From the Directors of Boarding

It has been another strong start to the term in Boarding, with some new faces joining the team in Endeavour House while Mrs Nyree Mackenzie is on long service leave completing her final placement for her teaching qualification. In Nyree’s absence, we have welcomed Miss Madi van der List as Pastoral Lead for Endeavour, Miss Grace Larham into a Senior Supervisor role, and Mr Lachie Steytler, who has also moved into a Senior Supervisor position. It has been really pleasing to see how seamlessly the term has begun in Junior Boarding, and credit goes to these three for their time, effort, and genuine care for the students.

As we often aim to do in Boarding from an operational perspective, we have continued to focus on strengthening particular processes. Carrying over from last term and into the start of this one, our main area of focus has been Leave and the Reach Leave protocol. We completely understand that at times leave may be entered incorrectly or students may forget and submit it late. We simply ask that, with the support of parents, any changes or late submissions are communicated to the supervisor on duty, and that students take a moment to check their leave entries carefully to ensure the information is correct and sufficiently detailed. We always aim to support as much leave as possible, so attention to this area is greatly appreciated.

In Week Four, from Sunday 10 May to Saturday 16 May, we will be celebrating National Boarding Week — a time to recognise the strength, courage, resilience, and independence of our boarders.

This year’s theme is Echoes of Home:

“A celebration of the culture, tradition, memory, and community that shape our boarders every day, and in every way. In boarding, home doesn’t disappear — it evolves. It echoes through the foods our students miss, the languages they speak after lights out, the music they play, the stories they share, and the rituals they hold close. Echoes of Home is an invitation to reflect on how identity travels with our boarders and how boarding schools can honour, celebrate, and sustain those echoes while helping young people grow into who they’re becoming.”

(quote from Australian Boarding Schools Association website — credit to ABSA)

To give you an overview of the week:

Monday 11 – Boarder Day: We will hold our National Boarding Week Assembly during Period Three, where students from across boarding will speak and share images of what life at home looks like.
Tuesday 12 – Community and Connection Day: Students have invited friends from the day school to join them in the boarding house for afternoon tea, strengthening connections between the two communities.
Wednesday 13 – Wellbeing Wednesday: The day will begin with a walk to school, with boarders being dropped at Coraki Park before walking in with some of the primary students. There will also be a modified AFL game between day students and boarders, followed by a boarding lunch at the gym.
Thursday 14 – Family Day: There will be a strong emphasis on students connecting with home, ideally through a phone call. In the evening, we will enjoy a community supper with games and time together.
Friday 15 – Staff Day: Students have selected staff members from the school to invite to lunch as a way of showing appreciation and strengthening relationships.

All in all, it should be a fantastic week of celebration for our boarders and the wider school community. It is also a meaningful time to reflect on and appreciate the families who place their trust in us to care for their children throughout their schooling journey.

Thank you.

Mrs Nyree Mackenzie | Director of Boarding (Junior)

Mr Brodie Sarre | Director of Boarding (Senior)

A few notes to sign off with...

Leave Hosts

A friendly reminder to all leave hosts to help us maintain clear communication and support the wellbeing of our students:

Collection: Please come into the boarding house to say hello and complete a brief verbal handover with the Supervisor on duty when collecting students.
Return: When returning students, please ensure you speak with the Supervisor and share any important updates, including illness, injury, or changes to medication or general wellbeing.

We greatly appreciate your support in helping us provide the best care for our boarders.

Personal and Consumable Items

As a general guideline, boarding does not typically supply personal or consumable items such as throat lozenges, strapping tape, washing detergent, or batteries.

In certain circumstances, we may be able to assist on a case-by-case basis. Please don’t hesitate to contact your boarding house if needed.

Thank you for helping students to be organised and well-prepared for boarding life.

Thank You

A sincere thank you to the Bessen family for their generous donation of a large Lego collection to Boarding. This has been warmly received and is already being well enjoyed by our junior boarders in Endeavour House.

If any other families have any bricks(!) they would like to donate, we would be very grateful to receive them.