Saturday, September 08, 2012

24th Annual Jesuit Freshman Overnight Retreat Day 1

Sharon, Jack and I went to the start of the 24th Annual Freshman Overnight Retreat. Starting at 9 am on Saturday, it ends 11:30 am on Sunday. The freshman will be spending the night in the Jesuit Gym. The theme of the retreat is "friendship is being able to be yourself," and the motto of the weekend is that "my life is a gift from my family, my friends, and my God; upon this I shall build."

The retreat is led by a group of 160+ seniors who have been trained as retreat leaders. This retreat occurs in the first quarter of the school year because it is a significant opportunity for freshman to develop as a community of friends, to understand the traditions of Jesuit education, and to believe themselves a vital part of the Jesuit High Family.

After the opening assembly, Sharon and I went to the Parent/Son Exchange activities. The exchange activities incorporate parents, freshman students and senior leaders into a discussion of family relationships, the retreat, and student life. The groups were mixed so that parents and their sons were not in the same room.

Following the Parent/Son Exchange activities, Sharon and I went to a parent luncheon hosted by the Jesuit Booster Club in the Harris Center. We had lunch with the Renterias and the DeAndas.

Jack spent the afternoon working a food drive as part of his community service. There were twenty-five group dinners in the evening at homes of various parents before the boys headed back to the gym for a movie.

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