Welcome to the Academy! The Freshmen Welcome Week Tradition

Starting with the Freshman Student Orientation overnight in August, St. Agnes Academy makes welcoming the freshmen to the Upper School a top priority! In 2007, this process began to include Freshmen Welcome Week. Seventeen years later, this tradition is still going and growing.

“As Freshman Lead Sponsor, it is so fun to have a front row seat to these strong traditions. Fostering freshman-senior relationships highlights the importance of belonging that we always emphasize and encourage,” said Ellie Wills, 9^thGrade Class Sponsor. “The enthusiasm for all things SAA begins with Welcome Week, and when the freshmen see how genuine and excited the seniors are, they learn to mimic that joy. In four short years, they will be the spirited seniors who carry on the same joy to their own little sisters,” Mrs. Wills added.

Planning for Welcome Week is a joint effort of the Senior Class President and Vice President, along with the Event Coordinators and the class PR Officer. After a month of settling into high school, the excitement begins a few days before Welcome Week with the Big Sister Reveal. The class officers send out “sister surveys” to help pair up the big and little sisters.

Senior Class President Caroline Hubbard explained, “Our goal is to pair every freshman with a big sister, giving each girl a personal mentor and role model.”

“We want every single freshman to feel welcomed! We hope that every little sister has fun and bonds with her big sister. This gives freshmen their first sense of the sisterhood that makes St. Agnes so special.” added Senior Class Vice President Kate Nieman.

The week is filled with themed days, including Twin Day, Sidekick Day, 80s vs in your 80s, and Princess/Baby Day. This year the entire Upper School participated, adding to the fun. The Sophomore Class hosted a donut party before school and the Junior Class held a soda pop party on Monday. The week will wrap up with a Big Sis/Little Sis picnic on Friday, which Caroline and Kate agree is the event they are most excited about.

Senior Class Lead Sponsor Emma Vescovo spoke to what this tradition means to the Seniors: “The seniors are excited to welcome the new freshman class and dote on their little sisters, but it is also very nostalgic for them. They get to reminisce and relive the week they had as freshmen when they were the new students overwhelmed with high school and being taken under the wing of the class of 2022. They get to relive the fun all over again.” 

Senior Class President Caroline Hubbard explained why she feels Welcome Week is such an important tradition: “It is important to our school community because it encourages sisterhood, which is the foundation of St. Agnes. At St. Agnes every girl is welcome. The seniors are so excited that these freshmen get to experience four years of the fun that we have all gotten to experience.  It is so special that we get to be with them and form relationships with them at the beginning of their journey as ours comes to an end.”

As our freshmen and seniors continue to grow their friendships, the entire 9^th grade class will follow up Welcome Week with the Freshman Retreat to Pinecrest. Led by Dr. Jennifer Lovelace and our 10-12^th grade student leaders, the retreat involves a day full of team-building tasks. Their focus for the day is leadership, empathy, teamwork, and fun-along with building bonds that will last a lifetime.