BOARDING
CONNECTEDNESS PROVIDES A FIRM FOOTING
Living on campus ensures boarders are intimately connected to their School
The Hill thrives when boys know they belong . As educators we understand the importance of connection ; of being part of something bigger than self . This connectedness gives boys a firm footing with which to brace themselves against the turbulence that is part of growing up . It teaches them , in our somewhat self-centred world , the joy of doing something good for someone else – for no other reason than that it is the right thing to do . It provides purpose and clarity , knowing you have a place where you are safe , supported , known and welcome , despite – or because of – your idiosyncrasies .
Outside the Hill , boarders may be viewed as a homogenous community . However , each boarding house runs very much as a separate unit , with its own distinctive identity , much as each family unit is distinctive . The Heads of House and their staff set the tone and direction , with boys , especially senior boys , playing an instrumental role in shaping the identity of their houses .
The Hill invests significant responsibility in our Year 12 leaders ; the younger boys look up to them , and their actions and behaviours set an example . This intangible , elusive , yet vital core to each House underpins the strong house identity and connectedness of its members . Some might refer to this ‘ core ’ as House spirit ; but it is more than just that : it is the ‘ feel ’ of each House . It is evident in the greetings from the boys , staff and leaders , and in the warmth they show each other ; the care they demonstrate for their fellow boarders .
Examples abound : recently , two boys from Arthur Robinson House chose to support their fellow boarder by accompanying him to his Saturday sports fixture , as it was his first time at this venue . A Year 12 McMeckan House boarder , witnessing one of his Year 8 boys getting into a dispute in the day school , intervened and calmed the situation . When I praised him for his good work , he simply replied : ‘ We can ’ t have him getting into trouble ; he ’ s one of ours ’.
I wrote last year how the impact of the COVID-19 crisis contributed to an improved sense of gratitude among the boys on
the Hill . At the height of the pandemic , with boys trapped at home and unable to return to their boarding houses , we were made acutely aware of the importance and connection boys had to the Hill through their genuine desire to return .
On one occasion I was sent a deeply affecting photograph of a boarder who had climbed to the top of the water tower on the family farm for some deep thinking . He had just been informed by his mother that we were unable to reopen boarding , and that he would have to stay at the farm for an extended period . The photo portrayed a lonely and forlorn young boy who missed his mates , his teachers , and the boarding house of which he felt so much a part .
So how do we , here on the Hill , make such strong connections among the boys across the Houses ? Strong leadership from staff and senior boys is essential . Traditions have evolved , and boys are encouraged to follow those that add , positively , to the experience of being a boarder . At a practical level , boys develop logos for their House , design rugby jumpers , and run House activities . Staff scaffold cross-age events and celebrate milestones , with food providing a common bridge across all ages .
And of course , there is the Wedderburn Cup , a competition among the three Houses that runs over the course of the year , and is fiercely contested . It is on the closed weekends , one per term , where the level of connection a boy feels to his House is most overtly evident . House colours are worn proudly and house flags are flown with great pride . Boys , no matter their skill , give their best for their House . A closed weekend rarely occurs without a deputation to the Dean of Boarding in relation to an ambiguous rule , an unclear result or a biased umpire . The honour of being crowned Wedderburn Cup champion at the end of the year is , indeed , hotly contested .
Living on campus ensures boarders are intimately connected to their School – physically , emotionally , and as members of a closeknit family . It is why the Hill remains the heartbeat of the College , and will remain so as boarders call this patch of Hawthorn ‘ home ’.
TIM BYRNES – DEAN OF BOARDING
46 Great Scot Issue 162 – April 2021