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Boarding, Term 3 Week 6

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Newsletter Archive

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Calendar

September

Boarding, Term 3 Week 6

Contents

Head of Boarding Message
Ash Keatch - Head of Boarding
Community
SchoolTV ABSA Boarder Leadership Conference 15 September Michael Carr-Greg - Youth Mental Health Crisis
Around the Boarding House
Ping Pong Competition Boarders Ball Grade 10 Formal
Grammar On The Road
Regional Visits Staff Contacts

Notices

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Head of Boarding Message

Ash Keatch - Head of Boarding

Dear Boarding Families, The last two weeks have been very busy and seen a lot of movement in and around boarding at Grammar. Agfest or ‘Bogfest’ as ...

Dear Boarding Families,

The last two weeks have been very busy and seen a lot of movement in and around boarding at Grammar. Agfest or ‘Bogfest’ as it was affectionately known this year has been and gone and I have just returned from five days in Brisbane where I attended the International Boarding Forum. While I was away from the coal face of boarding, I was able to reflect with many of my colleagues from around Australia on what we do well and what we can improve on in our boarding spaces. One of the areas we discussed was the way we as a boarding community looked at building our culture of equity. This conversation linked to a course I am currently doing as part of my Certificate in School Management and Leadership at the Harvard Business School Online.

We know all students can flourish and achieve at high levels if adequately supported by their boarding and school environment, regardless of their background and identity.

Every boarder is different and will have different needs. It is not enough for boarding to provide the same structures and supports to students – that is, to treat students equally – because this ignores their differences. Equity means creating the conditions that enable every boarder to succeed.

As Head of Boarding at Grammar, I aim to make sure that we build a culture that supports the success of all of our boarders. I focus on inclusion and belonging and it’s important that our staff ensure our boarders feel like they are welcome, included and belong as this can deeply influence if they can perform at their highest level. This is something that has challenged our community over the last fortnight with an array of complex issues for some of our boarders. Our boarding community has a varied background and demographic of boarders, staff, and community, we need to be able to celebrate and identify ways in which can better communicate that, so we can recognize, welcome, value and appreciate this diversity.

Over the year I observe how students communicate amongst themselves and to staff in and around boarding. These conversations sometimes take on a brother/sister kin relationship which results in me copping a roast from individuals or groups as favouring the other side or person. When I observe these situations, I will often take them aside and have a conversation to intervene or correct these behaviours.

Instilling a growth mindset in boarders is important to advancing equity because boarders who believe that their capabilities can be developed and that their intelligence is malleable are more receptive to feedback, work harder, and are better equipped to deal with setbacks.

As boarding staff we need to show our boarders what a growth mindset is and why it is important, so they can see that their own behaviour and attitude in the boarding house can model for our boarders what it means to have a growth mindset.

At the end of the day, we all have some degree of unconscious bias, and without us even realizing it, it affects how we interact with others. Unconscious bias can show up in different ways in boarding: the boarders or boarding staff we call on or spend time with, the feedback we give to them, the extra supports that we provide, the way we react to their successes or failures, and the special opportunities that we do or don’t make available to them.

As Head of Boarding at Grammar, my aim is to work alongside our wonderful boarding staff and community to address the effects of unconscious bias by discussing it as a group and implementing specific practices to mitigate its effects.

 

Enjoy your fortnight

Regards

Ash

 

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Community

SchoolTV

Although boarding schools today are very different to half a century ago, one thing that has remained the same and is still an issue for many ...

Although boarding schools today are very different to half a century ago, one thing that has remained the same and is still an issue for many boarding students is homesickness. Children will experience varying degrees of homesickness no matter what their age. Every child will be different, but helping your child cope with homesickness starts with acknowledging how they feel, supporting them as they learn new strategies to help make them feel better and start enjoying their time at boarding school.

This article from School TV has some useful information on Managing Homesickness for your child. Watch it here

 

 

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ABSA Boarder Leadership Conference 15 September

Congratulations to Emily Shipp and Maya Garwood who will be representing our boarding community for this event this year.  Last year’s Boarders ...

Congratulations to Emily Shipp and Maya Garwood who will be representing our boarding community for this event this year.

 

Last year’s Boarders Mackenzie Grant and Skye Ellis receiving their ABSA leadership pins Boarding Presentation Assembly – Vimeo

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Michael Carr-Greg - Youth Mental Health Crisis

 I was fortunate enough at the International boarding conference this week to listen to Michael Carr-Greg as he spoke for two hours and gave some ...

 I was fortunate enough at the International boarding conference this week to listen to Michael Carr-Greg as he spoke for two hours and gave some insight into what Australia is currently facing. He stated the world has a “Youth Mental Health Crisis”. and that the age of adolescence has shifted to an age bracket of (10-24).

The No 1 concern in teens today in 2022 from Mission Australia is:

  • Coping with stress
  • Depression
  • Body image
  • Mental health

The percentage each year is increasing with 50-60% increase to youth turning up to the emergency hospitals.

Our Girls are starting their periods as young as 10.2yrs old from 16yrs (Royal Melbourne Children’s Hospital)

Major risk factors for our adolescents are:

  • Internet
  • Online pornography
  • Family breakdown

Although some confronting statistics for us as parents, it’s important to always look at good Mental Health for our Boarders. Below is what this can look like.

Good Mental Health for our Boarders

  • Independent identity formation
  • Maintain friendships – peer relationships
  • Risk taking development
  • Acquire skills for economic stability

What can Boarding staff do?

  • High prevalence in young people
  • High level of stigma and self-stigma
  • Professional learning in Youth Mental First Aid training

What can we do as a boarding community to support them?

  • Talk it up – promote the good
  • See life as it is, don’t dwell on the negative

In summary from Michael Carr-Greg

  • 45% of Australian Adults have experienced Mental Health Illness
  • 1 in 4 Students have had Mental Health Issues
  • 35% sought help

1800551800 kids Helpline

If you are interested in your Childs Mental Health there are three good courses to do:

  • Mental Health First Aid
  • Youth Mental First Aid
  • Teen Mental Health First Aid

I have attached a QR code if you would like to download ten apps that assist your child in this area, I will be showing the boarders when they return from the weekend as well.

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Around the Boarding House

Ping Pong Competition

This week Jerry started the ping pong competition, this is always a great buy in from our boarders. Please enjoy the pictures in action.   We had ...

This week Jerry started the ping pong competition, this is always a great buy in from our boarders. Please enjoy the pictures in action.

 

We had book week in the senior and junior school, please visit our social media pages, Facebook and Instagram for more pictures and news from all the events.

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Boarders Ball

I was very impressed with our wonderful boarders who represented themselves their families and the school in superb form when they danced the night ...

I was very impressed with our wonderful boarders who represented themselves their families and the school in superb form when they danced the night away Friday fortnight ago. The event saw over 50 boarders from Scotch Oakburn and Grammar rock up to the Willy Wonka themed night.

I was keen to show our boarders that you could have a great night out without the pre’s and after parties. Thank you to Mark our Chef for organising finger food and non-alcoholic bubblies in the Marriott room (Attached to the Dining Hall). What Lisa and I loved about this event was when Mr Pieters arrived with our junior boarders from pick ups in the van and allowing them to join in and eat and mingle with our Seniors all dressed up. It was a great boarding family affair.

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Grade 10 Formal

It was a busy night for me on Friday organising and running our seniors to the Boarders Ball, then staying around to support the event, then ducking ...

It was a busy night for me on Friday organising and running our seniors to the Boarders Ball, then staying around to support the event, then ducking out to the Grade 10 formal to make it in time for Emily Shipp and Ifey Nwaba who were on stage and welcome everyone to their big night and thanking the Grammar staff for helping make it possible.

It’s these nights that make my role really rewarding, when looking at our staffing structure at Grammar we all support each other to ensure our operational model back at school runs smooth, so your child is collected and taken to various venues and the houses themselves are able to function as normal, so being available for these special occasions like any parent reading this is an important and rewarding aspect of supporting the children under your care.

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Grammar On The Road

Regional Visits

We are down to our last two big events this term, please drop in if you are in the area. Flinders Island Show 14 th October St Helens 16 th September ...

We are down to our last two big events this term, please drop in if you are in the area.

  • Flinders Island Show 14th October
  • St Helens 16th September (boarding parents’ function)
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Staff Contacts

Senior Staff Roster for the fortnightWeek 6Friday – Ash Saturday – Ash Sunday – Ash Week 7Friday – Ash Saturday – Ash Sunday – Terry   Head of ...

Senior Staff Roster for the fortnight

Week 6

Friday – Ash

Saturday – Ash

Sunday – Ash

Week 7

Friday – Ash

Saturday – Ash

Sunday – Terry

 

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

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We respectfully acknowledge, with deep respect, the Palawa/Pakana people as the traditional owners of the land, sea, and waterways of Lutruwita (Tasmania) on which we work, rest and play. We pay our respects to elders past, present, and emerging and recognise their continued care for land, waterways, and community. We also acknowledge that sovereignty has never been ceded. It always was and always will be Aboriginal land.

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