Student Mobile Phone and IT Devices

Why do our boarders in Year Ten to Twelve keep their phones overnight during the weekend?

I have used a statement from Simon Sinek which he uses when looking to effect change in a group or system.

"It's not that people are against change, it just that they need time to get used to it".

I want to look at key ideas that look at the 'why' Year Ten to Twelve keep their phones overnight during the weekend for us at GSG Boarding like:

In the past we were allowed to
It's a rite of passage
Wellbeing for our boarders
Safety
Needs vs Wants
Exit plan for Year Twelves with independence.

Next week I will be meeting with our Year Ten to Twelves to talk about these key ideas around why they keep their phones on them overnight on weekends. I will show them current data and statistics from the social institute and the Australian Institute of Family Studies on the importance of sleep for adolescents as well as the role we play as Heads of Boarding Houses and educators in empowering boarders to strike a balance with technology. This is part of meeting the boarding standards covered in Section 3 - Boarders

Please find a survey here for you to have your say as parents/guardians on what you see as best practice for your child for use of phones and IT devices.

I will also send out a survey to students once I have met with them to allow them to have their say.

REACH

Weekend approval for boarders must be in by Thursday at 9.00pm. It is challenging for our bus drivers to run an effective route with last minute changes being made. As parents, please be vigilant about signing your child's leave, as Heads of House cannot release students until they sign off after your approval. Again, this is causing a lot of pressure on Boarding Supervisors to allow boarders to go on leave.

If your child requires a special vehicle run in the morning to the airport or TransWA, this leave request needs to be in 48 hours prior to departure, to allow time for parents and Heads of House approval and for the transport to be added to the day drivers schedule. We have found recently that boarders have asked for leave the night before, not giving our system enough time to notify staff involved, particularly for early morning runs around 5.00am - 6.00am.

If for any reason you need to take your child out of boarding during the week, please ensure that you inform the day school on 9844 0350 or via absentees@gsg.wa.edu.au

Mr Ashley Keatch | Head of Boarding

Bathroom Facilities

A question was raised in our recent Boarding Parent Committee meeting as to where parents are able to use bathroom facilities after a long drive to GSG.

There are bathroom facilities located in Michaelmas House and behind the Dining Hall. Many families will remember the location of these when attending the Welcome Lunch each year.

Alternatively, please follow the red arrows indicating bathroom facililtes on the map below.

Parent Survey

Each year we ask boarding families to complete a parent survey to allow us to reflect on current practice and review opportunities for future growth. This becomes useful information in planning for 2024.

We value your feedback and ask that families please find a few minutes to complete a survey for each child they have in boarding. The survey closes on Friday 8 September and can be found here.

Boarding Contact Numbers

Recently we changed the landline numbers for each of the boarding houses as the previous numbers were linked to the Head of House rather than the Boarding House. Each Boarding House now has its own individual landline number. See the contacts page here for all boarding phone numbers. We ask that you please add these numbers to your mobile contact list for easy access.

Boarding Forum and Muster

In conjunction with the Boarding Parent Committee, we are delighted to host our first Boarding Muster for our Boarding community. The Muster is designed to bring together the parents within our community to share experiences, meet other families and inform you of the day-to-day operations within boarding at GSG. We are keen to see as many families as possible attend this event on the last day of Term Three, Friday 22 September.

We are looking forward to welcoming you at 10.00am with an interactive Boarding Forum, giving you an opportunity to meet and hear from key staff who care for your children in boarding. Find out all about what happens in boarding and your child’s experiences with school, boarding, dining, maintenance and health services. This is your chance to see the inside workings of boarding, ask questions and make suggestions.

Following the Forum (approximately 12 noon) we will do a walking tour of boarding areas including each boarding house, the Health Centre, Dining Hall and recreational spaces used by boarders.

Mr Bradley Harris (father of Tristan, Year Seven) has kindly donated two lambs which Chef Nick Harvey will have on a spit ready for 1.15pm which coincides with the day school lunch time. This will allow your children to join you for a meal on the day and say hello. The Muster will conclude at approximately 3.00pm where families will be able to collect their children at the end of the school day and depart for the holiday break.

We look forward to see you all there.

Kingfisher Fair

Thank you to all families who have donated Moccona jars and prizes for the Kingfisher Chocolate Wheel. We do have enough jars now, however if you still have a prize for the wheel, please bring it into boarding by Monday morning, 4 September.

Baudin Day

Next Thursday 7 September is Baudin Day!

The theme for the day is Pink Day, students can wear a pink accessory on the day.

There will be a gold coin donation to support the Breast Cancer research and a cake stall at recess.

Baudin staff and students thank you in advance for your support.

Mrs Dianne Franzinelli | Boarding Administration Officer

Health Centre

Student Sickness