Upper School students along with newly admitted students learned some useful life skills—from how to parallel park to line dance at a party.

It is impressive if you can recite passages in Latin of Virgil’s Aeneid or solve complex problems in number theory, but Latin and math are not going to help when trying to file your taxes, change a tire, or sew a button.

At the Upper School Life Skills Workshop—held this year for the third time—students learned skills like setting up a tent and tying a bow tie along with others like juggling, knitting, self-defense, meditating, parallel parking, wrapping awkwardly shaped presents, making guacamole, creating balloon animals, and planning and booking a vacation, among others. The workshop originally emerged from student interest in learning about personal finance, doing laundry, and other useful life skills. Each 30-minute workshop was led by a student, faculty or staff member, or co-led by students and faculty.

To kick off the workshop, Upper School students, newly admitted students, and faculty/staff filled the Meeting Room and were treated to a balloon-making demonstration by Xuan Wang, Upper School Chinese teacher and interim Chinese Studies director. Although she wove a fine yarn about learning from a master and becoming—after much dedication and many tears—a warrior of balloon making, in truth she learned how to twist balloons into shapes just days before from a Japanese YouTube video.

For the newly admitted students, shadowing their buddies during Life Skills Day is a more informal way for them to meet classmates and get a feel for the sensibility of the Sidwell community.

“What I love about these short workshops is that the process of learning is the same as our year-long, in-depth classes, just compressed,” says Upper School Principal Robbie Gross. “And they’re fun, hands-on, and experiential. I think the students as well as the faculty get a kick out of the day.” 

At the “What NOT to Do as a College Undergraduate,” led by Upper School computer science teacher Martin Suresh, students were encouraged to take risks, step outside their comfort zones, and not be afraid to change their major, living situation, or even chosen college. And, of course, not to take themselves too seriously.

In the courtyard, Director of Equity, Justice, and Community Natalie Randolph taught an ever-expanding and enthusiastic group how to line dance. When the session ended and students started to scatter, Randolph smiled at a few nearby seniors and said, “You better not be standing by a wall during prom … I want to see those moves!”

Behind the Fox Den, using a golf cart, students learned the challenges and nuances of parallel parking, a crucial skill especially in cities like Washington, DC. The session was led by seniors Lia Donley, Campbell Dwight, Anna Dreyhaupt, and Lucie Fellowes with guidance from Upper School Dean of Students Darren Speece, who kept reminding over-eager parkers to “pretend there is a raw egg under your gas pedal, which you do not want to break.”

In the wrestling room, Director of Technology and Computer Science Program Darby Thompson taught the basics of self-defense. “One of my clearest memories from my high school was when the school brought in professionals to teach us self-defense for a day; it was one of the most practical and useful lessons I’ve ever had,” she says.

Leo Lynn ‘27 taught a group of his fellow high schoolers how to make papier-mâché masks, a skill he taught himself a few years ago when he was bored one day playing video games. Many of his original masks decorate the walls of his bedroom at home.

Coffee-loving students learned from Upper School science teacher and Science Department Chair Chris Ritacco that coffee is not necessarily synonymous with pods. In fact, there are many methods to brew a mean cup of joe whether using a pour-over filter, French press, or moka pot.

Before she began her session on meditation, Ramata Eller, Upper School French teacher and a yoga practitioner and teacher herself, said she was happy to hear some of the students remarking that mindfulness and well-being should be a top priority because everything else depends on that. Along with  practicing various mindfulness, breathing, and meditation techniques borrowed from yoga, the group also discussed yoga’s Indian origin and its more than 5,000-year-old tradition.

Why did so many students join Upper School Technical Theatre Teacher Rebecca Pfeil’s session on embroidery? “We saw some things that Ms. Pfeil had made and were wowed,” said Ashika Agrawal ‘25. “I’m hooked.”

And the secret to killer guacamole? According to session leaders Upper School English teacher Manny Jacquez, Upper School math teacher and Math Department Head Justin Heiges, and the student members of the Latin American Society, it’s important, instead of chopping the onions and  jalapeñoo peppers, to use a mortar and pestle so the oil from the vegetables spreads evenly throughout the mashed avocado and other ingredients.

Gross led a session on how to tie a necktie and a bow tie; never easy. One senior said he joined the session because he is heading to college in the fall and won’t have his father around to tie a loose knot so he can then loop it over his head and tighten it. “I need to know how to do it,” he smiled. “It’s time.” Two girls who joined and who seemed to master the challenge of the bow tie with impressive celerity, said they joined because they have brothers and guy friends who just can’t tie a decent tie. “And it comes in handy for Halloween or maybe I just want to sport one myself,” one of the girls added. Gross agreed that yes, there are clip-ons, but the best way to learn to tie a tie is when you actually have to. “It’s never too late to learn,” he added.