From the Head of Boarding 

Dear Boarding Community,

Welcome to the final edition of Boarders' Buzz for 2025. This Festive Season Edition and mainly captures the last term of 2025 in images. The year has been both busy and extremely productive, with some excellent events that took place, including our Term Masses, our Year 12 Farewell Mass and Dinner, and our traditional Mixed Tournaments.

Boarding Student Leadership - Student Voice

We are extremely proud of our Student Leadership team and BRC for providing a student voice. It is through this group that the Rice House and Nagle House kitchenettes, as well as the Rice House Laundry, were proposed and eventually realised. The House Meeting structure, BRC and Leaders' Meetings are so important to hear the student voice. We encourage all students to participate.

MEBS Parent Advisory Council 2026

I would like to congratulate and thank our outgoing Chairperson of the Parent Advisory Council, Ms Heidi Gooden.  I would also like to thank our  Secretary/ Acying Chair, Mr Stephen Hines. Both Heidi and Stephen have supported MEBS extremely well, and it is such an important role. Thank you to the incoming parents to the Parent Advisory Council for answering my call for volunteers earlier in the term. Joining Stephen (MDCC) will be Mai Pham Nugyen (KCC), Linda Thomas (MDCC) and Richard Hood (KCC). The advisory council meets 4 times per year, on Thursday at 5 pm at MEBS or online. Parents on the Council must be current parents of any given year.

Farewells

We farewelled three of our staff, Vicki Bradford, Danielle Blight, and James Mortensen during in the year. Our longstanding Administrative Assistant, who has given 20 years of service to CEDWW, including MEBS retired during Term 4. We miss Amanda, wish her well, and we will farewell her in 2026. We also farewelled a number of our Boarders, including our fantastic group of Year 12's and those moving on to new schools. We wish all our Boarders returning or leaving, a Holy Festive Season and safe travels.

Academic Study - Learning in Residence 2026

New for 2026 will be our Learning in Residence prgrammme consisting of face to face tutoring, replacing the online tutoring programme that has in the past, served MEBS well and that has been in place since 2020. The organisation of study Monday to Thursday will also change to allow the the most efficient use of our Tutors who will be teaching staff from both Kildare and Mater Dei.  The MEB's Study/ Homework regime is dependent on work set by teachers from each College, so having teaching staff in Boarding each night will support our non-teaching Boarding Assistants.

The Festive Season

As we approach Christmas Day, many of us find ourselves caught up in the familiar preparations of meals, buying gifts, and fulfilling commitments before leaving school and work behind.  Within this frantic pace, it can feel as though we are racing from one thing to the next. Yet it is precisely at this moment that we are invited to pause and to reconnect with the true meaning of this sacred season. Beyond the commercial noise lies God’s enduring gift to us: the promise of hope, love, and joy.

Across time and cultures, naming a child has carried deep significance. For the Hebrew people, a name often expressed hope or signalled that something extraordinary was unfolding. In both Isaiah's and Matthew’s Gospel, this hope is never clearer.

“The Lord will give you a sign. It is this, the young woman is with child and shall bear a son and shall name him Immanuel.” (Isaiah 7: 14)

“Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall name him, Emmanuel, which means, ‘God is with us’.” (Matt 23)

The people hoped that their prayers for God’s help, especially in times of great suffering and despair, would be answered. As a faith community, this remains our constant reassurance: God walks with us through joy, challenge, grief, and renewal.

May this Christmas bring peace to your families, hope to your hearts, and moments of rest and renewal. And as we look towards 2026, may we continue to walk together in faith, compassion, respect and gratitude.

On behalf of the MEBS Community, I wish everyone a safe, joyful and peaceful Christmas.

MEBS PHOTOS AND VIDEOS

John Bussenschutt | Head of Boarding

Mount Erin Boarding is committed to the provision of a safe and supportive learning and working environment for Boarders and Staff. MEBS follows the Diocese of Wagga Safeguarding Policies and Procedures. Information, reporting processes and support are available Here.