The Ultimate Packing List for Boarding School (updated)
9 January, 2024
This is the 2022 revised edition. Compiled from the real-life experiences of families who have gone before.
This is the 2022 revised edition. Compiled from the real-life experiences of families who have gone before.
I imagine that as a parent, it’s with a heavy heart that you worry for your child’s wellbeing, it’s with angst that you wonder if they feel as though they belong and it’s with curiosity that you navigate the adolescent
Dr Justin Coulson, from Happy Families, goes through a series of questions that will help you determine whether or not a boarding school aligns with your family’s values.
Dr Justin Coulson, from Happy Families, discusses the important topic of helping your child transition to boarding school. Key points include: Watch Justin’s video, where he explains each one.
Dr Justin Coulson answers the important question “what are some healthy habits that every student should know about before they start boarding school?”. He touches on sleep, diet, exercise, friendships, and practicing their spirituality when away from home. Watch Justin’s
Connection is critical for healthy relationships with our kids. But how do you maintain a strong relationship with your child when you’re physically apart? Dr Justin Coulson discusses some communication strategies, including: Watch Justin’s video to learn more.
Dr Justin Coulson, from Happy Families, chats about the factors to consider when choosing a boarding school, in addition to friends, philosophy and fun which he mentioned in the last video. Other factors worth considering include: Watch Justin’s video to learn more.
Dr Justin Coulson, from Happy Families, discusses the all-important questions parents ask themselves when considering boarding school for their child—”is boarding school right for my child?” and “is a boarding school right for my child?”. There are many reasons you might consider boarding
During the teen years our children’s friendships become increasingly complicated, volatile and important. Suddenly friends and friendships begin to mean everything to our teens, and when there are problems with those friendships it can feel utterly devastating. Before the age
Connecting with teens can be challenging. The stereotype tells us that our sweet, loving child has turned into an argumentative, rebellious young person. More likely, however, is that your connection has shifted. Your child is more inclined to stare at
It’s normal for children to feel scared, homesick, lonely, or unsure. Here’s how to make the transition to boarding school easier. Every January boarding schools welcome new students into their doors. These students come from different backgrounds, situations and walks
Our teens’ mental health can be impacted by distance from family and loved ones. Here’s what to expect if you are sending your children to boarding school. A surprisingly large number of Australian teens are struggling when it comes to
Starting boarding school, or any new school for that matter, can be a bit of an upheaval for teens. But being armed with information can be reassuring and assuage some of those nerves. The trick… is getting that information. Open
Your teen is getting ready to venture out into the boarding school world. Encouraging independence in your teen will help them be prepared for their new responsibilities. Here’s how to do just that. Research shows that independence, or agency, is one
If you’re wondering how to talk to your daughter about body image, you’re not alone. It’s a conversation that has no beginning or end, but continues throughout your daughter’s life.
My name is Chelsea White and I am a Year 12 boarder at Kinross Wolaroi School (KWS) from Narromine. I started as a boarder in New House in Year 9.
We spoke to some PLC Armidale students about how boarding has helped them build resilience and get through some very tough times.
2020 marked the beginning of a new decade but with this exciting milestone came new and old challenges for regional communities.
To say 2020 has been a year of challenge and change would be an understatement. However, St Stanislaus’ College in Bathurst has put a range of measures in place to manage the challenges of Covid19. During this unprecedented time, the
Transition, change and uncertainty – this is the world we live in and judging by the recent drought, bush fires, and the Covid-19 crisis, there are no signs that we will be changing direction any time soon. Successfully navigating life
As our kids made the trek back to their boarding houses for the start of the new school year late last month, we knew many of them had home firmly on their minds.
More fabulous boarder stories shared with us throughout 2019, highlighting the unique experiences and opportunities boarding school offers. Here are links to those stories that ran between June and October. Enjoy! Isaac Barrett: prepared for the opportunities JUNE: Year 8
Over the past year, we’ve been putting the spotlight on the lived experience of boarding in the words of boarders, themselves. Themes of community, resilience, and independence come through these stories regardless of what school they’re from. Here is a
Boarding is a world away from the realities of the farm Year 11 boarder, Andrew Newton, has been at Shore since Year 7. Home is a seven hour drive away at Gurley, near Moree. Sixty-five per cent of Shore’s 200 boarders
Confidence to dream Where to send your child to school is a big decision for any parent. Never more so than if you’re considering boarding-based education for them. Boys like Cranbrook School’s Head Prefect Tully O’Regan from Scone, started life
Boarding offers many pathways Keen to go away to boarding school from Year 7, Year 11 student at Yanco Agricultural High School, Dimity Evans has thrown herself into the activities on offer over the past five years – everything from
Sibling support when living away from home Brother and sister, Will and Emma Benham are both boarders at The Armidale School (TAS), where they’re enjoying a range of opportunities at the same time as carving out their own interests and
Maintaining outside interests all part of the boarding experience Bellata’s Georgia Kirkby, a passionate poultry and duck breeder, started as a boarder at Kincoppal-Rose Bay School (KRB) in Year 7 following her primary years in Narrabri. Her small hometown has
Boarding memories to cherish Boarding captains at Barker College, Cooper Evans and Rosie McNair are part of a tight-knit, coeducational boarding community. Both are in their third year of boarding, building memories that will take them beyond school. With boarders
Fast-tracking tolerance & independence Like it is for any young person starting a new school a long way from home, the year has been a mix of excitement and homesickness for Torie Burton, a Year 7 boarder at Pymble Ladies’
A support network of boarding sisters Fourteen year old Asha from Newcastle, was worried about homesickness until she arrived at the Ravenswood Residential College (RRC) to discover a strong support network for boarders, not only in the College but across
An outgoing student and leader, Riley Bomford has every intention of utilising his boarding school experiences to build a career in law.
Boarding Schools Expo marketing communications specialist, Kim V. Goldsmith is mum to a school leaver. She gives a somewhat light-hearted take on the serious topic of what it takes to get your soon-to-be ex-boarding, school leaver ready to enter the
BY RYAN TAYLOR, FINANCIAL LITERACY FOR YOUNG AUSTRALIANS* The comfort of school will soon be coming to an end for this year’s graduates, with major works and exams around the corner. While school may not seem like the most comforting
Living 50km north of Moree, Jodie and Andrew Crowe had discussed the idea of boarding school before the first of their six children arrived. It was something they felt was right for them but would take some adjustment as each
Prudence Brosnan is one of the Boarding House captains who co-leads the St Margaret’s sisterhood living on campus. She hopes to inspire, motivate and encourage her fellow ‘sisters’ to take full advantage of their St Margaret’s boarding experience and all
Year 8 student at Pymble Ladies College, Eloise Wilson of Narromine is a most composed and eloquent young woman. She sat down with Boarding Schools Expo’s Kim V. Goldsmith recently to share her experience of being a boarder. What has
BY RYAN TAYLOR, FINANCIAL LITERACY FOR YOUNG AUSTRALIANS* Children learn so much from parents. Unfortunately, managing money is a topic you will also need to teach your children about. However, it can be very easy to put them on the
Technology has infiltrated our daily lives in such ways, many of us are almost unaware of it…until it starts to interfere with what we’re doing. The use and abuse of technology in schools across the globe has taken the headlines
Amanda Ferrari hails from Trangie, on the Central Western Plains of NSW. She’s still starry-eyed over the fact that she managed to snag a farmer, and has been married to Ross for 22 years. They have three children, twins Amy
Continuing from our last blog post on the changing face of contemporary boarding, now we look specifically at the needs of boarders, and the expectations of their parents. In her research into the Australian boarding industry, Ascham School’s Head of
The days of ice-cold showers in open area bathrooms, unidentifiable food, military-style dormitories with regulation bedspreads (hospital corners, please) and white sheets stiff as boards with starch, are long gone in Australian boarding schools. Along with banishing the austere living
Exam stress is something most of us have suffered at some point in our lives, whether we remember our own experiences or are living through those of our children. As Term 1 winds down for a much-needed break after the
One of the mums on our Boarding Schools Expo team is having trouble communicating with her teenage son. She’s fallen into the trap of lecturing and, while she knows he wants to hear less of her voice, that’s not how
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