Retreat Week 2020

Retreat Week 2020

Last week Years 7 - 11 had a day off timetable and on retreat – an annual event at Farnborough Hill, which gives the girls time to reflect and bond. Each day had a unique set of activities including team-building, talks, reflection and prayer. Mrs Nelle Dalton (Chaplain) and Mrs Cathi Woods (Librarian) have provided a few insights into the week:

 

Monday - Year 11 - "Nothing is impossible with God” (Luke 1:37)

We had a memory activity where the girls reflected on memories of their time at Farnborough Hill and some friendly competitions. We had Rich, Yasmin and Chloe from Equippers Church who came to share their wisdom and experience of faith with the girls. Then we had Sixth Form students sharing messages of hope. 

 

Tuesday and Wednesday - Years 7 & 8 - "One Body, Many Parts"

Hilarity ensued when groups tried to build the tallest tower with marshmallows and spaghetti, many marshmallows were eaten in the process!  The pupils learnt about similarities and differences and the unique nature and importance of each one of us. There was an outline of a human body which was traced around one of our pupils and each girl wrote her name and placed it on the body, to symbolise our individuality AND unity.

On Tuesday, Old Girl, Vicky Cunningham, came to help lead the retreat along with two youth ministers from St Peter’s Church in Farnborough, Chloe Pollington and Natasha Rees.

On Wednesday, Oli Deeks, from Camberley Youth For Christ led a session on the importance of talking to someone when we go through difficulties. He demonstrated the importance of communication through an exercise where girls had to describe how to draw an image to another pupil who could not see the image. After biscuits and squash each day, girls created a different prayer for the end of the day service, where they received a stone to remind them that we are all different but the same.

 

Thursday - Year 9 - "Choice and Change"

The girls started off the day with a challenge in the Sports Hall, pitting their wits against other forms in a game of “Foxes, Chicken and Chicken Feed”. The objective getting all of their form from one side of the hall to the other but not leaving foxes with chickens or chickens with chicken feed but only taking one group at a time on the PE mats “boat”.  Great fun! 

Next up in the Hall we welcomed our visitors from Heavenly Feast Church with Pastor Manumon Chacko, his wife, Camiya Chacko and some young women from their youth team to share some wisdom that changes and choices can bring. As part of this theme Year 9 took part in a personal Myers Briggs test, choosing the best ways to describe themselves and seeing if the results reflected who they felt the are.

After lunch, we welcomed Rich and Yasmin from Equippers Church. Rich regaled us all with a rather funny story from his childhood, the story had a meaning about the choice he made after being told he should not do something because of the danger... he did it anyway and choices have consequences! Yasmin went on to tell us about how “the little decisions you make today will influence your tomorrow” and that "all the people in your world are your influences as well as those you influence”. Prayers written by the pupils included thoughts for those less fortunate, victims of the coronavirus and those suffering in the Australian fires.

 

Friday - Year 10 - "Who Am I?"

Based on the scripture from Jeremiah 1:4-9, we discussed how each of us was known and created by God. Knowing who we are may take a lifetime, but we can begin this process by paying attention to our gifts and talents and what brings us true joy. Sometimes others can cloud our understanding of our true self-identity, and sometimes, others can see our gifts and talents more clearly than we can.

Hula Hoops made a comeback from the '80s with a hilarious team building exercise! Camiya Chacko from Heavenly Feast Church in South London came again with two young women to remind us of our value, and Oli Deeks, Director of Camberley Youth for Christ helped out in the morning, supporting the girls and speaking about how although he is a twin with many similarities with his brother, they are different people and they struggled when they were younger to find their individuality. After lunch Rich, Yasmine, and Lucy from Equippers came to speak about positive self-identity and not allowing negative projections to change how we see ourselves. Yasmine reminded us that “God doesn’t make mistakes”, we each have a purpose and are God’s masterpieces. We are loved, valuable, and significant.