Last Friday, the freshmen, sophomores and juniors set their notebooks and pencils aside to embark on a non-academic retreat. Each class took their own respective trip that led to different adventures and discoveries.

The freshmen journeyed to the Sacred Heart campus in Atherton to visit the retired RSCJ at Oakwood. The experience included a teacher guided tour around the campus, a visit with the retired nuns, and some outdoor activities. Every student was grouped with several other comrades and one or two of the sisters. It was interesting to learn of the different stories that each sister shared with us and how they all got to where they are today. At the very end, Coach Johnson and Coach Railey led two games of flag football, while other students ventured off to do their own thing. In the end, the trip was enlightening to those who took advantage of the opportunity.

The sophomores stayed on campus to work on feats of poetry with Youth Speaks. The tenth grade class was mentored by four poets who helped each student develop his poetry skills. Students were given a template for a poem about honesty and truthfulness, and they wrote and refined their poems all throughout the day.  While their experience differed from the other two classes’ off campus adventures, they invested their time in developing skills that could be useful in the future.

The juniors had probably the most extensive retreat of the three. Mr. Campos and Mr. Vasquez led the junior class on an overnight trip to Point Bonita in Marin. The goal was to build camaraderie between classmates and to find one’s spiritual self. They stayed in bunked cabins, each containing 10 students. The class undertook activities such as a sweat lodge, drumming and even a spiritual hike. The overnight trip had a big effect on the junior class, as it brought them all closer together as they prepared for their summer before senior year.

The seniors, who stayed home for the day, are now preparing for their retreat to the Marin Headlands in April. Though different, each of the retreats, across classes and across years, help us live out the five goals of the Sacred Heart Schools.