Boarding

Reports

Progress reports, supported by the Director of Boarding and staff, are an essential summary of the term.  These are available as per school calendar.

Social Events

We try and schedule one social event per term for boarder families.  Where possible, it is recommended that you attend. 

Cell Phones

Cell phones give opportunity for greater ease in communication.  Boarders may have their cell phones but conditions apply as per the rules in the School’s code of conduct.  Should a boarder be found, not adhering to the rules applying to cell phones, consequences will follow

The security of the cell phone is the responsibility of the boarder.

All grade 08s may not make use of any telephones for the first two weeks of term.  This is to assist with the settling process and to encourage the girls to follow the correct channels.  Parents are more than welcome to call the Director of Boarding to enquire about their daughter’s well-being.

Email

All boarders have an email address and have Internet access through the School Network.  All Boarding Houses have wireless networks easily accessible to students as well as networked printers.  All boarders have access to computers for emailing.  Your daughters email address will be: initial surname@stmarys.pta.school.za;

eg Pumla Dlungwana    -   pdlungwana@stmarys.pta.school.za

Homesickness

It is not at all unusual during the early stages of a boarder's stay to experience a degree of homesickness.  This is a perfectly natural response to the loss of security and emotional support that home life represents for most young people.   Parents also often experience emotional upset that results from the absence of their child.   As boarders develop friendships and become familiar with the surroundings and routine of boarding, this feeling of insecurity and emotional confusion passes.  In some cases it will recur, particularly if the student is worried or concerned about circumstances at home.

In the early stages of adjustment, keeping busy at school or sport, or at any of the activities that are on offer, can be helpful and boarders will be encouraged to become involved.   Parents who are concerned about their daughters are encouraged to make contact with the Director of Boarding.

In the early stages of settling in, parents are encouraged to reassure their daughter of parental love and support. Parents are encouraged to:

•  Expect that homesickness is a passing phase of a girl's adjustment to boarding life.

•  Make contact with the Director of Boarding if there are concerns.

•  Encourage your daughter to seek support from boarding staff.

MISSION STATEMENT

Boarding at St Mary's DSG provides a safe, caring atmosphere ideal for both intellectual and emotional growth.

The aim is to foster a lively, happy community which operates from a stable base where the feeling of belonging to a large family is important.  Boarders learn how to live, to work and to play in a community environment, sharing experiences with people of their own age who originate from many different countries and cultural backgrounds.

GENERAL OVERVIEW OF BOARDING LIFE

Boarding is an integral part of life at the school.  The boarding house is located on top of the main school building.  Boarders enjoy an excellent standard of accommodation, readily available educational and sporting facilities and the chance to enjoy all the opportunities of school life to the full.  Perhaps the most important of these opportunities is the time spent building friendships, which will hopefully endure throughout their time at the school and their lives beyond it.

Following are the nine principles upon which boarding at St Mary's DSG is based.

1. The development of the whole person and the communication of values are vital.
2. Being an open and trusting school, boarding is based upon mutual respect for all its members.
3. Each boarder has the right to be able to work, play and relax free from abuse, intimidation, harassment, teasing and bullying.
4. There is equality of opportunity and respect for all boarders, regardless of ethnicity, culture, gender or disability.
5. Each boarder and each member of staff is to be treated as an individual and with respect by other pupils and by staff.
6. Although living together, staff and boarders acknowledge the right of each other to privacy.
7. Each boarder has the right to extend her intellectual growth in an atmosphere of positive encouragement and in conditions that are conducive to learning.
8. All boarders should be able to develop physically, spiritually, intellectual, morally and socially.
9. Despite the distance separating boarders from their families, links with parents are seen as an indispensable part of the support and development of boarders.

Weekdays

05:30   Wake-up                              

06:30 - 07:20  SAN

06:00 - 06:50  Breakfast                                                

07:15   Boarders leave for school                                              

07:25   Line up and Registration

07:30 - 13:35  School

10:55 - 11:25  School break time

13:50 - 14:20  Lunch in the refectory

14:20 - 17:30  Silence upstairs, afternoon activities, relax, etc.

16:30 - 17:30  Laundry collection

17:30 - 18:50  Dinner (Formal)

19:00 - 21:00  Supervised prep in classrooms (15 minutes break)

20:30   The outside doors are locked, all boarders must be inside

21:15   All Boarders should be upstairs

21:00   Silence for Grade 8

21:30   Silence throughout the Boarding House (Grade 9 - 12)

21:15   Lights out for Grade 8s

21:30   Lights out for Grade 9s

22:15   Lights out for Grade 10s

22:30   Lights out for Grade 11s

22:45   Lights out for Grade 12s

Saturdays

08:00   Wake-up

08:30 - 09:30  Breakfast

09:30 – 10h30 room inspection

10:30 – 13h00 morning activity

13:00 - 14:00  Lunch

14:00 -17:00 afternoon activity

17:00 - 19:00  Dinner

19:00 – 21h30  recreation

20:30 Outside doors locked, all girls in.

21:30 Roll call and lights (Lights out vary per grade)

Sundays

08:00 – 09:30    Wake-up

09:30 - 10:30  Brunch

11:00 - 14:00  Recreation

14:00   Afternoon Snack followed by free time

17:30 - 18:40  Dinner

18:50  Get ready for Chapel

19:00 - 20:00  Chapel

20:15  Room and uniform inspection

21:00 Lights out as per schedule

The spiritual well-being of all the boarders is of utmost importance.  The Director of Boarding, Nursing Sisters, Counsellors and Chaplain, as well as all members of the boarding staff, are only too pleased to talk to any boarder and / or their parents.

In times of personal need boarders are encouraged to contact any of the above for advice, support and encouragement.  The Counsellors, Chaplain and Nursing Sisters are directly accessible to students during the day and through the boarding staff at night and on weekends.

Parents who have particular concerns about their daughters can discuss these with the above staff at any time.  Counselling is available through the Director of Boarding, the Nursing Sisters or the Counselling Centre.

For girls to develop a sense of belonging, it is necessary for them to have shared experiences with others in the boarding house.  These experiences occur in both a structured environment and more importantly in the events of everyday boarding life.  It is for this very reason that it is important for girls to spend time in the Boarding House relating to others rather than be isolated in their cubicle playing on a computer or the cellphone. 

While we do not expect all boarders to be the best of friends, we expect everyone to show respect for others in all that they do and say.  Rules are necessary to make it possible for the Boarding House to run smoothly and to ensure that the lives of the girls will be happy and comfortable.

Dormitory Leaders, Boarder Leaders, House Mothers and the Director of Boarding will respond to and deal with unhealthy dormitory and boarding situations.  If the need arises, the Director of Boarding, and the Deputy Head of School, will become involved with individuals who are incapable of or unwilling to adhere to the boarding and school's expectations mentioned above.

Boarders may go home every weekend if they so choose, except for the 1^st weekend of the 1^st term which is a closed weekend for all boarders.

Boarders may go home on Friday after their afternoon commitments and should be back in boarding by Sunday evening before 19:00 to be on time for the Chapel service.

Exeat Requests

The Director of Boarding with the help of the Boarding Office assistant deals directly with requests for exeats from boarding.   If the request also involves missing school time, a separate request to be absent from school is to be made directly to the Deputy Principal, Mrs Miller, via the main reception.

Exeats with Parents during the Week

St Mary’s DSG Boarding recognizes the right of access by parents to their child at any time.   Prior notification by parents would be appreciated, giving the boarding staff plenty of time to check school commitments or activities.   Boarders are to ensure that their prep commitments are met before taking exeats during the week.   Return times for outings with parents during the school week is 21:00.  The right to access by parents can be further qualified to extend to Grandparents and older brothers or sisters.   Special negotiation for an extension beyond these immediate relatives could be to an aunt or uncle, a special family friend or neighbour.   The latter is specifically designed to accommodate long distance boarders who have little opportunity of connection with family or friends.

Approved Host and Visitors List

At the beginning of each year, all parents are requested to supply a fully completed and signed Approved Hosts and Visitors List.  When nominating persons on your daughter’s visiting/leave lists, it will be assumed that no further permission will be sought from you when these people visit or request leave for our daughter.  (If you wish to be notified, please do not enter names on the list).  With the exception of siblings, people under 21 years of age cannot be placed on the overnight/weekend/afternoon/tea leave list or sign out or collect girls.  Students may only visit, or receive visits from, people on this approved list.  Students will only be permitted overnight and weekend leave into the care of a person who has the maturity of years (i.e. wisdom and experience) like that of a parent.

Visitors

Flexibility in times is acceptable with visits from family members.  In the case of visits from friends, visits are generally permitted during the week between 15:00 and 17:00 for a maximum period of one hour.  Boarders must introduce their visitors to the staff members on duty, in the office, on their arrival and report again when the visitor is leaving.  The area to meet visitors is on the front lawn area.  Boarders must be visible at all times.  Public displays of affection are inappropriate at the school.

Responsibility for boarders on leave

In authorizing persons as approved Hosts, parents acknowledge that the responsibility for supervision and care of the boarder while on exeat from the boarding house is transferred from the Boarding House to the approved Host.  Persons taking on the role as host for boarders need to be made aware by parents of their responsibilities.  Parents approving of their daughters visiting homes of Approved Hosts are to confirm their confidence in the suitability of the carer, both morally and legally by making direct contact with the proposed hosts, thus assuring themselves that their daughters are in suitable care.

End of Term Exeats

The School does not support early departure at the end of term.  A boarders’ early departure will not be approved except in an emergency.  Please apply to the Deputy Head of School in advance if possible.  Repeated early departures will be referred to the Head of School.

Weekend Exeats are arranged as follows:

·         Requests are to be submitted weekly to the Boarding office no later than Wednesday 21:00.

·         The Director of Boarding processes and checks permissions.   Outstanding permissions are to be emailed, or sms’ed to the Boarding Manager before Friday morning 09:00.

·         No boarder may leave until her weekend exeat has been granted.

·         All those collecting boarders are to announce themselves to the boarding office prior to pick up and sign the girl out.  Please take an orange Slip with you for security check.

·         Departure and arrival times for normal exeats are:  Departure Friday between 14:00 and 18:00, Saturday after 10:00.  Arrival Saturday between 09:00 and 20:00 and Sunday between 10:00 and 19:00.

Shopping

·         Boarders may go shopping Monday to Friday between 14:00 and 17:00 provided that they have no afternoon commitments and over the weekend throughout the day.

·         Boarders are expected to wear full school uniform during the week on outings.  Over weekends the girls may wear civvies, but must ensure that they are clean and neat, in good repair and worn with modesty.

·         All Boarders may only go to the Hillcrest Boulevard once on weekdays.

·         Grade 8 boarders must be in a group of at least three boarders.  Grade 9 – 12 boarders must be at least two boarders.

Weekday Exeats with Parents