Today I want to share my day with you — a day filled with the essence of our institution. Here at the Assumption Institute of Querétaro, where our guiding motto is “Community that humanizes and transforms,” the annual retreat for students is one of the foundational activities of our educational project.
The format we implement in secondary school is truly special. It stands out for the way the teachers of each grade work together to design the retreat for their respective groups. This not only allows us to carefully plan the life message we hope to convey, but also to connect with the students from a more relaxed and personal perspective than in the traditional academic setting.
Each grade works on a different thematic objective, thoughtfully designed to address generational needs and key stages of human development, while integrating the formation offered by our Assumption charism. In this way, every activity aims to help the student engage fully with the message, deepening their growth as a whole person: with themselves, with others, with the environment and with God.
To address the wholeness of the person in these four dimensions, the content focuses on illuminating one’s personal outlook, recognizing that identity is shaped both by inner strength and by how others perceive us. We understand that individual strengths nurture the needs of others, and vice versa. We also value and promote the care of our Common Home. All of this is lived with the awareness that we are children of God, whose presence and love are our constant support and strength.
Sharing this formative, reflective and playful process with students leads me to think that this is what life is about: building a community founded on the value of encounter. As people, in any environment, we share ourselves through dialogue and the relationships we build, acknowledging that we inhabit this space through a daily encounter grounded in faith. This is how we truly become the Community that humanizes and transforms.
Marlé Uribe Ortiz
Educational Psychologist, Assumption Institute of Querétaro, Mexico.