Retreats & Reflection Days

A retreat is time set apart. Students leave the timetable, the assessment calendar and (with rare exceptions) their phones behind for a day or three, and spend the time on the questions that do not fit into a lesson: who am I, who are the people who matter to me, what do I believe, what kind of person do I want to become. Retreats at St Mary's are led by our own staff — the Deputy Principal – Wellbeing & Mission, Sr Bernadette Long rsj, year-level coordinators and homeroom teachers — so the relationships built on retreat come back to school with the students. All retreats and reflection days are compulsory and their cost is included in tuition fees.

Program overview

Year 7 Welcome Retreat — February

The Welcome Retreat happens in the third week of Year 7, once homerooms have settled but before friendships harden. Each of the six homerooms spends one day with its homeroom teacher, a Year 10 peer support team and Sr Bernadette at the Sacred Heart Retreat Centre in Kinglake, 25 minutes from the college.

• 2026 dates: Thursday 12 and Friday 13 February 2026 (completed).
• 2027 dates: Thursday 11 February 2027 (7A, 7B, 7C) and Friday 12 February 2027 (7D, 7E, 7F). Buses depart the Sutherland Street bus bay at 8:50am and return by 3:15pm.
• The day: getting-to-know-you activities, a bushwalk, a session on the story of Mary MacKillop and what "Light in the Darkness" might mean for a 12-year-old, small-group conversations about belonging and worry, and a closing liturgy where each student receives a college candle.
• Wear and bring: sport uniform, hat, closed shoes, a filled drink bottle, morning tea and lunch (nut-free), sunscreen and a rain jacket. Phones stay at school in the Senior Office. Medications go to the homeroom teacher in a named bag.

Year 9 Solidarity Camp — Term 2

Solidarity Camp is the Year 9 rite of passage and the point where our social justice program becomes personal. Year 9 is split into two groups so that numbers stay small.

• Base: St Joseph's Bush Retreat, Toolangi (bunk-style cabins, staff sleep in each cabin block). Depart 8:15am from the Senior gate; return by 3:15pm on the last day.
• Program: Day 1 — simplicity: students cook shared meals on a set budget, no phones, evening reflection around the fire. Day 2 — service: groups travel to placements including a Vinnies distribution centre, a community garden, an aged-care home and Foodbank's Yarra Valley warehouse, then debrief. Day 3 — solidarity: a session with a guest speaker from a refugee background, a commitment liturgy and the "one thing I will do differently" letter that students receive back at Year 12 Retreat.
• Bring: the packing list is sent via the Parent Portal four weeks before; in summary, warm layers (Toolangi in May is cold), sleeping bag and pillow, towel, toiletries, closed shoes plus a second pair, torch, and a book. No phones, no food. Medical forms are due two weeks before departure. Questions to Mr Will Turner, Year 9 Coordinator.

Year 12 Retreat — Term 1

The Year 12 Retreat is three days and two nights at Grantville Lodge on Western Port Bay, early in Term 1 so the cohort begins its final year together.

• 2026: Wednesday 4 – Friday 6 March 2026 (completed; theme Be the Light).
• 2027: Wednesday 3 – Friday 5 March 2027. Buses depart 8:00am from the Sutherland Street bus bay and return about 3:30pm on Friday.
• Program: small-group sessions led by staff the students choose, an affirmation evening where each student receives letters written by their parents and teachers (parents are asked to write these in February — instructions come via the Portal), a beach liturgy, a night of stories from staff about their own turning points, and the return of the Year 9 Solidarity letters. Some free time and a great deal of food.
• Bring: casual clothes for three days, swimwear and towel, sleeping bag, pillow, toiletries, a journal, and one photo that matters to you. Phones are handed in on arrival and returned each evening for 30 minutes to check in with home. Full list via the Portal.
• Questions to Mr James Whelan, Year 12 Coordinator.

Reflection Days — Years 10 and 11

• Year 10 Reflection Day — Friday 14 August 2026 (completed) — a day on vocation in the broad sense: who am I becoming, what am I good at, what does the world need — linked to the subject selection process and the Year 10 Community Service program. 2027 date: Friday 13 August 2027.
• Year 11 Reflection Day — Thursday 20 August 2026 (completed) — on justice and compassion, leading directly into the Winter Sleepout on Friday 21 August 2026 (see Social Justice & Service). 2027 date: Thursday 19 August 2027.

Reflection Days run on campus 9:00am–3:00pm in the MacKillop Chapel and Trinity Performing Arts Centre; students wear casual clothes and bring lunch. Phones are collected at the start.

Frequently asked questions

Are retreats compulsory? Yes, for all students, as part of the Religious Education program. A student who is ill or has a genuine family reason will be offered a catch-up day.

My child is anxious about sleeping away from home. Tell the year-level coordinator early; we have staff and counsellors on every overnight retreat and can arrange a plan (a pick-up on the first night is always an option, and rarely needed).

Can my child bring a phone? Not to the Year 7 and Year 9 retreats. Year 12 students hand phones in on arrival and have them for 30 minutes each evening. Parents can always reach students through the staff emergency number given on the Portal notice.

What about dietary and medical needs? The venue caters for all dietary needs listed on the medical form; the first-aid officer carries all medications and action plans.

Is there a cost? No. All retreats and reflection days are included in tuition fees.

Contact

Retreat Program — Mrs Siobhan Reilly, Deputy Principal – Wellbeing & Mission · mission@stmaryswc.vic.edu.au · (03) 9555 0100 College Chaplain — Sr Bernadette Long rsj · via mission@stmaryswc.vic.edu.au Year 7 — Mr Nick Papadopoulos · Year 9 — Mr Will Turner · Year 12 — Mr James Whelan · all via the Senior Office (03) 9555 0140