By Alex Sperling '22
These past two years have been full of all types of trials and tribulations for the entire Chez Nous community. From zoom, to hybrid learning, to the return of a full, in person, five day schedule, adjusting has been difficult on everyone. After almost two full years of no in-person school wide events, being a member of the retreat leadership team for our first retreat back was insanely nerve wracking. The fact that the retreat was set to be in the Dolan Center this year, rather than a retreat house, also threw us all for a loop. Not only were the seniors incredibly anxious about how their first time leading a retreat would go, but the freshmen were also skeptical about the event. However, things went well, not only for the seniors, but for the freshmen, as well.
In an interview, freshman Olivia Hansen said, “The retreat was so much better than I thought it would be. My friends and I got a chance to talk to the seniors and have genuine and real conversations that everyone could relate to in academics and within navigating friendships. It was shocking how we seemed to be living parallel lives in a sense and my friends and I definitely benefited from the advice that they gave.” Olivia perfectly encompases here exactly what these retreats are supposed to be about and how they are meant to benefit the younger members of the student body. Despite all the initial awkwardness that tends to come at the start of these retreats, the end goal should always be to create real bonds throughout grade levels at ND. COVID-19 made it immensely difficult to form connections with girls in other grade levels last year because we were all in the building on separate days. However, this retreat served its purpose incredibly well and brought a lot of girls much closer together. It was refreshing for the girls to be able to give up their phones for the day and really take a break from technology, after being stuck behind Zoom screens for so long. We were able to connect on a deeper level with one another, talking about important topics such as friendship, trust, and sharing personal life stories and experiences. It was nice to see such commonalities between myself and the underclassmen because it reminded me that we all really are the same in so many ways--just young teen girls, who are all trying to navigate their most formative years and make the best out of their high school experience.
Not only was the retreat a great experience for the underclassmen, but it also served a great purpose for the seniors too! Student Council President, Hannah Delaney, said, “I think the retreat was a refreshing opportunity for the freshmen to take a step back and be present. It was important for them, and for us seniors, to step back from the stress of school and spend time with ourselves and our peers. I think it was especially important for us seniors to remember we were once freshmen too, and have had the same experiences as them. It’s pretty rare that the seniors and the freshmen at Notre Dame get the chance to talk openly, but it’s so crucial to our Chez Nous sisterhood, and we accomplished this at freshman retreat.” The retreat was an excellent time for me, as well as all the other seniors, to really reflect back on their high school experience so far. After losing so much time, it has become apparent to us all how much we missed just being around each other, and how much we value and appreciate each other. ND is truly a community of insanely genuine, caring, and kind-hearted young women. It was nice to see how much all of my fellow seniors have grown up and really found themselves over these last four years. We have all grown and matured so much, yet all of those astounding qualities that Mr. Grote saw in all of us to grant us admission to Notre Dame, four years ago, not only still holds true, but has also been enhanced Chez Nous.
Although the majority of us went into the retreat really nervous and unsure of what to expect, I think I can safely speak for all in saying the outcome was nothing short of amazing. The underclassmen were able to really seek council in their senior leaders and be open with them about their thoughts upon joining the ND community. They were able to find people that they know will be there for them throughout their high school experience and that they can go to for advice or simply a conversation, whenever it is needed. The seniors also were able to learn a lot through this experience. Not only did they learn about leadership, but they also gained a greater understanding of and appreciation for their younger school mates. Seniors were able to use this retreat to really remember what they were thinking and feeling as freshmen, and come to the conclusion that despite the age difference, it is not much different from what the current freshmen are going through now. The retreat really helped the students at Notre Dame connect with each other on a level that was so difficult to achieve over these prior two years at school. The 9th grade retreat truly revived our school community and was able to bring Chez Nous back to life.
All photos courtesy of Mr. McDonald via ND Instagram
Editors: Kate Maloney '25, Natalia Cseh '23, Ms. Brilliant
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