From the Land to KRB

"Our girls were coming from a one teacher school of just seven students, from a very small community and we wanted them to experience an education that exposed them to all the amazing experiences that living in Sydney could offer."

Alison McLean - KRB Boarding Parent and Ex-student

Hugh and Alison McLean (KRB, 1991) run a livestock grazing enterprise near Booligal, a very small village with a population of about 45 people, situated 100 km north of Hay in South Western NSW. They have two daughters boarding at Kincoppal – Rose Bay - Dimity, in Year 10 and Grace in Year 8. Alison is one of four girls and her mother, Lyn King, was President of the KRB P&F Association for many years. Over the years, her family developed many strong relationships with other families and with the Sisters who were involved in the School while she was a student.

When it came to choosing a boarding school, this country family knew from early on that KRB was the right fit for their daughters. Alison acknowledges that sending your child to boarding school is not a decision that comes lightly, and it is so much more than the bedrooms and classrooms of a school: “Our remote location (100km from the nearest high school) meant that, from an early age, our children knew they would most likely be heading to boarding school for their high school years. As an alumna, I had very fond memories of KRB. Our girls were coming from a one teacher school of just seven students, from a very small community and we wanted them to experience an education that exposed them to all the amazing experiences that living in Sydney could offer. Our first visit to the School cemented our wish for the girls to be educated at KRB. During the visit, we ran into students from all over NSW who we knew, we reconnected with old friends who were also on the tour and caught up with Sister Shanahan who had become a long standing family friend after my family’s time at the School. There was a real sense of belonging. The girls were so excited at the prospect of meeting friends from all over the world and, to be honest, they were really impressed by the view! In the end it was the girls' enthusiasm for the School that cemented our decision. When

"A KRB education gave me a sense of empowerment that I want for my girls too. To attend a school of KRB’s calibre is a privilege; it affords you world class education and connections that last a lifetime. More importantly, however, it instils a commitment to give back, to be part of your community, where ever you may live." Alison McLean

you are leaving home at such a young age, having a large cohort of girls from similar backgrounds and locations makes the transition just that much easier."

The McLean girls have treasured their Sacred Heart boarding experience at KRB. Graces loves that she gets to live with her friends and that she doesn’t have to wake up early each day! “ I like how you are never bored - you can always find someone to hang out with in boarding. One of the best things is that you get to know girls from all years, not just your own. It is also so great that you have teachers to help you with your work after school and I like the set times for study – it helps you to get your work done. I am lucky because as a boarder I get to live in the country and the city! You get to make friends from the city and have a wider range of connections. You have more opportunities and there are more things to do.” Dimity particularly loves the sense of sisterhood that is prevalent in KRB Boarding; “ I love KRB boarding because we are in small rooms and it's just like a sisterhood. Like having sisters, we have our ups and downs, but we all get along and it's fun!”

The sense of community and care for one another, including students and their families, is core to the spirit of KRB, in Alison’s experience; “When Dim started at KRB we were in the middle of an extreme drought that had a stranglehold across the whole country. Drought is a traumatic experience for a family not just from a financial point of view, but also the emotional toll it takes on everyone. I mention this because KRB’s response to the drought is a great example of why we chose to send Dim and Grace to the School and what makes the KRB community so special. The whole School responded with care and compassion to the large cohort of country boarders at KRB. There was a real sense of support, from the practical to the emotional: the KRB community’s response was enormously uplifting. From the students and parents, staff and alumnae, we felt genuine care and concern during that time. We have seen the school community respond in similar ways to other issues affecting the community and for us, that is what makes the School special – the community and the genuine sense of compassion.”

Another key feature that makes Kincoppal-Rose Bay unique, in Alison’s perspective, is the Sacré Coeur network; “There is no other school in Australia that offers a connection to such an expansive network of schools and alumnae across the world. Whilst Lady Gaga may be our most famous “old girl” there are so many high achieving women who are part of the Sacré Coeur network. A KRB education gave me a sense of empowerment that I want for my girls too. To attend a school of KRB’s calibre is a privilege; it affords you world class education and connections that last a lifetime. More importantly, however, it instils a commitment to give back, to be part of your community, wherever you may live.”

A city boarding school (situated less than eight kilometres from the CBD) offers a world of opportunities. Alison believes that boarding at KRB here in the city has broadened both her daughters’ horizons. Hugh McLean believes it has given his daughters the confidence to believe they can do and achieve whatever they want. In many ways this is embodied in the ambitions that the McLean girls are already expressing. When asked what she wants to do after leaving KRB, Grace, in Year 8, says she wants to go travelling and see the world: “I really want to do a GAP year and work in boarding at one of the other Sacré Coeur schools around the world.”