From the Leader of Boarding

Dear Boarding Families,

Welcome to this fortnight's Boarders' Buzz. November is now with us and there are a number of indicators including the HSC examinations coming to an end, the warming weather (albeit with alternate days of winter and good soaking rain) and the ever increasing Christmas fare (mince pies) in the shops, that we are rapidly heading toward the end of the school year.  As we approach the season of Advent, there are other signs starting to appear in the Boarding House.

However, in reality we are only in Week 4 of a 9 week term for students.  Term 4 does have daylight saving which enables us to be outside more. It has been great to utilise the courtyards and the front of Mount Erin for dinner, sitting and chatting as well as short passes of a rugby ball. 

The garden area is looking immaculate thanks to the Maintenance Department, in particular, Mr. Neil Cole who has been giving the lawn and the roses, close attention.

Welcoming a New Staff Member/ Farewell To Another

Mr. Michael (Mick) McTaggart has for the first three terms, been the Acting Junior Boys' Supervisor at Mount Erin. Mick has also been continuing much of his role as a coach/mentor during the day at Kildare Catholic College during this time. He has made the decision to come out of boarding completely and focus on his daytime role, enabling him to also be at home with his family during the week. We thank Mick for his commitment to Mount Erin this year and his overall contribution to boarding.

Replacing Mick for the remainder of Term 4 is Mr Connor Galvin. Connor is studying to be a teacher and is currently working in a similar role to Mick at Kildare. 

We welcome Connor to this role and look forward to working with him.  He will be on duty on Wednesday afternoons, Thursday and Friday morning sharing the role with Ms Robin Bussenschutt who supervises on Monday afternoon, Tuesday and Wednesday morning. They share the Junior Boys' Duty phone: 0455521016

Confirmation of Places in 2021

With waiting lists for boarding in most year groups, we are in the process of confirming places for next year. Parents/carers of any students who will not be continuing at Mount Erin are asked to advise the Boarding Office in writing by Friday 27 November at the latest if this has not yet been done.

Staff Training

All boarding staff undergo regular professional learning to maintain and strengthen their knowledge and skills around key areas of boarding life. This week, they have completed Child Protection Training  and will undertake CPR/First Aid training at the end of Term 4.

Medical Support for Boarders

In the event of an accident or illness, boarders may be transported to Wagga Base Hospital for assessment and treatment if required. The location of Wagga Base Hospital relatively close to Mount Erin and the service it provides gives Mount Erin and its Boarding families peace of mind. If an incident occurs, a staff member (including myself on several occasions) accompanies the boarder to the hospital and remains there with them. It is reassuring to know that if and when needed, we can rely on excellent care that is so close and accessible on a twenty four hourly basis.

Christmas Preparations - Mount Erin

As we move closer to the season of Advent and our preparations for Christmas the BRC and Boarding House Captains are busy planning the Mount Erin Christmas Party in Week 8. Already there are Christmas fairy lights being set up in the courtyard, which provides a sense of the celebration ahead.

Work Placement

Year 11 Kildare Catholic College student Bailin Willis is undertaking work placement at Mount Erin during the day, under the guidance of Catering Manager, Mr Dave Lugton. Bailin has been involved in a range of kitchen work including food preparation.

Orientation Days Year 7 2021 and New Students in Year 8 - Year 11 in 2021

We look forward to welcoming our new Boarding students who are joining the Mount Erin boarding family next year. 

New Mater Dei Year 8 - 11 students will attend their Orientation Day on Friday 27 November and Year 7 2021 will be on site at the College on Friday 4 December. 

New Kildare  Year 8 - 11 - Invitations and information will be sent to families regarding Orientation arrangements for Mount Erin soon. 

Unfortunately at this stage, new Boarding students will not be able to sleep over in the boarding house due to COVID-19 restrictions. If this situation does change, we will advise parents.

Mr John Bussenschutt |Leader of Boarding

~Click on images to enlarge~

  Mr John Bussenschutt

Leader of Boarding