DIRECTOR OF CATHOLIC IDENTITY

YEAR 12 RETREAT REFLECTIONS

On June 20, the Year 12 cohort departed for our much-anticipated trip to Anglesea. Little did we know it would take more than six and a half hours to arrive. The first day came with its challenges, our schedule was completely changed, and we needed to resort to Plan C after one of the buses broke down in Charlton. But despite the crazy start, we still arrived safely at Camp Wilkin (just a few hours later than we planned).

The second day ran much more smoothly. We spent most of the day with our small groups and completed various activities. We did an icebreaker activity, painted a wooden letter, completed initiative activities, wrote affirmations for each other, and challenged ourselves in a high ropes course. Later in the evening, we listened to some stories from Fr Matthew and read the letters written to us by our families. It was a very powerful and emotional experience for all of us.

We began the day at St Christopher’s Church on Wednesday, where we said some prayers together. This was followed by a short visit to the beach, where we played games and enjoyed the sea breeze. In the afternoon, we split off to do our elective activities, which included horse riding, LiveWire, bike riding, and bushwalking. The night finished with dress-up trivia, where each small group competed in various challenges and quizzes.

Thursday was our final day of activities in Anglesea. We began our day again with our small groups and completed activities together. Later in the afternoon, we split off for our second day of elective activities. They included surfing, beach art, canoeing, horse riding, and bike riding. After dinner, we all came together for a special liturgy where we shared what we were thankful for and asked each other for forgiveness. The night finished with a video containing many photos and memories of our experience. 

Unfortunately, Friday was our last day together. We packed our bags and got ready to leave camp early that morning. After another long bus ride, we arrived home to our families (luckily on schedule this time).

Overall, the Year 12 Retreat was a wonderful experience, and I would like to thank all the teachers, Miss Paula Cox, Fr Matthew Thomas, the Camp Wilkin staff and all the other instructors for making it so great! Through this camp, we all grew closer as a cohort and were very thankful for all the memories we will cherish forever.

Miss Caterina De Maria

From June 20 until June 24, the Year 12 cohort spent a week on the famous St Joseph’s College Retreat to Anglesea. To say it was an amazing experience is an absolute understatement. We had an incredible time spending precious moments with our peers without the stresses of Year 12.

Monday was an entire unplanned day of travelling. We took an unexpected 2.5 hour stop in Charlton due to a bus incident, but that didn’t dampen the mood. We finally made it to our accommodation at ‘Camp Wilkin’, where we were adequately looked after and tended to for the duration of our stay. 

On our first night, we sorted out our way around the campus, were exposed to our groups for the week, and each had to come up with a group name that would represent the group and its members. We then had an early night after an extremely long day. 

Tuesday, we commenced our day with some ‘ice breaker’ activities where everyone was involved, followed by a session led by Fr Matt. We then spent the rest of the day exploring ‘Camp Wilkin’. Each of the six groups got to experience High Ropes, Teambuilding Activities, and Letter Painting as the day’s activities, as well as individual group gatherings where bonding and reflection sessions took place. There were times each day when emotional activities took place in a tranquil setting to ensure everyone felt comfortable when and if they shared. 

Tuesday night, we all came together as a cohort for a quiet night where we engaged in the reading of special letters from our families and friends. On the third day, we visited the local church in the morning, followed by morning tea on the beach as a cohort. On our fourth day, our morning started with some group activities and another session led by Fr Matt. 

Wednesday and Thursday afternoon, everyone broke off into different groups where they got to experience different fun activities. These activities included: surfing, horse riding, beach art, canoeing, bush walking, bike riding, and live wire. Everyone enjoyed themselves in all activities. On Wednesday night, everyone had the opportunity to engage in the Op Shop Night. This is where everyone was asked to purchase something from an op shop (of their choice), wear it on a Wednesday night as part of our Trivia Night, and then donate it to the local Anglesea Op Shop for someone else to enjoy. It was hilarious to see everyone in their different outfits and an awesome effort by all students. Thursday night was by far my favourite. 

To end an incredible week, we took part in a liturgy. This was an extremely special time for all students and staff to reflect on the once in a lifetime week that had just occurred and to appreciate the time we had spent with one another. It was a beautiful liturgy. Our last day, Friday was spent travelling back home to rest after the emotionally and physically draining week. It was an amazing week, and I thoroughly enjoyed every part! 

I want to say an enormous thank you to Miss Paula Cox – our week wouldn’t have happened without you and all of your planning and preparation. You are amazing! A major thank you to Fr Matt Thomas for putting your trust in us when sharing your life stories and creating activities where everyone felt as though they could get involved. Thank you to all the other staff that came along to make the week as perfect as it was! Lastly, the biggest thank you to the group teachers (leaders) for going above and beyond to create safe environments where students felt safe enough to share personal stories and reflect with one another – you guys are remarkable. We will forever be grateful for the confidence and trust we were able to develop and place in all of you. It was a very special week for the whole of Year 12, and we truly appreciate all the time, effort, and planning that went into it. Thank you.

Miss Maria Petrolo

COMMUNITY SERVICE

I completed community service for the Waratahs Hockey Association, co-coaching the under 13 girls. This community service was delightful, and I learned a lot from the team while trying my best to teach them some things. This task proved to be quite difficult as many of the team members were at different stages of their hockey journey, however it is safe to say the team learnt the basics and more. 

This placement was very enjoyable, and I intend to continue my coaching journey as it is so much fun and very rewarding to see the team's talent grow and improve every training session and game we play. 

Miss Julia Copley - Year 12