Year 12 Retreat allows time to reflect and build connection

Year 12 Retreat was a fantastic opportunity for the whole cohort of Year 12 to finally spend time with one another, away from the stresses of school, work deadlines and assessments. They were able to focus on their journey so far and to identify with gratitude, those who are important in their lives and what is important in life. The Retreat was held at Federation University in the picturesque setting of Mt Helen, just outside Ballarat from 15 – 17 June.

Our Year 12 Retreat this year was in Ballarat where we participated in a range of sessions and activities about religion and culture and ways we can help those in need in our community. Listening to Sharene who spoke about her religion, Islam, was a really interesting session. To hear about her journey in Australia as a Muslim woman and educating us on stigma surrounding her religion. A session the majority of people enjoyed was the family session, when we received letters from parents or carers and got to write a letter back to them or someone else. This allowed us all to appreciate the support we have in our lives. It was nice to spend time with friends without worrying about school and getting to build relationships with teachers which you can’t really do in classrooms. And Scotty did a backflip which was exhilarating!
Janna Tzouroutis

Year 12 Retreat, full of fun and new learning experiences that we can all remember for the rest of our being. The accommodation, the activities, the faith stories, memories that all of us can take away from this experience and reflect on ourselves to become better people, ready to take that next step into the new chapter of our life after school.
Jesse Crawford

The Retreat was a great experience; to get to know the people in our level better and also get to learn more about ourselves. A highlight for me over the three days was the trivia on the last night – it was competitive and nobody was afraid to get involved, making it fun for everyone.
Lily Monotti