Recently my father-in-law, a kind, generous, loving man of 94, passed away peacefully – not entirely unexpected at his age, albeit suddenly. He was the farming grandfather, always around, always involved, always the best Pop to his grandchildren. We’re the 4th generation of this farming family – and our lives are closely entwined as often they are when you all live within a 20 mile radius of each other. It’s a wonderful life.
Anyhoo, not to rave on but Harry’s passing threw up a challenge that is presented often to families of boarding school kids – to come home or not to come home ? If yes, when, how? Do we go to our child ? In our case, our daughter is a young adult. Living and working on a remote cattle station in the NT. But still, these questions / challenges arose. She made the decision, and she was at peace with that – to honour him quietly on the station and stay where she was.
There’s a link below to an article I’ve just written on dealing with loss and grief when your child is at boarding school. I watched families navigate this over a 12 year period when my own children were at boarding school and it’s tough.
On a lighter note, our Expo roadshow kicks off next month! We love this time of year – meeting you all and bringing the schools closer to the places you call home. We’ve got 70 boarding schools joining us this year at one (or a number) of our Expos. Schools from QLD, NSW, ACT and Victoria.
Our Dubbo Expo is first up on Friday 10th and Saturday 11th May, coinciding this year with the Annual Dubbo Show – how fantastic.
I’ve included a couple of my favourite recommendations for the month – enjoy. And remember, if you’ve got any suggestions for topics or questions you’d like to ask, please get in touch.
I look foward to meeting you at one of our Expo events.
Have a great month,
LOSS & GRIEF
Dealing with Loss When Your Child is Away at School
It’s definitely the most challenging and difficult thing to navigate – the death of a family member or close friend – when your child is away at boarding school. There’s no easy path but this article may provide some direction and support.
IT’S ALMOST READY SET GO… TO EXPO
Register for FREE for one of our in-person events 2024
We’re all over the place this year. Literally!
It’s our 20th year and we’ve got more live events than ever before. From Dubbo to Mount Isa and everywhere in between.
Kicking off with Dubbo, NSW – Friday 10 and Saturday 11 May. Click below to Register for any of our events – they’re FREE. Always have been always will be.
20 YEARS AND A GREAT CHECKLIST
Let us help you ask the questions.
OK, I don’t mean to brag and I’m not going to try and be humble, but this checklist covers just about every question you could ever want to ask. I guess you could add one about friendships ?
We’ve been talking to families and schools for 20 years and many of those years as a parent of boarders.
Here are the things we’re loving right now…
GALAH PRESS & A READABLE BITE
“What even is regional?…”
I recently subscribed to Galah Press’ newsletter and what a feast for the subscriber it is. This letter from editor Annabelle Hickson just really resonated with me. We’re constantly being challenged to differentiate between regional, rural, remote… when promoting our events to families to look at opportunities for their children.
MOTHERS DAY IN BRISVEGAS
Za Za Ta…Yum Yum Yum
Are you heading down to visit the kids for Mother’s Day…let me urge you to give two challenging cuisine options a chance : Middle Eastern + Vego’…omg omg omg. Delish’. Fortitude Valley and the decor alone is worth a visit!
I DID A WALK
Not Just any Walk Cape to Cape WA
Lord knows I’m not a fitspo’ but every couple of years I drag my capable lower limbs across a few kms of rugged challenging Australian landscapes. This year, WA presented the opportunity for friendship, laughter, extraordinary scenery and the feeling that you had been dropped squarely in the pages of a Winton novel.Do it it’s truly awe inspiring.
Have you finished your boarding school journey ? Share our news…. tell your friends and family who might be on their way. Our website provides almost 20 years of resources and experience to families and students considering their options and beginning their days at boarding school.
