Year 12 2025 Leadership Retreat
On the 17th and 18th of September, our new 2025 College Leaders attended the Yr12 Leadership Retreat at the Kiah Ridge Christian Conference Centre in Tahmoor. This retreat aimed to provide the future 2025 leaders with the chance to better understand their personal roles and responsibilities, but also each other as leaders. Throughout the two-day retreat, various workshops and reflective activities encouraged the growth, self-awareness, and spiritual development of the 24 leaders.
Our leadership retreat was genuinely such a fun experience that allowed us to build closer relationships with each other, strengthening what was once a connection, into a unified team! This was an opportunity that built the foundation for understanding each of our responsibilities and character strengths as leaders, whilst making critical leadership plans for the exciting year ahead. One of the more memorable moments for me was through our TikTok and karaoke challenges where we worked and performed collaboratively in randomised groups, strengthening our teamwork and leadership skills alike. I found that as the retreat was student-led by our 2025 school captains and vice captains, it nurtured a more personal and engaging experience for us all. Those two days certainly motivated my call to servant leadership for the upcoming year!
- Maxine Gesilva, Gould House Captain
The retreat was great! It was a really humbling experience. As the new leaders of St Andrews College, the retreat gave us the opportunity to bond and learn from each other, coming together before we lead the St Andrews Community in 2025. We learnt so much about each other throughout the two days, creating a strong network of skills and talents. We were served amazing food and were involved in fun icebreaker activities. This retreat also helped us learn a bit more about our College morals and identity with a few words of advice from Dr Kennaugh, the use of the SPIRE framework and our College motto,
“Doing More, Going Beyond” and most importantly, “Faith in Christ.” We developed many College goals for 2025, aspiring to achieve every single one! Overall it was a great learning experience!
- Julio Tatupu, Frances House Captain
It was really fun! The retreat was an amazing experience that really helped our leadership team reflect on the goals that we have for our school community. Through the many activities, I felt that we were really able to understand each other’s strengths and weaknesses which as a result fostered our teamwork and collaboration. Aside from all the leadership activities, it was really a relaxing and fun experience, where I was able to hang out with different people, play different kinds of games and step out, not from the normal school routine, but also from my comfort zone! Plus, the food was great!
- Anthony Pilayre, SRC Positive School Climate
The recent Year 12 Leadership Retreat conducted at Kiah Ridge Conference Center was an opportunity for the Senior Leadership Team to discuss the upcoming initiatives, goals and expectations for our College. As College Captains it is our duty to ensure that our College is represented across the Diocese in its academics and extracurriculars, and the retreat provided our team the opportunity to discuss how we can positively impact the community and beyond. The team has greatly benefited from the retreat as it allowed us to meet in common ground and give back to the College through our shared visions. Through various activities and games, we were able to understand each other’s character strengths enabling us to focus our attention and improve on our weaknesses, making sure that the Senior Leadership Team can provide the best for this College. We look forward to the upcoming Year 8-12 retreat where we will further discuss future plans and initiatives for our College!
- Suwanthi Edirisinghe & Aditya Rawal, College Captains
These two days truly offered us insights and experiences that are simply unforgettable. As time went by, it only felt as though there was not enough of it. This retreat allowed us to realise that being a leader isn’t always fulfilling duties and sitting comfortably in our sense of self, sometimes it also calls for moments of unfamiliarity, panic, and even failure. In these moments, our eyes are truly open to the understanding that being a leader is being the voice for others, coming to serve our call to the community, just as St. Andrew was the first called by Jesus. We truly believe that alongside each other, unfamiliarity, panic, and even failure, can become our greatest strengths. However, the number of 24 will only grow with the Year 8-12 Leadership Retreat next term! Stay tuned!
- Christabel Gobrial & Elyscia Barret, SRC Publicity
Ms Sue Cooper
Leader of Wellbeing and Learning