Boarding 

Last week we were lucky enough to host some of the staff and students from the Gouyou Middle School. It was great to have them with us and once again I was impressed by how accommodating and supportive our boarders are towards new students and visitors. The delegation and some of our boarders braved the cold on Sunday for a whale-watching trip to Warrnambool. I believe some whales were spotted and everyone had an enjoyable time, particularly our Chinese friends.

Our two new boarding staff, Gabbi and Jessica, have both now completed full shifts and are fitting in wonderfully in McDonald House. With the departure of Lynne Timms last term and Georgina Hodge taking a hiatus from boarding, it was important for us to find new, motivated and passionate individuals to add to our our current staff. I have received some very positive feedback from the girls and parents, so I’m happy to say they have both made a great start.

As a way of helping the new MODs get to know them better, the Year 12 girls have decided to do a ‘10 things to know about me’ poster to be stuck on each door. This is a fun and helpful initiative and I look forward to reading what the girls have to say. (I am sure it will include how much they love and are grateful to their parents and that their number 1 focus is their academic studies.)

I’m very excited to be going to watch all the boarders perform this week in the musical “Mary Poppins”. I know how hard they have been working in preparation and I cannot wait to see the musical product of all their efforts. Amy and I have organised the most experienced baby sitters we could find (Andrew Crafter and Daniel Cleggett) and will be attending on Friday night. I snuck a peek at rehearsals over the weekend and highly recommend getting tickets if you have not already done so. If you are planning to be there on Friday night Amy and I would love to say hello.

Next week is Wellness Week - one of my favourite weeks of the year. Last year we did a compliments board, Boarder of the Day, random acts of kindness, and hot lunches daily. This year we are planning more of the same but with some new additions, including a games night, night yoga and a few more we will have to keep a secret. More details next week…

Mr Alex Smith