Boarding House round-up

Meet our new Head of Boarding, Leisha Slade

Welcoming girls from Clevedon to Korea, the boarding house is a safe, happy and inclusive place that becomes a home away from home for many of our girls.

Newly appointed Head of Boarding, Leisha Slade brings an extensive background and a wealth of experience to her new role. We caught up with Leisha to gain an insight of the key elements which make for a positive and well-rounded boarding experience.

An Authentic sense of community

Leisha knows that any successful boarding house requires an authentic sense of community, and the boarding team strive to bring this notion to fruition, after all, the boarding girls are family. From celebrating different cultures at international dinners, to attending chapel together, the girls experience many activities and routines with a focus on strengthening the boarding community.

Monday evenings at the boarding house are reserved for formal dinner. These dinners encourage our Big sisters and Little sisters to bond, creating friendships that span their entire boarding journeys. Thursdays are family nights and are a highlight of the week for many. Grouped with their boarding families, house prefects organize board games, quizzes or other activities whilst dinner is prepared.

A strong sense of community really is a fundamental value at the boarding house, and it’s often the everyday moments, such as dinner time, which nurture the feeling of community most keenly.

A focus on wellbeing

Naturally, following the pandemic, there has never been a more crucial time to focus on health and wellbeing, especially where young adults are concerned. Boarding provides a positive structure and routine that sees the girls enjoying a number of activities that benefit their wellbeing. From cooking nutritious meals together, to using the campus sports facilities or crafting and creating in their downtime, we encourage all of our boarders to support their wellbeing with activities.

We understand that this young generation of Boarders can feel pressure from social media. To combat this, we implemented device free time, during which the girls turn to other activities such as reading, art, study, physical activity or simply engaging in conversation. Each night before bed, mobile devices are also safely stored away, so that students can sleep easy without the temptation of social media.

Putting Campus facilities to good use

The beauty of boarding is that you’re never too far away from all of the action. Before the first bell of the day and after the last, our boarding students are able to use a number of the College’s’ fantastic facilities. Living on campus means that our budding sports stars can rise and shine, in time for those early training sessions. As mentioned, boarders also have access to the gym, before and after school, and even on Saturdays. A number of our Year 13s have also been recruited as instructors at the swimming pool, earning extra pocket money and gaining valuable working experience.

The use of College facilities doesn’t just appeal to the sporty types. Many of our boarders spend their downtime at the Performing Arts Centre, where they are able to sharpen their music skills on the many available instruments including the drums and piano.

And we must not forget the academic benefits that the boarding house touts. Tutors are available onsite, every evening, with a focus on subjects including Maths, English and Economics, to name a just a few.

And of course, FUN!

At the end of the day, our boarders are young girls, who want to have fun! So, throughout the year, our Boarding House boasts a busy, varied, and inclusive diary which brings our girls together, all in the name of fun. This year we’ve enjoyed numerous trips off campus including days well spent at Auckland Zoo, Kelly Tarlton’s Aquarium, the indoor rock climbing centre and even the observatory and Sky Tower.

Back at the boarding house, girls have taken part in activities such as our Talent Quest, baking, crafting, dumpling making, Zumba classes and much more.

The goal is that by putting emphasis on the aforementioned elements, all boarding students leave as happy, confident and self-driven leaders with the ability to understand and accept others. Boarding is a such a unique experience, and with plenty of exciting plans in the pipeline, we look forward to seeing the further evolution of boarding.

Celebrating a successful year

On the evening of Thursday 27th October, we held the Boarders’ Leavers’ Dinner for the lovely Year 13 Boarders and their Parents and Caregivers. It was a wonderful evening filled with some beautiful

performances from our younger Boarders, and lots of heartfelt farewells and thank yous. Sarah Lock, the Head Boarder, shared her reflections on her time in Boarding, remembering fondly one of the Boarder’s reluctance to take part in the Durham Shield when she arrived in Year 11. Over her time in Boarding, she grew to fully embrace this event as one of her favourites of the College calendar. Sarah thinks Boarding has taught her an immense amount, saying that while applying for university this year, Boarding was the focal point for many of her answers.

Leisha Slade, the Head of Boarding, commented on this special occasion, saying “it was lovely to be able celebrate our Year 13 Leavers with their families after a couple of difficult Covid years where we have not been able to connect in person. Being newly appointed, I haven’t spent a great deal of time with these girls, however I admire them greatly and look forward to hearing the amazing things which I know they will go on to accomplish.”

Boarding provides a positive structure and routine that sees the girls enjoying a number of activities that benefit their wellbeing.