SENIOR SCHOOL
Boarding and the art of learning
A boarding community provides an environment where students learn more than just functional academic skills . It is a place where people learn to become people , through ongoing social interactions with a variety of cultures , races and religions . Guildford Grammar School boarding allows students to learn valuable interpersonal and intrapersonal skills and not only allows it but promotes it .
This semester our students have continued to develop their ability to learn in social situations through a variety of events such as the Men of the Trees program , where our students engaged with the local Guildford community and assisted in the planting of some 10,000 plants and trees along the river at Lilac Hill . Some boarders attended the Perth City Soup Kitchen , helping to cook and distribute soup meals on cold winter nights to our city ’ s less privileged community . We had a variety of socials at other Perth and regional boarding schools where our boys learned the finer points of conversing with the opposite gender . Through these and many other forums our students learn more holistically and they develop skills that will not just allow them to enter the real world after school , but to thrive in it .
This semester we rolled out a new and exciting initiative in Junior Boarding called Un-Plug Thursday . The program was created to address and combat a variety of issues that face adolescent people , not least an increasing usage of electronic and IT devices , but also a decrease in social and emotional competencies . Students in twentyfirst century Australia have access to an infinite amount of online tools that can bring them a wealth of knowledge about an array of subjects or topics . However , students are more and more showing signs that they are emotionally and socially disconnected from not just their friends and families but also themselves . Boarding students especially live very busy lives , often dictated by timetables , routines , academics , sport and co-curricular commitments . Whilst this lifestyle provides an amazing assortment of opportunities for each student it is also important that they find time for just being kids .
Un-Plug Thursday is an opportunity for boarding students in Years 7-9 to engage in social activities with other boarders in an informal and relaxed manner . Instead of participating in Prep or homework from 6.30pm-8.00pm , each Thursday students are allowed to freely choose between a variety of activities that are designed to encourage conversation , interaction , engagement , expression and social and emotional learning . In other words , it is a chance for these students to un-plug from the busy routines they manage on a daily basis and to relax and refresh their young minds . This is done through a variety of means but not through the use of electronic or IT devices , hence unplugging for the night .
A particular focus of this initiative is allowing our boys to express themselves
in a variety of artistic ways . Apart from playing board games and card games , which are an excellent opportunity for boys to have open discussions with each other , our students are encouraged to engage in other forms of artistic expression and we try to accommodate a range of skills and interests . Some boys have mastered the art of ‘ spinning a yarn ’ around the fire pits that we built outside the Hall , others have mastered the art of building Lego racing cars or space shuttles . Some boys painted boomerangs in traditional Indigenous style and others used their bodies to silently communicate names of books , movies or people through dramatic charades . The combination of these activities has helped our students to learn more about themselves and their peers and this is an ever-increasing aspect of what we do as educators . It is undeniable that having a strong ability to solve mathematic equations , interpret themes in English texts or identify cause and effect relationships in Science is a great start to a successful post-school career . However , if we can also develop our students ’ ability to understand the complexities of human behaviour and to better interpret the social and emotional challenges they and others face , then we create more holistic students who will be better skilled to create a more just , loving and peaceful society .
Mr Matthew Weston Head of Boarding
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