Oakhill College offers a wide variety of opportunities beyond the classroom, including camps and retreats built into our curriculum. Camp and retreat experiences provide a transformative environment where individuals can develop resilience, forge meaningful connections, and gain valuable life skills in a setting that encourages personal growth and self-discovery.
At Oakhill, students are provided with the opportunity to participate in a number of outdoor education experiences which allow them to bond with their classmates and teachers through fun activities. In addition to retreats, students attend a minimum of two camps. These experiences are designed to focus on the skills involved in working together, building relationships and outdoor education. Our camps aim to challenge students while moving them out of their comfort zone allowing them to become more independent.
Students learn new skills during Year 7 Camp that can be built upon in Year 9, this ensures the challenges that they are faced with are age appropriate for their level of development.
The Year 7 Camp centres around building social connections amongst their peers, fostering new friendships and developing a wider social support network.
The Year 9 Camp builds on these skills while placing the students in an outdoor recreation setting. Students are then challenged to problem solve, use initiative and forge strong teams in order to develop a growing self-awareness, independence and build self-esteem.
In addition, students from Years 9 to 12 have the option to continue developing these skills as invited to participate in the Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme.
Retreats and reflection days at every Year level provide students with opportunities to develop their faith journey through guest speakers, sharing of stories, contemplation and reflective activities.
Senior retreats provide time and space for students to examine their relationships at a deeper level and be given skills to listen to the ‘whispers’ of God in everyday life events (cf. 1 Kings 19: 11-13). In this way we aim to develop in students a clearer sense of their identity and purpose to prepare them for life beyond school. Such experiences also serve to strengthen our Catholic identity and build relationships within the College community.
Junior reflection days are facilitated by our full-time Lasallian Youth Minister and supported by a vibrant youth ministry programme, comprising our Year 11 and 12 Lasallian Youth leaders who put into practice our motto of being ‘brothers and sisters’ to the younger students by leading small group activities. Retreats and reflection days are thus an important aspect of student faith formation at the College.
