From the Boarding Captains

My name is Ava Smith, and I am so excited to be working with Darcy Barrett as your Boarding Captains for 2023. I have been a boarder at Grammar since the first day of Year Seven and have grown to love the community we have in boarding. I have played netball since a very young age and treasure almost every memory made at GSG. Since starting at the ripe age of 11, I have seen other Boarding Captains come and go, and I aim to use my influence as a leader next year help students have even more memorable experiences in boarding.  

I grew up on a family farm in Kojaneerup South, where I attended the very small rural school of South Stirlings Primary. The farm has always been a big part of my life and it’s safe to say that I have missed home more than once or twice in the boarding house. I fill my day-to-day life with hobbies including guitar and bass, cooking and sometimes even yoga. I always enjoy spending time with friends, going out for a meal and exploring the many beaches in Albany.  

Having come from a small rural community like many other boarders in Western Australia, I value and appreciate the influence of a community such as boarding on the wellbeing of its people. Accordingly, I am looking forward to uniting Senior and Middle houses in the coming year. As we navigate and adjust to the new high school system in 2023, it is in my best interest to have a large support network for boarders, by boarders.  

I am also passionate about friendships. During the past year as Breaksea house leader, I enjoyed watching girls of different backgrounds, year groups and interests connect, forming unstoppable bonds. Having these diverse friendships is instrumental in the way houses operate day to day. You will always have someone around to brush your teeth with, to help you with your homework, and many to support you with any challenges you may be facing. Friendships make or break one’s boarding experience, and I want to advocate the importance of kindness, respect and inclusivity in 2023.  

To better support new boarders joining our community in 2023, Darcy and I have been working on a buddy program. This provides reliable role models to support their younger peers in the transition to boarding. Current Year Seven and Eight students will be responsible for showing their new housemates daily routines, bus booking/Reach systems and how to navigate the busy day school on day one. Student buddies will introduce themselves at the upcoming orientation day, from which new students can begin making valuable connections and memories. When we return from the summer holidays, new boarders will receive a GSG cap and a handshake from their buddy after being introduced to the community at the ‘welcome back’ lunch.  

I look forward to meeting and connecting with you all alongside Darcy in the coming year.

Ava Smith | Boarding Captain

Hello everyone, my name is Darcy Barrett and alongside Ava Smith we will be your Boarding Captains for 2023. I would like to start off by telling you a little bit about myself. I am from a family farm about an hour and a half north of Albany called Jerramungup. I am very passionate about my school and sporting. I believe that everyone should strive to achieve their very best and not worry about others around them. I play a variety of sports such as hockey, basketball, and golf. Playing in team sports has really made my leadership and team working skills shine, it has made me more open minded and willing to listen to everyone’s ideas.  

I am respectful, approachable, and always look out and care for fellow boarders and students. I have been living in boarding since 2019 and I would like to give back to the school and boarding community by fulfilling this leadership role.

Coming into boarding is one of the most confronting parts of your high schooling. It involves leaving all your family and friends behind and arriving at a strange school that you have never seen before. Continuing peer support allows new boarders of all ages the opportunity to have an older mentor make it easier. It is always good to have a friendly face who is willing to help you settle in with ease and is always welcome for a chat.

I am looking forward to meeting and working with the new boarding staff. Ava and I cannot wait to hear their thoughts and opinions on our very own boarding community. In 2023 we hope to implement a strong peer support program throughout the younger student houses. This would involve a few nights a week, a selection of Senior boarding students visits the Middle School Houses during their prep time to chat and support them. I hope this makes the Middle School boarders feel more at home and not neglected from the senior houses.

I hope that everyone has a safe and enjoyable summer holidays spending valuable time with friends and family. If you have any questions about anything to do with boarding or school, please feel free to contact me at any time, I am always up for a chat. darcy.barrett@student.gsg.wa.edu.au

Darcy Barrett | Boarding Captain