Year 11 Retreat
Tuesday 9th - Thursday 11th April
This week, the Year 11s participated in the inaugural Year 11 Retreat. This involved the students working together in three groups, completing three separate rotations: service, self-development and spiritual/cultural. The Year 11 Diploma has always been intended to focus on the development of the whole person. Whilst academic education is an important part of the development of young people, the school’s desire has always been to ensure that our students are distinguished among their peers in their application of soft skills and their confidence to display these, so they are positive contributors to society.
The three different rotations were designed to ignite an understanding of:
how to deal with pressure and anxiety by stepping back from the busyness of everyday routines and pressures, giving them the tools to re-centre themselves and decompress.
- how small acts for others help to give a sense of self worth and positivity.
- how patience and resilience are required to deal with being confronted with the unexpected.
- being task oriented and gaining satisfaction for task completion rather than being concerned about being ‘first’.
- how planning helps us to achieve goals that we initially feel are impossible
- how good communication and good listening skills provide a firm foundation for being a valued team member.
- how working together as a team, while still being an individual, will allow self-esteem and positivity to grow.
- accepting responsibility for one’s own outcomes
- thinking critically when evaluating situations and information, especially those on social media and the internet
- how to approach differences of opinion and to have discussions which involve a willingness to listen to other’s opinions
Some related readings:
The Importance of Service in Living a Good Life
We were very impressed with the students' willingness to get involved, to challenge themselves and to be a part of a team to achieve positive and rewarding results. We will continue to refine and develop this programme to ensure that we are providing the best possible opportunities for our Year 11 students.
Ms Sonya Hull
Deputy Principal