Welcome back to Term Three boarding in Eclipse. I hope you all enjoyed time with family. Eclipse boarders have returned full of energy and enthusiasm. It was great to hear about all their holiday adventures of sport, family, work, and friends.

This term we welcome Harrison (Harry) Greenup who is in Year Ten and joins us from from Oman. The Eclipse boys have welcomed him with open arms and have been exceptional in showing Harry the routines of the boarding house. We also welcome two new supervisors into the house. Mr Matthew Ferreira and Mr Clancy Jones. Both bring with them very different sets of experience and will be valuable additions to the team.

Matthew is currently studying at university and is a past student and lived with his family in GSG Boarding. He is familiar with the boarding landscape and is a passionate sportsman.

Clancy has grown up in Albany, is a certified Dive Master and spent considerable time working as an engineer in the mines north of WA. He is currently a swimming instructor at ALAC. Eclipse boarders are excited to welcome new members and get to know them.

Term Three is filled with many endeavours across all years. Year Twelve boarders are in their final full term of boarding and final exams. Year Elevens are looking to explore leadership options and academic pathways for their final year. Year Tens are into subject and TAFE selections for Year Eleven. On top of this, their winter sporting commitments will come to a close with the hope for finals. During this time of the year, balance has never been more important. I encourage all Eclipse boarders to have balance and a sense of calm in their day. Unplug, get outside in nature and spend time recharging for the coming weeks.

Recently, Mrs Sally Mellows organised for a group of boys from Anchorage to bring up two guitars to be restrung. Thanks to Michael Watson for helping string one of the guitars whilst Henry Smith did the other.

Bibbulmun Track

From 11 to 12 August, a group of seven Eclipse boarders will be volunteering for the Bibbulmun Track Foundation. In recognition of the 25th anniversary of the Bibbulmun Track, we will undertake some track maintenance in a truly magnificent part of the world. I was lucky enough to complete the section of the track recently and document the surroundings. If you would like to be involved, please get in touch.

Mr Taylor Colton | Head of Eclipse House

Staff Spotlight: Mrs Sally Mellows, Supervisor

What brings you joy in your role as a Supervisor?

The biggest joy I get from being a Boarding Supervisor is seeing the smile on kids’ faces, watching them grow and learn, and being part of their boarding family. The one-on-one chats about what is going in in their lives, being included in what they are doing (usually involving their cars on the lawn out the back), brings such a warm fuzzy feeling.

What personal passions do you enjoy sharing with Eclipse boarders?

I love cooking and providing! So, it brings me great joy to cook biscuits and waffles for supper and cupcakes for birthdays. I also make the boys lemon lurd, chutney, chilli Jam, - the list goes on… it's nice they get something that feels “just like my mum makes” or “just like my Nan makes”.

What is one strength you witness daily in the boarding house?

The biggest strength I think in this house is the sense of mateship. Everyone has each other’s back and it really is a family away from home. The laughter, jokes, and camaraderie in this house are what make it so special. Definitely a special group of boys and I feel lucky to be able to spend time with them.

Mrs Sally Mellows | Supervisor

Leader's Report

The past few weeks in Eclipse house have been filled with many fun and exciting events and activities. On Sunday night we had the annual boarding quiz night where teams of kids from each house wearing their tables colour participated in five rounds of questions which ranged from general knowledge to music and geography, at the end of the night the red and white tables came out victorious on 33 points. A big thank you to Mrs Franzinelli for organising the night.

In Week Ten of last term a large majority of the boys in Eclipse headed up to Perth for the 93rd Senior High Schools Country Week, the boys from Eclipse featured in the AFL, hockey, volleyball and soccer teams with the AFL boys winning the B Division with a 30 point win in the Grand Final against Cunderdin Agricultural College, and the Hockey boys came away with the A Division win with a thrilling Grand Final win over Bunbury Catholic College.

The next few weeks in Eclipse are jam-packed with the Kingfisher Fair just around the corner. Many sports are finishing up and heading into finals, Year Twelve mock exams at the end of term, the Bibbulmun Track walk next weekend and the Year Ten Work Experience week. The three Eclipse Year Ten boys are off to Nutrien Ag Solutions, Wauters Building Company and ALAC to gain experience in an area that they may be interested in the future.

I would like to thank all the students and staff for the great start to Term Three and look forward to my last few weeks in boarding.

House Leader Report - Hamish Medway

Dates to Remember

Week Four, Term Three

Week Five, Term Three

Week Six, Term Three