SVDP School holds retreat to learn more about patron saint
Front row: Steele Scott and Peyton Self; back row: Brody Haggarty, Carter Hansen, Sage Sayah, and Finn Miller playing Pirates & Saints
St. Vincent dePaul Catholic School in Long Beach held a day long retreat and celebration to commemorate the feast day of its patron – St. Vincent dePaul. Students in grades 1 – 6 moved through six different stations designed to help them learn more about St. Vincent, the Church, and their faith. In the art room, students worked together to create a faux stained-glass window; in the church (Holy Family Parish) they had a refresher about Mass manners; and in the cafeteria they participated in a scavenger hunt in which the clues were all about St. Vincent’s journey into sainthood. Then in the gym they played “Saints and Pirates” which is a spin on the PE game “Ships and Sailors”; in the library they participated in Visio Divina using a beautiful stained-glass image of St. Vincent; and in one of the pods they sang “The Servant Song” and discussed the lyrics and how they are called to serve others.
After the first three stations, everyone had longer than normal lunch time. Parents and families were invited to “tailgate” with their children and tents were set up along the school grounds. To finish the day, everyone gathered in the gym. The first principal of St. Vincent, Mrs. Elizabeth Fortenberry spoke about how the school got its name. Then the staff and students watched a recorded message from seminarian, Jacob Lott.
Kindergarten and pre-school had their own special retreat day led by Mary Benvenuti with help from volunteers from Our Lady Academy coming to their classrooms.
