Growing in Their Faith - SAA & CBHS Students Collaborate to Lead Junior High Retreat

Our Junior High students recently gathered for a retreat day at Church of the Incarnation, focusing on the theme  “Being Known By God.” Through prayer, activities and discussion, they were challenged to see themselves as God sees them and encouraged to grow in their faith. The retreat was guided not only by student leaders from St. Agnes Upper School, but also by students from Christian Brothers High School.  

These types of  student-led retreats have  become part of the fabric of our Dominican identity at SAA-SDS.  Supporting both the Pillars of Prayer and Community, Upper School students take on the responsibility of planning and leading our Lower School classes in day-long retreats. However, this was the first time we partnered with CBHS, providing a wonderful opportunity for our Upper School students as well as the young men at CBHS to share their faith journey.   

The addition of the CBHS retreat leaders was a natural progression aligning with our move to single-gender religion classes in the Junior High this year. 

"Our decision to structure SAA-SDS Junior High religion classes as single gender was intentional, rooted in our desire to create a space where students feel comfortable engaging in meaningful discussions about faith and personal growth,” said Beth Odom, Director of Dominican Catholic Identity.  “In that same spirit, we were excited to have the young men from CBHS join us  as leaders, ensuring that all students see faith modeled in a way that resonates with them personally. This approach reflects our commitment to providing a well-rounded, thoughtful, and impactful retreat experience,” Mrs. Odom said.

SAA-SDS students begin participating in annual class retreats in 2nd grade. Class retreats are planned strategically to enhance the theology curriculum for the year and provide a chance for students to experience their faith in a less formal setting than the classroom. 

“The purpose of the 7th and 8th grade retreat is to foster a sense of belonging during the years where students are searching for their place amongst their peers,” said Upper School Theology teacher Dorissa Robinson.  Planning for the Jr. High retreat  started at the beginning of the school year with the SAA and CBHS students meeting several times throughout the year to prepare. 

“We met to collaborate as a team so that we could create a day to remember for the 7th and 8th graders,” said SAA junior Olivia McCullough. “Having the CBHS leaders planning with us gave us a different perspective for the 7th/8th grade boys.” 

Serving on a retreat team is a big commitment by the students, however, they all see great value in student-led retreats. “As high school students, we can relate to what is happening in their lives and give advice or just listen,” said Olivia. “Also, it is very important because the junior high students will soon be coming into high school, so once they get there, they will be able to see familiar faces in the hallways and talk to us if they ever need anything.”

“I wanted to be a retreat leader so I could act as a role model for the junior high girls and help prepare them for their transition into high school,” added SAA junior Kalleigh Boswell. “It is important to me everyone feels like they can approach someone they do not know-and I hope I have helped them be able to branch out and meet new people.”

Stephine Brezinski, a CBHS senior and SDS alumnus (Class of 2021) remembers how impactful retreats were when he was a student at St. Dominic, and he was pleased to be able to give back.  

“When I was in middle school, having older students lead the retreat made the experience more relatable and engaging for me,” Stephen said.  “I think the value of a student-led retreat is that it makes spiritual discussions feel more accessible. Younger students may be more willing to open up and engage when they see that faith isn’t just something taught by teachers, but something lived out by their peers.

“I hope I contributed to the spiritual growth of the junior high boys by leading by example and being open about my own experiences, encouraging their participation, and helping them connect retreat lessons to their own lives. Personally, I gained a lot from this experience as well. It reinforced my own faith and leadership skills, and it was rewarding to see the boys become more engaged as the retreat went on,” Stephen added. 

In addition to the talks, prayers and discussions, each of our class retreats has a service component.  During this retreat the 7th and 8th graders made blankets which will be given to Room at the Inn.