Boarding

Mexican dinner and loud shirt night!

Our theme nights are times to get together and be one. Our Boarding Captains have led the charge this year with several nights to engage all boarders. We listened to the boarder's feedback, and a Mexican night was at the top of the list. 

To add some fun, it became Mexican and Loud Shirt Night! Do these two themes go together? There were mixed options on this, but either way, the boarding community came together and had a great night. 

It was fitting to bring some fun and colour into our home this week during College's with Wellbeing Week! Congratulations to Charlie and Bella for organising a great night.

Boarder of the Week

This week, we celebrate Charlie Mahar as our Boarder of the Week. Charlie is our Boarding House Captain of Speirs and leads by example. I have been so impressed with both of our Captains this year and the standards they uphold. Particularly pleasing was Charlie this past week in setting a positive tone in the Speirs House, setting high standards, and following up with the boys to meet those standards. Well done, Charlie. Most impressive.

A boarding perspective - Henry Russell (Year 11)

The Boarding House is a wonderful place, and I really enjoy the structure and being around my friends and peers. This has strengthened me as a person, and I am so grateful that I have the opportunity to be at such a great boarding school. While all this is amazing, the repetition can sometimes become monotonous. This is why having a sense of humor is so important, as it builds a stronger sense of camaraderie between the boys in the Boarding House.

I strongly believe that having a sense of humour makes boarding enjoyable. sometimes you need to dig deep and find the humour in the early morning runs and the late nights studying. Being away from home is hard, but I have learnt to appreciate the company of different types of people. Pizza night on a Saturday is lot of fun, even after a long week with a low social battery, it is great to talk to different people and share a joke or funny story. 

I have lots of stories involving humor, and these will be among my best memories from my time at this Boarding House. Humour helps build strong, lifelong relationships and memories, and we all need a good laugh from time to time. 

House Mother and time in boarding

I have been privileged to be part of the College boarding family for 16 years now in various roles and, over this time, have had students, families, parents, staff and Directors of Boarding leave a mark on me in some way. I started this boarding journey when my own children were students at College, and having been a boarder myself as a teenager, I thought I might have some experience in the role. I can say now that you are forever learning, and we are so lucky to have access to training and support like never before. 

My current role as House Mother sees me at the Boarding House five evenings a week, supporting all the students but working closely with our younger boarders, delivering a Lifeskills Program and assisting them in adjusting to boarding life. It is such a joy to watch them develop independence and grow in confidence while making lifelong friendships. 

I am still lucky enough to do some weekend shifts in Mac House and enjoy assisting with laundry, baking, chatting, and ensuring students get to their sporting or work commitments on time. To work in boarding is rewarding and I truly enjoy it, I think you need to have an interest in young people and to be fair but firm while still providing a home away from home. Each year in January I wonder if this will be my last year and then a new group of students commence and I decide it would be nice to see them complete their journey so I am not exactly sure when I will ‘retire’. 

When I am not at the Boarding House or working full-time, I enjoy baking and spending time with family, particularly my energetic granddaughter. 

Lise Lowe