Company Gathering Day: Fun and Appreciation
Notre Dame Hosts Annual Retreat and Wellbeing Day
On Thursday, July 11th, Notre Dame staff participated in their yearly Retreat and Wellbeing Day. This significant event provides a dedicated time for reflection, fostering a sense of joy and gratitude within the school community.
The theme for this year's retreat was 'joy and gratitude', a choice that reflects two key virtues exemplified in the life of St Julie Billiart, the founder of the Notre Dame order of the sisters who started the college.
In preparation for the retreat, the Principal asked students to write a prayer or reflect on what brings them joy. This exercise set the tone for a day focused on self-reflection and wellbeing.
The retreat was led by Steve Johnston, Head of Digital, and a number of students responded from various faiths and none. One student expressed that joy is friends and family, while another defined joy as finding fun in everyday activities.
Sophie Simpson from SSD Dance and Wellbeing taught a dance class for staff, and she expressed her support for the retreat concept and shared her positive experience. Justine Barlow, a staff member, also expressed gratitude for the opportunity for staff to reflect on things that bring them joy.
The day was filled with a variety of wellbeing activities. Staff enjoyed a shared lunch and had options such as touch rugby, bootcamp, summer reading, creative writing, home fermentation, line dancing, wellbeing planting, a FIFA tournament, a walk through Hyde Park, and a gel nail activity to choose from.
Staff also participated in the 'Three Good Things' activity, a gratitude exercise, and reflected on the Examen exercise led by Maria Coyle. The day concluded with a short liturgy led by Lay Chaplain, Agnes Colantuoni.
Another student expressed gratitude for God's faithfulness, peace, teachers, friends, and their belief in them. The retreat was a success, with many staff members expressing hope that everyone will experience a spark of joy during the retreat.
Sophie Simpson, who taught the dance class, summed up the day's sentiment, "The Retreat and Wellbeing Day encourages participants to engage in self-reflection and wellbeing activities, promoting emotional and spiritual health within the school community." This holistic approach to wellness, which includes spiritual dimensions, aligns with the values of Notre Dame and the spirit of St Julie Billiart.
- The retreat's focus on self-reflection and wellbeing activities promotes personal growth, fostering an atmosphere of self-improvement through activities like creative writing, home fermentation, and the 'Three Good Things' exercise.
- The combination of lifestyle activities, such as dance classes and touch rugby, with education and self-development sessions, like the Examen exercise and faith-based reflections, embodies the fashion-and-beauty of fun, active pursuits and the education-and-self-development of spiritual and emotional growth.
