05.06.26
SAC’s Retreats Inspire Connection, Reflection and Growth
At St Aloysius College, retreats are more than a day away from the classroom – they are opportunities for students to pause, reflect, connect, and to grow.
Throughout the year, secondary year levels participate in age-appropriate retreat experiences designed to nurture their spiritual, emotional, and personal development. While each retreat has its own unique focus, all are steeped in the College’s commitment to encouraging young people to reflect, be courageous, and feel inspired to make a difference in the world.
The College’s 2026 liturgical theme,‘Animated by Love’, encourages students to recognise love as both a feeling, and a force that influences how we live, learn, and relate to others. Through prayer, discussion, reflection, and engaging experiences, students are invited to consider how love can be expressed through kindness, service, gratitude, resilience, and care for those around them.
Retreat days provide valuable opportunities for students to step away from the busyness of everyday life and engage more meaningfully with themselves, their peers, and their spirituality. In a world that often favours a fast-pace, and not to mention, digital endeavours, these moments of stillness and reflection are increasingly important.
Across the College, retreat programs are carefully tailored to the developmental needs and experiences of each year level. Students explore topics such as identity, belonging, friendship, leadership, wellbeing, faith, and social justice. Through carefully curated activities and conversations, they are encouraged to reflect on their values and consider how they can contribute positively to their communities. Retreats also offer students the chance to explore new concepts and crafts.
Year 7 student, Nancy M, whose cohort retreated to Ayers House and the Botanic Gardens, says, “I was able to talk to new people during the activities. I got to experiment with new art types, which was really fun because I had never even thought of doing them before.
I liked doing the sketching in the Botanic Gardens because it was quiet and relaxing there.”
One of the enduring and most successful aspects of the retreat program is the sense of connection it fosters between students who otherwise may scarcely interact. Whether it be through extending a helping hand on the high ropes at Year 12 Retreat, or writing a note of affirmation to someone in a different home class, students have the opportunity to strengthen relationships with their peers and build trust in a supportive environment offsite. These moments often create lasting memories that stay with students well beyond their schooling.
The retreat experience also reflects the Mercy tradition that lies at the heart of St Aloysius College. Inspired by the vision of Catherine McAuley, students are encouraged to respond to the needs of others with empathy, compassion, and action. They are challenged to consider how they can be people of mercy in their everyday lives—whether through acts of service, advocacy for justice, or simple gestures of kindness.
Year 7 student, Isla H, shares that “retreat helped me to connect with lots of new people, through craft, meditation and all the other activities. It was fun to talk with new people and build friendships, but it was also fun to add to existing friendships throughout the day.”
Importantly, retreats create space for students to explore questions of meaning and purpose. They are invited to reflect on who they are becoming and the gifts they bring to the world. In doing so, students are encouraged to develop a deeper sense of self-awareness and confidence as they navigate the opportunities and challenges of adolescence.
Clarisse C, also in Year 7, described retreat as “a really great experience to take us away from the stress of schoolwork. It was a fun day full of mindfulness activities and a great opportunity to make new friends from other classes.”
Through SAC’s retreat program, students are reminded that they are part of something larger than themselves: a community that is indeed animated by love, strengthened by faith and renewed by hope.
These experiences help ensure that a St Aloysius College education is not only about academic achievement, but also about nurturing young women who are inspired to lead with the Mercy values at heart, using their unique insights and experiences to make a meaningful difference in the world.
Ms Maddie Kelly
Justice and Mercy Coordinator
Year 7 Retreat: Building Connections
YEAR 8 ReflectionS by the Sea
Crafting Memories Together & Exploring Faith at Year 9 Retreat
Sunset, Spirit and Connection at year 12 retreat
