St Hilda’s School has been offering a caring community life for boarders for more than a century and today, our community comprises 180 girls enrolled from Years 6 to 12. Along with our traditional enrolment of girls from rural Australia, we also have boarders from the nearby Northern Rivers region of New South Wales. Our international boarders and daughters from expatriate families contribute to our school’s diversity and rich cultural fabric.
All senior boarding staff have attained residential care qualifications and are warm and caring in their roles as advisors and mentors. They are assisted in caring for boarders by qualified nursing staff and a wonderful services team who manage the very popular Dining Room.
The boarding school is made up of Junior and Senior precincts which surround a peaceful, leafy courtyard located at the eastern end of our 14-hectare campus. Nearby are the modern Senior Library where boarders take their Prep or after-school study, the Health Centre, the Langford Theatre and sporting facilities including netball and tennis courts. The McCulloch-Whitby Houses are home to Junior Boarding and the two-level Darragh House accommodates Senior Boarding.
Boarders live in horizontal House structures, according to their ages and year levels. Accommodation styles range from private cubicles in a dormitory setting in Junior Boarding, to twin-share and single rooms in Senior Boarding. Shared common rooms with televisions, games, computers and kitchen facilities, as well as modern bathrooms and laundry areas, are features of Junior and Senior Boarding precincts.
Senior boarding staff, who live on-site, chat with students in their Houses each day and are available to be contacted by phone and email throughout the day and after school, in order to create positive communication links with our boarding families.
The school’s mobile phone policy enables boarders to contact their parents before and after school, during lunch breaks and at weekends. Email and Skype access also are available.
Academic reports are provided via Parent Lounge for each semester and parents are invited to take part in Parent-Teacher Interviews each semester. In addition, parents are encouraged to contact their daughter’s Head of Year at any time to discuss academic, organisational or pastoral care matters. In addition, teaching and boarding staff maintain close communication regarding the academic progress and general wellbeing of all boarders.
Fully supervised Prep or study times, after-school tutorials for core subjects and evening tutorial assistance by boarding staff and tutors are just some of the measures that are in place to provide academic support for boarders. We are extremely pleased to see St Hilda’s Year 12 boarders typically receive an Overall Position or OP score of 1-15 and/or complete a Diploma or Certificate 3 qualification in areas such as Business, Tourism and Hospitality, Agriculture or Children’s Services. Many girls participate in work experience programs and ‘experience days’ at Bond University, Griffith University and University of Queensland.
Our weekend boarding program provides girls with opportunities to enjoy the many cultural and recreational outings available on the Gold Coast and in Brisbane. Supervised weekend activities range from beach outings, ice-skating and social evenings with boarders of our brother school TSS, to visits to shopping centres, cinemas, theme parks and the Southport Broadwater Parklands.
Academic Support
Boarders benefit from a range of measures which assist their academic progress at all phases of their educational journey. Fully supervised Prep or study times, after-school tutorials for core subjects and evening tutorial assistance by boarding tutors are just some of the strategies that are in place to provide important academic support for boarders.
Boarders are invited to take advantage of after-school tutorials in English, Maths and Science which are held every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, from 3.30pm to 4.30pm. These tutorials are available to all students, at no extra cost, to gain assistance with homework, revision preparation for assessments and assignments. Attendance by the girls is voluntary. Boarders also may contact their teachers or Head of Year directly for individual assistance with class work or advice about study habits. The Learning Enhancement Coordinator is always willing to help girls who need support or extension.
Prep is an integral part of each boarder’s program, with the First Prep starting at 5pm and the Second Prep following dinner. The girls use the time to complete homework, general revision, assignments and preparation for tests and assessments. Boarding staff supervise Formal Prep, ensuring there is a quiet atmosphere conducive to study. Formal Prep operates from Monday to Thursday and on the weekend. With effective use of these structured prep times, older boarders should not have to work past 10pm on a regular basis. By aiming to be in bed by 10pm, students are able to get eight to nine hours of sleep from Monday to Thursday.
All boarders are able to access school facilities, including specialist music rooms and the Senior Library ‘after hours’. A wireless network system in each House gives boarders internet access in their private study areas in their own room. Senior girls in Darragh House work in their own rooms, independently or in groups in common rooms and the Reading Room, or in the library. Junior boarders in Whitby and McCulloch Houses are able to complete prep in the House or in the library with boarding staff and boarding tutors.
Boarding tutors, comprising university students with strengths in English, Humanities, Maths and Science, are available to assist boarders during their prep time from Monday to Thursday during Second Prep.
Boarding Administration staff are able to organise external tutors (who are Blue Card approved to work with children) to visit the campus to provide boarding students with academic support. Tutoring by an external tutor is arranged at the parent’s expense.
We are extremely pleased to see St Hilda’s Year 12 boarders typically receive an Overall Position or OP score of 1-15 and/or complete a Diploma or Certificate 3 qualification in areas such as Business, Tourism and Hospitality, Agriculture or Children’s Services. Many girls participate in work experience programs and ‘experience days’ at Bond University, Griffith University and University of Queensland.
Health Centre
The St Hilda’s School Health Centre is located in the boarding precinct and staffed by a team of registered nurses, led by the Health Centre Coordinator. Our nursing team is responsible for looking after the physical and emotional wellbeing of all boarding students. Nurses liaise directly with the Head of Boarding and Deputy Head of Boarding in relation to the health of each boarder.
Parents are contacted by the nurse regarding health issues and permission for specialist appointments. Medications are dispensed according to signed parent permission forms. Any information regarding a student’s previous health care is helpful in providing a holistic health care service. Parents are welcome to contact the nurses directly with any concerns.
Referrals and appointments with other Health Care Providers are made by the school nurse on behalf of the boarders. We have a visiting school doctor who attends the Health Centre twice a week to provide a bulk-billing service for our boarding community. A Medical Escort is available to accompany under 16-year-olds to their medical and dental appointments from 8.30am to 10.00am weekdays. The School Counsellors are located next to the Health Centre, providing easy access for boarders.
There is a nursing sister available in the Health Centre or on call, seven days a week. If a student is unwell outside of the Health Centre hours, the boarding staff will accompany the student to the local doctor or access a Private Hospital, in the event of emergency. These practices are conveniently located within a five-minute drive from the campus.
If a student is recovering from an illness, her overnight accommodation is in a more comfortable private room with ensuite during her recuperation period.
It is our policy to send contagious boarders (with an excludable illness) into the care of the parent’s nominated Emergency Contact person. Where the Emergency Contact is unable to collect an ill boarder, the school will engage boarding staff to care for the sick child. This cost shall be charged to the parents’ account.
Boarding life is busy, exciting and brimming with opportunities to experience new activities and develop new friendships. It is important for boarders to eat well, get plenty of sleep and plan some quiet time each week to ensure they are well-organised for school and co-curricular commitments. Our boarding staff are experienced in assisting girls of all ages to plan their routines and make adaptations when required.
Morning and evening meals generally are enjoyed in the Dining Room where the girls catch up with staff after a busy day. Our chefs and services team play an important role in ensuring the girls have plenty of fresh food daily, as well as providing entertaining events for everyone to enjoy. For example, in Terms 1 and 4, boarders relish evening barbecues every Thursday, cooked in the Boarders’ Courtyard. In Terms 2 and 3, international nights are especially enjoyable as we work our way around the world with Chinese, French, Mexican, Italian, German and other cuisines. Special occasions such as Valentines’ Day, Halloween and Christmas in July are celebrated in style as boarders dress up for these occasions!
Weekend breakfasts throughout the year are delivered to the girls’ common rooms, enabling a well-earned sleep-in. Boarders may choose to have their morning tea and lunch in the Boarders’ Courtyard or with their Daygirl friends.
There is a variety of freshly-prepared hot and cold food available at every meal. Girls choose from fresh fruits, cereals, toast and eggs at breakfast; salads, sandwiches, wraps, pastas and stir fries at lunch; and roasts, grilled fish and meat, curries, noodles and vegetables at dinner. A choice of fresh fruit and delicacies like profiteroles and Pavlovas are on the menu for dessert! Take a look at a sample menu which changes daily.
DINNER MENU
Guests such as the TSS boarders love to join us for dinner on special occasions and our girls also enjoy visits to TSS for dinner. Parents are always welcome to join their daughters for dinner and at the start of each term, boarder parents and their daughters are invited to come together over canapés, a barbecue or dinner.
Boarders come together as a community at Boarders’ Chapel, held every Wednesday evening from 5.30 to 6pm. On a few occasions, boarders wear their school uniform however for the remainder of the year, they relax in smart casual wear. Chapel is a time for reflecting on the positive actions which have helped make boarding a happy experience for everyone. Boarding Angels are awarded to those girls who have performed a special act of kindness during the week. This is also a time when Boarding Prefects involve the girls in a range of community service activities, make announcements about initiatives and ‘pump up’ the girls to meet new challenges.
Boarders have a wonderful reputation for taking on challenges and typically, are the first to line up for a range of co-curricular activities. They are keen participants in House Plays and House Musicals, House Debating and ensembles such as Bands, Choirs and Orchestras. House sports such as swimming, cross country and athletics attract participation from boarders while the year-long calendar of sporting fixtures, played at home or at schools in Brisbane and Ipswich, include rowing, touch, basketball, volleyball, soccer, tennis, gymnastics and more. All these activities are included in the school fees, with the exception of rowing.
Staff assist boarders in meeting their varied commitments, from encouraging good study habits to planning the week ahead. Laundry of school uniforms and bedding is managed by the on-site commercial laundry. Girls manage their personal laundry items and staff work with the boarders to ensure essential items are laundered quickly and returned, especially for those younger girls adapting to boarding life.
Meet our Boarding Community
St Hilda’s School has been offering a caring community life for boarders for more than a century and today, our community comprises 180 girls enrolled from Years 6 to 12. Along with our traditional enrolment of girls from rural Australia, we also have boarders from the Gold Coast and nearby Northern Rivers region of New South Wales. Our international boarders and daughters from expatriate families contribute to our school’s diversity and rich cultural fabric. It is our pleasure to introduce you to some of the many people who make up our vibrant boarding community.
The aims of the St Hilda’s Boarder Parent Group (BPSG) are:
The BPSG works to enhance boarding facilities for our girls and to address any areas that could be improved through consultation with families and staff. Exchange of ideas aimed at enhancing the happiness and care of boarders comes from the active BPSG. The group meets at social functions, Chapel services and school celebrations throughout the year.
The Bucknell family live on a cattle station two hours drive north of Mitchell in South Western Queensland. Kristen’s family consists of Mum Jennie, Dad Adrian, an older sister Caitlin and an older brother, Andrew. Living amongst the vast lands of the outback provided many freedoms and challenges in Kristen’s primary years. A multitude of pets including cats, dogs, horses, chooks, sheep and pigs complemented all the less tame animals such as dingoes, kangaroos, snakes and emus that live on the property. Primary school was done through Charleville School of Distance Education and there was great flexibility in every day, even down to when school was done. The family was nearly always together.
Best Part of Boarding
The opportunities that boarding provides are sometimes the hidden aspects such as learning to live with many others, becoming independent and the chance to make life-long friends. The extra-curricular activities that boarders participate in allow the girls to experience so many things they would never get to do at home or do even if they were day students. – Jennie
I think boarding definitely broadens their horizons and helps them realise there’s a bigger world out there. It allows them to see what other opportunities are around and what other kids are doing in various areas of their life that may be completely different to anything they have experienced. – Adrian
Hardest Part of Boarding
I hate missing out on things that my kids are doing. I find it particularly hard because I taught them through Distance Education and where we were once a team in and out of the school room, suddenly I am struggling to even find out what they have been doing each day. As a Mum, I miss them all very much and hang out for holidays but by the same token, I can’t let on how much I am missing them because it makes it harder all around and doesn’t let them grow. – Jennie
Not seeing the kids and you feel the distance in a physical sense as well as a personal sense because they become independent more quickly and you notice that when they come home. – Adrian
Lilly Alexander is the oldest of four girls living on a family-run sheep and cattle station in between Aramac, Barcaldine and Longreach. She completed her primary school years through the Longreach School of Distance Education with her Mum as her home tutor, most of the time. Before she left on her boarding school adventure, her favourite activities were horse riding, dancing, swimming and helping with most jobs, as long as they were outside. She used her last holidays before school to refine her driving skills and was very proud to be allowed to take her sisters in the vehicle with her and make sure two of her younger sisters could saddle up themselves as this was a job she usually helped with.
Best Part of Boarding
Hardest part of Boarding
It began with a very well organised tour and meeting key staff at the first contact. The impression that boarding is considered an important part of the school shown by small things like consideration of travel plans included in the school calendar for extra-curricular activities. While staff are available, the girls are encouraged to take responsibility for their property, communications, laundry and surrounds, hopefully helping them grow into independent young adults.
The school is large enough to offer a broad range of academic and extra-curricular activities with depth in teams to allow for have-a-go-participation. All this comes with an ethos that hopefully won’t squash a 12-year-old who still is not convinced the decision to send her away from home was the best one.
The distance from the airports is overcome with a door-to-door bus service that is less expensive than some cab fares around Brisbane and what a great place to have to stay for school functions!
As expected, Lilly’s first year has had some ups and downs, she has made some good friends and has a broader social outlook, she has embraced some new interests and is coming to terms with the expectations of her new life. She is looking forward to holidays and spending days with her horses and family; I wonder how long until she starts to ask to see her school friends in the holidays? I am sure she will be excited to see them all again by the end of the holidays.
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