In the residential school prospectus in the 1850s it is mentioned that the students receive “every care to strengthen their health by healthy exercise and abundant food”.[1] The sisters had already put into practice the quote “a healthy mind in a healthy body”. This approach was never abandoned. The practice of individual and team sports is a natural addition to the curriculum of SNJM schools around the world.
From the beginning, this will of the nuns is expressed by the installation of a space of recreation in the east of the garden at the Convent of Longueuil. Some photographs taken over a few decades confirm the presence of swings and seesaws. The playground also includes a sliding structure, two squares for playing cricket and a fenced tennis court. It is suspected that this court becomes an ice rink in the winter. Later, the large field will welcome cross-country skiing enthusiasts.
[1] L001/B/2,2 Pensionnat du Saint Nom de Jésus/School Life/Administration, Flyers
