Meet Year 8 boarder Phoebe, who comes from rural New South Wales. From early mornings to pasta nights, Phoebe gives us a glimpse into the routines and moments that make boarding feel like home.
A typical school day in the boarding house starts at 7:15am. I get ready in the bathroom, and then head back to tidy my room and pack for the day.
Breakfast at 7:45am is when we all start chatting, usually about school, the weekend, or footy. I think if someone were to walk into the Boarding House for the first time, the first thing that they would notice would be how everyone treats everyone like sisters. We are all so close.
Recess and lunch are spent at the Star Cafe with friends, enjoying something yummy and my lunch that I ordered on the weekend. After school is my favourite time, we have free time from 3:30 to 4:30pm to relax or head down Glenferrie Rd, which has so many shops, cafes, a cinema and Yo-Chi (our favourite frozen yoghurt!).
From 4:30pm, we have Prep (homework) which is either with Tutors or individually. Dinner is really good, and then we have more free time until optional supper, which is usually fruit or crackers. A tradition I look forward to the most is Wednesday nights when we have Pasta. It’s always the best meal of the week with the BEST garlic bread you’ll ever have.
After this, I usually call my parents before our phones go back into the tech bays. Then, we all spend time chatting with each other – I usually chat to the older girls in Year 9 and my roommates until it’s lights out.
Weekends are a completely different experience. I sleep in a bit, enjoy brunch (I get an omelette!), do my washing and head down Glenferrie Road. Back at the Boarding House, we all relax until lunch is served, and then I bake something yummy in our common room – most likely cookies that won’t last the night! After dinner, a group of us might put on a movie in the Sun Room, or I’ll head up to my room to do any homework I haven’t finished yet. I usually try to stay up later, but it never works and I’m always in bed by 10pm.
Choosing a boarding school was my decision. MLC’s Boarding House stuck out to me as the only place I could imagine myself living for weeks at a time. When I told my mum I’d chosen the school that she had gone to, she was more than pleased. Every time I go home now, she tells me a new story of what the Boarding House was like back then.
If someone I knew was thinking about boarding, I’d say it’s hard at the start, but then you’ll find yourself enjoying it a little more every day until you can’t imagine being anywhere else. We get a lot of support from the staff (who are actually teachers in the Day School) and can get help regarding anything.
Term 2 of my first year was the best term ever, I had so much fun! When the winter holidays came around, I found myself wanting to go back to the Boarding House. Now, I can’t see myself anywhere else.
Boarding at MLC truly has had an impact on all the opportunities I get to experience. At home, I would never have had the chance to try rowing, go to the footy or see Annie the Musical. I now have friends from all over the world. I’m learning more than what I ever would have and I’m actually enjoying what I’m learning. I have teachers who love to teach and I get to be part of a community I didn’t know I needed.