Once a family home, and still a family

The St Catherine’s School boarding staff understand the challenges students face living away from their families, which is why they aim to provide a positive boarding experience for students.
“We try to create an environment that is as close as possible to a home environment, ” Sue Collister, the Head of Boarding Services, says. “This includes encouraging boarders to participate in activities that they would normally do at home,” she says.

The boarding house, Illawarra, is a National Trust-listed mansion and was once a family residence, which Collister says goes a long way to helping students feel at home. Boarders can invite friends to visit on the weekend and arrange social outings, such as shopping, seeing a movie or meeting friends at a cafe in their spare time. They are encouraged to participate in the diverse range of co-curricular activities on offer at School, such as rowing, snowsports and debating and public speaking.

The smaller boarding intake enables students to form close friendships across different year levels. “We often have girls in different year levels who make friends for life,” Collister says.
The boarding staff have been selected for their caring approach and genuine response to the personal, social and emotional needs of every student.

Prospective students and their families are invited to tour St Catherine’s School and enjoy an evening in the Boarding House, meeting existing boarders and our friendly and supportive staff.
To find out more, please contact St Catherine’s School Registrar Ms Jeanette Boehm on (03) 9828 3917 or email admissions@stcatherines.net.au. Also for further information, visit www.stcatherines.net.au.

The Australian

15 September 2018

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