Enriching breather at retreat

By Angus Moore, Mitchell Coolican and Shannon Galbraith, Year 12, St Augustine’s College

SOMETIMES we need to reflect on what is really going on with our lives and the direction we are headed in.

This is the aim of the Year 12 retreat. The boys spent three days focusing on future aspirations, past hurts and inner spirituality.

All of this occurred at the Genazzano Retreat and Conference Centre, overlooking Lake Tinaroo.

The retreat consisted of nine sessions over two days.

Half of the cohort went on the Monday, returning on the Wednesday, and the other half left on the Wednesday morning, arriving back at Saints on the Friday.

The location was perfect for the free time set aside for the students, whether that be using the volleyball court, playing footy on the oval or going for a swim and venturing out far into the lake.

This set the foundation for a great retreat, as the students were divided into groups for team-building exercises, such as voicing opinions on political and social issues.

There was also an activity where we scrambled to form a human pyramid which only allowed for certain body parts to be in contact with the floor.

We had small group sessions where we spoke on sometimes controversial topics, discussed the important people in our lives and the times we have been hurt emotionally, as well as reflective activities on what type of person we are now, and what type of person we wish to become.

Night activities focused more on spirituality, such as writing down things holding us back and putting them in a fire and affirming our relationships with other students. THUMBS UP: Mitchell Coolican and Jesse Neil enjoy a meal during the Year 12 retreat.

There were comedic elements, such as facepainting and a dramatisation of a set of brief instructions, theatre sports-style.

A highlight was the creation of a symbol using clay. The symbol was designed to represent our spirituality.

Some students made boats, some made shields. One made an eagle, to symbolise the opening of dreams, aspirations and goals.

The activities were amazing, all the staff were supportive, the accommodation was comfortable and even the food was good.

The 2018 Year 12 retreat, and the memories and bonds made will always hold a special place in our hearts.

This retreat was a great experience overall.

It strengthened the relationships between members of our group, and even with mates outside our group, through discussions and reflections on areas in our lives we may usually find too personal to share in day-to-day conversations.

Our thanks go to the teachers who organised and attended and to the managers of Genazzano.

Without them we would not have been able to partake in such an important component of our senior year.