From the Leader
of Boarding
Dear Boarding Community,
Hi Everyone,
I hope this edition of Boarders' Buzz finds you all well and enjoying the first weeks of Term 4. The HSC Examinations are coming to an end at the time of writing and I would like to take this opportunity to wish our Year12 Boarders all the best for their pending results and for their future on behalf of Mount Erin students, staff, and parents/ carers. They will be missed.
MEBSTV - Special Report
MEBS SchoolTV has been up and running now for a couple of months and we will be highlighting and sharing key information with the Boarding Community. See below a current special report of interest for parents of children in Years 10 to 12 in particular.
SPECIAL REPORT: A Guide To Safe Partying
Celebrations, partying, and socialising are fundamental rites of passage and one of the most important aspects of a young person’s life. Although the prospect might seem somewhat daunting or even terrifying for parents and caregivers, keeping young people safe can often be a compromise and a challenge.
Your son or daughter may appear to be physically large and mature, but this is not necessarily matched by their emotional maturity and responsibility in behaviour. Most young people try to do the right thing most of the time, but your leadership as a caregiver is crucial. Ensure you are a good role model and discuss your personal views on drug and alcohol use. Your attitude towards addictive substances can have an enormous influence on the way your teenager approaches their own use.
Hosting a celebration at home or at a venue for your teenager can be a fun and memorable event. It all comes down to careful planning. It is important to agree on the ground rules well before your event is announced to ensure there are no misunderstandings later on. As the host, you owe your guests a ‘duty of care’ and therefore should take all reasonable steps to ensure everyone attending the party is kept safe. Every party has the potential to get out of hand, as sometimes it’s hard for young partygoers to make good decisions. Communication and regular discussions are vital, particularly because young people are often faced with peer pressure to do things they prefer not to engage in.
Further information relating to this topic can be accessed by downloading the SchoolTV Special Report Resource below:
REACH
When using REACH it is important to remember to log out at the completion of your session. If it remains idle for longer than 12 hours without closing the app, it may appear to be open when you go to use it again, but may it may not read the new data being entered. If this is the case, log out, close the app and then reopen the app and log in again.
For 2023, it is expected that REACH and Compass will have some aspects of each programme, merge. It is also expected that parents can use the one-sign-in (password) for both apps. It is proposed to have a MEBS REACH Webinar for parents at the beginning of Term 1 2023 - more information to come.
HENTY FIELD DAYS
Mount Erin Boarding attended the Henty Field Days on Tuesday 20, Wednesday 21, and Thursday 22. The weather was mixed but still, an amazing number of people attended. We would like to thank the many people who visited our site including current students, families, past students, and new families. Mount Erin shared the same site with our sister/ brother boarding school, St Francis De Sales. Joining me over the three days were Mr. James Hopper (Leader of Boarding - SFDC) and Mr. Matt Humphrey (CEDWW).
Planning for Henty 2023 is already underway.
MOUNT ERIN WILDLIFE
We share the campus with an array of wildlife including native birds, possums, and snakes.
On campus this week in front of MEBS was a brown snake warming itself on the concrete pavers. Students and staff at both MEBS and KCC have been made aware of these creatures being around. This awareness includes taking care in wearing suitable footwear outside and what to do/ not to do if confronted by a snake. This snake was not harmed but was moved to another location by experienced Maintenance staff.
MORNING TEA / PLASTIC BAGS
Plastic bags are being phased out due to government regulations. Morning tea has been placed in plastic bags for some time now for collection by the Boarders before moving off to school each morning. The components of morning tea (for example, a piece of fruit, a muffin, and a snack bar) will now be placed in receptacles for collection. (see image below)
We need your help with supplying a container for your son/daughter to hold the components in order to take them to school ready to consume at morning recess.
To help with this situation, a new distribution area has been put in place in the dining room where students can collect their morning tea during breakfast.
Students arriving on Monday morning to drop their bags will continue to collect their morning tea from the trolley placed in the Girls' Courtyard.
Until the next edition of Boarders' Buzz have a safe and enjoyable weekend and weeks ahead.
John Bussenschutt I Leader of Boarding