FROM THE DEAN OF BOARDING

A Time for Reconnection

The final week of term is always one of mixed feelings in Boarding. There is the excitement and anticipation of NAIDOC celebrations, the relief that comes with assessment being completed and the opportunity to reflect on the challenges we have faced and the goals we have set for the term ahead.

Yet, above all, there is a growing sense that home, community and loved ones are waiting.

For many of our students, the school holidays are a time to reconnect with the people, places and traditions that matter most. For some, this includes celebrating PNG Independence Day and other important cultural events. For others, it means camping, fishing and hunting, spending time with family and Elders, sharing stories, eating seafood and good bush food and sitting together around campfires.

These experiences are much more than simply enjoying a holiday. They are opportunities to reconnect with Country, culture, family and community. They provide our young people with a chance to slow down, listen, learn from their Elders, share in traditions and strengthen the connections that ground them. This reconnection to Country is deeply important and is an essential part of wellbeing, identity and belonging.

As we come to the end of another busy term, we would like to acknowledge and thank our Boarding staff for their patience, commitment and care. Supporting young people as they live away from home is both a privilege and a significant responsibility. The relationships our staff build with students and the consistency, encouragement and care they provide each day, make an enormous difference to the experience of our young people.

To our Boarding staff, we wish you a restful and well-deserved break.

And to our students: take the opportunity to rest, reconnect and reflect. You have worked through a term full of challenges, learning, growth and achievement. Take time to be with family, spend time on Country, listen to your elders, enjoy your community and simply be present with the people and places that give you strength.

As you return next term, bring with you the lessons of this term, the strength that comes from connection and a renewed sense of purpose. Re-establish your goals and look ahead with confidence.

From all of us in Boarding, we wish our students, families and communities a safe and restful holiday break.

Rest. Reconnect. Reflect. Return with strength.

Paula Henderson

DEAN OF BOARDING