Boarding

Gratitude

Gratitude, by definition, is about the feeling of being thankful and wanting to be grateful. That warm feeling inside of appreciating and giving thanks to others for what we have or have experienced. Giving thanks is a sign of respect to others; it grounds us for what we have and others may not and guides us to take on a role of giving rather than taking. Expressing gratitude has been studied and showed that adolescents who were more grateful reported not only greater life satisfaction, academic achievement, absorption in activities, and social integration but also less envy, depression, and materialism. (The Power and Practice of Gratitude. Bono, Froh, & Emmons, 2015).

Teaching gratitude is something we should do with our adolescents, not only because this is the ‘right thing to do’, but it actually contributes to a happier and fulfilled life. Boarding provides a perfect environment to guide our younger ones to express their thanks. From evening prayer at dinner to the Lifeskills program with our Year 7-8 boarders, gratitude can be practised in a range of ways. Our Formal Dinner, House meetings, and even Tricky Trivia have been times for our boarders to take a minute or two to reflect on what they do have, the magnitude of that, and what it does for them that makes them happy.

Our boarders this week were challenged at dinner to think of what somebody has intentionally done for them, what effort that takes from them, and the impact of that action. Not only did this teach our boarders what gratitude is, but, it allowed them to consider how to achieve gratitude in being kind to others (intent, cost, impact).

Some of our boarders wrote: 

I’m grateful to mum and dad for sending me to school here. It has cost them money and they can’t see me as much, but it has given me more of a chance to succeed.
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I am grateful for my parents for supporting me with my sport by driving me to games and being a part of the team I’m in. They lose time but I gain confidence with my sport because they are there.
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I’m grateful to mum and dad for taking me to netball as they sacrifice their personal time for me to stay fit.
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To the students of our College who helped me when I first came to college, helped me find the classroom, and told me what to do. They gave up their time. They made me feel familiarised with the school and encourage me to adapt to their environment.
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 I got to have jumping lessons with my horse. My parents gave up their time and money to drive me 3 hours to the Equestrian Centre in Melbourne and the lessons were expensive. I really enjoyed my lessons and it improved me a lot.
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I am grateful for my parents; they give me great memories.
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I’m grateful to mum. She made me go to this school. It cost her time and money, and I have made amazing and life-long friend and a great education.
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Grateful to dad for taking me to stations to work with him on the weekend. To my mum for driving me everywhere and putting up with me. To Henry for helping me with my maths and comforting me when I need it. To my friends for always helping me and making me smile. To my netball that has changed my life and I don’t; think I would be the same without it. To the boarding people that always look after me and feed me.
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To mum because she has done absolutely everything to make sure me and my siblings are happy and become successful in life.

When we give time and space for our teens to reflect, it becomes obvious that they know they are fortunate to have opportunities at College, they have amazing parents, and are well supported by their close friends. Gratitude is a good thing to teach and practice as it really does make our students feel that they are satisfied with their life, they want to achieve, and they are happier.

Expressing gratitude by Rosie Dunn (Year 11)

Initially, boarding was quite difficult—about three hours from home, new people, and a completely new school. Soon enough, I settled in and began to enjoy my boarding experience here at College. 

The most important thing when settling into somewhere new is friends; they are paramount to finding happiness in situations that require resilience. I am very lucky to be friends with Madeline Funke, a fellow Year 11 boarder. Despite going to the same school for the majority of our lives, we never really knew each other until we both started boarding at College at the beginning of last year, and it's safe to say that we are pretty close mates now. Boarding has allowed me to meet many new people and gain important relationships. Boarding wouldn’t be half as good without a good, supportive friend. I enjoy our deep chats about our life plans whilst eating whatever food we bought down the street because “it’s a bargain”.

I am grateful for the opportunities that boarding at College provides - I enjoy going down the street with my friends on Wednesday night street leave, as well as participating in co-curricular sports, such as soccer and equestrian. Being able to board my horse down here has also been a great help for me in settling in. I also participate in music lessons, and being able to stay after school to practice and have lessons before school has been really helpful for me in my music journey.

Boarding has taught me organisation and self-discipline, which I will always carry with me. I am grateful to have learned these skills early.

So far, my boarding journey has been filled with great memories that will last a lifetime. I can't wait for what next year (Year 12!) has in store.