Several years ago, a group of students felt the call to establish a student-led retreat. That initial retreat has become a tradition at Jackson Academy.
This year, more than 130 seventh through twelfth graders participated in the Retreat, which kicked off after Friday’s football game. Saturday included sessions, games, a theme night, and a service project. Students packed 378 bags of rice for the Christ United Food Pantry. The Retreat concluded on Sunday.
Student Led
“Student leaders Kendall Edmonson and Landry Lester have worked really hard planning this event, and I am excited to see all their plans become reality!” said faculty member Austin Fortenberry in the days leading up to the Retreat. Fortenberry was one of several adult chaperones, including Dean Arnold, Brandi Richardson, Josh Hinkle, and Rebecca Fowler. Numerous families offered host homes during the weekend.
Working with guest speaker Mark Hikes, Kendall and Landry organized and planned the weekend. “The Retreat was completely led by juniors and seniors,” said Landry. “We planned everything and led the small groups, allowing the upper students to get to know the younger students. It was such a fun experience to help lead and plan such an amazing weekend.”
Relationship Building
Interaction among Middle School and Upper School is one of the many benefits students find in the retreat, positively impacting the student community. “This weekend experience creates relationships between people from all different grade levels,” she said. “I think it allows us to know more people, which encourages us to be kind to younger students. The younger students also get to know the older students, so they can talk to us at school. The JA community is strengthened because of the many relationships that were created at the Retreat.”
In addition to spending time worshiping, the Retreat provided a rare opportunity for teenagers to just relax and enjoy simple things like playing games, singing karaoke, and dancing, said Head of Upper School Brandi Richardson. “Upper School students at Jackson Academy take a challenging course load and participate in multiple activities and extracurriculars after school and on the weekends. Our teenagers have a limited amount of unscheduled free time,” she said. “It was refreshing to see students throwing football, singing, and dancing for an hour after dinner–they simply enjoyed one another’s company with very little distraction or elaborate entertainment. Their faces exhibited smiles and a sense of relaxation that we rarely get to see. Overall, it was a wonderful weekend for students!”
The Promise of Jesus
The Retreat offers the opportunity to build a deeper relationship with Jesus. It gives guidance about living a life of faith. “Our speaker, Mark Hikes, talked about how important our relationship is with Jesus. He explained that heaven is like a huge party, and in order to go, you must know the host, which is Jesus. If you don’t know the host, you can’t go,” Landry said. “Additionally, he told us to focus on the promise of Jesus, not the pressure of trying to be perfect.”
That promise continues to be shared yearly as Upper School student leaders step up to plan and organize the Retreat. “I love that every student gets to come to the Retreat with an open mindset and learn about Jesus with their friends,” Landry said. “I also love that people from different grades get to know each other, which is so fun to keep those relationships after the weekend is over. “
