Page 116 - Southwell School Year Book 2022

BOARDING HOU
Compiling the magazine report for the Boarding House always provides an opportunity to reflect upon, and to appreciate, just how much our boarders have achieved, not only during the past year, but throughout their entire stay here at Southwell.
Throughout the year we have been able to enjoy many of the annual highlights of life in the Boarding House - occasions such as the Boarders' Parents’ BBQ and Grandparents’ Breakfast. And there were also the popular treats such as the Headmaster's Doughnut Shout once a term, trips to LEAP Trampoline Park, movies in the auditorium, and ice cream treats for squad competition winners - not to mention Sundae evenings when the children get to create their own desserts from a huge selection of delicious sweet treats!
This year we had two wonderful Head Boarders in Jessica Hayward and Caleb De Bruin who led the Boarding House with passion and pride. Their calm, yet effective, leadership style, together with unquestionable integrity, reliability and loyalty set the tone for other boarders to follow. They, in turn, were most ably supported by the Squad Leaders and their peers.
It is now time to bid farewell to our Year 8 boarders. We wish everything of the best to Amber Alcock, Grace Buckley, Will Clapcott, Eva Darke, Tilly Darke, Caleb de Bruin, Jess Hayward, Klaudia Horsfall, Maccy Maber, Ruby McMahon, Mack Millar, Emily Moreland, Joss Nelson, Hannah Priest, Luke Rayner, Jack Sandy, William Seavill, Max Sherriff, Sasha Stephens, Harshil Vansia and Tommy Willson. Blake Connell and Raymond Zu (Year 7) are also leaving Southwell at the end of the year and we wish them well also.
We would like to acknowledge the Boarding House staff for their dedication and commitment to the task of caring for the boarders. We are very grateful for the professional way in which our staff has met these challenges. Thanks are due to Janine Speedy, Johannes Botha, Matty Cole, Becki Ross, Liz Donald, Jenn Douglas, Sheryl Thomas, Susanne Parsons, Kymba Ryder, Julie Guzman-Ron and Raul Pavez.
We also wish to thank Ron Govindan, Ginu Mathew, Faye Daley, Ngaire Boreham, Laurika Reynolds, Darren Smith and Lachie Mollard who work so hard in the kitchen to ensure that they are always well-fed.
Our GAP tutors also play a crucial part in making the Boarding House a special place and this year we have been lucky to have had the services of Sarah Pyke, Lara Pyves, Adam Ellis, Jethro Heasley, and former student Lawrence I’Anson. These young people have been invaluable in assisting with the supervision of daily routines and for organising and participating in games during free time.
We now look forward to 2023 with keen anticipation of another year equally
as positive as this.
Keith Rees-Gibbs & Louise Sybrandy House Masters
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Southwell School Yearbook 2022
Excerpt from Klaudia Horsfall’s Speech Competition entry:
Ahhhhhhhh... time to relax...
KLAUDIA! MAKE YOUR BED! KLAUDIA! PICK UP YOUR LAUNDRY! KLAUDIA! ELBOWS OFF THE TABLE!
Listen up everyone, because I’m going to talk you through a day in my life being a boarder at Southwell, from free time to prep, to dining and to bedtime routines.
Let’s start with something we ALL love - free time! But between Opera, Showquest, choir and sport, free time is a rarity! But when you do get some, you really need to know how to use it! This is time to spend how you like (within reason of course!) These are some popular choices: manhunt around the school, rugby on the field, swimming in the pool, gymnastics in the gym or just casual relaxation, which is my favourite, of course, because you can sit around doing absolutely nothing and that is free time really well spent...
RING! RING! RING! (That’s the three ring bell! PREP TIME!!)
YAYYY PREP' said nobody ever! By the way, prep means homework. One hour is how much time we get for prep each night. How unfair, right? Because what if we need longer? But I assure you that all that means is that you MUST work efficiently!! Obviously not many people like doing prep - myself included! But did you know that homework actually teaches you time management and how to prioritise tasks?
RING! RING! RING! No! There it goes again I haven’t finished all my prep... ohhh but it’s fish 'n' chips for dinner!
Now you probably think that the food we eat in the Dining Room is disgusting! Well it’s not! And now, let me do you a massive favour because I am going to give you a few tips on what to do and what not to do in the Dining Room!
First off, don't put your elbows on the table! It's disrespectful and rude. Shoes! Wearing shoes in the Dining Room is a mandatory requirement as it shows respect and keeps the floor clean. Before every meal we say Grace and a common mistake made is sitting down before Grace is said, so don’t sit down until Grace is done!
Now that dinner is done, that brings us to bedtime. But we have some things to do before our heads hit the pillow. Let's start with brushing teeth. When I’m brushing my teeth I make sure I get a sink because suddenly the foam is dripping down my chin making me look like Santa Claus.
Every morning we have to make our beds to a high standard. So if I were to jump into bed at bedtime and ruffle up the duvet, that would mean taking five more minutes to make my bed in the morning, which means five minutes less sleeping. So I try to turn the duvet as carefully as possible and avoid letting people sit on my bed!!!
Wow! Wasn't that a busy day? Phew, I'm glad it's over. But trust me! It's worth it because becoming a boarder has been one of the best things that has ever happened to me. So come and try it and I guarantee it will be the experience of a lifetime!!!
I'M NOT JUST LEAVING THIS SCHOOL.
I'M LEAVING A FAMILY. JESS HAYWARD