Lasallian Ambassadors

Lasallian Ambassadors are our schools Chaplaincy team, helping organise, lead and evaluate the faith life of our Catholic school. The purpose of the Lasallian Ambassadors is to promote our Lasallian Values throughout the life of our School. They work alongside staff and students from across the year groups contributing to various things such as:

Liturgy and Worship: This includes praying for the school community as well as helping to organise Mass/Services and prayer times including in Fidei time. This could be through music, reading, altar serving and helping to plan opportunities for prayer, reflection and encounter with God.
Fundraising and Social outreach: There are lots of opportunities for fundraising to support the work of Charities, ensuring we are doing our bit to show love to our neighbours. Ensuring activities are varied, engaging and accessible for the whole school community.
Formation and Evangelisation: There are opportunities for students to be trained in leading different aspects of the school faith life, like planning and leading assemblies, facilitating small group discussion, running fundraising events, working with students from our feeder primary schools among other things. We also have the opportunity to share our faith with others.

The Lasallian Ambassadors come from all year groups and all Fidei groups are invited. We meet once a week for prayer, fun, planning and training in different aspects of the faith life of our Catholic school. There are also many opportunities to go on trips such as Retreats and Training Days specifically for Lasallian Ambassadors, as well as representing the school at Deanery events like the Combined Schools Mass and the Good Shepherd Mass.

1719 Society

The 1719 Society is our student leadership body. Members make applications to Mr McKenna and Mrs Poole during the Summer Term of Y10, followed by a formal interview process and if selected they become members of the 1719 Society. This involves weekly meetings, representing and serving the school community, providing a voice for students, working together as a student leadership team and many other duties across the school year.

Retreats

Students at St Margaret Ward have the opportunity to go on retreat at various times throughout their time at school. Typically, the annual retreat program involves Y7s spending a week at Castlerigg Manor, Y8 and 9 going to Soli House and Y10 and 11 going to our Lasallian Pastoral Centre, Kintbury.

Here’s what some of our students have said about going on retreat in the past:

‘The staff were so friendly and made us feel welcome’
‘I didn’t expect the views, they were beautiful, their garden was also amazing’
‘this retreat was AMAZING and I would recommend this to anyone who wants to get to know themselves or get to know god/your beliefs’
‘Kintbury 2024 was honestly one of the best school trips I have been on and I would highly recommend it to others.’
‘AMAZING STAFF, literally awesome as they helped us to reflect on how to be our best self’
“This trip was very spiritually uplifting and has given me amazing memories I’ll remember for the rest of my life”
“I became more confident and the staff there really made you feel welcome”.

Click photos to enlarge.

Lourdes

Students from Year 12 are given the opportunity to go to Lourdes. Lourdes is in the South of France and is where St Bernadette experienced a vision of Our Lady, Mother of Jesus.

Today, pilgrims travel from all around the world to visit this very special place. Some go just out of curiosity, others on pilgrimage, and others to pray. However, for some it is a place for those who are sick, suffering or dying.

Our students join the Diocesan pilgrimage and go not only for their own personal reasons, but to help support those who are ill, have limited mobility or in need. It is a wonderful experience and many of our students have returned to carry on the work they began in year 12. For some of our students, it has led them into the caring professions.

Here’s what some of them have said about their experiences:

‘We had an amazing time in which we have developed our relationship with God and with ourselves.’
‘The overwhelming sense of community and presence of God was such a privileged thing to experience.’
‘To be able to see so many people from diverse backgrounds come together for the common goal of visiting such a holy place is a magical memory that we will carry with us for the rest of our life and will probably never witness elsewhere.’