Mrs. Kathy Pesta
Wakefield, RI
Director of Campus Ministries
What is the purpose of a class retreat?
The first purpose of a retreat is simply to expose the kids to a whole different way of looking at life by getting them to stop their chatter for a day and think of things in a new light, the light of Christ.
Secondly, a retreat gives them a chance to bond together and to talk together about topics they may not usually talk about and to grow together as a class.
We try to achieve these goals through a balance of talks, discussion, games, videos, music, and prayer.
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History of The Prout School
The Prout School stands on an estate previously known in South County as "Shepherd’s Run”. In 1959, the 212-acre estate was sold to the Sisters of the Cross and Passion from Manchester, England. The Sisters placed a great value on education, building a secondary school in every country where they established a province. The Sisters realized their goal of establishing an American school when Prout Memorial High School for Girls opened its doors on September 8, 1966. The school was named after the foundress of the Passionist Sisters, Mother Mary Joseph Prout.
Prout Memorial High School was constructed in the form of a cross not by accident, but by design. A bell tower courtyard is the central point of the school. General and private offices, the library/media center and two commons areas surround the courtyard, which is dedicated to Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha. North and south wings of the building house classrooms as well as a garden each. The south garden is dedicated to St. Paul Miki, S.J., while the garden on the northern side is dedicated to St. Francis of Assisi. Eastward is situated the 720-seat John J. Neidl Performing Arts Center. To the west is McVinney Gym. Most Reverend Russell J. McVinney, Bishop of Providence championed the construction of Prout from the beginning, providing funding for the construction of the gymnasium, which is aptly named after the former Bishop of Providence.
Prout has hosted noted scholars and heads of industry within its walls. In 1971, a Prout sociology class had the opportunity to attend a lecture being offered by controversial sociologist, Margaret Mead. After listening to her skeptical views of modern education, Prout’s loyal students approached Ms. Mead and invited her to visit Prout to see what was right with education at Prout. Surprisingly, she accepted their invitation. When she began her presentation at Prout, Ms. Mead informed the audience that she had never addressed a high school audience, but had been so impressed by the defense Prout students had made of education at their school that she felt that she had to see for herself.
In 1981, Prout became a diocesan high school. However, the founding Sisters remained as administrators and teachers. In September of 1986, responding to the need for a Catholic, coeducational high school in southern Rhode Island, Prout opened its doors to young men.
Although much has changed, many school customs practiced by the first class of Prout students are still practiced today. The observance of Prout Day, the official annual opening of school, dates back to September of 1966. The Sadie Hawkins Dance, Thanksgiving collections of food for the needy, annual retreats, Soph Hop, Junior Ring Day and Junior Farewell are all a part of time honored traditions dating back to 1966.
The traditions of community and academic excellence also continue at Prout. One year after celebrated our twenty-fifth anniversary; we became only the third Catholic school in the United States to be accepted into the prestigious International Baccalaureate Organization, based in Geneva, Switzerland. In 1995, The Prout School became the first school outside of the state of Connecticut and the first Catholic school ever to be chosen to participate in the Aquanaut Program run by the National Undersea Research Center at the University of Connecticut. Prout has also partnered with the University of Rhode Island to offer courses and research opportunities in the field of Ocean Sciences. Our graduates include doctors, attorneys, filmmakers, Fulbright scholars, business owners, civic leaders and corporate executives.