A Day in the Life of Illawarra

When I tell people I work in a school boarding house, they often ask me what it is like to live and work in a home with 52 girls. Hence, I decided to write an article outlining a typical day at Illawarra.

5.15am: The rowers make their way to training on the Yarra.

6.00am: The catering staff arrive to begin preparing a cooked breakfast for the girls.

6.30am: Wake up time for the girls with early morning sports practice.

7.00am: The morning staff member arrives to open up the house, collect the newspapers, open the blinds and begin the daily wake up call to each bedroom. Some of our boarders leap out of bed and head down for an early breakfast, while others turn over for another snooze before getting up.

The boarders enjoy breakfast at Illawarra before the start of the school day.

7.20am-8.20am: The house is very quiet. Over breakfast, the girls are finding their uniforms and books for the day, making their beds and tidying their rooms. Some of the girls who are reluctant to leave their warm beds need another reminder.

8.30am: The girls arrive at school except for any Year 12s who have a late morning or any girl who is feeling unwell. A visit from the School Nurse is organised for a sick boarder and, if needed, a doctor’s appointment is arranged.

The first of our house cleaners arrives to clean the house before the girls return at the end of the school day. The maintenance staff arrive to fix any light globes that need changing or any other maintenance issues that may arise. A large house that is 129 years old can have its challenges – it was never built for Wi-Fi, and over the years a great deal of work by the School’s ICT team has taken place to enable the girls to access their devices throughout the house.

In the commercial kitchen, the staff are busy preparing lunch and dinner for the students.

10.00am-3.20pm: The boarders access their morning tea and lunch at the café in the Mary Davis Centre. At lunchtime, the Year 12s who have completed all their school activities for the day can return to Illawarra and make use of the quiet house to complete their study.

3.20pm: Afternoon tea is left in the dining room. One of the girls’ favourites is scones with jam and cream.

3.30pm: This time between school and dinner is the boarders’ free time. Some attend GSV Sport or music rehearsals, while others play netball or pursue their passion in activities like dancing. Many girls make shopping trips to Toorak Village or Glenferrie Road, while others enjoy reading or watching a movie on their laptop.

If students leave the house, they must sign out on our Boardingware ipad and tell the staff where they are going. Communication is very important and girls leaving the house need to carry their phones.

5.30pm: In the half an hour before dinner, many girls join the boarding staff on the couches in the lobby to share their day, ask for advice or just put another piece in our 1000 piece puzzle.

5.55pm: The girls are called to dinner where the roll is taken to ensure everyone has returned. Dinner is my favourite time of the day. Mobile phones are not allowed (and will be taken if they appear at dinner). The constant chattering among the girls is wonderful. It is so important to give everyone the opportunity to talk and before the meal is served, daily messages are shared followed by Grace. The Year 12s line up first for dinner, followed by the rest of the girls and finally the staff. There is plenty of food for everyone.

It is important to celebrate birthdays. Each girl can choose a birthday cake which becomes dessert for the night. A rousing singing of Happy Birthday is followed by the enjoyment of the famous Illawarra ice cream cake, the very popular chocolate ripple cake or any other cake of choice. Over the years I have cut up many hundreds of birthday cakes to share with the girls.

Illawarra Boarding House.

6.45pm: The whole house gets ready for “Prep” – our homework time. The Years 7 to 9 boarders have supervised Prep in the Red Room with help from outside tutors three nights a week. The Year 10s have semi-supervised Prep in the Dining Room, while the Years 11 and 12 boarders work in their own rooms or in our Library. Prep lasts for 90 minutes and develops excellent study habits.

8.30pm: After Prep its free time again. It is a popular time in the bathrooms and the laundry. The house hums with the noise of girls unwinding after a busy day. Many of our boarders use this time to contact their parents and especially for our overseas girls, this offers the best time to contact home due to the two hour time difference.

9.00pm: The younger girls hand in their phones and computers with their lights being turned off at 9:30pm.

10.00pm: The house starts to slow down and the girls are expected to be in their bedrooms. The dryers in the laundry cease, the hairdryers and showers stop and everyone quietens down. Many of the older girls continue studying in their bedrooms. The staff prepare the house for the night. They ensure the doors are locked and the security system is activated.

As staff head to bed, the house almost sighs in relief. Throughout the night girls visit the bathroom, turn over in their sleep and I even hear some snore.

It is not long until the next day begins.