Endeavour House News

Hi everyone, I hope you are well!

When I was sitting down to write my Buzz article for this month, I flicked through all the photos the Endeavour staff have taken recently, and I was so delighted to see kids being kids! The feelings in the photos, I feel, are a true reflection of how things are within the House – the vibe is very relaxed, we all know each other a little better now and the personalities are really starting to shine. Hammock time, noodle making, cake eating, slime squishing, a power blackout, fun at the park and the arrival of the cooler weather have been the features of the last few weeks.

Reflections

A little while ago, I asked the Endeavour students to complete a short survey for me and I thought I might share some of their observations, generally.

Firstly, their favourite subjects at school are wide and varied, with nearly every subject and learning area getting a mention. There appears to be a direct link between perceived enjoyment and high marks. On that note, I encourage students to approach every subject with a positive mindset. Set goals (even tiny ones) and work towards achieving success, especially in subjects that might be challenging. From little things, big things grow!

I was thrilled that 100% of students feel that the best thing about Boarding life is their friends. That is so heartwarming and gives me a great deal of encouragement, to know that the students feel safe, valued and supported within the House. Other Endeavour favourites are showers, food and weekend rec.

There were four areas that challenge students the most. These are; prep, homesickness, waking up early and overwhelmingly (nearly 80%) said they don’t have enough quiet time or space to themselves.

Prep is something I’m looking at closely and I will continue to observe for the rest of this term. I will communicate and work with families regarding any changes to prep.

Homesickness is a constant and something we all work on. Each student has their own techniques to try and deal with those feelings. I find the best strategy is to recognise when those feelings are coming on and act early to lessen their severity. Often, talking to a friend or staff member is the best way to distract oneself.

Wake-up times have been adjusted. Students can opt-in to a traditional 7.00am wake up, and the morning song has been pushed out to 7.10am. Students still need to be up, dressed and over at breakfast by 7.30am, no change there. I’m working individually with students who are finding the change in the weather challenging, which is impacting their ability to be able to bounce up in the morning. I encourage families to check in with their child to ensure they have adequate warm bedding and clothes for the winter months, thank you.

Lastly, the challenge to find peace and space when living with 20 teenagers! I have come up with an idea which I’m hoping might help the students find that allusive quiet space. Mindfulness Timeout door tags are now hanging and available from the Leaders Board in the Endeavour House dining area. Students may collect one of these and hang it over their door handles to indicate that they need 5-10 minutes of peace. I don’t want this to become a tool that students use to isolate themselves for long periods of time, it’s designed more as a strategy to build self-awareness and actively take a moment to assess individual needs. There is a poster included here, which gives direction about how students might choose to spend their Mindfulness Timeout. In addition, the door tags are numbered, to indicate the range of needs that a student may have:

0 - I'm fine, I just want quiet time
1 - I'm fairly ok, I just need to reset
2 - Feeling a bit stressed, practicing self-care strategies
3 - I need 5-10 minutes and then I will talk to a friend/staff member

If you have any questions about Mindfulness Timeout or anything else mentioned here, please contact me, I’m happy to chat.

Birthdays

Since our last Boarding Buzz, we have had two birthdays in Endeavour House. Happy birthday to Madison Beeck and Azriel Bin Omar.

All the best to you and your families.

Mrs Nyree Mackenzie | Head of Endeavour House