Hello to you all,
Here’s what’s on my bulletin board for you this month:
- Revisiting the Letters from Home episode from last year with Kirsty Wiggins…particularly worthy if you’re a bit ‘wobbly’.
- A beautiful story reminding us that boarding school friendships can indeed last a lifetime.
- Discover our face-to-face events for 2026 and the schools that are coming with us.
- The Boarding Circle… researching? just starting? or well on the way? Here’s your tribe.
- And a few of the things we’re loving right now… newsie recco’; movie recco’; wedding garden planning … send help.
By all means skim past my ramblings below and straight to the content if you’re not on the boarding school journey right now.
There’s something about February that often sit a little heavy with us.
It’s the month of long drives. Of overloaded cars and labelled socks. Of standing in a dorm room doorway pretending you’re just checking the cupboard space when really you’re trying to steady yourself.
The start of the boarding year is brave. For our kids, yes – but for us too.
Over the past few weeks I’ve watched families across rural, regional and remote Australia do what they’ve done for generations. Make the call that gives their child opportunity, even when it stretches the heart. I’ve received messages from mums in cars outside school gates and dads halfway home down long highways, both wondering if they’ve done the right thing.
If that’s you, please hear this clearly: what you’re feeling is normal.
Homesickness is normal.
Second-guessing yourself is normal.
That quiet house is normal too.
We often talk about homesickness as though it’s a problem to solve. It’s not. It’s proof of love. It’s what happens when strong connections are stretched across distance. Every child feels it at some point – even the confident ones, even the ones who couldn’t wait to go. It comes in waves. It passes. It returns. And over time, they build the ‘muscles’ (I guess) to manage it.
Our role isn’t to eliminate those feelings. It’s to be a soft place to land when they surface.
Being a soft place to land doesn’t mean always lowering expectations or ignoring behaviour. It means that when they ring and say they hate it, we don’t meet that with panic or a lecture. We meet it with steadiness. “That sounds tough.” “I’m proud of you for telling me.” “Let’s give it a bit more time.”
They are already getting feedback from teachers, coaches, house staff. What they need from us is belief. Calm belief.
And sometimes that belief is as simple as keeping our own nerves in check on the other end of the phone.
If this is your first year sending a child away, please know you are not alone in this. There are thousands of families walking the same road right now. That doesn’t make the goodbye any easier, but it does mean there is a community who understands.
And if this isn’t your first year, you’ll know that something shifts. The first term is the hardest because everything is new. By the end of the year, you’ll see growth you couldn’t have imagined back in February. Independence. Confidence. Friendships that will likely last decades.
For now, just focus on the next phone call. The next letter. The next visit.
Let them wobble a little. Let yourself wobble a little.
And remember – being a soft place to land doesn’t make them less resilient.
It’s what helps them become it.
LETTERS FROM HOME AN EPISODE ON THE TRANSITION & THE GRIEF
Revisiting my conversation with Kirsty Wiggins.
Earlier last year on Letters from Home, I spoke with Kirsty Wiggins about grief – the quiet kind that can surface when our children leave for boarding school. It’s not dramatic, but it’s real.
This episode has found its way back into my thoughts recently, so I’m sharing it again for anyone who might need it.
I hope it offers reassurance, language for what you’re feeling, and the comfort of knowing you’re not alone.
HOW WE MET: EMILY’S STORY
A reminder that boarding school friendships can last a lifetime.
One of my favourite pieces on our website is the “How We Met” story with Emily Riggs.
It’s a beautiful reminder that boarding school isn’t just about classrooms and co-curriculars – it’s about lifelong friendships, shared stories and the unexpected connections that shape a life.
Emily’s story is warm, honest and very relatable.
If you need a gentle reminder of the long game we’re playing, this one is worth a read.
GETTING READY TO HIT THE ROAD IN 2026
Pre-register now and see which schools are coming your way — plus a new stop in south west Queensland
Our 2026 face-to-face events are not far away, and schools across the eastern states are already preparing to hit the road. If boarding school is on your horizon – whether that’s next year or a few years away – now is the time to pre-register and explore which schools will be attending near you. There’s something powerful about having real conversations. And watch this space… we may just be heading to a new south west Queensland location. Can you guess where?
THE BOARDING CIRCLE
A Quiet Corner of the Internet: for you.
If you’re not already inside The Boarding Circle, this is your invitation.
It’s our private Facebook group for families navigating boarding school – whether you’re just researching or already deep in dorm life.
It’s a space to ask questions, share experiences and realise you’re not the only one wondering if that phone call sounded “off.”
No noise, no judgement – just steady support from people who understand.
Here are the things we’re loving right now…
3-2-1 AND DONE
My weekly dose of clarity I didn’t know I needed.
If you’re not already reading James Clear’s 3–2–1 newsletter, may I gently suggest you add it to your inbox.
My very clever right hand woman, Adelaide, sent it to me last year and now each Friday morning I await its arrival in my inbox.
Three short ideas, two quotes, one question – it’s simple, thoughtful and never overwhelming.
I love that I can read it between meetings or while waiting for the kettle to boil. No fluff, just sharp thinking in small doses. It’s the kind of reset I didn’t know I needed each week’s end.
HEATHCLIFF….CIRCA 2026
Brontë is Back : A Moment Please for the Yorkshire Moors
Wuthering Heights is back in the group chat thanks to Jacob Elordiand Margot Robbie.
There’s something comforting about revisiting a story that’s stood the test of time regardless of it’s dark storyline – dramatic, windswept, hot and slightly chaotic (much like February).
I do remember dragging myself through the Brontë masterpiece during high school…oh groan, I found it sooooo depressing and ominous and…well…. it hasn’t really evolved for the 2026 cinematic version but our Jacob & Margot cushion the blow.
Whether you’re in it for the literary walk down memory lane, or just the casting, I’m here for the revival…and a bit of silliness as the image to the left would suggest.
IN MY MOVING SPRINKLERS ERA
The Best Christmas Present: My Daughter’s Engagement
We are officially in pre-wedding garden mode, which means I am moving sprinklers like it’s an Olympic sport. It also means I am looking for reassurance and inspo’ in equal measures.
Our daughter Annabel, former boarder & OT is marrying her farmer, Wally.
If you love timeless gardens, hedges and proper old-fashioned romance, and a whole lot of humour, Jess from Mona Vane Garden on Instagram is joy personified. She’s a non-fuss chick with a gorgeous non-fuss approach to gardening – which is exactly what I’m aiming for (pray for me). I may, or may not have, gently urged for a venue wedding…. to no avail. All tips and suggestions welcome – you have my contact details 😉
Have you finished your boarding school journey ? Do you know a family that is unsure how to begin their research into boarding schools? Share our news…. tell your friends and family who might be on their way. Our website provides 21 years of resources and experience to families and students considering their options and beginning their days at boarding school.
