Boarding News

Echoes of Home: Celebrating National Boarding Week 

There is something quietly powerful about the word home. For our boarders, home is both the place they have come from - a farm in the Central West, a property out past Dubbo, a town across the border - and the place they have come to. Our boarding houses are not a substitute for home; they are a second one. In the rhythm of shared meals, the laughter that carries down a corridor at prep time, and the friendships forged over years, the echoes of every boarder's home life shape the culture of ours.

This year, Kinross Wolaroi Boarding is proud to celebrate National Boarding Week under the ABSA theme Echoes of Home. It is a week designed to gather, give thanks, and celebrate, and a chance for the wider school community to step inside the world of boarding and see what makes it tick.

The week opened on Sunday with our boarders writing gratitude letters home to the families who have entrusted us with their care. Monday was our official Gratitude Day, with letters written to the staff who walk alongside our boarders every day, and ABSA cupcakes shared throughout the houses to thank everyone who makes boarding life run. We invited staff and teachers to dinner that evening: a small gesture of thanks for the educators who go beyond the classroom.

Tuesday brought the much-anticipated Boarders v Day Students relay in the Quad. Wednesday was our whole-of-boarding photograph, a single image capturing every face that calls our houses home. Thursday's Boys v Girls Charity Netball Match channels our competitive spirit into a worthy cause, before Friday's grand finale: the legendary Day Students v Boarders tractor pull and tug of war.

National Boarding Week is, at its heart, a celebration of belonging. It honours the families who send their children to us, the staff who care for them, and the boarders themselves: young people who have learned, often earlier than their peers, the art of building community wherever they find themselves.

For the entire week we have warmly included the whole Kinross Wolaroi community in celebrating boarding with us.

Building Resilience Through the Resourceful Adolescent Programme (RAP-A)

During term 1 and 2, our Year 7 boarding students have been participating in the Resourceful Adolescent Programme (RAP-A),  developed by the Queensland University of Technology. Delivered over eight weeks, the programme is designed to equip boarders with practical skills to build resilience, and resourcefulness.

One of the highlights of the programme was the students’ enthusiastic re-enactment of The Three Little Pigs, complete with some truly wonderful acting and plenty of laughter. The story forms the foundation of RAP-A, with students learning that, just like the brick house that stood strong against the Big Bad Wolf, resilience is built through developing strong personal resources and support systems.

Throughout the programme, students gradually created their own personal “RAP-A House” by laying down different “resource bricks” each week. These included “Personal Strength Bricks”, “Keeping Calm Bricks”, and “Problem Solving Bricks”, all representing practical strategies to help students remain resilient during stressful times.

The sessions were filled with fun games, group activities, and hands-on challenges that encouraged participation and teamwork. Students learned the important cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) skill of “catching, checking, and changing” their thoughts — recognising unhelpful thinking patterns, examining whether those thoughts are accurate, and replacing them with more balanced and constructive ways of thinking.

Another memorable activity was the egg drop challenge, which highlighted the power of teamwork, communication, and problem solving. Working together under pressure, students designed creative ways to protect their eggs from breaking, while also learning valuable lessons about collaboration, resilience, and adapting when things do not go to plan.

Alongside these activities, RAP-A explored key areas of wellbeing such as recognising personal strengths, improving self-management skills, building support networks, understanding the perspectives of others, and learning about the power of positive self- talk. A strong emphasis was also placed on maintaining self-esteem and confidence when facing challenges.

By participating in RAP-A, our boarding students have gained practical tools to support their emotional wellbeing, strengthen relationships, and approach challenges with greater confidence and resilience.