Overview

The Year 8 Retreat was a meaningful and formative day for our students, centred on the theme of “Community with Christ”. Through a carefully crafted programme, students were invited to explore how faith shapes and sustains authentic community – not only within the College but in every dimension of their lives. The day provided a welcome opportunity for Year 8 students to step away from the ordinary rhythms of school life and engage in something deeper: a shared journey of reflection, celebration and connection.

Faith, Mass, and Reflection

At the heart of the Retreat was the celebration of Mass, which served as a centrepiece for the day’s prayer and reflection. Gathering as a community to celebrate the Eucharist gave students a lived experience of the very theme they were exploring – that faith is not merely a personal matter but something that is built, shared and enriched in communion with one another. Students were also given dedicated time throughout the day to discuss, reflect and pray, creating space for both personal encounter and communal discernment.

Activities and Chisholm Values

The Retreat programme was designed to balance reflection with engagement. Students participated in a range of fun and creative activities that brought to life the ideas being explored throughout the day. These activities were not simply recreational – they were purposefully crafted to illuminate key insights and encourage students to see how the values they were reflecting on play out in real and tangible ways.

Central to the day’s programme was an examination of three core values: Character, Learning and Compassion. Students explored how these values are not only the building blocks of strong and healthy communities but also the natural fruit that flourishes when genuine community takes root. Whether as a means to community or as its product, these values were recognised as essential markers of life at Chisholm Catholic College.

Student Support

Throughout the Retreat, students were supported by both their Pastoral Care Advisors and the College Ministry Team, who guided, accompanied and encouraged them at every stage of the day. This presence of trusted adults helped to create a safe and nurturing environment in which students felt comfortable to engage openly, ask honest questions and enter into genuine reflection.

Looking Ahead

It is our hope that the Year 8 Retreat has equipped students with a renewed sense of purpose and belonging as they move through the year ahead. The experiences, conversations and moments of prayer shared on this day are intended to serve as a foundation – one that students can continue to build upon, not only for the remainder of their time at Chisholm Catholic College but in all the communities they will be part of throughout their lives. We look forward to seeing our Year 8 students carry the spirit of this day with them and grow into the young people of character, compassion and learning that this community is called to form.

Deacon Aaron Peters
Deputy Principal – Mission