It’s time once again for the Kindergartener/Senior Adoption Program, which is by far Cooper’s most well-loved tradition. This October, the Class of 2036 adopted the Class of 2024, becoming the next generation to continue an impressive legacy. The K-12 Program is a defining factor of school life for seniors and kindergarteners alike, as both mentor and mentee begin a friendship that lasts a lifetime.

The excitement began with an official adoption ceremony during an Upper School Assembly, attended by the Class of 2036 and Class of 2024. Senior Advisor Ms. Sara Bany and Kindergarten Teacher Ms. Lanre Awe introduced the program and read the official Declaration of Adoption. The following week, the seniors and kindergarteners met for the first time. After an ice cream treat, the seniors gave their new friends a tour of the Upper School, showing off their lockers, the College Counseling wall, and the Rock Math & Science Center. “It was fun to see how excited they were about things that I see every day,” senior SaraKate Bensaid said. “That childlike wonder about the lockers and the library and really small things I don’t get excited about every day.”

October’s main event was the Dragon Festival, an afternoon of fun for seniors and kindergartners on a US Off-the-Grid Day. After reuniting, each kindergarten class and their respective senior buddies rotated through four activity stations. At one station, kindergarteners and seniors dressed up with silly accessories for a Polaroid picture, and then decorated photo frames with help from the US art teachers. At another, the seniors re-lived their childhood nostalgia with parachute games led by Coach Feuerhelm. Unsurprisingly, the highlight of the day for many kindergartners was the snow-cone station, which resulted in endless flavor combinations and sugar rushes. Finally, the classes watched a screening of It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown, to get into the holiday spirit. 

Coming, the seniors and kindergartners have countless activities to look forward to throughout the year, including timeless traditions like “When I Was Five,” where both groups write stories comparing themselves at age five to themselves now, and John Cooper Day. However, regardless of the occasion, the true essence of the K/12 program—the joy and connection fostered across grade gaps—is ever-present.  

For seniors who have run this course before, the K/12 program certainly evokes emotion, as the opportunity to be role models for a younger generation creates a full-circle moment. “It feels kind of weird. I’ve been here so long, and I’m about to part with an institution that I’ve been a part of for over ten years,” pioneer Saami Baig reflected. “It’s nice to be able to give back to the community before I leave.”