Breaksea House News
The Winter sports season has begun in Breaksea and the enthusiasm shown for the new sporting opportunities is impressive. We have seen a significant growth in girls focused on achieving balance in their lives, keeping up academically, regular physical activity and having time for laughing and fun. There is a steady stream of girls going off each evening to either Bodycare Gym or Snap Fitness in town and they return with exciting stories of how many kilometres they’ve run, a challenging class or the latest dead lift achievement.
Afternoons and evenings are consumed with netball, hockey, cross country, and volleyball training. It is wonderful to see how many students are also umpiring or coaching a younger team this year. The additional responsibility to train young people in a sport they love, turn up to the games and ensure all the communication with managers occurs offers opportunities for increased maturity which many girls are appreciating. We have also been building a stronger group of students going to support their friends on a Friday night, Saturday or Sunday at the various sporting games around town. Congratulations to those who played in last week’s netball carnival at ALAC and especially to Brianna Harris who’s quality umpiring has now earnt her a paid position for the season. Additional congratulations to Rachel Henderson for her success at the school and inter-school cross country and to Madi Smart for stepping up at the last minute to represent the school.
In the first week of the term, Breaksea received a Nintendo Switch and its installation coincided with the release of Switch sports. We have plenty of controllers and students have been enjoying various sporting competitions and the old favourites like Mario Kart. It’s great hearing laughter from the lounge room and then seeing students engaging in odd movements to serve a volleyball or play tennis.
The opening weeks of term have not been without their challenges, and I thank all those parents and grandparents who have had to quickly arrive at school to collect a student with a positive COVID-19 test or symptoms of COVID-19. New routines are being established with students doing RATs far more regularly and mask wearing currently back in the boarding house. What the staff have appreciated is the good humour and willingness of the students to work together to keep as many people as possible well.
Last weekend was Mother's Day and those students still in the boarding house came out for morning tea with me to Little Beach Café. It was a beautiful morning, and the girls enjoyed the variety of amazing drinks, the Peacock, the Lassy, a Fruit Tingle, mocha and an iced pink chai. Upon return to the boarding house some girls chose to bake cupcakes and had fun decorating these with Oreos and other chocolate items.
We began the term with catching up on many birthdays from the holidays and a belated one for Brianna after she was a close contact at the end of last term. As usual, ice-cream cakes appear to be the most popular and I’m trying to get creative with how to make ice-cream cakes for thirty-six girls. Happy Birthday to Faith Bin Omar, Bethany Robertson, Rachel Henderson who all had birthdays in the holidays and to Lily Quick who turned 15 on the first day of Term Two.
Ms Vanessa Bromhead | Head of Breaksea House