The first act of a year that promises to be rich in joy and surprises was a major gathering on 6 October, as Le Caousou opened its doors on 6 October 1874.

More than 2,000 students, from preschool to BTS (a higher technician diploma), as well as teachers and staff, gathered for the opening ceremony of the jubilee year. After a few songs, including the new Caousou hymn composed for the occasion, teachers, staff and pupils performed the play on the history of the school entitled "Builders of Hope", which I wrote with the invaluable collaboration of Fr Pascal Gauderon sj.

They played the game beautifully! Choristers and musicians wonderfully enhanced the piece with an Ad majorem Dei gloriam and a superb and moving Ave Maria. The Caousou was the first establishment in France to be dedicated to the Immaculate Virgin. On this beautiful sunny day, we exhibited a magnificent LEGO model of the buildings, made entirely by students under the guidance of a 1st year secondary school pupil - a unique piece! A film of the opening ceremony made by the students is currently being edited, and we plan to publish a book of the play, complete with old illustrations and photos of the performance on 6 October.

The jubilee year continues! We are organising a large mass on 8 December for the feast of the Immaculate Conception, the former name of Caousou, and a concert of contemporary sacred music will be held on 7 March 2024 in Toulouse's Saint-Etienne cathedral, with the participation of students from the school choir. From 2 to 5 April, we will also be hosting a "Jesuit Week", with a wide range of activities: an escape game in the city based on Jesuit sites in Toulouse and on our premises, a new performance of the play "Les Bâtisseurs d'Espérance" (Builders of Hope), a student concert, classes run jointly by teachers and Jesuits, an event based on the great eloquence competition held each year with the first and final years of secondary school, a conference on the theme of "faith and science in the final year of secondary school", and so on, not forgetting our famous 20 km Solidarity Walk along the canal, which will be revisited for the occasion.

Other events planned to celebrate the history of Caousou include a major exhibition of the school's archives and a book featuring photos and testimonials from former students, headteachers and teachers. On the festive side, a gala evening will bring together the entire school community and alumni on 22 June. On 4 October, a final gathering, with a mass, concert and distribution of the book, will bring the jubilee year to a close.

Caousou is continuing to open up to the world and to others. We're delighted!

Véronique BERNARD (educational director, head of the Le Caousou final cycle)