Skip to main content

Grade 5 Retreat

On Wednesday, fifth graders enjoyed a spiritual retreat led by Ms. Kathol. After a hearty breakfast (thank you, parents!), they settled in for a morning of prayer, reflection, and discussion. There was inward reflection, a collective sharing of personal moments with God, mindfulness activities focused around breathing centered in God, and station work.

Fueling up for the day at breakfast.

Welcoming the fifth grade and going over expectations for the day. 

Ms. Kathol begins the retreat with an opening prayer by St. Therese of Lisieux (below). Students pass the candle around to share their hope(s) for the day.

May today there be peace within.
May you trust that you are exactly where you are meant to be.
May you not forget the infinite possibilities that are born of faith in yourself and others.
May you use the gifts that you have received, and pass on the love that has been given to you.
May you be content with yourself just the way you are.
Let this knowledge settle into your bones, and allow your soul the freedom to sing, dance, praise and love.
It is there for each and every one of us.
Amen.

The class participates in a breathing exercise.

One of the many thoughtfully-chosen passages incorporated into the day's retreat.

Students illustrate the burning bush in their life that is a living example of God's presence.

Students illustrate the burning bush in their life that is a living example of God's presence.

Class "burning bushes"

Later, the students participated in several stations: God in Nature, God in Others, God in the Struggle, God in Laughter, and God in Music and Silence.

At God in Others, students wrote personal letters to the people in their lives who have shaped them spiritually.



At God in the Struggle, students colored beautiful artwork passages from Scripture and offered intentions.


At God in Laughter, partners found humor in comic scenes depicting moments with God.


Listening to music grounded in faith. Then later, spending several silent minutes in prayer and reflection.


Izzy, finding examples of God in Nature.






Fifth Grade Spiritual Retreat 2020!

Popular posts from this blog

The Week in Review: Feb. 3-7

What a week we had in middle school! From health education to outstanding performances by our students, it was full of excitement. First, the entire class would like to give a big THANK YOU  to our hardworking parents and family members who were able to join us for Grandparent's Day and Parent Visitation. It meant so much to them to have you visit them at school and take part in their daily routines. We know that your time is valuable, and it is so appreciated that you chose to spend it with us these past two mornings! On Wednesday, fourth through sixth graders visited Lankenau Medical Center for health education classes. Fourth and fifth graders learned about the importance of "Safety First," where they reviewed the best choices to make to lead a safe life. They went over everything from how to correctly wear a bicycle helmet to administering the Heimlich maneuver on others in crisis. As always, it was a lively lesson full of demonstrations and hands-on learning. ...
Read more

Black History Month and Mardi Gras Celebrations!

Fifth graders celebrated Fat Tuesday for Mardi Gras with a King Cake in Religion class! On Monday, the entire school took part in a Black History Month celebration. Here, Ms. Brown leads the middle school in a round of "Finish the Lyric," where they completed song lyrics by Whitney Houston, the Jackson 5, Bob Marley, Beyonce, and more!  At another station, they were given iconic images in black history to recreate through illustration. The best work from each division will be chosen to be posted around the school! At their last station, middle schoolers answered trivia questions about famous figures in Black History. This weekend is the annual auction! We hope you can join us this Saturday evening, February 29  for "A Night in Philly" at the Springfield Country Club. The re-enrollment deadline is next Friday, March 6 ! Please remember to send your registration in by next week.
Read more

WOW'ed by Grade 6

Sixth grade hit the ground running, proving that they have been busy this summer with their reading and creativity! They started off the year presenting their summer reading projects. Here are a few snapshots from some notable presentations. Zayda's carnival-themed balloon game was a hit (or bullseye!) for students who answered trivia questions correctly from her WOW book, The Alchemist  by Paulo Coelho. Sean tries his aim at The Alchemist trivia. Sophia treated everyone to sugar pies from her WOW book,  The True Blue Scouts of Sugar Man Swamp by Kathi Appelt. Andrew's diorama of a critical scene from The Hardy Boys: The Tower Treasure. Tom thoroughly enjoyed his summer read, Something Wicked This Way Comes  by Ray Bradbury.  ----------------------------------------  How to Survive Middle School For their first writing assignment, sixth graders were tasked with composing letters of advice to the incoming fifth graders. They shared s...
Read more