BOARDING //
ORCHARD HOUSE
Well , what a year 2019-20 turned out to be !
It was a special one for Orchard House from the start , with October marking the 20th anniversary of the House opening . Twenty years have seen so many boarders come and go , and it is a real privilege each year to welcome new girls and to learn a fresh dynamic for the House . In 2019-20 , it was a joy to see Orchard as busy as I ’ ve known it , with a wonderful energy around the House – these girls got on so well as a whole group , the common room was constantly full and busy with movies , games , jigsaws and laughter .
At weekends , we enjoyed a variety of visits and activities , many along with Dolman House too . A highlight of the year is always Flamingo Land , and this year we also tried paintballing , iceskating , high-ropes and experienced the fright of York Dungeon . Besides the thrills we enjoy some calmer weekends too , with pamper days , shopping trips , and exploring the National Science and Media Museum .
As we know , the year ’ s excursions were cut short dramatically in the Lent term with the outbreak of Covid-19 , as our boarders travelled home towards the end of March . This meant we missed out on some wonderful things we had planned – inflatables , beach days and camping , to name but a few – but I felt immensely proud of the attitude of our boarders in the face of such uncertainty . I cannot praise them enough for how well each and every one of them coped with the situation and adapted , and it was a pleasure to catch up with most over Zoom during the summer term . It was such a shame that we weren ’ t able to give our leavers the usual goodbyes , but I wish all those who ’ ve now moved on from Orchard the very best for their futures . Our walls are full of photos to treasure the memories that are made here .
In twenty years of Orchard House , I am certain there has never been another quite like this . Though many things have changed over the years , there are reassuringly many things that remain the same – most important among these being the friendship , fun and support of boarding together . Our girls chose to commemorate the 20th year of Orchard by renaming the bedrooms to the word ‘ orchard ’ ( or ‘ garden ’) in all the different languages that make up our little community . I think it is beautifully fitting , as I have the privilege to see them grow and flourish together over the year .
I ’ d like to thank everyone in Orchard for making 2019-20 such a memorable year , and I look forward with pleasure to the next !
“ Orchard house is a home from home . We have both loved our time boarding . We got to spend time with our friends out of school , enjoying so many fun activities together . We laugh and cry together , and build so many friendships that will last a lifetime .” – Ciara & Sophie-Louise Quinn , 2020 leavers .
Claire Hall Orchard Boarding Housemistress
THE POCKLINGTONIAN 35