Boarding Life

Celebrating Our New Boarding Leaders

Recently at Loreto Boarding House we welcomed our new student leaders for 2025–2026. Head Boarder Alice Murphy and Deputy Head Boarder Sadie Polkinghorne proudly handed over the baton to our incoming leaders, Madeleine Honner as Head Boarder and Nellie Polkinghorne as Deputy Head Boarder.

Already, Madeleine and Nellie have made a wonderful impact in the house, showing initiative and enthusiasm as they helped organise our celebrations for the Year 12 graduates, festivities we look forward to sharing more about in the next edition of the newsletter.

We also warmly welcome our Boarding Leadership Team: Sienna C, Wigmore Captain, Daisy J, Poyntz Captain, Kate S and Estelle V, Liturgy Leaders, Allyson K, International Leader, and Jess S, Indigenous Leader. 

In 2025–2026, we are embracing a renewed focus on fostering leadership, both of self and of others, within our boarding community. The Boarding Leadership Group will meet fortnightly with myself and Annabella Pettinau, our Deputy Director of Boarding, to support their growth as leaders and to empower them to make the changes they wish to see in our house.

Whilst every boarder is encouraged to share her voice, the Leadership Team plays a vital role as a conduit between students and staff, strengthening communication and collaboration throughout the year.

To this end, our House Captains, Sienna and Daisy, recently took part in the Australian Boarding Schools Association Boarder Leadership Conference. Held online with more than 200 students from across the nation, the event provided opportunities for learning, reflection, and planning. Sienna and Daisy will share their insights with the Boarding community at our next meeting.

Looking ahead, Madeleine and Daisy will soon attend the Loreto Schools Australia Committee (LSAC) Student Leadership Conference. Each November, student leaders from Loreto schools across Australia gather in Melbourne and Ballarat to network, reflect on the annual Mary Ward Virtue, pray together, and develop ideas for the year ahead. We look forward to hearing from them on their return and to seeing their ideas come to life within our community.

Jane Grech

Senior Director of Boarding and Strategic Projects