Boarding Update
School House Update
An eventful week with Year 7 and 8 boys finishing their yearly examinations whilst Year 11 were sharpening the pencils to get ready for theirs. Amongst all the busyness of School life, the boys do really enjoy engaging in Saturday Sport and each other’s company on a Saturday night, watching movies, playing handball, getting stuck into delicious dessert, or just having a yarn. The Christmas Tree is up (thanks Ryan H and Will J!), and we are all looking forward to celebrating at the Christmas Party this Friday night.
The Value of City Hosts for Our Boarders
This week, a cake arrived to celebrate Ollie B’s Birthday. It wasn’t sent from his family (this time) but from his City Host family, the Copes. This is what is so special about this wonderful connection our Boarders have with their city friends. When Hugo J’s mother spoke recently at the Year 12 Mother’s Luncheon, she recalled Hugo’s city family taking him in for a three-week rowing camp in January, before he had even started at Shore. How special! The Crookes family looked after Lachie Clift (’22) for six years and are about to go around again next year. Unbelievable. Sport transport, weekend lunches, dinners and even special family events have seen our country boys sitting around the table or in the car with their city hosts. This is often reciprocated when the boys from the big smoke spend great times on country properties and overseas homes during holiday breaks.
Thank you, City Host families, for all you do for our boys, and for our Country and Overseas families for your generosity in return!
Robson Update
Friday night saw the Robson community come together for the House Christmas Party. It was one of the best nights of the year in my books. The parents of Robson are fantastic, and as they have done so all year, continued to make Robson such a warm and friendly House. Fiona and I feel so honoured to be part of such a wonderful community. There was plenty of food, plenty of chat and even a little rain. That couldn’t stop us and the party moved inside the residence. A huge thank you to all the Robson families for contributing, not only to the Christmas party but to the entire year.
Schools for Impact – Hodges
On any given night, 122,494 people in Australia are experiencing homelessness (ABS Census 2021). One in seven people experiencing homelessness are children under 12. Hodges House and the broader School students are fundraising collectively to support five leading charities, all working to reduce homelessness in Sydney. The charities include Dignity, the Haven Women’s Shelter, Stepping Stone House, House of Welcome and Streetwork.
During Friday lunchtime, Hodges raised $363 selling pizzas and drinks, to be donated to Schools for Impact (Impact100 Sydney), to support the homeless.
Special thanks to the Hodges House Charity Committee for organising this event.
The goal is to raise $1,000, and we have already raised over $600. If you would like to donate, please visit the Hodges link: www.schools-for-impact.raisely.com/t/hodges-house-shore
Even the smallest amount will make a significant difference.
This coming Thursday, boys will attend the ‘Pitch Event’, where each organisation will pitch to our community, presenting an opportunity for our students to think about which program they would like to fund through a live voting process, giving them the agency to decide where their donations go on the night.
