Boarding 

Gabbi Bensch (Head of Macdonald House)

‘Student wellbeing ‘is the focus for Wellness Week in Macdonald House and we were so grateful to welcome back Mardi Gill from Vitality Gym, to conduct her inspiring body balance class with 30 barefoot, Lycra clad girls in the common room Monday night.

 

The mood was serene and extra positive as we bent, stretched, planked and posed through Mardi’s health enhancing mind & body workout - we then dimmed the lights and concluded with a 15 minute relaxation / meditation exercise which helps reduce stress levels by focusing the mind and creating a lasting sense of well-being and calm (Micaela you can wake up now!!!)

 

The girls’ overall fitness is supported by balancing their bodies and minds and reducing stress levels - and above all leaving class with a positive mindset. We love hosting Mardi and her motivational movement to the Boarding House. We will run our next body balance afternoon under the palms on the library lawn and invite all of our boarders and boarding staff to participate. Your mind & body will thank you.

Diary of a “country kid” – Nicholas Leung

Nicholas Leung (Year 10) was invited to spend a weekend away in the country with Jake Andersen (Year 10). Jake’s home is in the South East of South Australia, somewhere Nicholas has certainly not been before.

Day1 (Saturday): I arrived at Mundulla , SA at half-past two in the afternoon, which is sunny and windy. We watched the hockey game that Jake’s sister Sarah was in. The game is really exciting. Afterwards we are back to the house which is where Jake lives at. His house is quite big compared to the flat that we live in at Hong Kong. After we arrived back home Jake showed me around his house. His family has only got 8 sheep which is a bit unique to me, they don’t sell the sheep they just keep these ones. I and Jake go for a bike ride after he showed me around the house. We bike ride at the forest behind his house until the sunset. We have a lovely camp fire and pasta for the night and we share around stories and talk about school.

Day two (Sunday): I packed up at the morning for leaving at the afternoon, and I have weetbix for breakfast which is nice and normal. And today I and Jake go for a bike ride down to town, he showed me the park and post office everything mostly and we get back slightly earlier because the sky started rain. On the last day we had homemade pancakes from Jake. Which is very good.

 

What a wonderful experience for Nicholas who resides in Hong Kong. Thank you to the Andersen family for looking after Nicholas for a weekend in Mundulla, SA.

 

A Top Shot - Ayleish Beaty (Yr 12)

Ayleish Beaty (Yr 12) recently represented the College in the South West Zone Clay Target shooting competition held in Noorat. Over the course of the day, Ayleish competed against 20 other senior girls in what was a close competition involving two shoot-offs. In the shoot-offs, Ayleish was up against two other competitors where they all shot equal scores. In the final one, Ayleish shot 4/5 to win the event by one shot. Her success has taken her to State Finals which will be held in Echuca on the 2nd of September. We wish her all the very best in her all future competitions. Well done Ayleish.

 

 

Podcast fun – “Chewy on Ya Boot”

Ben McCure (Year 11) and friend Riley Alexander (Year 11) have a clear passion for sport, in particular Australian Rules Football (AFL) and Cricket. The two sports enthusiasts decided late Term 3 to begin a sports commentary program reviewing the highlights of AFL and cricket, publishing this on a podcast, aptly named “Chewy on Ya Boot”. I understand Ben is interested in a career involving sport administration and journalism. The two young men have been refining their commentary skills and are currently working upon their 7th podcast episode. The podcast is informative, naturally humorous, and an easy listen for anybody if you are interested in sport or not. Congratulations boys on the wonderful initiative and enthusiasm to follow your passion. If you would like to follow the podcast please log onto: https://feeds.simplecast.com/tjDJzMWK.

 

Trial boarding and speak with a current boarding family from your local area

If you or a family you know would like to trial boarding, experience the benefits of casual boarding or simply enquire about boarding in general please do not hesitate in contacting Susie Holcombe or myself (amonk@hamiltoncollege.vic.edu.au). We would be more than accommodating to visit a family at their home or alternatively welcome the family into the Boarding House for an afternoon tea or meal.

Our families are wonderful advocates for boarding and many have offered to take a phone call about how they have experienced the benefits of enrolling their children into boarding life. If you would like to speak with a current boarding family in your area, please contact myself or Susie so we are able to put you in touch.

Andrew Monk