Boarding House

Casual boarding accentuates skills for the future.

Boarding offers so many opportunities for our students. Living in a boarding house allows students to create a sense of community, mateship, and strengthens the important soft skills such as communication, negotiation, organisation, and independence. With access to study rooms and academic support, boarders are better equipped to excel in their studies, and grow independently. It is not all smooth sailing though, and boarders are learning through experience. Being responsible for their washing, cleaning of their room, making their bed, packing their bags, organising lunches, and coordinating their timing to get to and from training, music lessons, dance rehearsals, or sporting matches is all part of the world they live and time management and expectations can be very challenging.  We are here to support them as they build these skills.

Casual boarding at The Hamilton and Alexandra College is one option for all families to access, offering a flexible arrangement for students who may not need full-time boarding but still want to experience the benefits of living onsite. I have been so pleased to receive phone calls and messages from many parents wanting to access casual boarding this year. Wednesday evening seems to be the most popular evening with well over a dozen casual boarders staying in. This brings our boarding community to near 100 boarders’ mid-week, making for very busy Houses.

I would like to continue encouraging families to consider casual boarding and using this as a space to accelerate lifelong skills of communication, independence and organisation. In particular I encouraged this at the Year 7-9 level. As an integral developmental stage, boarding can support the natural growth in our children and accentuate the unique characteristics and individuality that will benefit them for years to come.

If you would like to know more about casual boarding, please do not hesitate in emailing or calling myself or Susie Holcombe.

Andrew Monk

amonk@hamiltoncollege.vic.edu.au

0407 052 214