Thank you for choosing St Mary's DSG Boarding as your home away from home. We strive to make the Boarding house a safe environment wherein our learners are nurtured, stimulated, and protected. We have a strong family culture and a community spirit which ensures that the St Mary's DSG boarding experience is exceptional. Our caring, energetic, and enthusiastic boarding staff understand that boarding is a significant transition for learners and their families, and are dedicated to providing a warm, friendly, and a safe environment.
We strive to uphold the best traditions of more than 144 years as a boarding school, whilst keeping abreast with the modern principles of residential care. We use evidence-based tools and techniques that place our boarders at the centre of everything that we do. Our boarding staff receive regular training to ensure that they operate in the most professional, appropriate, and learner-centred ways, with the aim of ensuring that the best interests of our boarders are always promoted and maintained.
Communal living helps our learners to develop several personal attributes, including self-discipline, independence, maturity, and leadership skills. We encourage boarders to embrace all the wonderful opportunities on offer at St Mary's DSG, and to achieve their potential both in and out of the classroom. Academic support and a well-structured social calendar with lots of activities, are key to ensuring that we produce well-rounded learners. The social skills boarders gain in the boarding house, enable them to form life-long friendships and associations that serve them well and long after they have left the boarding house.
Our warm and friendly environment extends to boarders' families, who are always welcome to attend school events and functions. We believe in creating an alliance between ourselves and our boarder parents, to ensure the wellbeing of our boarders and their academic success. We pride ourselves in offering a unique, home away from home environment in which every boarder is recognised as an individual. Christian values of respect, integrity, agility, growth mindset and generosity lie at the heart of the boarding school experience.
Our caring and supportive boarding environment safeguards the learners and allows them to develop and grow with confidence. Our boarders live alongside others from various cultures and develop cultural sensitivity. We are proud to help them on their journey to becoming responsible young adults, who can live with others and are global citizens.
Each grade is allocated a housemother who keeps a close eye on the development and well-being of each student. The team is supported by house sisters, (university students) who supervise prep and organise fun weekend activities. Our boarders also have access to the School Chaplain, School Counsellors, and Nursing Sisters.
Balanced, nutritious meals are served in the refectory which include breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea and dinner. Provision is made for learners with special dietary requirements.
Do not hesitate to contact us on the numbers provided in the school handbook. We stand ready to assist you with any queries or additional information that you may require.
Here's to strong and successful alliances for all our boarders...
Mrs Nombulelo Jiyane
Director of Boarding
