In October, Illawarra once again burst to life with the welcoming sounds of chatter and laughter throughout the corridors and dining hall. Our COVID-19 Safe Plan based on AHPPC guidelines and Government regulations allowed us to safely reopen and ensure our boarders could return to face-to-face learning with their peers. Boarders always develop resiliency skills and this year has showcased their importance. Adjusting to the new normal of twice-daily temperature checks, reduced numbers in bedrooms, allocated showers and designated dining room seating have all been cheerfully adopted by our boarders. At dinner one night when asked what she had learned most during lockdown, one year 12 boarder responded with “how much she valued being at School”.

With a reduced capacity at Illawarra this term, it has offered all the boarders a chance to get to know more girls in the boarding house. One night an online game included boarders from Years 8-12 interacting and having great fun. It has also been wonderful to welcome new Year 8 and Year 10 boarders to our boarding community.

Term 4 is also a very important time for our Year 12 boarders as they finish School and prepare for life beyond Illawarra. Although we were unable to hold our two main farewell events as we have in previous years, we managed to find new way to do things. The Year 12 Boarders’ Dinner normally held off site took place on the east lawn of Illawarra with pizzas delivered in boxes and ice-creams still in their wrapping. Everything else was the same and greatly enjoyed by all.

On the final day of Year 12 (usually a Monday) we always host the Year 12 Boarders Final Dinner where we invite the parents to attend. With a No Visitors policy at Illawarra, this would not be possible in 2020. The catering staff were wonderful setting up restaurant style seating in the MDC Café (no more than three to a table) with stunning flowers on each table and a scrumptious 3-course dinner. Thankfully, Melbourne’s shops had reopened in time to buy the girls their traditional farewell gift and the newly elected Boarding Captains for 2021, Gabrielle (Gabi) Fellows and Ru Yan (Megan) Ong had created the famous farewell video and purchased a memento and card for each Year 12 boarder. The highlight of the evening was linking some of our boarding parents into the speeches so they could be a part of the night.

As a new tradition, Zoe (the only remaining Year 7 boarder from 2015) gave a heartfelt and emotional account of her six years at Illawarra. She reminisced about the adventures they got up to in Years 7 and 8 and how important boarding has been in shaping the person she has become in 2020.

Thank you to both the boarders and the boarding staff for adapting so quickly to our COVID-19 Safe practices at Illawarra. We are very proud of all our boarders and wish our Year 12 boarders the very best for their examinations and future life.