Year 9 Dalesdown Retreats

Last week I had the pleasure of spending a day at the Dalesdown Centre with each form in Year 9. Each year, we offer a retreat to each student as part of the Chaplaincy and spiritual life of the school. For year 10-13 this takes the form of a residential, but for students in years 7, 8 and 9 we do this by taking each form group away for a reflective day somewhere in the local area.

 

We spent almost five hours at Dalesdown, which gave us a chance to bond together, learn from one another and think about some things that we perhaps don’t get to think about so often.

 

We started the day by watching a clip from Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. (the part with the three challenges, for those familiar with the movie!) This got us thinking about a few key things, such as the path we take in life, the way in which we recognise what’s going on around us, and the extent to which we are willing to take risks once in a while. We were able to spend the rest of the day reflecting on these things in one way or another, thinking, as we did, about what we have learned about ourselves, and about what God might be trying to say to us about these things.

 

My particular highlights of the days were the picnic lunches we had together each day, and the affirmations we took part in at the end; an activity in which students were invited to write positive, affirming comments to one another.

 

The retreat programme is a key part of life at St. Wilfrid’s, and one which students generally enjoy and get a great deal out of. The next instalment for me is the Year 10 residential in December; a three night stay for around forty students.