News From The Senior Boarding Housemaster
Term 3
As another term heads into its second half, Shore boarding continues to travel well on the back of a tremendous support network, a community of boys who continue to be an outstanding reflection of what Shore represents and an excellent staff foundation that nurtures and guides our boarders every day.
Term 3 is notoriously the busiest term of the year, and so this has proven to be once again. Much has been happening up front and behind the scenes, and we hope that this newsletter will provide you with some insights into what make the Shore Boarding Community such a special one.
The boarding staff have continued to travel widely, even in the first four months. A large contingent attended the Tamworth expo in Week 1, catching up with families on the Friday night dinner in town and then lunch the Hunter Valley on the way home. More recently, four of us enjoyed an excellent night in Parkes and then in the Orange for lunch the next day. This has meant that the Shore boarding staff have now visited 12 different towns this year, with our attendance at the Murrumbateman Field Day in Week 1 of Term 4 an eagerly awaited event as well. More information will follow in this edition.
One comment I received whilst travelling was the desire for more whole boarding occasions for our boarders. We hope that this is happening, perhaps more than some may realise. This term alone, in the first four weeks, the whole Shore boarding community attended two dances, excursions to Luna Park and the St Leonards Climbing Centre and well as a huge Bledisloe Cup night when over 60 members of the four boarding houses congregated to cheer on the Wallabies.
We now look forward to a whirlwind finish, with Golden Boots, American Tea, House cocktail parties, the Year 12 Chapel service and Valedictory Dinner among the many occasions to savour in the next four weeks!
Parkes and Orange
Darren and Jo Junee, Heather Foord and I enjoyed an absolutely brilliant weekend at the end of Week 4 this term. We drove to Parkes on Saturday, August 17 and caught up with past, current and prospective parents for dinner at the International Hotel, Parkes. We had a fabulous evening talking about old times and exciting times ahead – thank you to all those who travelled from far and wide to support us, especially the Horsburghs who made the 160km trek from Tottenham!
The next day the caravan moved on to Orange, where we were so generously hosted by James and Juls Jackson. We had over 40 people attend the lunch, and again it gave us the opportunity to meet current and prospective parents throughout the afternoon. Executive Director of the Shore Foundation also joined us, and he was able to outline the wonderful work currently being carried out by our Foundation. A special thank you to the Jacksons, and also to Christine Weston who attended both functions with husband, David; she did an amazing amount of work networking for us to ensure such a great turnout.
Year 11 Leadership Day
On Tuesday, August 20, all of our Year 11 boys attended a Leadership Day. This gives our boys an opportunity to look ahead at what good leadership looks like, and how we can learn from those who model good leadership. Ex-Socceroo, Paul Wade and Chaplain, Rev. Paul Dudley spoke to the whole Year 11 cohort, while individual Houses also had the chance across two periods to discuss their visions, opinions and hope for the future with their Housemaster.
Excursions
Several boys took the opportunity on Sundays to attend arranged excursions to Luna Park and St Leonards Climbing Centre. The boys meet our dedicated staff member on the Chapel lawn before heading off for some fun away from school for the afternoon. There are many more opportunities coming up in the weeks ahead, and we encourage parents to encourage their sons to get involved.
