The Year 11 retreat was on Friday 6 March 2026; this day was exciting as it gave our Year 11s an opportunity to connect with one another and with God. We had four stations throughout the day with different team building activities, grouped by houses, Hokianga, Kororāreka, Waitematā and Akaroa.
One activity saw us break up into smaller groups and form a line which was referred to as a “dragon”, we had a person in the front who was our “dragon’s head” and then the person in the back who had a band resembling our “dragon’s tail”. This activity taught us about how communication is important in relationships otherwise it may all fall apart.
Another activity we had was about coordination – we were all blind folded except for the person at the back who guided us by creating a train of taps.
The third activity was to discuss the issues in the world and to find solutions for them. We had to present our chosen issue via a poster or play. This provided us an opportunity to explore important issues happening in the world right now and what we might be able to do to help stop it or support those involved.
The fourth and final activity was where we had to write affirmations on a piece of paper stuck to each other’s backs. After we did that, we wrote notes to people we value either in our groups or in school.
This was a wonderful opportunity for us all as we were able to talk to people we don’t usually talk to. A special thanks to all the teachers who helped make this day enjoyable for us.
