As it is our first year in the Senior School, we were all expecting our first retreat to be a lot like camps in previous years, but we were all surprised by how different the whole experience was.

At first, we all thought that it was just going to be two days of talking about God and what we believe in, but we soon learned that it wasn't just a chance to talk about our relationship with God, it also gave us all a chance to look deeper into the journey of our lives so far, and the journeys of our peers.

We arrived at Mulgoa, and the first thing we did was come together and talk about our expectations of ourselves, each other, the teachers and in general over the two days. We participated in multiple activities over the course of the two days, and each activity was engaging and different in its own way. I learned a lot about the other girls in my group, and I honestly think that just after one small activity, we all felt closer to each other. We all learnt things about each other that we didn't know before. On Thursday night, we participated in a year group liturgy. It gave me the chance to stop and just think quietly. A lot of girls were talking about assignments and other things, and this liturgy gave them a chance to relax and take their minds off those things and focus on just taking a break. 

Overall, this first retreat experience was difficult, in the sense that we had to push ourselves to think in ways we don't normally think, and to take a break from everyday life and just focus on ourselves. But it was also one of the most amazing experiences I have had at school, because I truly feel that I have grown closer with every girl in our grade, and I believe that all the other Year 10 girls feel the same way. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Mr Gattone for organising the 2 days and the teachers, who took time away from their families to share this experience with us. ​

Ashleigh K - Year 10 SRC Representative