Introducing Annie, Head Boarder for 2024
What do you hope to bring to the boarding community in your role as Head Boarder in 2024
As Head boarder, I will be dedicated to inspiring all girls to reflect the mercy values during all aspects of their day. I believe being a leader is not only completing what you are required to do in the role, like attending meetings, giving speeches, and organising events, it goes far beyond this. I would strive to bring the girls and the staff closer as a community, encourage girls to form new connections and help those who need assistance, whether it’s about school, boarding, or anything they need support with.
I am determined to work on goals in the boarding community to bring everyone together and organise many fun events that help all girls to love their time in boarding.
I will strive to personally check in on individuals whom I think may need some support, try to help mend any friendship problems girls may have, and encourage them to always do the right thing. I hope to be a voice for the girl’s thoughts and ideas and consider what everyone has to say. I will endeavour to show kindness, support, compassion, empathy, excellence, strength, and passion constantly throughout my time as Head Boarder.
What do you love about boarding?
I love many things about boarding, but the best part would be having my friends around me 24/7. I love socialising. I would say I’m an extrovert, so having the privilege of just walking outside my bedroom door and being able to talk to any of my friends at any time and then being able to just walk a metre back into my own room when I need space is ideal for me. From living with 150 girls for six years straight, I can confidently say the friendships I’ve made in boarding will be my friends for life.
I also love many simple things about boarding, like how convenient it is not to have to cook any of my meals, having limitless wardrobes, the walk to school being less than a minute away, the huge ice machine, and the endless chats you can have with friends.
Boarding may have challenges sometimes, but going through this journey with 150 other girls by my side makes it very worth it.
Where are you from?
I’m from a town in the Wheatbelt called Cunderdin, which is around 160 kilometres east of Perth. And about a two-hour drive to Santa Maria. I live on a farm only eight kilometres out of town. On our grain farm, we grow crops including barley, wheat, lupins, canola, and oats.
At home, it can get to mid-40 degrees during the dry summers, which can be quite a challenge, especially when you’re sitting in a harvester or a tractor on the farm. But escaping to Dunsborough by the end of harvest makes it worth it.
I’m probably one of the closest boarders to Perth, which is very convenient, and I’m lucky that Mum and Dad can come up to Perth easily if they need. Living quite close means I can see my family quite often, which has definitely been a huge help in settling into boarding.
If you could sit down and have a conversation with anyone, dead or alive, who would it be and why?
I would love to sit down with Joel Selwood, a former AFL premiership player and captain for the Geelong Cats. I’ve been a big fan of Geelong Cats since I can remember, and to meet the former captain would be an incredible experience. I would love to learn about his leadership roles on and off the sporting field and listen to how he stays committed to leading a group of people. I would ask him about his experience of leading his team to win the AFL premiership last year and take on board what he has to say about motivation and discipline.
During my role as Head Boarder in 2024, I will strive to emulate Joel Selwood’s hard work and dedication in guiding a group of people to achieve their potential.Â
Combating The Attention Span Crisis In Our Students – Jennifer Oaten
It is no secret that attention spans have been steadily declining, especially among younger generations growing up immersed in digital technology. The average person’s attention span when using a digital device has plummeted from around two and a half minutes back in 2004 to just 47 seconds on average today – a dramatic 66% decrease over the past two decades.
Weekly Wrap Up: Term 2, Week 2, 2024
Week 2 has come to an end! This Weekly Wrap Up features highlights from Scuba Diving Club, the Sisterhood Series, and Boarding ANZAC Service.
Santa Maria Teams Shine in Term 1 Sports
Santa Maria had a huge number of girls in the IGSSA AFL and Volleyball competition with strong results for a number of teams.
- Featured, Student Leadership
Author: Santa Maria College
Santa Maria College is a vibrant girls school with a growing local presence and reputation. Our Mission is to educate young Mercy women who act with courage and compassion to enrich our world. Santa Maria College is located in Attadale in Western Australia, 16 km from the Perth CBD. We offer a Catholic education for girls in Years 5 – 12 and have 1300 students, including 152 boarders.
