St Margaret Ward students enthused by retreats

Students at St Margaret Ward Catholic Academy have had the benefit of two wonderful retreats recently that saw them greatly enthused.

Laudato Si’ Champions Day

In January 2024, a group of students from St Margaret Ward visited Alton Castle for a Retreat Day provided by the Kenelm Youth Trust looking at Pope Francis’ encyclical ‘Laudato Si’.

Students learned about the content of the letter, some context for the problems our planet is facing and what we can do about it. They were then encouraged to think about what they could do within school to take better care of our planet in a more local sense.

The students were excellent role models and represented the school well, and were enthused by the content of the day.

Kintbury Retreat

During the last week of January, a group of our Y10 and 11 students went on retreat to our Lasallian pastoral centre, St Cassian’s, in Kintbury. They had a great time, taking part in various outdoor activities including archery and a low ropes course.

They also had time for prayer, reflection and discussion in small groups about the importance of faith. Here’s some of their comments on how they found the week away:

‘Kintbury 2024 was honestly one of the best school trips I have been on and I would highly recommend it to others.’

‘AMAZING STAFF, literally awesome as they helped us to reflect on how to be our best self’

‘It was so good and a great experience, you meet new people and become really close with others’

‘It really helps you emotionally and spiritually and you also get to meet new people.’