Year 7

The Year 7 cohort of 2013 made a successful transition into the Middle School at Trinity College. From the first Orientation Day of 2012, to the final day of 2013, it is apparent that the boys have grown in confidence and resilience, having picked up valuable experience along their journey as Year 7 students.

Mr Andrew Osnain Head of Year 7

The year began in earnest with a ‘crash course’ on how to tackle the busy life of a Trinity student. Students were expected to apply themselves wholeheartedly to a range of College activities and set high standards in a way that befits a true Trinity College student.

During Week 4 of Term 1 the Year 7 students went to Dwellingup, where they took part in the Becoming Brothers Retreat at Camp Kelly. The Becoming Brothers Retreat aims to welcome the students into the Trinity College community, providing them with an appreciation of the culture and expectations of the College. The retreat and the camp are integrated, with the objective being to demonstrate to the students that God lives within each of us and walks by our side throughout our journey. These everyday values and attitudes can help guide us in life. Working alongside the Year 7 students during orientation day, on their first day and within pastoral care each morning were the Year 12 Senior Ministers. These senior boys had been selected as role models to help mentor their younger peers and accompany and guide their ‘little brother’ through the retreat. In reality they were the ‘big brothers’ on camp.

The retreat introduced the Year 7s to the Four Pillars of the College. These Four Pillars – Spiritual, Cultural, Academia and Sport – are what the College is based on. The foundations for the retreat were based around the message, the ‘Rules for Christian Living’, from St Paul’s Letter to the Romans, Chapter 12:

“Be sincere in your love for each other. Learn to avoid evil and hold to everything that is good. Love each other as brothers and honour others more than you would yourself. Never give up. Eagerly follow the Holy Spirit and serve the Lord. Let your hope make you glad. Be patient in times of trouble and never stop praying. Take care of people less fortunate than yourself and welcome strangers into your community.

Ask God to bless everyone who mistreats you. Learn to forgive and not curse them. When others are happy, be happy with them. When others are sad, be sad with them. Be friendly with everyone. Don’t be proud and feel that you are more clever or stronger than your brothers. Make friends with ordinary people. Don’t mistreat someone who has mistreated you. But try to earn the respect of others and do your best to live at peace with everyone.”

The purpose of choosing this reading is to provide the Year 7 students with a guide as to how to develop themselves and become a part of Trinity’s Christian community.

The key words that are highlighted in bold are at the heart of the retreat/camp experience. The Senior Ministers help bring these words to life using them as topics for small group discussions held throughout their time at Camp Kelly. The Senior Ministers help to demonstrate the ways that they live their lives through this message. The Year 7s quickly appreciate what it means to live within a Christian community.

The students were faced with a variety of activities, which included small and large groups. Throughout the day time the ‘big brothers’ discussed the challenges that may lay ahead, the adversity faced throughout the day and living the Christian spirit everyday. The camp incorporated a wide range of activities including hiking part of the Bibbulmun Track and Munda Biddi Trail, canoeing and raft building. Evening activities provided opportunities for the ‘big and little brothers’ to discuss a range of issues related to becoming Men for Others.

The retreat was a great success with the Year 7 students being engaged and challenged through a variety of cultural and pastoral activities. The students started to understand what it means to live within a Christian community, seeing the image of goodness and love in our Trinity brothers. The year group could see and are beginning to learn that by accepting each other wholeheartedly, we allow the freedom for each other to grow, to become the best we can be individually and collectively.

The contribution that the Year 12 Senior Ministers made throughout their time on the camp was outstanding. They adopted the responsibility for a group of eight students and conducted activities and small group discussions. The Year 12s modelled outstanding behaviour and leadership, which the Year 7s can aspire to emulate. Thank you to Head of Outdoor Education, Brett Silver for coordination of all the outward bound activities; Peter Oliver and John Overton for leading the day activities and acting as mentors for the ‘big brothers; and Michael Murphy, who coordinated and trained the ‘big brothers’ in the weeks leading up to the camp. Finally the Year 7 pastoral care teachers went above and beyond the call of duty throughout the retreat, taking part in every activity and assisting with setting up activities. The level of service demonstrated by all those involved in providing this Becoming Brothers Retreat for the Year 7s is amazing. It is a real sign of the community of the College and the commitment it has to liberating education.

Following the Becoming Brothers Retreat the students were involved in a number of workshops involving the topics of bullying, cyber-bullying and resilience, with the aim of promoting understanding, empathy and social justice. The idea of these workshops was to solidify the values introduced in the Becoming Brothers Retreat.

Socially, the boys were involved with two separate events with Mercedes College. The first social activity involved the students engaging with their Year 7 counterparts from Mercedes in a number of games. The boys shared food and conversation with the girls, possibly for the first time, and it was pleasing to see the students begin their journey with our sister school. Our second social of the year was a mad hatter themed dance. Students were asked to wear hats befitting the title, and in the process encouraging our boys to step out of their comfort zone and interact with the girls from Mercedes. The pastoral care group councillors were instrumental in organising the clean-up and assistance with distribution of food and drinks.

To promote friendly competition amongst the Pastoral Care Groups, the pastoral care group councillors were responsible with organising and running the Inter PCG Olympiad. The olympiad involved a number of activities that were canvassed to the entire group and voted on by the councillors. These activities included dodgeball, Bible quiz and the talent show. Congratulations to all participants in each event, particularly the talent show, where a number of amazing acts and brave students performed in front of the entire cohort.

Congratulations to all students on their hard work and effort throughout the year. It was pleasing to see the progress of students, gaining confidence and learning new skills and living the very values that underpin Trinity College. The journey has only just begun for these boys, and they have already made it clear that they have potential to be outstanding young men.

Thank you to the Year 7 parents who have supported the College events throughout the year. The staff and students appreciate the time you have dedicated. Without your support Trinity College would not be the special place that it is.

Finally I acknowledge the hard work and dedication of the pastoral care group teachers. Behind the scenes, these staff members have worked tirelessly and sacrificed personal time to help make the Year 7 cohort such a success.

I look forward to seeing this cohort enter the gates of Trinity College in 2014, ready to take on new challenges with the new-found confidence from a successful Year 7.

Mr Andrew Osnain Head of Year 7