Boarding

This week we have celebrated National Boarding Week. We have had a guest speaker, a school assembly, appreciation banners, boarder quiz competition, and created a video of a day in the life of a boarder.

This is the address I presented today at the Boarders Assembly:

This year’s theme is the patchwork of boarding. A theme reflecting that each of our 80 boarders, and our casual boarders all bring their unique talents and passions to the House.

National Boarding Week is an annual celebration and recognition of all things boarding; did you know there are over 20,000 boarders in Australia and 40 boarding schools here in Victoria? From celebrating boarder’s themselves to acknowledging the work of our staff and the rich traditions of boarding at College, our assembly today acknowledges the integral role that boarder plays in the culture of our school.

In our 151st year, boarding has been a significant part of our history. Macdonald House is named after Anita Macdonald, a former student of Alexandra College and member of our School Council, Anita was a major fundraiser for the new boarding houses in 1970 which we continue to reside in today. Speirs House is named after Rev. William (Bill) Speirs who was a local Minister at the Presbyterian Church and Chairman of the School Council in 1963 to 1977. As a well-respected member of our community, we can only imagine Bill was also a patron of the values of compassion, connection, and care.

It is not just a house on the hill, it is a place where we feel safe and secure, we can pursue our interests, we can study and be determined to reach our University goals or next stage of education, we can relax, unwind, and go about our lives in the way that we want. We’re also a family, and an eclectic bunch at that.

The National Boarding Week theme - a patchwork of boarders - is certainly relevant for our school. With a wide range of interests, we are definitely not boring; from motocross to equestrian, from computing to sports, from the performing arts to literature, and even mountain biking and fishing!

Some other interesting facts or challenges include:

Trying to get Charlie Duver to eat greens at dinner (that has been a five-year project!)
Georgia Baker-Miller accepts that her opera singing is just not up to scratch
Finding out who bench presses more - Charlie or Hugh Mahar?
Which Hann sister is which, is that Maddi or is it Em?
Is Josh’s chicken parma better than a pub meal? I’d say yes!
And who knew that a secret talent of Angus Macpherson is paper plane throwing!

Yes, our family is vibrant. And if you haven’t been in the Boarding House before, please consider staying either as a casual or full-time, and sharing your interests and passions with us. I can proudly say that we continue to live by the traditions of Anita Macdonald and Bill Speirs, that we are accepting, inclusive, and compassionate, but above all, we are caring and kind. We celebrate who you are and know that each boarder’s personality brings life to the houses and makes for a patchwork that is uniquely College.

Further to my address this week, Macdonald House Boarding Captain, Sarah Andersen also spoke at assembly. Sarah is our third Andersen to attend College and the Boarding House, and I thank Linda and Mick Andersen for their trust in caring for Chloe, Jake and Sarah.

MR ANDREW MONK

Director of Boarding

Macdonald House Boarding Captain:

The Boarding House, or more commonly known as ‘the boardo’, is a place that many of the students in this room here today call home. For some of you, boarding may seem daunting or unappealing, but let me tell you that it can be an experience and a half. Boarding allows you to form lifelong friendships, as well as develop a sense of independence and self-reliance.

This may not seem important to you now, but it is merely the act of watering a seedling every day to make a tree grow. Some of you may remember my older brother, Jake, who stood here as Boarding Captain two years ago. A smaller number may remember my older sister, Chloe, who graduated four years ago. Both of them boarded here for three years, and have since moved away from home, Jake living in Perth in WA and Chloe moving overseas to England. Now, I know for a fact that without the inner workings of the Boarding House and learning the valuable lessons it gives, neither Jake nor Chloe would have the confidence they do today to undertake the challenges of moving so far away from home in pursuit of their dreams.

The Boarding House provides that extra leg-up in life which we may not see right now, but is the seed to bigger things in the future.

Thank you.

Sarah Andersen

Boarding House Co-Captain

Day in the Life of Boarder

Thank you to our students who worked as a team to produce this wonderful video, and a special thanks to Daniel for applying his time to edit.