Sophomore Conversations

Sunset at DeMatha Jan 22, 2026

The following article was submitted the evening of Tuesday, March 10 but was not published until after the retreat took place.

On Wednesday, March 11, while most students are at school, the sophomore class will be attending their retreat. The sophomores will go to the Basilica of the National Shrine in Washington, D.C. They will do activities during the morning, then in the afternoon they will come back to DeMatha and have their sophomore conversations. You can read more about the Sophomore Retreat in this companion article.

The sophomores received an email this past Friday to sign up for a teacher to have their sophomore conversation with. The conversations will be happening most of the afternoon with each lasting around 25 minutes. Parents are encouraged to come and be present, but the conversation will primarily be between the teacher and student.

Mrs. Stockton, the counselor for the class of 2028, breaks down the four main goals for the sophomore conversations. “One – for a student and parent(s) to make a connection with another adult on campus. Two – for a student to be able to take a moment and look at the choices he has made and why he made those decisions. Three – for a student to set some goals for himself and with the help of the faculty member and parents and to build a pathway to those goals. Four – a student is able to identify his character strengths and weaknesses and understand things he could do to strengthen his weaknesses.”

Prior to the sophomore conversations, sophomores took a character survey and an online profile. The survey ranked different qualities and characteristics attributed to the student based on the answers they chose. The online profile had the students answer questions such as, “Where did you go to middle school,” “what are your favorite classes you have taken at DeMatha,” and “what is an academic goal you have for your junior year?” These were given to the students, their families, and to the student’s chosen teacher for their conversation. These will help the teacher understand the student at a greater level and help personalize the conversation to the student.

Mrs. Stockton stated that, “The conversations started in 2007 and originally started as an optional activity for students to do with their teachers. Then in 2012, they became a mandatory part of the sophomore retreat.”

Sophomore Logan Von Spiegelfeld is excited for his conversation and noted how he feels about them. “I think they’re a good way to strengthen our connection with our teachers and staff here at DeMatha.”  Having someone to go to at school when you need help or are feeling stressed makes school a lot easier. The sophomore conversations are a great opportunity for students to establish a personal relationship with a teacher.