On 28 February 2025 the Year 13’s had their final retreat as a Sancta Maria College student. It began with a 7am start on Eastern Beach watching the breathtaking sunrise over the water during Mass held by Bishop Peter Brown. It certainly was well worth the early wake up.
We then walked to Willow Park Christian Camp where we were greeted by their staff and enjoyed a delicious kiwi cooked breakfast. Energised and ready for the day, we engaged in a series of sessions within our house groups at Willow Park, all centered around the theme, “Decision Making: Our choices affect us and everyone around us.” This theme resonated deeply, as we approach many significant life decisions.
Miss Samaeli facilitated a team building session emphasising the importance of having great people around us. Activities such as ‘trust falls’ highlighted the significance of trusting those around us, while making a human pyramid demonstrated how our actions, small or big, affect others. Additionally, an exercise called ‘climb the rope’ showcased the importance of pulling your weight in any group endeavour.
Miss Oliver led thought-provoking discussions about the consequences of our actions. Through her personal anecdotes we were able to see how we always have a choice and that every decision we make has positive and negative repercussions. We reflected on decisions we have made recently and the impacts it has had or will have on our lives, deepening our understanding of how small decisions can have large impacts.
In Mr Bidwell’s session we explored the theme ‘resilience and rising from the fall’. We discussed how we deal with failure and overcoming setbacks. The activity ended with experiential meditation where we climbed stairs carrying someone on our back, bearing the weight of another; similar to how Jesus bore his cross for all of us.
Mrs Wearmouth’s guided us through a meditation focused on our own spiritual journey. After walking back to the beach, we split off into pairs and shared insights from our earlier reflections. The other persons footsteps represented God as he is always by our side through every step, important decision and failure we may endure in our lives. This session reinforced the importance of trusting in the Lord and his plan for us.
The day concluded with an inspiring guest speaker, Neomili Bondoc, who came all the way from Whanganui. She shared her story and how it influenced her to create the starfish project.
The final moments of our retreat were highly anticipated. After seven years we were finally able to open the letters we wrote to ourselves, during our Year seven retreat, bringing feelings of nostalgia and laughter, the perfect end to a memorable day. It is safe to say this retreat was a defining day for the Year 13s, leaving us with invaluable lessons, cherished memories and a renewed sense of purpose.
Thank you to all the staff at Willow Park Christian Camp and Sancta Maria College who managed to make this a special day for us all.
