Year 11 Retreat Reflection

On Wednesday morning 3 May, the Year 11 cohort set off for their three day retreat at Attunga in the Southern Highlands.

We didn’t know what to expect, yet the experience was better than we could have imagined. There were a variety of activities to suit everybody’s interests from ziplining across a 300m valley, horse riding, jewellery making and many more. On both nights we had exciting events such as a trivia quiz and songs around the campfire.

The best afternoon that took us by surprise was the barn dance. We dressed up in jeans, flannels and cowboy hats and had a great time learning some old country line dances while watching a spectacular sunset over the mountains. We concluded this great experience on Friday morning with a challenging scavenger hunt that brought us closer together through teamwork.

We are so grateful for our teachers for making this retreat possible, as it truly provided an opportunity for us to strengthen and create new connections within our year group. Heading into our final years it is important that we support each other, and this retreat provided a space for us to express our gratitude for one another. This happened through simple conversations throughout the relaxed three days we shared, and in the gratitude jars. On the first day we decorated jars, and throughout our time at Attunga we all participated in writing small but meaningful messages of love and appreciation for one another. These were opened on our last day, which was a really heart-warming experience. Perhaps the most surprising outcome, was the unanimous agreement that the time was all the better for the lack of phones, allowing us to make the most of our freedom to spend time with friends in nature.

Overall, we had an amazing couple of days filled with laughter and joy; a true, rejuvenating rest from school. 

Chiara Hammond and Maggie Harper
Class 11SW