Firsts, Fun and Faith at Loreto
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It was a day of firsts at Loreto on Tuesday 16th September:
- our first retreat with the new year 7 students,
- our first time running a new session called "I am Creative,"
- a first retreat as a Schools Coordinator for Steph Brittain
- and our first retreat working with the amazing Mr Roberts, the new RE teacher at Loreto
But despite all these firsts, praise God, the day was loads of fun, with discussions around faith at the heart of it all.
The theme was “God and Me,” and after an energetic first session where we had the whole Year group in the hall for games, snacks and a chance to think about their own relationship with God. The students then carouselled around three different activities:
Ultimate Questions was a huge hit, and it was amazing to hear so many of the young people share their views about God, creation, suffering and the afterlife with such confidence. Those of us leading this session were impressed by how engaged the students were and how respectful they were of each other’s viewpoints.
Our Step classic “Who is Jesus?” was also well received with students loving the chance to vote on Jesus' claims (and of course the Step teams’ claims) and the moment where they get a chance to tie a knot in a rope without letting go of either end!
And finally, the students were our guinea pigs as we tried out a new session, written by Helena and Mary, called “I am Created”. There were a range of activities the students worked through, exploring what it means to be created, and it was great watching them have a go at being a “Creator” by drawing their own fantasy animals. And there was plenty of time for meaningful discussions around beauty and the negative side of AI.
At the end of the day, I asked the students to give us some written feedback, as I am always keen to hear their thoughts. With only two slightly negative comments amongst over one hundred and fifty pieces of paper, it was clear that their first Step retreat had been a big hit. As I expected, there were plenty of comments about how they had enjoyed the snacks, games, being in their own clothes and getting to know their classmates better. But there were also many remarks about how much they had loved talking about God, hearing from other people, getting to vote and being creative.
Some of my favourite comments are these:
I liked how the Step team didn’t assume or put pressure on us. I liked how we had mind opening discussions, and I liked how the retreat brought me closer to God.
I liked the staff and volunteers.
What stood out to me about today was how interactive the lessons were and still fun and educational. Another thing was how you were allowed to say your opinion without being judged.
I really liked the Ultimate Questions. I liked it because it was interesting to hear everyone’s ideas. It also made me think about things that I haven’t thought about before. I also like how we were debating each other.
I really enjoyed today because I met new people and interacted with more people.
I enjoyed when we played the game between all the forms and came second. I also enjoyed when we got to make our own made-up animal. I didn’t know that people called Jesus Messiah.
It was very affirming to see that the students really valued how open the Step team are and they loved the chance to dig into faith issues. And there were also lots of affirming remarks about how the day had brought some of them closer to God. Overall, it was a brilliant day;
God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit were first, over and above the whole day, helping make it a fun and faith filled day the Year 7’s won’t forgot.
And as always, to finish, I must say a huge thank you to all the team who helped make the day the success it was - Helena, Mary, Jane, Geoff, Graeme, Graham, Steph Jez, John, Charlotte and Mr Roberts at Loreto.
Amy
- our first retreat with the new year 7 students,
- our first time running a new session called "I am Creative,"
- a first retreat as a Schools Coordinator for Steph Brittain
- and our first retreat working with the amazing Mr Roberts, the new RE teacher at Loreto
But despite all these firsts, praise God, the day was loads of fun, with discussions around faith at the heart of it all.
The theme was “God and Me,” and after an energetic first session where we had the whole Year group in the hall for games, snacks and a chance to think about their own relationship with God. The students then carouselled around three different activities:
Ultimate Questions was a huge hit, and it was amazing to hear so many of the young people share their views about God, creation, suffering and the afterlife with such confidence. Those of us leading this session were impressed by how engaged the students were and how respectful they were of each other’s viewpoints.
Our Step classic “Who is Jesus?” was also well received with students loving the chance to vote on Jesus' claims (and of course the Step teams’ claims) and the moment where they get a chance to tie a knot in a rope without letting go of either end!
And finally, the students were our guinea pigs as we tried out a new session, written by Helena and Mary, called “I am Created”. There were a range of activities the students worked through, exploring what it means to be created, and it was great watching them have a go at being a “Creator” by drawing their own fantasy animals. And there was plenty of time for meaningful discussions around beauty and the negative side of AI.
At the end of the day, I asked the students to give us some written feedback, as I am always keen to hear their thoughts. With only two slightly negative comments amongst over one hundred and fifty pieces of paper, it was clear that their first Step retreat had been a big hit. As I expected, there were plenty of comments about how they had enjoyed the snacks, games, being in their own clothes and getting to know their classmates better. But there were also many remarks about how much they had loved talking about God, hearing from other people, getting to vote and being creative.
Some of my favourite comments are these:
I liked how the Step team didn’t assume or put pressure on us. I liked how we had mind opening discussions, and I liked how the retreat brought me closer to God.
I liked the staff and volunteers.
What stood out to me about today was how interactive the lessons were and still fun and educational. Another thing was how you were allowed to say your opinion without being judged.
I really liked the Ultimate Questions. I liked it because it was interesting to hear everyone’s ideas. It also made me think about things that I haven’t thought about before. I also like how we were debating each other.
I really enjoyed today because I met new people and interacted with more people.
I enjoyed when we played the game between all the forms and came second. I also enjoyed when we got to make our own made-up animal. I didn’t know that people called Jesus Messiah.
It was very affirming to see that the students really valued how open the Step team are and they loved the chance to dig into faith issues. And there were also lots of affirming remarks about how the day had brought some of them closer to God. Overall, it was a brilliant day;
God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit were first, over and above the whole day, helping make it a fun and faith filled day the Year 7’s won’t forgot.
And as always, to finish, I must say a huge thank you to all the team who helped make the day the success it was - Helena, Mary, Jane, Geoff, Graeme, Graham, Steph Jez, John, Charlotte and Mr Roberts at Loreto.
Amy
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