From the Director of Boarding (Tuesday 21 December)

To our Sacred Heart Boarding Community

Dear Parent/Caregivers of 2022 Boarders

To our new families, welcome to the Sacred Heart College Boarding Community!

I hope this blog will provide you, as new and returning parents, with key information to assist you in settling your son/daughter into their life in Boarding at Sacred Heart College in 2022.

Again, welcome to Boarding at Sacred Heart College. I trust it will be everything you hope for as a Home for all Hearts.

We are a community based on family spirit and mutual respect – respect for each other, respect for staff and respect for the environment in which we live. Community living has incredible benefits, but also has its challenges. It is therefore a clear focus for staff that we provide a high quality level of care and ensure we are doing all we can to create a safe and positive environment for all. Together as staff, we are committed to the holistic development of the young people in our care and we will support them all equally in their home away from home at Sacred Heart College. As a team and as a community, we are all capable of achieving amazing things.

On Sunday 30 January, we welcome back our Boarding leaders, siblings and new Boarding students. On Monday 31 January, our continuing Boarders will return and we will celebrate Mass together and share an evening meal as a community. Comprehensive details pertaining to the beginning of the year can be found by clicking here.

We very much look forward to 2022 and all that it offers for our Boarders and Boarding community in general. Our community is strong and our students are proud to say that they are a Boarder at Sacred Heart College. 

On behalf of the entire Sacred Heart College Boarding Team, we wish you all a Blessed Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Yours kindly

Robert Gill
Director of Boarding

Boarding at Sacred Heart College

The Sacred Heart College Boarding Community provides a safe and inclusive environment in which Boarding students and staff live and work together as a Marist family. As a Marist Boarding community every girl and boy will commit to doing their best academically and to take care of one another. Boarding at Sacred Heart College is a lifelong gift given to the young women and men by their families. Our Boarders form close friendships and enjoy the many benefits of belonging to the “Hearts” family.

Key Dates for 2022

Click here for the Exeat & Term Dates for Boarding Families 2022.

Key Contacts

What to Bring

Please click here to access a list of Boarding House requirements.

Communication

Communication is vital in ensuring the best care of each individual in our Boarding Community. We place an emphasis on the value of effective partnership between the College and our families to ensure that all Boarders are supported throughout their Boarding journey. We collaborate openly with parents, teachers, tutors and medical staff to cultivate the wellbeing of each Boarding student. Parents are invited to join the Boarders Parents Association to provide support to each other and feedback to the Boarding House staff team.

Boarders Facebook Page

At the beginning of the School year you will be provided with information on how to join the Boarding at Sacred Heart College Facebook Page. This Facebook group is a closed group, only available via invitation to current boarders and their parent/caregivers. Once your son/daughter leaves the Boarding House you will be removed from the group.

Posts, photos and group information are not visible to the public and commenting is not enabled. The objective of the Facebook group is to provide parents with news, events and reminders which take place within our Boarding Community.

Mail/Packages

The Boarding House supervisors collect mail daily and distribute it to our Boarders. Should you wish to mail something to your son/daughter please use the following address:

(Son/Daughter’s Name)
Sacred Heart College
Boarding House
195 Brighton Road
SOMERTON PARK   SA   5044

Catering

Boarders are provided with a variety of healthy and nutritious meals daily and our Head Chef makes provisions for those Boarders who have specific dietary requirements.

The College provides breakfast, recess, lunch, afternoon snack, dinner and supper daily. Boarders have access to fresh fruit, vegetables and salads daily.

Laundry

The College provides a laundering service to all Boarding students. Each student is provided with a net bag for underwear, socks and small items. Boarders are required to still have a hamper to store their dirty clothes between washes.

The Laundry is operational Monday & Tuesday from 8.30am – 4.00pm and Wednesday from 8.00am – 1.00pm.

There are washing machines and dryers available for Boarders to use in each Boarding House. These machines should only be used for emergency situations when the Laundry Staff are not on site, not for big loads of school uniforms and sports gear. Should Boarders wish to utilise these machines, we recommend a small labeled washing basket for personal washing.

NOTE:  It is compulsory for school uniforms and bedding to be given to the Laundry for washing and drying.

Dry Cleaning is arranged by the Laundry staff at a discounted rate and will be charged to student accounts. Blazers, Ties and Wool Skirts will be sent for dry cleaning at the end of Term 2 & Term 3.

Name Labelling

Our Laundry offers a free labelling service to all Boarding students. It is a requirement that all uniforms, clothing, underwear, socks, bedding and towels, basically anything that will be laundered by the College must be labelled. Our professional labelling machine prints and presses the name label onto clothing. We recommend that you do not purchase iron-on labels from other outlets as these tend to peel off and laundry marking pens fade.

We cannot stress enough the importance of ensuring all items are labelled so that they can be returned quickly. At the end of each term before returning home, all Boarders are asked to look through any unnamed school uniforms and clothing. Items that still remain unclaimed such as school uniforms will be donated back to the Uniform Shop and all other items that are unnamed will be donated to St Vincent de Paul Society.

Clothing Requirements

Boarders are to maintain a neat and appropriate standard of dress. This applies to local outings, all evening meals and attendance at Mass. All matters of dress code are at the discretion of the Boarding House staff. Inappropriate logos, graphics and written material on clothing should be avoided and may be confiscated and sent home.

Sacred Heart College Uniform Shop

Please click here to access information and opening hours for the Sacred Heart College Uniform Shop for 2022.

REACH Boarding System

During the school term it is important that Boarders are able to take leave and family feel they are welcome to access them. The Boarding House operates an electronic leave system called REACH that enables staff to ensure each boarder’s location at all times. This system enables families to communicate and approve leave for their son/daughter and enter travel arrangements for exeat and holiday leave. Requests for leave are approved at the discretion of the Boarding House Coordinators. In the interest of safety, parents are requested not to share their REACH passwords with their sons/daughters.

Before leaving the Boarding House, Boarders must sign out using the REACH terminal indicating where they are going and sign back in upon their return to the Boarding House. Boarders risk suspension if at any time they decide to go to any place other than where they have indicated on the REACH terminal. No boarder is allowed to leave the Boarding House without permission.

Further information relating to REACH usage will become available at the beginning of the 2022 school year.

Exeats/School Holidays

All Boarders must leave the Boarding House during school holidays and on designated exeat weekends. The Boarding House will close at 5.00pm on the last day of classes for Exeat and end of term school holidays.

Students/Parent/Caregivers will be required to submit REACH leave requests for all exeat and school holiday departures no later than the Wednesday evening prior to departure. It is important that travel details (ie. flight numbers, departure times etc.) are included in the request. This information is especially important for those needing transport to airports, bus stations, Sealink pickup location etc. 

The College will assist with transporting Boarders to their departure point (ie. airport, bus station, Sealink pickup location) only on the last day of classes for Exeat and end of term school holidays. The Boarding House does not have additional staff to transport Boarders outside of this day.

Boarders are asked to return to the Boarding House at a reasonable hour following an Exeat or term break. The Boarding House will open at 4.00pm on the last day of an Exeat or term break and a “sausage sizzle” or other meal options will be provided for our Boarders. 

For returning Boarders who require public transport (trains, buses, planes), bookings are to be made by Parent/Caregivers. Sacred Heart College does not allow Boarders to have their own car.

As a number of the Year 11 and Year 12 Boarders arrange to travel to and from sporting fixtures with day students, it is important that they make the Boarding supervisors fully aware of their travel arrangements at all times. Parents/Caregivers will be asked to give permission and must provide the name of the day student they will be travelling with. Please click here to access further information on Boarding Transport Permission.

When a boarder needs to use a taxi, he or she may request a Cabcharge eTicket from their Boarding supervisor and must provide the staff member with details of their travel location and reason. Boarders and their Parents/caregivers need to be aware that the cost of the taxi ride will be debited to their College account. Boarders should always request a receipt from the Taxi driver and return it to their Boarding supervisor. Where possible and when safe, Boarders can use public transport. NOTE: Boarders are not permitted to use Ubers.

What a Typical Day Looks Like For Our Boarders

Prayer & Reflection Community Time

Chapel

Mass

Study* (All Study periods have phone hand up)

*Study times will be confirmed at the beginning of 2022.

Tutors

All Boarders have access to experienced tutors during set study periods (Sunday – Thursday). The tutoring team assists students by revisiting concepts, helping to draft assignments and building confidence in the Boarders’ learning.