Year 11 Retreat Experience
Going into the Year 11 retreat, I think many of us were wondering what we were going to take away from the experience. We had already gained an understanding of what retreats are about from our Year 10 Retreat, however, we knew there was so much more that we were going to explore during this one.
Over the three days that we spent at Galston Gorge Conference and Recreation Centre, I personally found that taking some time out is one of the most beneficial things you can do for your health. Although we engaged in activities and different sessions during the day, we were able to get away from the stress that school and life can place upon us, and use that time to understand the importance of being in the moment. The biggest thing that I will take away from this experience would be how important it is to reflect. Whether it be on your day, yourself, relationships, difficulties, timeout, remembrance or prayer, reflecting for a few minutes can really help your mind to focus on the things that truly matter, and to break away from the negativity that life can bring.
Out of all of the sessions that we participated in over the course of the three days, I really enjoyed the sessions where we were given some individual time. In this time I definitely learnt how powerful reflection can be and how much I needed that time out. The whole experience was very different to what I had in mind prior to the retreat, but it had so much more of a positive impact on all of the Year 11 girls than I thought it would. The girls who are in Year 10 this year who will be attending this same retreat in the near future, are probably having similar thoughts about the Year 11 retreat experience that our grade did before we left. However, it is important that those girls look at those three days as a time to share, empathise and understand, just as we did.
This experience was really important and I, along with all of the Year 11 girls, am grateful that we were given the chance to share this time with our friends and our teachers, who made the experience so much more influential. Thank you to all the staff who organised our retreat experience, and thank you to all of the girls who really put effort into this retreat and connected with others. I took a lot away from this retreat and I can say the same for the rest of our grade.
Ashleigh K - Year 11 Student
