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BOARDING
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WELCOME
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t Mary’s boarding house, Anne Symington House, is home to 160 boarders from both rural WA and overseas and offers a fun, vibrant and memorable experience for your daughter, allowing her to find her individual niche. The diversity of culture, personalities, interests and backgrounds makes the boarding community at St Mary’s a truly dynamic one. Boarders are each assigned a mentor who acts as a guide and friend as they begin their boarding journey and these girls often become lifelong friends. The girls have access to our state-of-the-art facilities and the opportunity to participate in a vast array of different social and sporting activities. Music, sport, debating, drama, dance, leadership and social etiquette figure prominently in a boarder’s life. The girls’ busy schedules encourage them to develop effective time management skills and a belief in their potential. Academic support and a well structured social calendar are also provided within the boarding environment.
of your daughter. There are also school nurses and the Chaplain, who are part of the boarding team and play an active role in the lives of our boarders. We aim to provide a safe, caring and nurturing home during the school term for the girls in our care. Our philosophy is that each and every girl is extremely precious. We would be delighted to take you on a tour of the boarding house and school, since it is the best way to experience for yourselves all that we are able to offer. We look forward to your daughter becoming very much part of our community. Warmest wishes
Mrs Tina Campbell, Head of Boarding
A boarding experience is such a wonderful gift to any young woman and provides great opportunities for companionship and friendship, so adding a new dimension to school life.
I am resident on campus with my family and we aim to create a ‘home away from home’ for your daughter through a focus on family values. I am supported by a team of dedicated, qualified and enthusiastic staff members whose number one priority is the welfare
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WELCOME
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Helping your daughter settle in The Big Sister: Little Sister programme ensures each Year 7/8 student is assigned to an older girl who acts as a guide/friend and mentor to her and supports her as she begins her boarding journey with us. Small touches such as the provision of a handmade birthday card from the boarding house also help your daughter feel comfortable in her home away from home.
Comfort combined with state-of-the-art facilities Within the boarding house the girls are provided with bright, modern rooms featuring reverse cycle air conditioning and individual study areas equipped with internet and network connection. Younger girls share a bedroom whilst girls in Year 12 each have their own rooms. Younger girls change rooms each term or semester and this enables them to make a wide circle of friends within their year group.
The girls also enjoy spacious common rooms and large recreation areas as well as the tennis and basketball courts, swimming pool and wide open spaces of our school campus. Boarders also have after-hours access to the library, IT centre, music centre and gymnasium.
Keeping in touch We actively encourage regular contact with families and our girls have access to a number of telephones, their own email addresses and most bring their mobile phones to school. Boarders can also access SKYPE with parental approval. Parents are always welcome to visit and join the girls for evening meals and we encourage them to stay overnight in our parent flat. There are also several boarding functions throughout the year for parents to attend, to allow friendships to develop within our boarding parent community. Mid-term breaks and frequent leave weekends ensure that the girls maintain regular contact with family and friends.
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Boarding at St Mary’s 5
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WELCOME
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Dining
Notes from our students…
Our Head Chef provides a healthy, balanced diet which includes a vegetarian choice every evening. A student group meets with the Head of Boarding and the Head Chef each term to discuss food options and hence our menus are constantly changing and evolving to meet the needs of adolescent young women.
‘I came into boarding this year and so far I couldn’t love it any more- it has been an awesome experience. There are so many amazing things you get to experience as a boarder at St Mary’s. There are lots of special events such as socials, dinners, quiz nights and sports and so many friends to have fun with.’
Time for fun and friendships Girls are encouraged to participate in school-based and boarding house life, sport and extra-curricular activities. A detailed recreational programme is published each term and includes visits to the beach, Saturday sport, socials, ice-skating, movies, the theatre and much more. The boarding house at St Mary’s also supports transport to and from a variety of different sporting clubs for the girls to ensure that they remain fit and healthy. Within the boarding house, girls are kept entertained with a range of amenities including a Wii, Playstation 3, board-games, a pool table and a book exchange programme. Girls enjoy easy access to nearby Karrinyup Shopping Centre, Trigg Beach and central Perth, and can always relax in the school’s spacious and quiet grounds.
I live on a farm in Kendenup which is about four hours south of St Mary’s. I am the youngest in my family and the only girl, so having lots of sisters is great for me. While you are here you get to do many social activities. So far this year we have been iceskating, had a ‘pool and pizza’ party and a trip to the Perth Zoo. It has been a blast.’ ‘I live in Paraburdoo and have been boarding at St Mary’s since Year 6. The house mothers are really lovely and have helped me with homesickness so much that now I really cannot wait to come back to boarding after the holidays. Boarding is a lot of fun, and whilst we also work hard academically, we also have lots of fun with our new family.’ ‘The staff are wonderful and are always willing to give you a hug when you need one.’ ‘I come from Malaysia and boarding life has been a new adventure for me. The activities on the weekend are outstanding and we are always busy. I love it here.’
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enrolment
The best way to experience all that boarding at St Mary’s has to offer is to visit us and gain an idea of what boarding at St Mary’s might be like. To enrol, arrange a tour of the school and boarding facilities, or should you have any queries, please contact the Enrolments Registrar on (08) 9341 9111. We look forward to meeting you and your daughter. Visit www.stmarys.wa.edu.au for more information about boarding at St Mary’s
St Mary’s Anglican Girls’ School Incorporated | Elliott Road Karrinyup, Western Australia | PO Box 105 Karrinyup WA 6921 Telephone: +61 (0) 8 9341 9111 | Facsimile: +61 (0)8 9341 9222 | Email: stmarys@stmarys.wa.edu.au | Website: www.stmarys.wa.edu.au