Message from the

Director of Boarding

Term 2 Week 9

I have recently been very impressed with the commitment and dedication of our boarders in a wide range of activities and so I thought I would write to report on a few of these special achievements.

A number of our girls attended the North West Equestrian Expo in recent weeks and achieved great results. Well done and congratulations to Hayley Barnard, Lily Davies-Etheridge, Casey Barnard and Chelsea White for their efforts and achievements in Coonabarabran. They have represented Kinross Wolaroi with pride and distinction.

Last Wednesday evening, the Year 7 boarders were treated to a second night of astronomy courtesy of Rod Somerville and some of the Year 11 students. They were extremely excited and thoroughly enjoyed their ‘tour of the night skies’. It is wonderful to see the varied enrichment activities taking place in our boarding houses aside from the staple diet of State of Origin and the rugby!! It all makes for well-rounded individuals!

Last Thursday evening I was privileged to be able to watch the Performing Arts showcase which captured multiple snapshots of all the outstanding talent and skill we have in the performing arts here at Kinross Wolaroi. The night showcased the upcoming High School Musical which looks a mouthwatering prospect to say the least. The basketball scene in particular required a high level of skill and synchronization and complemented nicely, the vocal performance of Fletcher Bolte in the previous dance scene. I was impressed too that so many boarders, boys and girls, wanted to attend to support their friends and enjoy the music and talent on offer; their behaviour was exemplary and a credit to them all.

The Yalari Dinner took place last Friday night at the Sofitel Wentworth Hotel in Sydney and a group of our indigenous students attended, accompanied by members of staff. It was a wonderful evening for all concerned and a great opportunity for our students to celebrate the positive impact that the Yalari Foundation has on so many people across NSW and Australia. Only two awards were announced during the course of the evening and we were very fortunate that our very own Jade Joliffe (Loader Year 10) was recognized with an award for Resilience. It is so pleasing to see one of our own excelling and being recognized outside of Kinross Wolaroi. It is a fantastic achievement for Jade and bodes well for a promising future.

On Saturday I was fortunate enough to watch the 1st XV boys’ rugby vs St Pat’s, Strathfield at home. It was a beautiful afternoon, followed by a large crowd, and a real opportunity for our boys to put on a display of power, speed and skill. St Pat’s really had no match for the well drilled KWS 1st XV and could not compete for large parts of the game. It was great to see some of the boy boarders central to the success of the team; Donny Freeman, Preston Simpson, Charlie Wilson, Brett Johnson, Ellis Hawker, Jock Medway and Vinnie Reilly were all key players in the comprehensive victory.

It is a busy time here at Kinross Wolaroi and busy for our boarders but I continue to be impressed with their attitude and willingness to get involved in such a wide variety of activities. Term 3 will offer many different opportunities, especially on weekends and there is much to look forward to. In order to keep abreast of all that the boarders are up to I would suggest you follow us on Instagram at @kws_boarding where we will be posting photos and articles of events and activities that boarders are involved in.

To conclude, I would like to wish you all a happy and joyful holiday break with your children.

Matt Curran

Director of Boarding