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Stonehill Boarding Newsletter

Volume 2, Issue 1, February 2023

Message From the Head of Boarding

Greetings! It has been such an incredible few months. New Student Orientation in August feels like a long time ago!

Stonehill boarding continues to grow. This year the number of students has peaked at 104, with 90% being full-time boarders, which is fantastic. We were delighted to welcome 54 new boarding students and their families to our Stonehill community and we look forward to learning, exploring, and growing together. It's great to see the growing community ethos within the boarding houses.

Stonehill Boarding offers a range of opportunities to connect student learning beyond the classroom. These opportunities create connections to the real world, promoting student engagement and achievement. Activities, excursions and community programmes continue to grow. It's been great to see our boarders out in the community working and giving something back on weekends. Ms Shelley will continue to drive this programme forward and work with the local community as much as possible.

Our Student Council demonstrates the collaborative nature at Stonehill, and I am proud to see many boarders representing their grades. Our Boarding Representatives, Jaiveer,D1, and Chaitravi,D1, have excelled in their responsibilities. We have seen many new initiatives throughout the year, and these two leaders have been at the forefront of planning and organising boarding weekend activities.

On the academic front, it's great to see students working hard with a clear focus on assessments, submissions and examinations. Our D2s have been busy completing college applications, and some have already received offers.

An enormous thank you to the fantastic Boarding Team, who have remained committed throughout the semester.

We are looking forward to the second semester and all that it entails, from more excellent opportunities to enjoy the outdoors as well as more weekend activities, off-campus excursions and, of course, lots of time for our Boarders to be involved in extracurricular activities.

I hope you enjoy this newsletter that celebrates our students' adventures and achievements this semester.

I wish you all the best for the year ahead! Happy reading!

Glen Johnson

Head of Boarding

What's been happening at Stonehill Boarding?

Last semester, our boarders took part in a lot of activities such as talent shows, team-building activities, Independence Day celebrations, inter-house and inter-school competitions, charity events, mindfulness, and baking sessions, to name a few. October and November were filled with cultural celebrations for Dussehra and Diwali. It is truly remarkable that in a world where "division" seems rampant, “diversity” is what we celebrate at Stonehill.

Boarder Speak

Hello! My name is Jaiveer!

Hello! My name is Jaiveer, but you all probably know me as Beri.

I'm a D1 student and I have been at Stonehill for the last six years.

This academic year, I was given the opportunity to represent boarding as your ‘Boarding Rep’. Being the oldest current boarder, I have basically grown up inside the colourful boundaries of Amity, Serenitya, and Ohana.

Throughout my journey, I have been constantly reminded of the fact that Boarding is a family.

This opportunity gives me a platform to help younger and new boarders with issues that they might be facing.

I am a voice for the boarders and I thoroughly enjoy it!

Chaitravi Speaks

I am very grateful that I was selected by the boarding community to be this year’s boarding representative along with Jaiveer Beri.

Being a boarding representative means being an affable leader. I gained prior experience to actively improve my own leadership skills.

For example, in September of 2022, I attended an ABSA Leadership Conference which consisted of independent workshops and peer discussions, which enforced communication skills and drive.

Before standing for this position, it was essential for me to understand what the boarding community needed. Each year there is a different scenario that brings up major obstacles.

This year, I observed that there was a need for solidarity or amity. I admired the sense of family the Amity boys had (In fact, their house is named Amity); they embodied their name just like a family does. I realised that in the other boarding houses (Serinitya and Ohana) there was a significant increase in new boarders this year (almost doubling the number of total boarders compared to last year). This led to lack of harmony in the other boarding houses. I wanted to make it my priority and responsibility to create a homely environment. Beri and I did this by holding meetings regularly to address specific issues. We actively made sure to be a role model for others. I will continue to voice the concerns of our peers.

Chaitravi, D1

Boarding Representative

The Making of a Champion

Geethika, M5, a seven time national podium finisher (collectively won three Individual Golds, three Team Silvers, and one Individual Bronze) and a three time Championship winner (One Gold, Two Bronze), describes to us how she fell in love with Equestrianism.

It started off as a summer camp and turned into something more than just a passion. It’s been five and a half years since I started and I have a lifetime to go.

Before I fell in love with the sport, I fell in love with horses. It’s funny because I used to be petrified of them, but then I was forced to spend time with them. That time was so crucial because suddenly I woke up one fine day and realised that they weren’t all that scary.

I relentlessly train six days a week. We barely take breaks and holidays don’t exist for us. I train, compete, win and continue training. It gets extremely tiring and hard at times, but I would give anything up for it, because the adrenaline rush I get from competing and then winning is unmatched.

Show days themselves are unique. To get my head in the game, I need to cut off from everything that isn’t riding. School, friends, family - all of it. I spend the day with my coach in a rather solitary mood. It’s something you see often in sports people - we tend to pull away from distractions when we have an event. It helps get into a competitive mindset.

The thrill I get from my wins make me thirsty for more, and my losses do not break me. They drive me to simply work harder. I give myself time to recover, but then I go back to training twice as hard.

I’m grateful for what I’ve been able to accomplish but there are higher levels I want to reach. I won’t be satisfied until my ambition is quenched. I’ve realised that when I’m older, I never want to look back and say I should’ve worked harder. There shouldn’t be any regrets.

Geethika, M5

Throwback to an Unforgettable Trip to Mysore

Mr Wayne and Mr Glen were responsible for planning the trip for students in grades M1 through M5. The bus journey to Mysore was fun and exciting. We visited the bird sanctuary, the Mysore Zoo, and the grand Mysore Palace.

Our first stop was a huge bird sanctuary where we encountered alligators and several bird species. We took a comprehensive tour of the entire bird sanctuary and saw some stunning birds.

The magnificent Mysore Palace was our next destination. We spent a lot of time admiring the design and construction of the Palace. The interior decoration was an artistic miracle that took many years to accomplish. The Durbar Hall was splendid! It is supported by enormous pillars of gold and silver that glistened on our faces.

The Mysore Palace's garden was gorgeous. We observed the dressed-up troops and tour guide standing around the castle. We stumbled upon a large room filled with enormous swords and antiquated weapons used by the palace guards. The massive stairs connecting the entire castle in all its elegance could be seen as we continued to stroll.

We then reached the Mysore Zoo and saw elephants, tigers, lions, monkeys, reptiles, and many more animals. The zoo provided a fantastic opportunity for us to get up close and personal with these amazing creatures as we got to see the attendants feeding the rhinos.

We then had dinner at KFC. All of the students had a fantastic time on this trip as we got to know one another better. It was our first outing outside of the classroom and indeed the most enduring one!

Udit, M5

Santa Smiles

Ho ho ho! How’s it going, Tigers? It’s been a while, eh? To refresh your memory, I visited your school in December to spread some love and cheer during your Christmas dinner! It was truly a delight to visit your campus to celebrate the festive season with all of you.

I also flew over to the Stonehill Government School to give them a first-hand experience of what Christmas was all about. It was all worth it after seeing the smiles across the students’ faces.

Stonehill Boarding Cares

Stonehill boarding has always encouraged and fortified community projects that boarders wish to initiate. Over the first semester, our boarding community has witnessed three major projects.

Stonehill United

Stonehill United strives to ensure that students of the local government school grow holistically by giving them access to Stonehill's facilities. The team conducts weekly activities on Saturdays, ranging from physical to educational sessions, with a small group of students. Currently, the group only caters to Stonehill Government School, but we aim to expand our reach to other local schools in need as well.

The Hesaraghatta Lake Clean-up

Ms Shelley, our MYP Science Teacher, took the initiative to lead a group of students through a clean-up drive of the local Hesaraghatta Lake, which is one of Karnataka's most extensive grasslands and home to a number of wildlife species. For years, the site's natural beauty has attracted a significant load of human activities, resulting in repercussions such as tons of trash being thrown around the area. A head committee of nine students was chosen. The committee and a group of students organised a clean-up drive at the Hesaraghatta Lake. The clean-up was a significant success. This recurring project aims to organise a clean-up every 3-4 months, with the committee set to schedule their second session in the month of February.

The Sustainable Garden Project

A group of students volunteered to grow plants behind the boarding precinct under the guidance of Mr Pradeep. The project aims to teach students how to sustainably grow plants and produce with an “all hands on deck” approach. Those involved learn to value their hard work and effort. Any produce grown is used by the school’s cafeteria to prepare flavoursome meals for the boarding community.

Let's Talk

Hitasha, M5, and Anaahat, M5, interview Head of School, Dr.Brian Brumsickle

Hitasha: We would like to start the interview by expressing how thankful we are for all the effort you have put into making this school a better place.

Thank you, that’s really nice!

Anaahat: Where would you like to see Stonehill go in the future?

I would like to see Stonehill continue to be the best school in Bangalore and in South Asia as well. We have the support of our Founder, Mr. Jitu Virwani and our Governing Council. We have worked hard to build the school up with the development of all the state-of-the-art facilities. With many more planned infrastructure developments, Stonehill will be recognised for its world-class facilities, along with exceptional standards of educational quality.

Hitasha: Could you please elaborate on your experience with being associated with the boarding?

Our boarding has a loving and caring environment. Our Boarding Parents are committed to their duty of care, building trust and a great community spirit with our boarders. The boarding staff regularly participate in professional development training in order to create compelling boarding initiatives that allow our students to thrive. My experience has been wonderful and I am very proud of our boarding programme.

Anaahat: You’ve worked in other boarding schools before, how do you think Stonehill boarding compares to them?

I think boarding schools everywhere are different from each other with a different set of expectations and goals. Stonehill Boarding is a loving and compassionate place where our boarders not only take care of themselves but take care of others as well. It is unique and one of the better boarding schools I've worked at.

Anaahat: What is the one incident that you’ll always remember at Stonehill?

I cannot mention just one incident as there have been so many. The events at Stonehill are special as they celebrate the diversity and a sense of community at Stonehill. One of the events that I really liked was the recent Republic Day celebrations as there was a sense of reverence and respect for the country. Also, other events that bring on the spirit of community are events like the Independence Day celebrations, the PTA Barbeque, the International Food Fair, to name a few. One of the key drivers of learning is creating a sense of belonging. Stonehill is a place where students feel comfortable and valued and this is what I will always cherish.

Anaahat: We have noticed that you sit with us for breakfast every single week day. Is there a specific reason you do that?

I’d like to be physically present and show all of you boarders that I care and that you all are a special part of our school. I’d like to be accessible to boarders who want to talk to me. I come by to say hello in the mornings and I love that. I think being visible is important as it shows you care, and that culture of care for me is really important, especially as a leader.

Anaahat and Hitasha: Thank you so much!

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