RPDS Sixth-graders Reflect on Service During Southwind Trip

Posted on October 5, 2022 By Editor Junior Residents

Sixth-graders at Riverside Presbyterian Day School (RPDS) kicked off their capstone year with the school’s annual overnight trip, Southwind, which prepares them for a year of service both on- and off-campus. The school’s eldest students will serve throughout the year by leading full school assemblies and flag raising ceremonies, acting as morning safety patrol, gathering recycling around campus, and serving the surrounding community.

“The entire sixth-grade year at RPDS is built around leadership and the understanding that, in order to be a good leader, one must take individual responsibility,” said RPDS sixth-grade teacher Suzanne Byerly Taylor. “They work on developing their own sense of self as they set goals and reflect on their strengths. Empathy and compassion are reinforced as students learn to help others, even when the help that is needed is not always the kind of help we want to give.”

In preparation for their Southwind trip, students were asked to reflect on what being a leader within the school means to them.

“I’ve been waiting to be a sixth-grader for nine years, and I remember in Kindergarten, when I thought the sixth-graders were so big and cool. Now I go to a Kindergarten class every morning, and it makes me feel like a leader,” said Charlotte Herford.

“It means having integrity,” said Lila Jimerson. “It means setting an example for the younger students. But, most of all, it means being responsible even when it is hard. It matters what we do, because all the lower grades look up to us. We should do our part so future students can do theirs.”