This year's theme for St. Mary School's annual All-school Lenten Retreat Day on Friday, March 10, was "Stories of Faith". The student body, faculty and staff attended 9 a.m. Mass, which was led by Grade 2, prayed the Stations of the Cross, led by Grade 6, and returned to school for a day packed with spiritual enrichment.
Highlights from Retreat Day included Montessori through Grade 2 students reading and discussing Bible stories with older students, Bible songs with Mr. Polen, and a resurrection eggs activity.
Mrs. Christina Egleston, St. Mary's Catholic Education Director, gave the K - 2 students a church tour and were also treated to a SoulCore prayer session with Mrs. Jill Fleming (Catholic Education Administrative Assistant) in which they prayed and meditated on the Sorrowful Mysteries of the Rosary while stretching their bodies.
Grades 3 - 5 did a team building activity with Mr. Reeds. Grades 4-5 made fleece blankets for Ronald McDonald House while Grade 3's readers' theatre of the story of Joseph for the second graders culminated with Mr. Polen teaching them the dance to “Go Go Go Joseph” from the musical, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.
We also welcomed special guest speakers from our parish. Mrs. Melissa Gould, shared her photos and experience of the Holy Land with the students in Grades 3 - 8. Dr. Chris Fletcher, who is a member of the 175th Anniversary History Committee spoke to the middle schoolers about the story of our parish - how it was founded and built upon through the years.
St. Mary's Youth Minister, Mr. Mike Slish, guided the 6th - 8th graders through a thought provoking Parable Escape Room exercise.
All grade levels created a Lenten Cross to be incorporated into a composite bulletin board to emphasize that all the stories fit together as part of one journey and that we are one body in Christ. We will be sure to share a photo of the finished masterpiece!
