Boarding Bulletin Board

Boarding Bulletin Board – Term 1

News around the Boarding Precinct

• What a wonderful start to the 2020 academic year here in Boarding at St Patrick’s College. We have been blessed to welcome all our Boarders to our Community, both returning and new.
• Of our many students, a large number are new to St Patrick’s College Boarding and what is even more pleasing is that we have six new Year 7 Boarders joining us this year along with another Overseas Student joining us, from Hong Kong. This has been exciting for students and staff alike as we continue to develop a positive culture within SPC Boarding. Our Boarders have arrived from so many diverse and widespread places, ranging from country Victoria, the Northern Territory, New South Wales and the Tiwi Isles. Each and every Boarder enriches our community, whether in the form of their character, humour and intelligence or just the stories they have to share.
• It was with great pleasure that along with our new Boarders, we welcomed a new staff member to the Boarding team, Mr Gabe Connolly, who joins us as part of our GAP Tutor team. Gabe arrives to us from Cornwall and has already developed positive relationships with our students and the wider Boarding Community.
• This term, we are also very excited to welcome Keijiro Mishima who joins us from Linden Hall High School in Fukuoka, Japan. Keijiro will join the Year 10 cohort for this term as part of the exchange program and he has already formed wonderful friendships both within Boarding and the wider College Community.
• Our first full weekend in Boarding was a busy one with everyone familiarising themselves with Ballarat and its surrounds, while a small group of Junior Boarders exerted energy at Bounce. A very full weekend schedule is planned throughout the term to show our Full Time Boarders what is on offer within Ballarat and the many activities that can be shared in.
• Many of our Boarding students are in the midst of pre-season training sessions, vying for spots in the Greater Western Rebels squads, Rugby teams and various local football and cricket teams. We wish them all the best as they strive to pursue their sporting potential.

A message from the St Patrick’s College, Director of Boarding, Mr Mike Silcock;

Hello Boarding Community;

Blink and you will miss it!! Where has this first week gone?? I write this seven days on from when your sons spent their first night at College. For some of you I am sure it must seem like an eternity, for others a heartbeat. On Tuesday morning I sat with our whole Boarding Community over breakfast, it was a special occasion. Your sons embraced our conversation that centred around expectations, but emphasised a sense of true community, of looking after one another. I am often asked how do I cure homesickness and my answer is a simple one. I do not want to cure homesickness. I would be more worried if our boys were not missing their homes. Ultimately, I want to reach a point where our boys miss home, but enjoy being at College – and vice versa – when they are at home they are in their element, but they look forward to returning to College. This journey is fraught with difficult times, times that will test us as a community, but from this I believe great resilience is built. Great community is built. I finished my talk on Tuesday morning highlighting that a number of our Boarders are finding it difficult at present and it is the responsibility of all of us to support them. I would also add that it is our responsibility to support you all as well – so please do not hesitate to contact me if I can help you in anyway. I can always be contacted directly on my mobile, alternatively you can reach me or our Housemasters (Tam and Ryan) on our Boarding Precinct staff office (03 5322 4414) or on boarding@stpats.vic.edu.au.

Speaking of community, our ‘Welcome to Community’ is fast approaching. It is a wonderful occasion. If you have not already done so, and many thanks to those who have, please RSVP to me (via email) before the close of play on Friday evening and we look forward to welcoming you on Sunday, 16^th February, from 5pm.

Best wishes to you all.

Up-Coming Events

• On Sunday February 16, we invite all of our Boarding families to our ‘Welcome to Community’ Family dinner. This night is one of celebration and fun, including Mass and Dinner, as well as incorporating a traditional Smoking Ceremony to welcome all Boarding Families into our community. We are looking forward to seeing as many families and friends attend as we welcome new and returning families to St Patrick’s College Boarding.
• Wednesday February 21 is the annual SPC Swimming Sports. All of our Boarders, from years 7 -9 and our year 12 cohort, will be involved in activities all day, while the swimming participants in years 10 and 11 will attend for their events. This is a wonderful day of sportsmanship and colour, which we strongly encourage all of the Boarders to participate in.
• Sunday February 23 is the annual Head of the Lake rowing event here at Lake Wendouree. We are all looking forward to cheering on all of the boys from SPC on the day, especially current Boarding students, Xavier Hayter (Yr11) and Angus Troup (Yr10).
• The first EXEAT weekend for all of our Boarders begins on Friday March 6 (5pm) until Monday March 9 (5pm).