Message from the

Director of Boarding

Term 4 Week 7

As the final week of the year looms, it is timely to reflect on all that has come before; the achievements, the changes and the direction we are taking for the future. This final family bulletin is a great opportunity to reflect on all that is good about KWS Boarding.

When I think about Boarding at KWS and all that has happened this year I think about the people. The people are what makes this community special. My very first impression was in the lunch queue; two boys came up to me and asked me where I was from and what was my story. Their facial expression said it all when I told them I had just travelled from England after living there for 11 years. They must have thought it equivalent to a life sentence! Their curiosity was genuine; the same reaction I received from many of the boarders I first met at KWS. They were genuinely interested in where I was from and how I had come to be here. I found myself quite curious in return. Where they were from? Why they had chosen KWS? Were they from the land? An acknowledgement that life was tough for farmers and all those in associated industry. The only issue was that my geography was poor. All these towns and places I had heard of and then expected to know! In those first few weeks and months I was constantly on google maps!

The secret to an enjoyable boarding experience is having good (no, make that great!) staff in key roles. It was exciting to observe the staff in their element; especially the Heads of House. They came across as a close-knit team with a sound working knowledge of KWS and the highs and lows that come with the role. They are also a committed bunch and it was enjoyable to get to know them over the course of a year. It is certainly true that the personality of a Housemistress or Housemaster adds a unique flavour to the culture and ethos of a House and it was interesting to view different Houses through this lens.

The weekend activities and socials were a big hit with our boarders this year. Each term, we, the House staff sit down and map out the activities for the following term. The motivation is to keep our boys and girls engaged and active across weekends, to offer them a choice and ensure there is enough variety to keep things interesting! I am fortunate to have staff who are fully engaged in the weekend program and who have taken the initiative to try some different things this year (namely boxing at PCYC, LazerTag, arts and crafts). Both Wolaroi and PLC campuses have their own firepits, we have recently purchased bubble soccer zorbs and next year we will look to further enhance the weekend program with some exciting initiatives out at the school farm, Windermere.

I’d like to dedicate the final paragraph of the year to two outstanding staff who will step aside from their role as Head of House at the end of this year. Trent Chapman (Head of Weymouth) and Di Chapple (Head of Loader) have been outstanding contributors to the boarding community for many years and will be sorely missed by the community. Their commitment to the boys and girls in their care and their passion for boarding has been demonstrated consistently over a long period of time. Trent and Di will depart knowing that they have created wonderfully supportive and inclusive boarding communities. I would like to take this opportunity to publicly thank them both for their service and contribution and wish them all the best for future endeavours.

Mr Matt Curran

Director of Boarding