Oh, What a Week!
What a week it has been! After a lovely, peaceful summer, the Boarding House has suddenly come back to life, and I couldn’t be more excited!
The week started with lots and lots of preparation. There were beds to make, rooms to prepare, welcome packs to organise and plenty of last-minute jobs to make sure everything was ready for our boarders to return.
Of course, I was a very helpful bear! I was on hand to help the Boarding Team wherever I could. I’m not sure they could have managed without me!
Then came one of my favourite moments – welcoming our new boarders and their families to St Francis’ College. Our new students had a tour of the school, started getting to know one another and enjoyed a lovely afternoon tea with their families. There were lots of new faces, a few nervous smiles and plenty of excitement about the year ahead.
Thursday was another exciting day! Our Year 12 students headed off to Cambridge for the day, where they had a fantastic time exploring and getting to know one another.
Meanwhile, the new boarders who stayed with us had their introduction to life in boarding. They learnt all about the Boarding House, our routines and what to expect over the coming weeks. We even took a walk into Letchworth Garden City so everyone could pick up a few essentials – because there is always something you suddenly realise you have forgotten when you move into boarding!
Thursday was also the day we welcomed back our returning boarders. Suddenly, the Boarding House was full of suitcases, chatter, laughter and familiar faces again. After such a peaceful summer, I was very pleased to have everyone home!
Then, on Friday, everyone had their first full day of school! New classrooms, new timetables, new teachers and, for some, a completely new school to discover.
My First Weekend Adventure!
You might think that after such a busy week we would spend Saturday relaxing… but not in boarding!
On Saturday, we headed off on our first boarding trip of the new academic year to Hollywood Bowl in Stevenage. We travelled there by train, which was all part of the adventure.
Once we arrived, it was time to get our bowling shoes on and see who could get the highest score!
Now, I have a little confession to make…
I’m not very good at bowling!
Apparently having paws instead of hands makes holding a bowling ball rather tricky! I gave it my best shot though, and although I certainly won’t be joining a professional bowling team anytime soon, I had great fun trying!
There was lots of cheering, laughing and a little bit of friendly competition. It was a brilliant way for everyone to spend time together after such a busy first few days.
And, of course, no boarding adventure would be complete without something tasty to eat!
After bowling, we headed to McDonald’s for a well-earned treat. I must say, after all that bowling, this bear had worked up quite an appetite!
Then it was back on the train and home to the Boarding House after a fantastic first Saturday together.
What a first week it has been – new boarders, returning friends, afternoon tea, Cambridge, school, bowling, trains and McDonald’s!
Our Boarding House is full of life again, our wonderful boarding community is back together, and I can’t wait to see what adventures we have this year.
Welcome back, everyone – here’s to an amazing year in boarding!
Until next week,
Boardington Bear
Boarding house 
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