Susan Landels - Matron, 3 June 2026
Hostel Happenings
King's Birthday was a timely mini break for us all, although it sometimes feels as though a four-day week is longer than a full one—not sure why that is!
Congratulations to the 12 hostel boys who attended the South Island Rugby Magic Round competition in Christchurch last weekend. The OBHS First XV enjoyed two close games, narrowly losing to Marlborough Boys' College 47–43 but securing a win against St Thomas of Canterbury College 31–28.
School House boys enjoyed a hostel quiz night on Wednesday evening, and many took the opportunity to stay up a little later to watch the State of Origin game. Paintball is our scheduled activity this Sunday and should prove to be a blast!
Men of the Week last week were Caleb Ede for his impressive dedication and sportsmanship, and Flynn Jenkinson for his conscientious approach and great all-round attitude.
Men of the Week this week are Asher Knox for always wearing a cheeky grin and being so considerate of others, and Xavier Connell for his diligence, exemplary manners, and continual striving to be his best.
The hostel photo shoot has been scheduled for Tuesday, 16 June, at 10.00am with Kelk Photography.
We are excited to welcome Dan Crossley to our hostel staff as our newly appointed van driver. Dan has extensive experience working with young people at boarding schools in Marlborough and, more recently, at Knox College in Dunedin. He has only just started but has already made a wonderful impact with his positivity and enthusiasm. Thank you, Dan, and welcome aboard. Already, you have alleviated a great deal of pressure from our housemasters, who previously needed to act as taxi drivers while simultaneously juggling their many other responsibilities.
Thank you to all our cleaning staff who have taken on additional duties while Carolyn has been off sick. Your hard work and efforts in keeping the hostel as clean and tidy as possible are noticeable and very much appreciated.
Atu and Susan attended the NZ Boarding Schools' Conference in Wellington for three days at the end of last week and have returned full of good ideas to share, along with some exciting new strategies to implement.
Senior boys need to remain focused on setting their academic goals and be mindful that the year will literally evaporate amidst their busy sporting schedules.
Well done to our Year 9 boys, who have all adjusted admirably to the personal challenges that living within a boarding environment can bring.
We are now into Week 7, so there are just four weeks to go until the next holiday break, with Term 2 ending on Friday, 3 July, and Term 3 beginning on Monday, 20 July.
Parents, please feel assured that you are always welcome to email or phone us with any feedback or questions. We welcome your calls and value your input as we work together to provide the best possible opportunities for our boys.
Director of Boarding: Lance Taylor – 022 495 6303
Assistant Manager: Atu Katoa – 020 408 99606
Matron: Susan Landels – 027 232 8017