It’s a wonderful privilege to finally be with you all! After a number of hectic weeks packing up my office and farewelling staff, students and parents from my previous school community, I flew to Sydney last Saturday and drove across to Bathurst on Sunday. The sunset on Sunday evening was a stunning welcome to this beautiful part of Australia.
Starting at a new school in a new country is a very intense experience. My most frequent response to the question “How are you going?” is that I feel like I have been inside a pinball machine – just getting used to one trajectory when the flap springs up and shoots me to a completely different thing! In the midst of this, however, I have been so impressed by the warmth of people’s welcome and the genuine sense of care from all parts of the Scots All Saints community. A number of students have approached me to say hi and ask where I’m from and how I’m settling in. One group of girls also made it their mission to ask me to say ‘fish’n’chips’ to check my Kiwi pronunciation! It’s very clear that the school’s values of compassion and respect are not just words on a page, but they are living through the conversations and actions of the people here.
I’ll be living in Bulkeley House for the remainder of this term, until my wife Kathryn and I move into a house on the Junior School site. I’ve enjoyed getting to know the boys in Bulkeley this week, and it’s a great opportunity to see our boarding operation up close. Kathryn has taken on the enormous project of staying in New Zealand to get our house contents in Christchurch ready to move across the ditch, and her support in helping me to pack and move has been so crucial. I’m so grateful for the project management skills that she is gifted with. She will fly over in the first week of the next school holidays with our two Border Collies, Lola and Charlie.
Over the rest of this term, my focus will be on getting to know as many people as I can and finding out how the school operates. I look forward to meeting many of you either here at school, at sport and cultural events, or at the afternoon tea event next week. Thank you again for helping me to feel like a valued member of the Scots All Saints community.
Mr John Ruge
Head of Senior School
Boarding Life: Connection, Growth and Good Times
While this article focuses primarily on life in Ives, it also offers a broader glimpse into the richness of our boarding homes.
Weekend 2, with Mrs Woodall in charge, was filled with fun and activity. One of the highlights was an evening at BMEC to see “& Juliet”, which, by all accounts, was highly entertaining and amusing. Attending suitable productions is certainly an initiative we hope to continue whenever the right show comes along.
There was also plenty of sport, including a wonderful win for our First XV rugby team, of which many of our senior boy boarders are proud members. Our talented RA and seamstress extraordinaire, Rachel Goddard, spent time with the boarding girls creating colourful scarves and sharing her creative skills. Boarders also visited the driving range, where they had the opportunity to polish their golfing techniques.
Life in Ives is always vibrant and constantly moving. This week, Amanda and Matilda Penfold, Seona Chapman, Charli Raynolds and Zoe have attended the EKKA in Queensland, along with Marcus Wythes from Thompson House. We wish them all the very best and hope they have a wonderful and successful experience.
With the Year 12 Trial Examinations beginning in Week 4, there is now a noticeably focused atmosphere in the Year 12 area. The girls are working diligently, and we continue to encourage them to approach this demanding period with perspective, balance and confidence.
This focus on balance also extends to the way we use technology. Around the world, there is growing recognition of the need to step away from screens and reconnect with one another. In Ives, we have introduced two technology-free sessions each week, beginning with an hour at a time. During these periods, the girls can read, paint, create or simply enjoy one another’s company. A small group may even read a story together and discuss it. The aim is not to reject technology, but to practise a form of digital discipline – to ensure that our boarders control technology rather than allowing it to control them.
Recently, I watched an SBS program about Ikaria, a Greek island recognised as one of the world’s Blue Zones – places where people are known to live long, healthy and happy lives. What struck me most was that their wellbeing is not built around possessions, but around people, friendships and a strong sense of community. The young care for the old, the old care for the young, and everyone has a place and a purpose.
I shared this with the girls because it reflects the kind of place we want to continue creating in Ives: one where people genuinely look after one another, where friendships matter and where every person feels known, valued and connected. Boarding gives us a wonderful opportunity to build something of our own little Ikaria – not because life is always perfect, but because we choose to care for one another through its challenges and celebrations.
Our Girls’ Boarding Prefect, Annie Triggs, reinforced this spirit recently when she spoke to the girls from both Ives and Galloway about “What I Have Learnt from Boarding”. Her reflections highlighted the friendships, resilience, independence and sense of belonging that develop through living in a boarding community. It was particularly meaningful for the younger girls to hear these insights from someone who understands the experience firsthand.
This week’s motto in Ives is: “Do the ordinary extraordinarily.” It reminds us that we do not need to accomplish something spectacular every day. Instead, we can be faithful in the circumstances before us – the student preparing for an examination, supporting a friend, completing a daily responsibility or offering help without being asked. It is about seizing the day in its truest sense and choosing to live well.
Our boarders will soon put this idea into action through the proposed Cancer Council Cold Water Plunge. More than 50 boarders have already volunteered to brave the cold alongside staff members. What might appear to be an ordinary plunge into a very cold swimming pool will become something extraordinary by raising awareness and funds for an important cause. We hope members of the College community will follow the link, make a donation and support our brave boarders.
https://www.daffodilday.com.au/fundraisers/ann-mareeadamson/daffodil-day-dip-2026
Our Year 12s recently enjoyed their final dinner together at BTOWN. It was a fun and relaxed evening filled with laughter, good food and plenty of time to enjoy each other’s company. Stories were shared, and memories came alive as they reflected on their years in boarding – a lovely way to celebrate their final term together.
The spirit of connection and service will continue this weekend when I return to the boarding “control tower”. There is much to look forward to, including karaoke and good times, a visit to St Catherine’s Nursing Home to play bingo with the residents, pottery, baguette baking and a trip to Stannies to support the First XV in the semi-finals.
There is much to be grateful for in working with our boarders. One of the most important lessons boarding continues to teach me is that perfection is not the goal – progress is.
Have a wonderful weekend and week ahead!
Mrs Ann Maree Adamson
Head of Ives House
