On the final days of Term 2, our Year 11 cohort undertook a three-day retreat with the hope of strengthening friendships. The theme of the retreat was: ‘I call you my friends’, from the Gospel of John, allowing students to focus on their relationship with God, others and self. Amidst the backdrop of five beautiful locations on the outskirts of Perth, the Year 11s had the opportunity to reflect on the theme, while also enjoying some much needed rest after a long and busy term!
Initially, the idea of being separated from their usual friendship groups was daunting for some, however, once embraced, this separation allowed them to experience the true essence of the retreat on a deeper level. Year 11 leader Leon Dwyer recalled how the retreat “gave an incredible opportunity to connect with different people in my year group, making new and unlikely friendships”. Fellow leader Judd McCann further echoed this sentiment saying that he “made new connections with people who I had never spoken to before”.
Despite the rain, many students really enjoyed heading out on bush walks, which led to meaningful conversations, and time around the campfire provided a chance for marshmallows and connection. Nora Lane particularly enjoyed participating in some of the small group activities, such as the newspaper fashion show. The retreat offered various opportunities and a safe space for reflection and connection.
With faith at the core of all we do at Kolbe, the retreat provided a profound opportunity for reflection, Leon reflected that retreat “gave him a platform to share this experience of faith with his peers”, while Claire Hume and Duncan Ferguson acknowledged that everyone is on their own faith journey, and moments within the retreat enabled them to reflect on this. Judd added “I was able to connect with my faith as a result of the retreat, I wouldn’t have thought about it so deeply if it weren’t for this experience.”
In terms of the lessons learned, Nora reflected that “taking us away from the stressful environment of school and moving to an isolated camp with some people we barely knew helps take us out of our comfort zone.” Judd echoed this sentiment saying that he learnt “that people aren’t as scary as they seem”. For Claire, it was learning to be more confident and come out of her shell to meet new people, and Duncan discovered that there was “so much depth to people’s experiences, ideas and lifestyles”.
In the busy lives that occupy our time, it is clear that the retreat provided an opportunity for our senior students to push pause and focus on what is important in life: their relationships.
