From Sunday, March 15, to Wednesday, March 18, NDB juniors and seniors will depart for the retreat Kairos. Held at Redwood Glen Camp and Conference Center in Loma Mar, California, NDB students annually attend this retreat to bond with their classmates, reflect on themselves and let the inevitable stresses of life go.
“I am very excited to go to Kairos this year,” said senior and leader at the retreat, Nikki Guinasso. “I am very excited for the new people to experience Kairos, especially because some of them are my friends.”
Kairos is a retreat that allows NDB students to pause and take a break from school, homework and even their phones. Yes, that is right – on this 4-day spiritual retreat, people are forbidden from bringing along their devices. This is because taking one’s phone to the retreat would take away from the experience altogether. This retreat is about connecting with others, not looking at a phone.
“I am very excited to go as a leader because I am excited to watch everybody experience Kairos for themselves and find something new about themselves that maybe they didn’t know before, and I’m excited to lead everybody in their lessons,” said senior and leader Maisie Street. “I’m most looking forward to hanging out with my friends and taking a break from school while also helping people through whatever they need to go through.”
When one attends this retreat, they are not allowed to talk about it outside of the retreat itself. That is how the secrecy of the retreat comes into play and is really highlighted, because students need to go on this retreat to understand what it offers. This is what makes Kairos such a unique experience, as it allows students to have their time at the retreat while not “ruining” it for others who might want to go in future years.
“Yes, I’m very excited,” said teacher Elizabeth Neapolitan about being an advisor for the retreat. “I’m most excited about being with a new group of students and just to watch them grow and seeing what transitions over the course of the week.”
Overall, the Kairos retreat will certainly be one to remember for the juniors and seniors attending, as they will experience four days of something they have never experienced before. They will learn about themselves, find release from the stresses of life and connect with one another.
