We were up early to make the most of the day. The girls started with breakfast at the hotel buffet, which offered a wide variety of options, including typical breakfast fare and traditional British fare like baked beans and black pudding.

After breakfast, we traveled by bus to St. Claudine’s Catholic School for Girls in the Harlesden area of London. On arrival, we were welcomed by a group of students and the school’s chaplain, Annmarie Sylvester-Charles. They led us to a dedicated retreat space where our students and theirs could spend time getting to know one another.

The girls were paired up for a guided tour of the school, and many were surprised by its size. St. Claudine’s serves nearly 900 secondary students, comparable to middle and high school combined. Following the tour, everyone gathered for light refreshments before heading off to shadow classes. The girls chose from a range of subjects, including art, dance, textiles, history, mathematics, drama, geography, and business. They enjoyed learning about topics like Germany during World War II in history, the environmental impact of fast fashion in textiles, and currency conversion in mathematics. They were surprised by the similarity of some curriculum, especially math, and impressed by both the variety of subjects offered.

Next, the students participated in some bonding activities. Outside in the schoolyard, they played group games like arranging themselves by birthday and height before returning indoors for board games together. Lunch was served, followed by time for recess back outside.

Near the end of the visit there was time for final conversations and reflections. We ended our time together with a shared prayer before boarding the bus back to the hotel. We’re looking forward to seeing the St. Claudine’s students again on Friday for our retreat in Felixstowe.

We arrived back at the hotel just after 3 p.m., with some time to rest before regrouping for dinner. We went to a nearby restaurant for dinner where the girls enjoyed a variety of dishes. Afterward, we saw The Lion King at the Lyceum Theater.

Tomorrow, we’ll spend our final day in London exploring Brixton and enjoying afternoon tea!