Life from our boarders' backyards
Highlighted by the redevelopment of our Middle School Boarding House, 2021 was a big year for our Boarding community. Our Head of Boarding Jordan Owenell discusses the growth of our Wellbeing programmes, visiting families across regional Western Australia and our memorable Boarding Week celebrations.
As I reach 18 months as the Head of Boarding at Scotch, I have been privileged to travel around Western Australia and visit every region that our boarders hail from.
Of course, in Western Australia, we have been particularly fortunate to travel at all.
It has been important for me to see where our boarders come from and have conversations with families in their own backyard. So often, we expect our boarding families to travel to Perth and our boys to acclimatise to our way of life. It is necessary to see the College through the eyes of our regional families by hearing their stories.
Parents' feedback on how boys settle into boarding life when they are living away from home has been important, and it has been great to engage with our Old Scotch Collegians network, parents of past students, current parents, and future parents. I have been lucky to visit agricultural shows and family homes and host small events in regional towns.
One of the most significant and exciting projects in Boarding in 2021 has been the refurbishment of the Middle School Residence.
The boys moved into the House in Week 6 of Winter Term and have thoroughly enjoyed the vast increase in living space. There is an excellent connection between outdoor and indoor living spaces, and it will make a big difference to their time in those early years of Boarding.
We opened the building with an afternoon tea for our current parents to show them the boys' new home-away-from-home on the last day of Winter Term.
Part of the building will act as a bunk room for visiting regional primary schools undertaking school camps in Perth. This dorm will support our Welcome to Scotch transition programme for incoming boarders by providing a space to host sleepovers as part of our orientation experience.
In June, we held our annual Boarding Week, which was a great success.
Throughout the week, we had boys speak at both Middle School and Senior School Assembly, we showcased our wonderful boarding photo competition on our social media and put the spotlight on future job opportunities and pathways into the agricultural, mining, fishing and tourism sectors around Western Australia to open the boys' eyes to the incredible opportunities that are available in the regions once they leave school.
Our academic and pastoral care support network for the boys continues to grow.
They are incredibly well supported for their learning needs during prep time, with academic teachers and tutors on hand to help them develop their study skills and content knowledge.
Our Wellbeing programme supports younger boys to tackle issues of homesickness or communal living through conversation.
The older students undertake the Tomorrow Man programme, which discusses issues of masculinity and strategies to be a good friend to others. In the senior years, we also focus on supporting students to adapt to independent living after school.
Our Boarding community is incredibly welcoming and supportive and will work with families to provide the best experience for our boys from regional areas and more widely.
We're lucky to belong to a supportive and diverse network comprised of students and families from across the world.
I'm delighted to lead Boarding in this exciting phase, and I look forward to meeting new families, visiting more places and celebrating what Boarding brings to our College in 2022.
Jordan Owenell
Head of Boarding
Want to learn more about Boarding at Scotch? Book a tour, browse our Virtual Tour or get in touch with our Boarding Admissions Officer, Catriona Nixon.
