Lunch: Students should have eaten breakfast before coming. We will have lunch for students comprised of Subway sandwiches, cookies, chips, and drink. Please let me (David Heimann) know about any allergies in advance, I can also order salads for individuals who do not eat meat. 

Emergency Contact: If there are any emergencies or needs that you need to make us aware of on the day of the retreat, call ‪(773)360-5115‬ to reach the shrine staff who will contact one of the Saint Andrew adults. 

Full Participation: Attendance for the whole retreat is expected. Sometimes I will requests that a student attend just part of the retreat. Unfortunately, this becomes a burden on the retreat leaders and other participants. Retreats flow like a narrative or movie and don't make much sense when someone drops in the middle without context to what is going on. We don't have capacity to catch someone up if they come in the middle.

Alternatives: There are always conflicts with attendance. The obligation for a retreat remains for anyone who cannot attend this retreat and I'm glad to work with families to find those alternatives.  I have asked the Archdiocese to provide me a list of other Confirmation retreats in the area. I will forward that to parents who know there is a conflict this weekend and parents are then responsible for making arrangements with the leaders of those programs. Attendance at another parish's retreat is an adequate substitute. Parents have also approached me with their own creative solutions to the requirement, which I am always glad to approve if appropriate.