Event - Whole School Retreat Day

4 November 2016

On Friday 4th November we held our first every whole school retreat day. Dan and Emily visited our school to lead the whole school retreat, which was a completely different day in school with a focus on being a Disciple of Jesus.

First of all we began by singing and talking together. We even had a Face time call from the Archbishop!

Following a short break the children worked on a variety of activities in their classrooms. The children created Disciple Footprints, by drawing around their feet, decorated crosses to take home as a reminder of the day and created a Passport Portfolio about themselves. Dan and Emily also visited each class to teach some more lovely songs!

After lunch the whole school went back into the hall to sing together and share the work that they had all completed in their classrooms.

Following a short break the children all returned to the hall to take part in a whole school Liturgy to complete the retreat day. Parents were also invited to take part in the Liturgy. On entering the hall some of the Year 6 children held chalices containing holy water from Lourdes for the children to bless themselves as they entered.

This was a truly beautiful day in school which gave children time to think about their own faith, what it means to be a disciple and how we can be a disciple of Jesus in our everyday lives.

Singing and talking together.		We completed activities together for our Class Disciple Book.
Reception class sharing their work.		Year 1 decorating their crosses.
Year 2 drawing around their feet and cutting out for their Passport Portfolio.		Year 3 decorating their crosses.
Year 4 working on their Passport Portfolio.		Year 5 working on their Passport Portfolio.
Children in Year 6 taking a break from creating their footprints to work with Dan and Emily.		Everyone gathered together again.
The children then worked in their class groups to answer questions about how we can be good disciples.		We then all sang and acted out a ‘wiggle’ song – everyone thought this was great fun!
Sharing their work and placed their footprints and passports on the prayer display.		Children blessing themselves on entering the hall.
Year 6 children led the prayers and song actions during the Liturgy.		We sang and ended our retreat day together in the hall.