BOARDING

AN INSPIRING ENVIRONMENT

IN A YEAR DEDICATED TO CELEBRATING 100 YEARS OF INSPIRING ACCOMPLISHMENTS BY ST MARY’S STUDENTS, STAFF AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS, I TOO AM CELEBRATING. IT IS WITH GREAT JOY THAT I HAVE JOINED THE ST MARY’S BOARDING FAMILY AT ANNE SYMINGTON HOUSE, AND I COULD NOT BE MORE EXCITED FOR THE YEARS AHEAD. WHEN ASKED WHY I WOULD LIKE TO RE-JOIN A BOARDING ENVIRONMENT AND CARE FOR ADOLESCENT GIRLS, THE ANSWER REALLY WAS QUITE SIMPLE: FAMILY.

Boarding is a unique environment and every student who resides in Anne Symington House has her own story. However, what all our girls have in common is that they have left family to reside in a house with more than 170 girls they can call sisters. It has been wonderful to witness the lifelong friendships that are being forged in Anne Symington House every day. From joining each other at breakfast, to discussing their day after school, helping each other during prep and saying goodnight to each other as the day draws to a close, our girls are entwined in each other’s lives. Memories are made daily in the boarding house, as there is always something to do. In my time so far, we have navigated two lockdown weekends (baking and pampering our way through them), enjoyed a rainbow dinner featuring Chef Eric’s famous lava cakes, honoured our Anzacs during a moving dawn service, celebrated National Boarding Week, savoured several wellbeing walks to the coast, been ice skating and roller skating, invited our Hale brothers to a Brother-Sister Dinner and so much more. Dean of Boarding, Ms Erica Herron, and I are so fortunate to be in a position where we can help to care for, support and guide our boarding students. With exams in full swing midway through Term 2, our students were provided with extra tutoring sessions, quiet study areas and time management strategies to help minimise stress during this sometimes trying time. We also thoroughly enjoyed preparing our Elevate girls for life in the workforce and discussing their experiences when they returned from a busy day at their various workplaces. St Mary’s has a fine boarding tradition and I feel truly blessed to have joined such a wonderful community in such an historic year. I cannot wait to see what the remainder of 2021 holds for the girls, their families and my colleagues as we commemorate 100 years of girls discovering their best at St Mary’s.

Mrs Kellie Douglas Head of Boarding