Susan Landels - Matron, 18 June 2026
Hostel Happenings
With the shortest day of the year this Sunday, 21 June, we are into winter mode, with colder, darker mornings delivering shorter days that seem to disappear in the blink of an eye.
For those of you who are counting down, there are just two weeks to go until the holiday break. I am glad to share that the vibe continues to be happy and respectful within the hostel. A special mention goes to the Year 9 and 10 boys who are working very well during their prep time.
This weekend, we have four rugby teams travelling to Queenstown, Wānaka, Cromwell, and Oamaru. Hostel boys are participating in a wide variety of sports and enjoying various levels of competition. We wish all our teams good luck. Our aim is to play hard while remembering to be humble in victory and gracious in defeat.
Thank you to Donna and Nicola for the effort you put into providing packed lunches for travelling boys, and well done to the boys who organised themselves in time to collect them.
Men of the Week
Harry McDougall for making a grand start to boarding at School House. Harry is consistently pleasant and polite, and he maintains his focus. He is conscientious and respectful. Impressive effort, Harry. Keep this up.
George Murray. George's trademark is the way he quietly conducts himself with zero fuss. He works hard to meet desired objectives while always maintaining a calm presence. You are a valuable asset to our School House team. Thank you, George.
This week, our midweek in-house competition was indoor rowing. The boys embraced this challenge with untold gusto. It was a fun way to warm up on a cold Dunedin evening. The results were: Campbell 1st, Hawthorne 2nd, Thomson 3rd, and Nicholson 4th.
Thank you to Ms Jacqueline Irving for her efforts in coordinating the Gateway Programme, from which several of our hostel boys are benefiting. One day a week, they are on site with a host employer gaining valuable work experience.
Jack Muir spends time at the Big River Building site in Balclutha, working towards completing a Level 3 Certificate in Building and Construction.
Jackson Hughes is enjoying a Plumbing and Electrical Course over four Fridays at Skillset in Kaikorai Valley.
Oscar Kenny and Max Smallbone are completing five Wednesdays of work at Mitre 10, leading towards 20 NCEA credits through GRIP.
Leo Burgess has been making the most of his opportunity with Mike Brown at Adams Plumbing, while Dustin Young is at Rural Livestock, getting a taste of life in the sales yards in Balclutha. Jonty Graham has learned a great deal while being hosted by Cooke Howlison, and Jack James has found his work experience with Farra Engineering very worthwhile.
The builders are feeling confident that the kitchen joinery will be installed in the new multipurpose room by the end of next week as it nears completion. They say they are currently making good progress with the Thomson bathroom renovations. Their goal is to have these completed for the beginning of Term 3.
We thank all the boys for their patience and cooperation during this process. We are sure the end results will be worth the wait.
Parents, please remember to check with your sons that they have sufficient bags to pack everything into for the end of term on Friday, 3 July. All their clothing, bedding, and belongings need to go home, as the hostel is being rented out. Thank you.
Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any feedback or questions.
Director of Boarding
Lance Taylor
0224956303
Assistant Manager
Atu Katoa
02040899606
Matron
Susan Landels
0272328017