Freshman Overnight Retreat - Bellarmine College Preparatory
Source: https://www.bcp.org/faith-service/retreats/freshman-overnight-retreat
Archived: 2026-04-23 17:15
Freshman Overnight Retreat - Bellarmine College Preparatory
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Freshman Overnight Retreat
en español
bằng tiếng Việt
The Freshman Overnight Retreat offers the entire class a chance to connect, grow, and experience Bellarmine’s foundational values together. Guided by faculty, staff, and their Big Brothers, freshmen will engage in meaningful, hands-on experiences that bring Ignatian spirituality to life.
When
Thursday, January 14th - Friday, January 15th, 2027 (Overnight)
Where
Asilomar Conference Center
in Pacific Grove, California
Check In:
Students, accompanied by their parents, should report to Bellarmine on
Thursday, January 14th
(more information about exact arrival time will be given closer to the date) and expect to return to Bellarmine on
Friday, January 30, between 1:00 and 2:00pm
. Students will need to leave their phone with their parents at check-in. For more info about this policy,
click here
.
What We Need From Parents
Before Retreat (by June 1st):
All registration information has been sent via email from Cindy Bailey (
cbailey@bcp.org
) and Kat Martin (
kmartin@bcp.org)
, so please make sure that those emails are not going to your junk folder.
Complete the following forms in
Magnus
by June 1st, 2025:
Freshman Retreat Permission Form
Retreat Behavior Contract
Dietary Restrictions Questionnaire
For instructions on how to use Magnus, please refer to
this Magnus info page
.
Day of Retreat (January 14th):
MORNING
Check-In
Accompany student to check-in table in the main gym with their cell phone and luggage (see packing list below).
If you are unable to attend with your student, we’ll share alternative instructions closer to the retreat.
Optional Send-Off
Stay after check-in and join the send-off celebration at 9:15 AM near the baseball field and parking structure as buses depart. A fun way to cheer and bless students as they head out!
EVENING
Optional Virtual Parent Retreat Glimpse
Take a peek into the day of your student and their retreat experience.
Enjoy prayer and community with other freshman Bell parents.
Day of Return (January 15th):
Arrival: Buses return between 1 PM and 2 PM near the baseball field and parking structure.
What to Bring
Note:
All luggage must fit in a 22" x 14" x 9" soft-sided duffel bag. Students are limited to one item of luggage for under-bus storage.
Students may bring a drawstring bag or backpack to carry their water and snacks in while on retreat, but that item will need to remain on their lap for the duration of the bus ride to and from the retreat site.
2-3 snacks to keep in their room to be consumed if they get hungry between meals (should be individually packed, in disposable packaging, and nut free)
A refillable water bottle
2 shirts
1 pair of jeans or more durable pants (we will be on the beach both days)
1 pair of comfy pants like sweatpants for evening activities
1 set of pajamas
2-3 pairs of underwear
2-3 pairs of socks
ALL medications you need (prescriptions, EpiPens, inhalers—do not leave these at home)
An extra pair of shoes
1 beach towel
Toiletries: toothbrush, toothpaste, floss, soap, shampoo, medicine (if needed)
Outerwear: A warm waterproof coat or a waterproof liner with a warm sweatshirt or jacket underneath
1 sweatshirt or sweater
Optional: Shower shoes or flip-flops
Optional: Umbrella, hat
Note: Bed linens and bath towels are provided by Asilomar. Laundry is not available.
Tech
like school-issued Surface, iPads, laptops, gaming systems, etc.
Homework
— Teachers have been asked not to make any freshman assignments due while we are away on retreat. No freshman assignments will be due until the Monday we return to school.
Will freshmen have their cell phones on the retreat?
Will freshmen miss classes, practices, or games?
Is there a fee to attend this retreat?
Can parents attend?
What will the food be like?
How are rooms assigned? What is the lodging like?
How many Bellarmine faculty and staff members are attending this retreat?
How will students get to and from Asilomar?
No, Bellarmine students are not allowed to use their cell phones on any retreat, just like they are not allowed to have cell phones during the school day. Students will not have phones on retreat (unless it is a medically required device).
Parents are asked to arrive on the day of retreat with your student to the check-in table, receive contact info, and turn in the phone to be taken home by you, the parent/guardian. If there is a special circumstance or reason the student will not go back home after the retreat, they can leave the phone to be stored securely on the BCP campus until they return after the retreat.
Students will have access to communication if needed. Bellarmine faculty and staff will have both their own cell phones and walkie talkies to communicate throughout the retreat. Students can ask their adult retreat leader to make a call or contact their parents if needed.
To contact retreat staff while your student is on retreat, please call 408-537-9485.
To support the Freshman Retreat, Bellarmine has canceled classes on both Thursday and Friday for all grade levels allowing faculty and staff to travel to Pacific Grove to assist with the retreat.
Sophomores, Juniors, and Seniors have optional days of service on Thursday and Friday.
Bellarmine’s athletic department has rescheduled all games and canceled all freshman practices for Thursday. Freshmen will arrive back at school on Friday in time to attend any games and practices.
No, the cost for this retreat is included in tuition. There is no additional fee to attend the retreat.
No, parents cannot attend. However, there will be a virtual parent component on Thursday night that parents can attend to get a taste of the retreat (more information on that coming soon).
There will be an optional send-off celebration after the sign-in. Remain on campus until 9:15 to cheer while the buses depart.
Although we don’t have a precise menu at this time, Asilomar has provided a sample menu
here
. Asilomar will be able to accommodate students’ allergies and dietary restrictions. Please make sure that your Magnus forms are up to date with this information. We will only be able to accommodate what is reported on Magnus.
Lodging at Asilomar varies by building. Two to four students will be assigned to a room, each with his own bed. Some rooms have a bathroom within the room. Some students will share a communal bathroom on their floor. Freshmen will only be assigned to a room with other freshmen.
Big Brothers, the upperclassmen mentors leading the retreat, will room with each other. In a given building, Big Brothers, Bellarmine faculty and staff, and freshmen will be assigned rooms near each other so that everyone is adequately supervised and Bellarmine faculty and staff are available to help students as needed.
Freshmen are not able to select their room assignments or request roommates.
Click here
to see a sample of what lodging at Asilomar looks like.
Approximately 90 Bellarmine faculty and staff members are attending the retreat in a variety of capacities, with 60 staff on site at a time. With approximately 600 students attending, both Big Brothers and freshmen, that gets us to a student-to-teacher ratio of 9:1, which will help provide a safe and rewarding experience for all retreatants.
Bellarmine will provide buses to travel to Asilomar on Thursday morning and back to Bellarmine on Friday afternoon. More details about departure and arrival will become available closer to the retreat dates.
For any questions
before the retreat,
contact Cindy Bailey at cbailey@bcp.org.
For any questions
during the retreat,
call 408-537-9485.
Skip To Main Content
Freshman Overnight Retreat
en español
bằng tiếng Việt
The Freshman Overnight Retreat offers the entire class a chance to connect, grow, and experience Bellarmine’s foundational values together. Guided by faculty, staff, and their Big Brothers, freshmen will engage in meaningful, hands-on experiences that bring Ignatian spirituality to life.
When
Thursday, January 14th - Friday, January 15th, 2027 (Overnight)
Where
Asilomar Conference Center
in Pacific Grove, California
Check In:
Students, accompanied by their parents, should report to Bellarmine on
Thursday, January 14th
(more information about exact arrival time will be given closer to the date) and expect to return to Bellarmine on
Friday, January 30, between 1:00 and 2:00pm
. Students will need to leave their phone with their parents at check-in. For more info about this policy,
click here
.
What We Need From Parents
Before Retreat (by June 1st):
All registration information has been sent via email from Cindy Bailey (
cbailey@bcp.org
) and Kat Martin (
kmartin@bcp.org)
, so please make sure that those emails are not going to your junk folder.
Complete the following forms in
Magnus
by June 1st, 2025:
Freshman Retreat Permission Form
Retreat Behavior Contract
Dietary Restrictions Questionnaire
For instructions on how to use Magnus, please refer to
this Magnus info page
.
Day of Retreat (January 14th):
MORNING
Check-In
Accompany student to check-in table in the main gym with their cell phone and luggage (see packing list below).
If you are unable to attend with your student, we’ll share alternative instructions closer to the retreat.
Optional Send-Off
Stay after check-in and join the send-off celebration at 9:15 AM near the baseball field and parking structure as buses depart. A fun way to cheer and bless students as they head out!
EVENING
Optional Virtual Parent Retreat Glimpse
Take a peek into the day of your student and their retreat experience.
Enjoy prayer and community with other freshman Bell parents.
Day of Return (January 15th):
Arrival: Buses return between 1 PM and 2 PM near the baseball field and parking structure.
What to Bring
Note:
All luggage must fit in a 22" x 14" x 9" soft-sided duffel bag. Students are limited to one item of luggage for under-bus storage.
Students may bring a drawstring bag or backpack to carry their water and snacks in while on retreat, but that item will need to remain on their lap for the duration of the bus ride to and from the retreat site.
2-3 snacks to keep in their room to be consumed if they get hungry between meals (should be individually packed, in disposable packaging, and nut free)
A refillable water bottle
2 shirts
1 pair of jeans or more durable pants (we will be on the beach both days)
1 pair of comfy pants like sweatpants for evening activities
1 set of pajamas
2-3 pairs of underwear
2-3 pairs of socks
ALL medications you need (prescriptions, EpiPens, inhalers—do not leave these at home)
An extra pair of shoes
1 beach towel
Toiletries: toothbrush, toothpaste, floss, soap, shampoo, medicine (if needed)
Outerwear: A warm waterproof coat or a waterproof liner with a warm sweatshirt or jacket underneath
1 sweatshirt or sweater
Optional: Shower shoes or flip-flops
Optional: Umbrella, hat
Note: Bed linens and bath towels are provided by Asilomar. Laundry is not available.
Tech
like school-issued Surface, iPads, laptops, gaming systems, etc.
Homework
— Teachers have been asked not to make any freshman assignments due while we are away on retreat. No freshman assignments will be due until the Monday we return to school.
Will freshmen have their cell phones on the retreat?
Will freshmen miss classes, practices, or games?
Is there a fee to attend this retreat?
Can parents attend?
What will the food be like?
How are rooms assigned? What is the lodging like?
How many Bellarmine faculty and staff members are attending this retreat?
How will students get to and from Asilomar?
No, Bellarmine students are not allowed to use their cell phones on any retreat, just like they are not allowed to have cell phones during the school day. Students will not have phones on retreat (unless it is a medically required device).
Parents are asked to arrive on the day of retreat with your student to the check-in table, receive contact info, and turn in the phone to be taken home by you, the parent/guardian. If there is a special circumstance or reason the student will not go back home after the retreat, they can leave the phone to be stored securely on the BCP campus until they return after the retreat.
Students will have access to communication if needed. Bellarmine faculty and staff will have both their own cell phones and walkie talkies to communicate throughout the retreat. Students can ask their adult retreat leader to make a call or contact their parents if needed.
To contact retreat staff while your student is on retreat, please call 408-537-9485.
To support the Freshman Retreat, Bellarmine has canceled classes on both Thursday and Friday for all grade levels allowing faculty and staff to travel to Pacific Grove to assist with the retreat.
Sophomores, Juniors, and Seniors have optional days of service on Thursday and Friday.
Bellarmine’s athletic department has rescheduled all games and canceled all freshman practices for Thursday. Freshmen will arrive back at school on Friday in time to attend any games and practices.
No, the cost for this retreat is included in tuition. There is no additional fee to attend the retreat.
No, parents cannot attend. However, there will be a virtual parent component on Thursday night that parents can attend to get a taste of the retreat (more information on that coming soon).
There will be an optional send-off celebration after the sign-in. Remain on campus until 9:15 to cheer while the buses depart.
Although we don’t have a precise menu at this time, Asilomar has provided a sample menu
here
. Asilomar will be able to accommodate students’ allergies and dietary restrictions. Please make sure that your Magnus forms are up to date with this information. We will only be able to accommodate what is reported on Magnus.
Lodging at Asilomar varies by building. Two to four students will be assigned to a room, each with his own bed. Some rooms have a bathroom within the room. Some students will share a communal bathroom on their floor. Freshmen will only be assigned to a room with other freshmen.
Big Brothers, the upperclassmen mentors leading the retreat, will room with each other. In a given building, Big Brothers, Bellarmine faculty and staff, and freshmen will be assigned rooms near each other so that everyone is adequately supervised and Bellarmine faculty and staff are available to help students as needed.
Freshmen are not able to select their room assignments or request roommates.
Click here
to see a sample of what lodging at Asilomar looks like.
Approximately 90 Bellarmine faculty and staff members are attending the retreat in a variety of capacities, with 60 staff on site at a time. With approximately 600 students attending, both Big Brothers and freshmen, that gets us to a student-to-teacher ratio of 9:1, which will help provide a safe and rewarding experience for all retreatants.
Bellarmine will provide buses to travel to Asilomar on Thursday morning and back to Bellarmine on Friday afternoon. More details about departure and arrival will become available closer to the retreat dates.
For any questions
before the retreat,
contact Cindy Bailey at cbailey@bcp.org.
For any questions
during the retreat,
call 408-537-9485.