I am loved, so I should love!
Do you feel loved? If not, the Year 11 Retreat is perfect for you. On 28 April, our Year 11s experienced a life-changing retreat. They spent the day surrounded by the love and support of their fellow peers.
The day was spent exploring five stations, each of which defines the properties of modern problems within our youth and how we can solve them.
Station One was led by Ms. Whiteford. She revealed the importance of kind words and how different skillsets can be used to affirm ourselves of how much we are worth. Students had an enjoyable time writing letters of affirmation (or love) to their friends or special someone.
Station two was led by Mrs. Camp (Miss. Smith). Students learnt about trust within the gospel and how to implement it into their daily lives. This was shown through teamwork: blindfolding a leader and guiding them through obstacles.
Station three was led by Mr. Camp. He demonstrated the importance of team building and how collaborative work shows that we were loved through supportive instruction and communication.
Station four was led by our guidance counsellors: Ms. Purchase and Mr. Didier’Serre. They showed us how we can help others and guide them through modern day issues such as vaping, alcoholism, drugs, divorce, and abuse. Students used their critical thinking skills to come up with solutions to respond to the problems.
Station five was led by Mrs. Williams. She talked about the importance of identifying issues and how we can find solutions by helping others and spread awareness about the problem. The Year 11s used their analytical skills to create an informative poster or a skit demonstrating why the problem is significant. Problems here included bullying, vaping, and social media.
The day ended with a seminar by ex-student and 2016 Head Boy giving us a presentation on mental wellbeing. Now, a doctor at Middlemore Hospital, he has had to overcome struggles with his own mental health, and life choices which made him choose to follow the gospel to help him on his ways. He talked about the importance of looking between the lines and encouraging others to not judge but rather feel empathetic to those around us.
The Year 11s had an enjoyable experience, and they are looking forward to more retreats and becoming better acquainted with people in our school and in our wider community. Thank you to everyone who helped make this day special for all of us.
