Boarding 

Lifeskills – Road Safety

Gaining your licence is certainly a rite of passage for our adolescents. Applying for your L plates, practicing for 120 hours in the day and night, and then nervously taking the P plate licence test is a pathway into adulthood our boarders look forward to. We understand gaining your licence is a privilege and is being on the roads comes with it many risks. We have many boarders from South Australia who are also able to gain their licence earlier than our Victoria counterparts, so being on the front foot with road safety and driver education is important to us. This week we were pleased to have Hamilton Police Highway Patrol Unit visit and speak to our senior boarders about road safety and driver education. Senior Constable’s Dean McLaren and Tony Dumesny taught our boarders about detection methods, processes when being pulled over, technology of their vehicle, common risks for young drivers, and the importance of driving to your ability, your car’s ability and the conditions of the road you are driving. 

The boarders truly appreciated the discussion, with a highlight of the evening sitting in the car and turning light and sirens on. Who knows, there may even be some new recruits ?

Year 10 and 11 boarders with Senior Constable Dean McLaren.

Boarder profile – Charlotte Butcher(Year 8)

Charlotte Butcher is a Year 8 boarder from near Stawell and begun her boarding journey with us this year. Although it has been a somewhat unusual start to boarding with the number of lockdowns we have experienced, Charlotte has stayed the course and is now in a regular routine in boarding. It is wonderful to have Charlotte with us and hear some of her boarding reflections.

Thoughts before arriving: I was excited to come to the boarding house for the new experiences it offered.

Boarding friend: Bella Dunstan

What have you learnt since being a boarder: To be independent, organised and to have a routine.

Coolest boarder: Harry Dorahy

Most enjoyable part of boarding: Out on the basketball courts. Sometimes prep is really funny too.

Best meal so far: Parmigiana and chips.

Biggest challenge: I actually find it easy to fit in at the Boarding House but settling in with different teachers and learning styles has been a little challenging. Especially with remote learning!

Best thing: There is a lot of food and having a lot of support with your school work.

Andrew Monk

Director of Boarding