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Retreats
Our programs are designed to deepen understanding, resilience and community spirit. From one-day excursions to senior retreats, each experience invites young men to reflect on their relationships, their journey at the College and their place in the wider world.
The focus of the retreat program is to bring to life the Religious Education that is taught in the classroom. In combination with the Social Justice program students are able to call upon what is taught and link it to the real world.
It is an expectation of every senior student at the College that they participate fully in the Religious Education program of the school. This includes lessons, liturgies, excursions and retreats.
The Year 11 and Year 12 retreats form an integral part of the College curriculum and are, therefore, compulsory for each senior student.
Camp Program
Rationale
St Edward’s College camps program is designed to complement the school’s education programs and provide students with further opportunities to develop their learning and social skills. These opportunities aim to develop deeper learning, confidence, independence, responsibility and a sense of community within the context of our Catholic principles and values. Camps are an integral part of the curriculum, and, all students are expected to attend.
Aims
- To reinforce, complement and extend learning opportunities beyond the classroom
- To provide students from years 7 to 10 the opportunity to participate in a sequential camping program
- To develop social and emotional skills
- To provide programs that promote self esteem, resourcefulness, independence, leadership, judgment, cooperation and tolerance
- To develop an awareness of and pride in the natural environment
- To broaden student’s concept and experience of different environments
- To develop skills and competence in various activities associated with outdoor education
Camp Destinations
- Year 7 – Black Diamond Adventures, Galston
- Year 8 – Camp Elim, Forster
- Year 9 – Glenworth Valley Wilderness Adventures, Glenworth Valley
- Year 10 – Active Learning Initiatives, The Snowy Mountains
Year 7 Camp
Year 9 Camp
Year 10 Camp
The Year 10 retreat is a one day event usually held at one of the local surf clubs. The focus of this day is to assess the many relationships the boys are involved in, with a particular emphasis on their relationship with their father.
Year 11 Retreat
This retreat provides our Year 11 students with a unique opportunity to witness practical Christianity in action. The students will stay in Sydney and will see many social justice initiatives of the Catholic Church and other Christian organisations in and around the heart of the city. They will meet people involved in organisations such as the Matthew Talbot Hostel, The Wayside Chapel, Youth of the Streets, The Jewish Holocaust Museum and those who work with Aboriginal people, the homeless and, drug and alcohol addicted people.
The aim of this retreat is to enable the students to experience, first hand, the heart of Christianity. We want them to understand what our College, through its traditional links with Edmund Rice and the Christian Brothers, stands for and is attempting to teach in our Religious Education program.
Year 12 Retreat
This retreat provides our Year 12 students with an opportunity to reflect on their personal journey at a significant time in their life. The students will be taken to a country setting, the Christian Brothers Retreat Centre at Mulgoa, where they will work with a retreat team. The team will facilitate an experience that will consist of group activities, discussion, personal thinking time and prayer. These activities are designed to enable the students to look at where their life is at present and where they might be headed in the not too distant future. They will be guided by the team to reflect on their relationships with others and with God. There will be time set aside for recreation, relaxation and/or study. One of the main features of the retreat is that this will be a shared and unique experience in their final year at St Edward’s College. It should prove to be a memorable and rewarding experience for each student.
