From the Heads of  Boarding

Welcome to the first edition of the Boarding Buzz for 2022. This is the primary form of boarding communication with families and is emailed to you three times a term.  We look forward to our second year as Heads of Boarding, as we seek to lead and serve the school and boarding community.  As always, the start of this term has seen a flurry of activity with all the arrangements being made to ensure a smooth start to boarding. Over the holidays, work in boarding continued with upgrades in Anchorage House and the road into boarding being resealed and curbing and parking space established. We are very pleased with the outcome of both projects.  

2022 Boarding Vision

Respect is a word that can be thrown around quickly and easily in conversations, but what does it really mean and how can we establish a respectful residential community? This was a discussion that the Heads of Boarding had in January, when considering our vision for boarding in 2022. We came to the conclusion that our vision would be respect for self, others and our environment. Respect in these three forms allows for a safe, inclusive and transformative community. 

Within each of the four boarding houses, Heads of House have been discussing what it means to respect one’s self. How can we respect our abilities and strengths? How can we respect our personal boundaries and needs? Then, respecting others is about championing the diversity of strengths and abilities we see in other boarding students and staff. It is about acknowledging the differences in what individuals need and then respecting their boundaries. Respecting others allows for compassion and care, even when it requires courage. 

Finally, respecting our environment refers to both our physical environment in each boarding house and our broader environment, through sustainability. We love our boarding houses and want the students to also show that same respect and pride in the presentation of each bedroom and room within the boarding house. Over this year, if you can think of ways we can further this vision, or you and your families can support this vision, please contact your child’s Head of Boarding House. 

Boarding Welcome Lunch

One of the highlights of the year in boarding is the welcome lunch, as students and families return from the Summer holidays. This year, parents and students were welcomed with a picnic style atmosphere, with marquees, outdoor seating and a yummy BBQ lunch. It was an opportunity for the Heads of Boarding to welcome families, Mrs Franklin to discuss how ready GSG is for anything 2022 provides, new boarders to be greeted and given their boarding caps, the P&F President Mr Jim Darmody to explain what the P&F do, to introduce our boarding staff and our Boarding Captain Madi Smart present a great speech about her passion for boarding and the community it provides. 

Thank you to all those parents who took the opportunity to meet with the boarding and day staff who were present and make our new families feel quickly connected into our GSG community. It was a lovely time of connection with families, new and established, and we look forward to other opportunities this year to connect with our boarding community.

Congratulations 

We would like to congratulate Mrs Amber Freeman on completing ten years of service at GSG. Amber is a great asset to our boarding community and we are extremely lucky to have her supervising and working during the day to drive our students to appointments and complete students' laundry needs. She also works as a supervisor on some evenings and weekends. Amber is taking a well-earned rest in Term Two, taking leave for the term to travel up north with her husband Wayne. 

Boarding Parent Committee

At GSG we have a Boarding Parent Committee, who contribute greatly to our community. We meet three times a year to discuss ideas and work towards the betterment of boarding.  It is this group who arranged for the much-appreciated gifts for our new boarding families.  Last week, the Parent Committee met via Teams for the first time this year, this was a very productive meeting with constructive conversation. To view the Boarding Committee Terms of Reference please find them here. To view the minutes from this meeting you can find them here. We appreciate the great support our parents on the committee provide, the list of parents on the committee can be found here.  

Each year our Boarding Parent Committee facilitates setting up messenger groups for each Boarding House year group to enable our parents to positively connect. You may have been invited to join a group already. A number of parents have kindly offered to be the administrators of our messenger groups, you can find the list of coordinators here. Among other things, this group will share the weekly recreation activities for students with you. 

Thank you to these parents for taking on this role. Please find our Messenger guidelines here.

Year Twelve Ball Get Together for Parents

In recent years, a group of parents have arranged for Year Twelve boarding families to go to out together after the School Ball drop off. If you would like to do so, please make contact with Kathy Bradshaw. 

We thank our Boarding Administrator, Mrs Dianne Franzinelli who arranges Reach, Flexischools, transport and too many of the boarding administration tasks to mention. 

Government Assistance

Please see information for 2022 Boarding Away from Home Allowance here.

For details about the full range of Financial Allowances available to boarding families please see here.

Applications for the Secondary Assistance Scheme close on Friday 8 April, please find the application form here.

Applications for the ABSTUDY Supplement Allowance also close on Friday 8 April, please find the application form here.

Ms Vanessa Bromhead | Head of Senior Boarding

Mrs Tara Ball | Head of Middle Boarding