Boarding News

Dear Boarding Families,

As we commence this new term, I’d like to welcome our seven new boarders who join us from a variety of different home towns including Tenterfield, New Britain (PNG), Sunshine Coast and Launceston. All are settling in really well and have been receiving lots of help and encouragement from the rest of the boarders which has been great to see. We have also had four new Boarding Supervisors commence this term and they have received an equally warm welcome from our community. I’d also like to welcome Mrs Belinda Kerwin who commences in the role as PA to the Head of Boarding and a very important person for all the boys in the Boarding Reception office.

The first week back has been busy with plenty of boarders attending sports trials, all our Year 12’s away on Retreat and the usual adjustment back to the academic demands of school. We also had some great recreation activities for the boarders including a sports social with the Stuartholme boarders on Friday night and a group of boys (and staff) who completed a 30km hike as part of the Kokoda Challenge on the Gold Coast over the weekend. 

On Saturday, the College hosted a successful rugby clinic at the Goondiwindi Emus as part of the club’s last home game of the season. I’d like to thank our Head of Rugby – Mr Richard Graham and Mr James Trebbin who coordinated this opportunity to engage with one of our regional communities. They also took four Senior boys out to help with the coaching on the day – thanks to Daniel Goddard, Marley Chan, Lachy McKellar and Jack Shay for their willingness to help out. This was a massive commitment for these boys and staff, leaving at 4:00am on Saturday morning and not getting back until 5:00pm that afternoon. All six had been away on Year 12 Retreat for the previous three days and I’d like to express my thanks for their commitment to this regional trip.

This Tuesday night starting at 5:00pm we have the Term 3 meeting (online) of the Boarder Parent Network. I warmly invite all boarding parents to be part of these meetings which happen near the start of each term. This group is not a fundraising group and simply operates to support the school in providing the best boarding experience for all the boys. It is a great way to stay up to date with what is going on in boarding and in the wider school, and it also serves as a way to connect with other parents. Please join us for this meeting, or feel very welcome to be part of future meetings.

I hope your son has started well this term and please reach out to his Boarding Leader or me directly if we can help in any way.

Boarding Recreation

Mr Blair Whitlock

Term 3 Boarding Recreation got off to a busy start with a visit from the Stuartholme boarders on Friday evening. The boys always enjoy catching up with the Stuartholme girls and there was plenty to chat about after the school holidays and a busy start to term. After a few games of dodgeball they created some sort of Netball/Basketball hybrid sport before tucking into an ice cream bar. It was a fun evening all round and we look forward to catching up with the Stuartholme boarders again in the coming weeks.

On Saturday the Basketball and Rugby League trials took place with most matches taking place in Ipswich. It’s great to see so many boarders involved in term three sport and a special mention to the five boarders (Lachie Manning, Isaac Roach, Liam Rice, Matt Lyons & Landon Law-Palm) that have been included in the 1st XIII Rugby League squad. The Hive will be back this weekend and we look forward to supporting the Basketball & Rugby League teams throughout the term three AIC season. 

Another really exciting activity took place on Saturday with a group of Years 10,11 and 12 boarders taking place in the 30km Kokoda Challenge down in the Gold Coast Hinterland. This was our first time participating in the Kokoda Challenge and the boys did a brilliant job tackling a tough course that included 1,200m of elevation! The challenge is in honour of the Australian diggers who fought in the Kokoda campaign in Papua New Guinea back in 1942. The event raises funds for the Kokoda Foundation which run a wide range of amazing projects for disadvantaged youth around Australia. 

Our three teams (Year 10: Bevan Tan, James Johnston, Liam Shay and Toby Forbes; Year 11: Tyson Newcombe, Finlay Manning, Joachim Horgan and Riley Gillece; Year 12: Hugo Tully, Lachie Doran, Monte Andrews and Dom Forbes) set off on the 30km at 2:00pm and covering around 15km’s before the sunset and we spent the remainder walking through the bush with head torches. All three teams pushed and supported each other with the Year 11 and 12s coming in a joint 3rd in the 30km Schools Challenge after 5 hours and 27 minutes and the Year 10 team overcame a rolled ankle and plenty of fatigue to finish after 6 hours and 12 minutes. All in all, it was a great success and something we’ll look to build on at next years Challenge.

Sunday kicked off with a start-of-term trip down to Brookside for boys to stock up on supplies before heading down to the Southbank cinemas to watch Despicable Me: 4 which was unanimously better than the 3rd movie for those wondering. An hour in the weights room rounded out a busy first weekend of recreation in boarding.