The transition from the bush to the city

Making the transition to boarding life in the city is a significant adjustment for our rural students who come from all over Australia and from vastly different environments and learning backgrounds.

boarder’s home, comprising letters from a current student and their boarding big sister, a piece of navy ribbon, a poem and a Maggies boarder sticker. This signals the start of their connection to the school and the commencement of a relationship with their boarding big sister, a peer ‘go to’ for any questions or concerns they might have leading up to starting at the school. The boarding big sisters continue to play an important role throughout a boarder’s time at St Margaret’s, providing another avenue of support alongside boarding staff. New boarders will then attend a sleepover where they get to meet their peers and their boarding big sister in person and familiarise themselves with the school and the boarding house. At the start of the new school year, new boarders arrive one day earlier than returning boarders, giving them the opportunity to settle into their dedicated Year 7 dorms, with the boarding house and staff exclusively to themselves. They are also taken on an orientation of the local neighbourhood.

According to Student Wellbeing Coordinator – Boarding Hannah Calcino, place identity has been identified as a key factor in a student’s transition to boarding school.

‘Boarding school transitions for rural students are most successful when they are able to form a positive place identity with their new environment. Place identity is how you, as an individual, fit within a community and how you find value in the community.

‘We are quick to encourage our boarders to embrace the sporting and extracurricular life at St Margaret’s to enrich their learning, extend their friendships, and help them establish their place identity and settle in,’ Hannah said.

Fostering a sense of community is vital to supporting the wellbeing of all boarders. A steady stream of events, dinners, activities and closed weekends aid in building the tight-knit boarding community while encouraging relationships with day girls helps to expand boarders’ connections outside of boarding. These relationships are fostered through boarder/day girl sleepovers and the annual boarder/day girl long weekend.

Boarders come to St Margaret’s not just from a wide variety of geographical backgrounds but from a wide range of educational experiences, including School of the Air, one-teacher primary schools or distance education. All boarders are supported in their academic transition in a number of ways.

A significant advantage is that St Margaret’s teaching staff, as opposed to academic tutors, work in the boarding house each evening to assist students with their homework, study and assignments. This process is valuable not just for boarders but for the teachers who gain a deeper perspective of each boarder’s background.

Communication between teaching and boarding house staff is also key to monitoring each student’s wellbeing and academic progress. St Margaret’s educators are also highly skilled at deploying differentiated teaching strategies, which greatly assist boarders transitioning from varied learning experiences.

As cliché as it sounds, the boarding house is a ‘home away from home’ for boarders, and staff endeavour to establish routines and practices that replicate home wherever possible. Friday night popcorn and movie nights, going for walks and family dinners are the norm. Many boarders will want to eventually return to their rural roots, so St Margaret’s recently introduced a Certificate III in Agriculture in response to those expressing a desire to develop their agricultural skills and knowledge to contribute to their local communities, work on their family properties, or go on to further industry study.

While there is no doubt transitioning to boarding school in the city is a huge leap for our rural students, St Margaret’s boarding staff ensure the transition is as smooth as possible through fostering a strong sense of place identity and community.