre-K – Grade 1
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