Boarding News

Our boarding residences were a lot quieter last weekend with many of our boarders taking advantage of a long weekend to head away with family or friends. For most of our boarders this is the first time they have taken leave this term. Unlike many other city boarding schools, the vast majority of Ashgrove boarders are living a long way from home, so an opportunity like a three-day weekend provides a great chance to reunite with loved ones and have some downtime in the middle of a busy term.

Many of our boarders are particularly busy at the moment because they are playing a Term 1 sport for Ashgrove and they are also attending pre-season training sessions to be properly prepared for Term 2 sports including rugby union, football, or cross country. Being busy like this benefits the boys in many ways, including keeping them active, learning to juggle multiple commitments and dedicating themselves fully to the teams they are part of. It has been great to witness the high levels of sporting participation from our boarders in recent times.

One of the key elements in any boarding program is getting the food right and Marist College Ashgrove places a strong emphasis on this. We know that the majority of teenage boys have big appetites so we provide large servings for our boarders. The boys are allowed to come back for seconds and we also provide additional snacks to keep them feeling full.

The quality of meals provided is something we are very proud of and we are always mindful of the types of foods that boys typically enjoy. It really isn’t possible to have everyone’s favourite meal every night, but a great deal of effort goes into the construction of the term menu and our catering team take great pride in providing a very high standard of food to fuel the boys for all their activities. We also seek to provide variety in the menu, whilst keeping some popular options on a more regular cycle.

Our boarders are reminded regularly that they can put forward suggestions or provide other feedback through the Student Representative Committee (SRC). Two boys nominated from each residence represent their peers on the SRC. Our Director of Catering sits on this committee and seeks feedback from the boys when the group meets three times each term. The school values the opinions of the boys and aims to ensure they are satisfied with the food provided.

I’d like to publicly commend our Director of Catering, Nathan Ayre and his team for all they do to provide food for our boarders. They are vital team members in our overall boarding operation. Our catering staff work in an area where it’s very difficult to please everyone and I don’t think they receive enough acknowledgement for the consistently good service they provide. We are indeed fortunate to have Nathan and his team providing food for our boarders and with their support, we will continue to strive for the best possible food at Marist College Ashgrove.