Saturday Fun

After a full week of classes and activities, the girls are ready for off-campus fun! After a leisurely Saturday morning breakfast, students and staff head to Mount Vernon, George Washington’s historical estate and gardens resting on the banks of the Potomac River. The grounds include the beautiful Mansion and outbuildings, many gardens, a working farm, and the resting place of George and Martha Washington. Students enjoy the lovely setting and leisurely explore the grounds, while glimpsing a slice of history. After lunch at Mount Vernon, we take a ten-minute drive to Old Town Alexandria, VA.

Also nestled on the Potomac River, just outside of Washington D.C., Alexandria boasts amazing architecture in a beautiful setting. Our girls always enjoy spending an afternoon here, exploring Old Town, shopping in the stores and boutiques, and visiting the many galleries and museums. In addition to visiting galleries and shopping, many students look forward to touring the Torpedo Factory. Constructed in 1918 for the manufacturing of torpedoes, the factory now hosts more than 80 working artists studios and galleries. Girls always enjoy visiting the studios and seeing a wide variety of art in action.

At the end of the afternoon, groups of friends have dinner together in Alexandria’s Old Town. Students may even choose to end their day with a ghost walk. In the city where many of George Washington’s friends slept – and sometimes stir – there are documented stories of strange occurrences that even the skeptic enjoys!

On Sunday, everyone enjoys sleeping in, hanging out with new friends and participating in a variety of fun activities – scrapbooking and crafts, volleyball, tennis, swimming, yoga or a walk to the river or barns to visit the horses. In the afternoon, everyone comes together for a longstanding Madeira tradition – Block Party at the Beeches. The families at the Beeches, eight faculty and staff houses on the Madeira campus just below the playing fields, offer their cul-desac and open their homes for an evening of kickball, BBQ, s’mores and games – a perfect end to the weekend.