9 minute read
From our Boarder Captains
In the Year of Felicity, the Loreto Normanhurst Boarding community has continued to be a place of joy and opportunity for many ‘pink ladies,’ and we have been honoured to lead our beautiful group of girls. As we embarked on our year as Boarding Captains, we led with this quote at the forefront of our minds: One of our goals for 2021 was to embrace the diverse cultural nature of our boarding community through initiatives such as our Chinese New Year dinner, the inclusion of Indigenous artwork in our Christmas decorations and the participation of the Boarding community in NAIDOC Week. We also aimed to implement activities that promoted the normalisation of healthy conversations about mental wellbeing, which was achieved through our weekly ‘Family Time’ in dorms. We also encouraged participation in weekly activities such as ‘Running Club’, afternoon activities such as skipping, positive affirmations being stuck onto mirrors around the dorms and more meaningful conversations led by senior year groups at the dinner table.
Our final goal was to encourage pride in being a Loreto Normanhurst boarder through the development of the House system. It is our great pleasure to announce that we now have two Houses; Babthorpe House led by Mrs Jenelle Minto and Wigmore House led by Mrs Isabelle Tilsley. Not only has the House system created a greater sense of belonging for girls but it has also emphasised the importance of relationships between year groups. Our Community Weekend in Term 2 saw an inaugural House vs. House competition which showcased the spirit and determination of our pink ladies. This year, we made history with the establishment of the House system, and it is with great pride and excitement that we look forward to seeing where this will lead in the future.
Although our time as Boarding Captains was cut short by the period of remote learning, we are forever grateful for the amazing opportunity we were given. We believe we led the Boarding
- Alex Elle
School with a sense of enthusiasm and authenticity, making us both comfortable people to approach. We didn’t want to be leaders out in front, but rather leaders that girls felt inspired by. This year we have been faced with adversity, yet these challenges have only strengthened our community and united us further to support one another. COVID-19 has physically separated us, yet the spirit of Loreto Normanhurst Boarding was a flame that never dimmed. The girls have been so wonderful with their participation in the reimagining of our traditions, including the annual Christmas in July Dinner as well as new initiatives such as the Pink Lady Bake-Off.
As our time as ‘pink ladies’ comes to an end, we have been blessed with many lessons that will remain with us for the rest of our lives. Some of these are practical lessons, like the importance of never getting in the way of a game of boarder benchball. Others are life lessons, like understanding the power of kindness and the absolute necessity of being there for one another.
Annabelle Kingston, Boarder Captain Sophia Whittaker, Boarder Vice-Captain
National Boarding Week
National Boarding Week was an enjoyable, exciting and fun experience. It was full of so many fun activities like painting rocks and decorating cookies in our dinner sitting with lots of icing and lollies. Loreto boarders are called the ‘Pink Ladies,’ and during National Boarding Week we wear pink ribbons in our hair at school as well as a boarding commitment band. Tessa and I were very excited when we won the Pink Lady Fun Run. It was a tight race to the finish, but with no doubt it was a tie between us both. Tess and I had a little roster going on each day for the trophy; it spent one day on Tessa’s bedside table the other on mine.
In Normo Boarding, we are in assigned Houses and often compete against each other. During the week we also did a donut eating challenge. Tessa is not even in my House but I had never seen anyone eat a donut so fast before in my life. To me, the best thing about being a Normo boarder is the community. I have become so close with the boarders in my year. I cannot imagine what it would be like without them. I love getting to know new people even in different years. I have made so many memories that I will never forget and that’s just in the two years I have been here. I love being a Loreto boarder and I cannot wait for the next National Boarding Week!
Penni-Rose Collins, Year 8
National Boarding Week was definitely a huge highlight for the year! We started the week off with a bang, running 1 kilometre around the school and of course we dressed in as much pink as possible! Penni and I crossed the line together and were the lucky winners of the race, alternating who showcased the trophy on their bedside table every couple of weeks.
During the week, I also found out how quickly I could vacuum up a single donut during the donut on a string competition! The donut competition encouraged each girl to put on their competitive hats and barrack for their Boarding House at the top of their lungs. Boarding Week has helped us to embrace and celebrate the exciting opportunity of being a boarder. It really brought out the true spirit of this tight knit community. We were very lucky to be able to show off our pink ribbons throughout the week in the day school. High expectations have been set for next year’s Boarding Week and I am so excited to see what is in store for us.
Tessa Haire, Year 8
Tessa Haire, Year 8
We love boarding at Normo!
Boarding 2021
Boarder Council
FRONT ROW: Stella Daly, Emily Ryan, Allie Maclean, Miss K. Markos, Miss K. Lucas, Miss H. Neylan, Miss M. Sykes, Mrs J. Minto, Mrs J. Hallinan, Annabelle Kingston, Mrs K. Kovacs, Sophia Whittaker, Mrs B. Nairn, Mrs I. Asquith, Mrs J. Skelly, Miss M. Frith, Ms K. Jolley, Georgia Sykes, Eleanor Whittaker, Kaiya Ah-See, Bella Searle SECOND ROW: Phoebe Hallett, Rosie Vaughan, Katie Lynch, Lottie Ryan, Isabella Hunt, Rikki Scott, Sophie Bremer, Matilda Lewis, Penni-Rose Collins, Lucia Daly, Claudia Dunlop, Alice Kingston, Olivia Heath, Amelia Witheridge, Jessie Ho, Elizabeth Heilman, Tyra Prince, Sabine Walton, Georgia Wadley, Bella Dent, Sophia Lampe, Ellie Wentworth Brown, Eliza Roche, Annabelle Carolan THIRD ROW: Suri Althofer, Rachael Kuan, Matilda Allen, Poppy Russell, Josie O’Brien, Charlee Curll, Xanthe Althofer, Victoria Burns, Miriam McNair, Annie Walsh, Eilidh Downes, Shayarnee Burns, Meg Warburton, Lucy Perosin, Felicity Orman, Matiese Wadwell, Amanpreet Kaur, Molly Lindsay, Jessica Lennon, Stella Carter, Harper Bladen, Jane Dobeson FOURTH ROW: Katharine Monahan, Indie Witton, Ruby Dew, Emilia Hansen, Annika Jamieson, Georgia Taylor, Erin Bridger, Grace Liddle, Weaver Klumper-Madden, Isobel Haire, Phoebe Ferrari, Clare Kennedy, Lucy Ball, Sophia Slater, Shaylee Kelly, Ryleigh Bladen, Mackenzie Pitt, Sophie Maclean, Halena Stojanovski, Charlotte Field, Bridget Whittaker FIFTH ROW: Arabella Ahearn, Emma Wilkinson, Lara Wheelhouse, Imogen Gardner, Zoe Gainsford, Emily Stockwell, Anne-Maree Swanson, Charlotte Fahey, Sophie Goldman, Isabella Loader, Sophie Ward, Clare Stevenson, Ruby Russell, Anna Newsome, Bronte Ciesiolka, Josephine Burke, Charlotte Lynch, Ellie Richardson, Scarlett Crimmins, Jessica Roche, Olivia Kingston SIXTH ROW: Charlotte Curran, Maddison Willoughby, Georgia Tiffen, Ella Taylor-Harvey, Matilda Windsor, Grace Pembroke, Jorja White, Chloe Boulding, Tessa Haire, Monique McEnearney, Mary Grant, Nellie Nagle, Elise MacKay, Meghan Andren, Edie Tassell, Sophie Hehir, Ishbel McBain, Isabella Johnson, Samantha Schiffmann, Lillyanna Talbott-Hatch, Bethany Carr SEVENTH ROW: Catherine Duffy, Ella Dwyer, Claudia Jacka, Isabella Ryan, Grace Boulding, Jemima Hunt, Abagail Whittaker, Alana Hollis, Hayley Kable, Libby Weston, Ciara Downes, Mia Vella, Maria Field, Ellen Broughton, Stephanie Gough, Ayva Myers, Kristina Barclay, Eleanor Pawsey, Mathilda King, Ava Sinclair, Jacqueline Dwyer EIGHTH ROW: Abbey Curtin, Jordyn Richards, Laura Toscan, Sophia Hagley, Lily Tomlinson, Charlotte Cluff, Emma Worner, Georgia Cluff, Taylor Lewis, Isabella Gibson, Charli Sutherland, Alisara Roonan, Micaela Nicolson, Paris Redenbach, Lillian Dean, Anna Garnsey, Molly Purtle, Imogen Kearins, Lucy Campbell, Frances Duffy, Erica Scott, Eliza Haire, Nathalie Doyle
FRONT ROW: Bella Dent, Annabelle Kingston, Sophia Whittaker, Zoe Gainsford SECOND ROW: Ellie Richardson, Anna Garnsey, Emma Worner, Xanthe Althofer
