Upper Campus Retreats

Retreats at ASA are a wonderful opportunity for students to spend the whole day together growing in faith. On Thursday, March 9th, the 7th graders participated in a retreat in the Brophy Center of St. Jude Church. The theme of the retreat was the Eucharist. The day started with Mass led by Father Ayub, who also made an appearance at the retreat. Students enjoyed playing a quiz game to get to know Father Ayub better and had a chance to ask him any questions they had. Father also shared his thoughts on the Eucharist and discussed the importance of not taking that moment for granted and truly reflecting on Christ’s presence every time we receive communion. Grant noted, “I really enjoyed chatting with Father Ayub because it helped me understand the Eucharist and realize how important it is.”

Throughout the day, the 7th graders participated in multiple activities including creating skits that retold specific scripture passages, reflecting on the human qualities of Jesus and how they can be applied to everyday life, and a scavenger hunt that sent them around the school looking for images that reminded them of certain lines in the Eucharistic prayer. Some fun was mixed in as well; students tried out the human knot challenge and watched a try not to laugh video. According to Stella, “We were really able to open up and have fun throughout the retreat.” Mattie agreed and added, “I feel like our class really bonded from the retreat.”

On April 14th, the 6th grade class went on a retreat to Camp Roger in Rockford. Together, they enjoyed a day of team-building as they participated in outdoor activities, physical challenges, problem-solving, and fun, bringing each other closer together. Each member of the 6th grade class actively participated in each activity working closely with peers and encouraging one another to do their best and persevere - even in uncomfortable situations.

The day began by working in small groups and using few resources to build a campfire. After groups successfully built their fires, they were able to use them to cook and enjoy popcorn! Next, students participated in a physical challenge in which they had to get each member of their class from one set of planks to another using only a rope swing to transfer one another back and forth. Afterward, students went rock climbing and most students pushed themselves past comfortable limits to climb to the top of the tower! Later, students played various games in which they had to work together to achieve a common goal. Finally, they ended their day by canoeing and roasting marshmallows. It was heartwarming to watch this class bond together and encourage each other through the day's trials as well as just have fun! Every child had a smile on his face all day and seemed to enjoy the experience!

One student describes her experience in this way: “What I liked about Camp Roger was that there were many different fun activities outdoors. One of the activities taught kids how to start a fire and cook popcorn kernels, which helped if they ever got lost in the middle of nowhere. Another activity was rock climbing. Rock climbing was a team activity because there were two teams that would help the teammate climbing. They would hold the rope when their teammates were climbing. There were two adults that would supervise in case anything went wrong. Of course, nothing went wrong, but everyone had a lot of fun. Camp Roger was both fun and educational.”

Our fifth-grade students, in addition to their farm days, experienced a mini-retreat last month. Fifth graders enjoyed a presentation with Coach Killroy as he talked about the importance of forgiveness in our lives. Students loved his energy, props, and how he shared his musical talents throughout the presentation. A favorite moment was using martial arts to attack sin! Students left Coach Killroy reflecting on how when you forgive, you let go of a grudge, and you ultimately feel better. Ben shared, " I learned it's important to listen with our ears, hearts, mouths, and brains. If we do this, we'll understand each other better."