The best thing about boarding

By the Year 11 Abbotsleigh Boarder Council

Being a boarder is like having a second family, the more the merrier! As we have quite a large boarding community, we are always surrounded by supportive staff and beautiful friends. The experienced staff understand exactly what challenges we face and are always there to provide us with support and encouragement. 

Our favourite thing about being  boarders is the incredible benefits of living on campus. It means that we can participate in more sporting teams, more musical performances and have unlimited access to the amazing facilities! Also, what we boarders LOVE having over the day girls, is that we cut out all transport time – which means that we can sleep more or play more sports or have more leisure time. We also love having our Guide Dog puppies – we have had 10 now and are on to our 11th dog, George. They help with homesickness (we sometimes miss our animals more than our parents) and it also provides a great service to the community.

Each boarding year group grows together as a family, supporting each other in all aspects of school life. The positive atmosphere of the boarding community ensures that everyone is always encouraging each other and willing to help each other out in everything from maths homework to cooking for bake sales.

The independence that grows with boarding is a life skill, from creating a schedule to learning to do our own washing – the things you learn in boarding school will stay with you forever. 

The part that makes boarding fun are the people you share a boarding house with. It means that we are surrounded by our friends which then become your family. Boarding forms very close friendships that will last well beyond finishing Year 12.