Boarding, February

Dear boarding families,

I feel we are in for a great year based on the vibe of the boarders who have settled back into life here at Launceston Grammar Boarding. The injection of new students, along with our faithful crew, have seen a great culture of inclusion and difference in our environment. Unlike my start last year, this year has seen a contrast from wet to dry weather patterns here in Launceston. I expected to fly back in from WA to see a very green land base yet was met with wheat-coloured dry fields, What a difference! 

I wish everyone a safe and happy fortnight and look forward to catching up with you, as we continue our community engagement runs over the term.  

Kind regards, 

Ash 

As we start the year, with another COVID twist, I would like to give a big ‘shout out’ to the parent group, for your patience with our current COVID Safe Return to School plan regarding coming into the boarding house at the start and during the term. We are expecting to hit the peak now, so as you are aware, we have plans in place to keep your child in a safe boarding environment.

These plans include: 

• New signage around the houses showing students when to wear masks with our green and amber signs.  
• Staff wearing masks while on active duty.
• Providing extra cleaning products to wipe down areas and surfaces after use. 
• Keeping juniors and seniors separate in wet areas. 
• Compulsory wearing of masks while travelling in the boarding van. 
• Social distancing, where required, when indoors. 

It is fair to say Tasmanians are well-positioned to live with the virus. As positive cases come into play, we are watching and acting appropriately to ensure we look after our boarding community.  

I had an online meeting this week with all the Heads of Boarding and Tasmanian Government Health as well as Richard Stokes from a National Boarding Level. We are all working on the system of decanting students out of our facilities if boarders test positive or present with signs and symptoms. If this is your child Jenny Conti will be phoning you to come and collect.  

Each day boarding students are now being checked as they leave the house for school in the morning and when they go to dinner of an evening for a respiratory check. The reason for this is as positive cases come up in the school, we can monitor our boarders who share the classroom with them. 

RESPIRATORY CHECK 

General Well-Being check for each student 

Have you: 

1.  A fever (above 38C) 

1. Runny nose 

1. Cough 

1. Sore/itchy throat 

If you are an island parent, mainland parent, or international parent, we will accommodate your child in the isolation room which will be set up for week long stays. 

Next week Ms V and Mr Pieters will be starting to sit down with your child and go through smart goal setting using reports from last year and input from your child. The aim is for all boarders to have at least three smart goals that they can print out and put up on their pin-up boards. 

I am looking at purchasing white boarders for each room, so each boarder can also set up their timetable and homework for the week. This will aid when we look at how we structure and reset prep of an evening. 

Read more about Boarding SMART Goals

The first week saw our boarders participate in O Week. It was great to see everyone join in and participate in what was a very successful transition into this year’s Boarding. The pool was out of action for Week 1, so we headed to the gorge for a dip. Surprisingly it was very warm as I found out by having 30 boarding vultures drag me into the water. The outside spaces are really being exploited and what is a striking change from last year is, we are seeing multi-aged groups hanging out around the front of the dining hall before and after dinner.  

Ms Vandervelde has put together a Recreation Calendar and it is great to see the networking that has begun with Launceston’s boarding school, Scotch Oakburn College. Ms V knows the Recreational Officer from Scotch and I catch up with the Head of Boarding each fortnight for a coffee to professionally collaborate, so the ties are strong in the north of the state for our boarding schools. We have two different systems running but can connect on activities where we need support either in numbers or connecting boarders with friends. A great example of this was with the inline skating last week during O Week.      

We have more staff adding value to our boarders when it comes to opening up facilities around the campus. All staff have access to the gym, music room as well as Poimenia Art rooms for students who would like to study, practice or go there during after school hours. 

I am pleased to say we now have 5 staff who are Bronze qualified to be able to open the indoor heated swimming pool after hours as well.  

Jerry Lin is our new Vice Captain of Culture and Community along with Ms V organised our Chinese New Year at Feast in Launceston. We now have five international students from China, Hong Kong and Vietnam, so it’s important we get to share in their cultural celebrations throughout the year. 

Next week we have the new Reverend, Mr Matthew Pickering, joining us for the “Beating of the Bounds” and formal dinner. We have our formal dinner planned for next Wednesday for boarders and staff. I look forward to having him around as we look to develop our 5 Dimensions of Wellbeing map in 2022.  

Last year Skye Ellis approached me with the idea of celebrating us as a Boarding community through a hoodie that is uniquely designed and made for just Boarders. The result is hours of design work that went through a series of developmental processes and feedback from all boarders and staff on what was the best option. The winning design on paper was clearly a favourite by all who voted. We looked at cost and tried to find a product of value and came to the decision with the students that this company is a brand used in sportswear around the globe and one they would wear. 

I am delighted to present the final product for all parents to see how truly amazing our talented Grade 11 Skye Ellis and her team are. 

Purchasing a Hoodie 

If you would like to purchase one of these Boarding hoodies, please talk to your child and let me know via email that you are willing to pay the cost price of $85 and have this billed to your account at School.  

Due to our Boarding facility being deemed a high-risk facility, the School has put a hold on coming out and visiting for the first month of this term.

However, we are planning a series of regional visits across Tasmania’s northern and northwest areas for 2022.

These visits are an opportunity for us to connect with our current families and also promote Launceston Grammar’s Boarding and diverse range of programmes to other families in the regions.

Our newly appointed Head of Enrolments, Malcolm Dolman is commencing with the School this week, so this will be a great way for him to meet with our parents and become familiar with Tasmania.

The School has previously held events at our families’ homes, including a barbecue lunch or afternoon tea, and we would be keen and grateful if our current families would assist us again with hosting these events at your home.

The proposed locations include:

North-West:

• Forth, Turners Beach, Ulverstone, Devonport area
• Wynyard and Burnie
• King Island

North:

• Deloraine

North East:

• • Scottsdale, Bridport
  • Flinders Island

East Coast:

• St Helens, Bicheno, St Mary’s

Midlands:

• Campbell Town, Ross

Please contact me AKeatch@lcgs.tas.edu.au  if you are able to support any of these events.

Where did you go to school? 

I went to Orford Primary School from kinder to grade 6, on the East Coast of Tasmania. For high school and college I attended The Friends’ School in Hobart.  

Were you a boarder? 

Yes, I was. I boarded 5 days a week. I loved it and credit those 6 years to my independence now. The friends I made in the boarding house are now my lifelong friends, from all over the world.  

Where did you grow up? 

I grew up all over Tasmania. From Smithton to Bicheno, to then settling in Orford, where my family still live.

What sports did you play at school? 

My sport is definitely netball. I’m not always the most coordinated player, but height has always been my advantage in the game. 

Favourite sporting team? 

If you count Formula One as a sport, then McLaren is my team. Specifically Daniel Riccardo! 

How long have you worked at Launceston Grammar Boarding? 

I have just started this year! 

If you are studying, what are you studying and where? 

I am in my second year of Bachelor of Education (Primary).

Do you have any hobbies? 

I absolutely love to read. Being able to get swept up in experiences of the imagination or read about someone’s own life experiences is a great thing to take part in. 

Where is your favourite holiday destination and why? 

I was lucky enough to go to Nelson, in New Zealand, last year. New Zealand has always been at the top of my bucket list, but I would love to visit Poland one day, as my mum was born there. 

Weekend 11-13 February 

Any medical/major issues please refer to Senior On-Call 

Senior On-Call:  

Friday – Ashley Keatch (0403 799 321) 

Saturday – Ashley Keatch (0403 799 321) 

Sunday – Zoe Vandervelde (0498 167 579)  

Boys House mob: (0400 704 413) 

Friday Passive – Gus Tomlinson-Smith 

Friday Combined – Jamie Laurance 

Saturday Passive – Will Robertson 

Saturday Combined – Gus Tomlinson-Smith 

Sunday Passive – Will Robertson 

Girls House mob: (0419 154 322) 

Friday Passive – Chelsea Clark 

Saturday Passive – Chelsea Clark 

Sunday Passive – Lily Duthie 

Sunday Combined – Chelsea Clark 

Recreation 

Friday 

• Movie night (Girls House) 

Saturday 

• Trevallyn Dam SUPS and BBQ  

Staff contacts 

Head of Boarding 

Ashley Keatch 

M 0403 799321 

akeatch@lcgs.tas.edu.au 

Deputy Head of Boarding – Academic 

Theunis Pieters  

M 0447 732 241 

tpieters@lcgs.tas.edu.au 

Deputy Head of Boarding – Recreation 

Zoe Vandervelde 

M 0498 167 579 

ZVandervelde@lcgs.tas.edu.au