Every year at Messmer High School, the students go on retreats. It is a graduation requirement for every grade. Two days in October are designated, with the freshmen through juniors divided into 2 groups, each attending one day. The seniors spend 2 days together, staying overnight.
Theology teacher and Campus Minister Ms. Marianne Giovingo said "Christian Discipleship" was the theme for the freshman retreat this year. Ms. Giovingo explained, "For Messmer being a Catholic school, we want students to experience God in a powerful way....[through] retreats we give God time to speak to our hearts."
Theology teacher Mrs. Chris Nienhaus said, "Messmer believes that a retreat is a time to take a step back and take inventory about our personal past and where we're personally headed. In order to do that we have to slow down and gather outside the normal pace of a typical day. Retreats help us to regroup and set ourselves in motion for continued success."
Freshman Nyree Jones said, "I think Messmer requires retreats so that we have the opportunity to come together with our classes and learn new things about each other. Also, to learn how to become closer to God and overcome life's challenges." Mrs. Nienhaus added, "We hoped that the freshmen would have the opportunity to meet new people and get to know Messmer and some of its great teacher/leaders - we're all on their side and rooting for them to succeed."
Ms. Giovingo said, "Retreats progressively grow on each other [over the four years]. For freshmen...we don’t want to overwhelm them too much...obedience and responsibility you learn as you grow." That’s why freshmen stay at Messmer for their retreat.
Nyree described the retreat, "We expressed ourselves through art, played games that had to deal with life challenges, and talked about how you can overcome those challenges. Also, we built a time capsule that we can’t open until we’re seniors."
Ms. Giovingo said, "I wanted the freshmen to see that in their journey in life they don’t journey alone. All of their family, friends, and God journey with them and they should not be afraid." Nyree added, "I learned from retreats that there will be lots of challenges through high school and beyond high school. But you have to find some way to get through them."
Ms. Giovingo said, "They really enjoyed making caramel apples... I would also say I saw a new way of thinking. They had to get one person on the other side of the rope, and they had to get through it without talking and it helped them think more and they really enjoyed it." Nyree said, "My favorite activity during retreats was when we had to do a jump rope activity because it was the most challenging activity and the most fun."
According to Mrs. Nienhaus, "From what I could tell, they really enjoyed the more physically active activities as well as the caramel apples. They just loved hanging out with each other and getting to know each other since they all come from so many different grade schools and middle schools."
Overall, retreats are something that we all can take and learn something from that will help us in life. Nyree said, "I would like to say that what you learn from your retreats you should use in your life and make it become reality in the real world."
Ms. Giovingo said, "I would encourage the freshmen and other students to allow retreats to become part of their lives." Mrs. Nienhaus said, "I think the teachers and staff who served on the retreat did an outstanding job in their different roles. They played and laughed and told stories that helped everyone to grow spiritually and socially in making new friends and memories that will last a long time."
--Contributed by junior Shela Grant
