Eclipse House News

As winter begins to set in, the last two weeks has provided us with blue skies and sunny days. This makes for ideal fire pit weather. Each fire that is built outside Eclipse is unique, this is because it has been built by a different boy each time. If the stray stick lying on the ground makes it into the fire by an onlooker, it is shuffled along the coals into the perfect spot and the search for more wood would continue. Once they are happy with their creation, borders from all houses begin to gather around. It is warm, bright and welcoming. Each boy who has created the fire, has now found the prime spot on the log with a balance of all. The boy’s expression and demeanour stand out. You are witness to a great sense of pride.

There is a building sense of healthy pride present in Eclipse. It began around a fire. It has evolved into BBQ mastering, cleaning the kitchen, cleaning the outdoor verandas, unstacking the dishwasher, cleaning their rooms, watering the plants, celebrating a good mark in Maths, celebrating a newspaper article in the Albany Advertiser, mowing the lawn with a manual mower donated by a friend and sharing harmonica skills with a group. Pride is evident and expressed daily. A healthy dose of pride builds a sense of place and gratitude. It is a pleasure to be a part of and share their achievements with them.

We continue to explore the Albany area. A bike ride to Bayonet Head past the fish traps and across the bridge proved longer than anticipated but the boys had a blast. We are continuing to monitor weather for the ideal surfing conditions. The BBQ at Eyre Park for National Boarding Week was enjoyed by all. Community sport is a busy routine that is creating some hungry boys. There are also a few chefs and bakers coming out of the woodwork. When the sky clears, the keen fishermen are out on the point bringing back a bream or herring to cook up in the house. I encourage all boys to continue to get outside in nature as that’s where they thrive.

Birthdays

Best wishes go out to three boys in the month of May.  Brock Beeck and Kayde Bessell-Browne both turned 15 and Hamish Medway celebrated his 16th birthday.  Many happy returns to all.

Finally, thank you for all your support over recent months in the ever changing and challenging landscape. The majority of the boys are back in house and healthy which is great to see. I hope all boarders enjoy a recharge over the Closed Weekend.

As always, please email, call or text if you have any queries or concerns.

Warm regards 

Mr Taylor Colton | Head of Eclipse House