From Assistant Principals
06 November By Sharon Lehtonen, Assistant Principal - Catholic School Culture
Next week, Year 10 students who are not participating in a Work Experience placement, will have the opportunity to engage in a three-day retreat. The activities will be around the theme of Caring for All of God’s Creation.
Day one will be facilitated by the Youth Mission Team and will be held at Damascus College. They will be exploring the issue of Social Justice.
On day two, students will travel to Melbourne for a workshop and presentation with The Big Issue magazine that supports homeless and disadvantaged people. They will hear directly from people who have experienced homelessness, and learn about their stories and struggles, and also be inspired by the hope and possibility that initiatives such as The Big Issue can bring. They will see how people really can make a difference in the lives of others, and impact the world, and expand on their learnings of Social Justice from day one. The students will then embark on a 'Big City Search' and visit various locations around the city in groups. They have been tasked to find both landmarks and ad hoc things regarding employment, homelessness and marginalisation.
Day three will be back at Damascus College – the students will do workshops with Juliet Talarico who is connected to Young Mercy Links. Juliet will focus on Environmental Justice and climate change issues, a concept embedded in Damascus culture. Despite being only seven kilometres from the heart of Ballarat CBD, the College campus encompasses 22 hectares of land, much of which is natural bushland. Students are able to walk the Murnong Trail – an 800-meter looped walking trail, created with the help of a Sustainability Grant the College received in 2014. It was created in consultation with a Wadawurring representative, and students have been involved in planting shrubs and trees around the Trail. The College setting is a wonderful place to explore these themes.
The retreat will be a wonderful, eye-opening opportunity for learning, reflection and fun.