Lathallan’s S6 pupils have enjoyed a three-day team building retreat at Lunan House Hotel, participating in a wide range of activities designed to help them develop their skills and teamwork as they set out on their final year at the school.
An annual staple, the event provides a valuable opportunity for the pupils to learn more about each other, strengthening bonds between the group and providing a fun learning experience – with the chance for them to undertake unusual and exciting activities, acquire new skills and develop their employability for life beyond the classroom.
The event began with a raft building challenge at Crombie Loch, near Monikie in Angus, with the 16 pupils split into two teams. Armed with barrels, poles and rope, they had to work together to design, build and float their rafts, before taking them further into the loch for a paddle and then navigating safely back to dry land.
They had to call on several skills in order to succeed in this challenge, from learning how to tie different types of knots to hold their makeshift crafts together, to resourcefulness, planning, construction, organisation, communication and trust.
The second day saw the pupils joined by SUP2Summit in the coastal setting of Lunan Bay Beach, where they had the opportunity to learn wilderness survival skills. Working as a team, they built a shelter with a large piece of tarpaulin and some rope, before being taught how to light a fire with a flint key and some cotton wool – essential for the highly-anticipated follow- up activity of toasting marshmallows to make homemade s’mores! SUP2Summit also got the pupils working together to solve problems using pieces of pipe and rope.
After warming back up, the pupils were given the chance to dress up formally, joining accompanying staff – Mr Fernandez (Head of Business Studies and Careers), Miss Jordan (Head of Science and S6 Form Tutor) and Mr Wiltshire (Head of Pastoral Care) for a formal dinner, complete with an after-dinner speaker – all very grown-up!
Mr Fernandez was responsible for the retreat agenda, and said: “We held our first S6 Retreat at Burn House in Edzell in 2018 and it was a huge success. So much so that the format hasn’t changed much since then. It’s a great way to show how much we value and appreciate the pupils.
“We have been fortunate to have been joined by an excellent series of after-dinner speakers over the years, from Jennifer Broadly, the owner of Healthy Chat and mum of one of our Old Lathallians, to Alison MacLachlan, a current parent and the UK Director of the Wood Foundation.
“This year, Karen Summers, owner of Seahorse Coaching and Consulting, gave the pupils 10 tips for success, tying each one back to relatable, everyday items. For example, a bouncy ball was used to help them remember that ‘bouncebackability’, the capacity to recover quickly from life’s setbacks, is a key skill and strength. We also had Pam Cummings from The University of Aberdeen Business School, who gave a very useful talk about resilience and confidence, called ‘From knowing yourself to selling yourself’.
“A huge thanks to all our learning partners and support crew throughout the course of the three days. Together, they kept everyone inspired, enthused, educated and entertained; the impact of which will undoubtedly be long-lasting.”
The pupils participated in interactive, job-related activities too, including interview skills and a CV writing workshop, as well as learning what employers look for in terms of values, behaviours and attitudes in the workplace.
Mrs Jordan said: “It was great to be part of this year’s retreat. Seeing how well the pupils worked together and encouraged one another was fantastic, and it’s fantastic to watch as they are equipped with important life skills, including leadership, communication, acting responsibly when away from home and respecting others.
“Being offsite and fully immersing themselves in these activities, away from the familiarity of the everyday, means they can fully focus on the tasks at hand, with the retreat presenting an unrivalled opportunity to cover a lot of ground in a short space of time. It gives the pupils the best possible start to their S6 year, and hopefully they return with a better idea of their role in school and what they need to do to prepare for their futures.”
The final activity, which took place on the third day, was paddle boarding. Mr Fernandez – on hand to provide support and guidance across various activities, said: “In the past, we have done paint-balling, which is usually a hit with most of the students, but this year’s paddle boarding was an even bigger success. The pupils also loved the luxury of a later start with a cooked breakfast.
“We are very proud of them all. They all went about everything that had been organised with enthusiasm. It’s an effective way for them to learn, very accessible and, a lot of the time, they didn’t even realise the huge amount of information and knowledge they were taking in.
“It’s always great to see young people engaging with nature and developing a passion for the outdoors – something that is incredibly important for our mental wellbeing and resilience. This generation is also an important steward for our environment, now and in the future, and that was also brought home during some of the sessions.”