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Stonehill Boarding Newsletter

Volume 1, Issue 2, June 2022

Welcome to the second issue of the Boarding Newsletter for the academic year 2021-22!

All the articles have been written by the students. They would like to share with you all the fun and unique activities they have experienced at Boarding this semester. It has been heart-warming to see our students' lives return to normal and on-campus events and weekend activities being resumed.

Five new students joined us in February 2022. Our Boarding staff organised an induction weekend filled with sporting challenges and fun activities for them. The team building activities ensured that the new students felt welcomed from the very beginning of their boarding experience.

After a gap of three years, we were delighted to host the annual boarding dinner on the 22nd of April. The boarding community came together and celebrated the academic year gone by and bid farewell to the graduating students. The evening saw incredible musical talent from the secondary students and emotional speeches by the seniors. Many thanks to all who contributed to a fantastic evening.

The BAASC (Bangalore Activities and Athletics School Conference) football tournament was back after a long hiatus. It was great to see so many of our boarding students compete in a series of football matches against schools like Canadian International School, Trio World Academy, Neev Academy and Legacy School. The students displayed outstanding skill and team work. A big thank you to our D1 boarders, Sunav, Aarya and Dhruv who gave the team great advice and support.

The end of the year always offers an opportunity to reflect and plan ahead for the next academic year. In the next year, we have planned a host of different and fun activities.

I would like to thank the boarding staff and support staff for their inspiration, hard work and care. Their commitment to our boarders has been outstanding.

I do hope you enjoy reading the newsletter. We are proud of the boarding students and all that they have achieved. We have already seen some parents in person this year which has been really great. We look forward to seeing more of you in August.

Have a fantastic holiday and we look forward to seeing the boarding students return on the 4th of August 2022.

With best wishes,

Glen Johnson

Head of Boarding

What's been happening at Stonehill Boarding?

Boarder Speak

A Trip to the Visvesvaraya Industrial and Technological Museum

The Visvesvaraya Industrial and Technological Museum in Bangalore was created as a constituent unit of the National Council of Science Museums, Ministry of Culture, Government of India. Cubbon Park hosted the construction of the 4,000 square metre structure. It was built in commemoration of the Bharat Ratna awardee, Sir M. Visvesvaraya.

The M2-M4 grades were accompanied by our House Parents, Mr. Wayne and Mrs. Melanie.

Our visit to the breathtaking Museum exceeded our expectations. The first thing we saw was a large hall with many machines. It was called ‘How things Work: Engine Hall.’ In the year 2014, an update to the Engine Hall was published called 'How Things Work’. Six famous simple devices from the Industrial Age were on display. The pulley system, gears, levers, inclined plane and wedge, wheel and axle, and screw were among the interactive exhibits. We were interested in the astounding, but simple concepts behind the operation of the various devices on display such as the ballpoint pen, a zipper, and a lock and key. All of these machines, helped us to get a better understanding of how life was many years ago.

After looking all around this grand hall, we moved on to the ‘Fun Science’ hall. The 'Fun Science' gallery opened on the 23rd of May 2008. The gallery, which spans 700 square metres, features 66 interactive exhibits. After that, we were taken to a mini theatre where we saw a 3D production on marine life which was rather interesting.

We were completely fascinated and had a constant urge to try every machine we saw! Everything was created with such dedication and focus that it was almost impossible to ignore a machine.

We saw some old tools and imagined where those would be located and why/how they were used. Every machine had an explanation of its use and history behind it. Our favourite part of the Museum was the Engine Hall. We were interested in finding out how things work and even working on them physically by ourselves.

The museum was quite an eventful experience. It was really nice to be out of boarding and learn new stuff. After the wonderful experience at the museum, we had lunch at McDonald’s.

The whole trip was a delightful break from school as we gained knowledge in a practical way. The museum trip will always be one of the best outings yet, and we are very grateful for the opportunity. We returned with happy memories and big smiles!

Pihu, M2 and Naisha, M3

Memorable Boarding Moments

It has been an eventful and exciting year for all the boarders. From activities to sports and even with our studies, we are able to look back on the past year with a big smile.

The year started on a disappointing note as school remained closed due to Covid but we still managed our boarding interactions online. This made it easier for the new students to settle in. After returning to boarding, we were able to resume our regular weekend activities. Some of these activities included, hikes, fashion shows, scavenger hunts and the crazy olympics. These different activities allowed boarders across all grades to work and bond with each other.

Along with these special activities, the boarders also regularly played sports like football, basketball, volleyball and badminton.

This year, a lot of the boarders took the initiative to organise events. Some of our boarding students were responsible for organising a boarding vs day school football match.

Our D1 boarders were part of the core team for both Mosaic and Hackathon, both of which were international events. Some of our D1 boarders were also responsible for coaching the middle school boys football teams for the BAASC tournament in which they finished third.

To top all the activities and fun, our boarding staff made sure we learnt about safety. Two fire drill demonstrations ensured that all the students knew how to react in the case of a fire. We were also introduced to a lockdown drill.

This year, we finally had the boarding dinner which was organised after three years. It was an emotional night as we bid farewell to our grade 12 students.

Although this year had its many challenges, the boarding community organised many activities which helped make it a memorable one.

Anshul, D1

Meet the Parents

Meet the Boarding Staff

Dharshana, D1, interviews Boarding Tutor, Shelley Milstein

Can you please introduce yourself

My name is Shelley and I am a science teacher and a Boarding Tutor. I’ve been in Stonehill for the past three years.

Why did you choose to be a non-residential tutor?

I think that the boarding is the centre of the School. I get to spend time getting to know the students outside of class. Spending quality time with them is something I always look forward to. My understanding is far better of the student's life and personalities and that creates a better relationship.

Do you like living in Bangalore?

I chose Bangalore because I wanted to explore and learn more about India. It can seem like a daunting place to visit. However, once you arrive and live here, you see how similar it is to my country, South Africa. I am glad I chose it because Bangalore is the best place to live in India. The people are very friendly, though the only problem is the traffic.

What were your most special memories during your time in Boarding?

My special memories were always about the food! The outings such as the hiking trips were the best as I spent quality time with my students. I personally enjoyed watching the students play sports on the weekends and I loved taking long walks with them.

Sunav, D1, interviews Boarding Nurse, Priya V

How long have you worked here?

I have been working as the school nurse at Stonehill for the past thirteen months.

Where are you from?

I was born in Kerala but I grew up in Coimbatore.

What do you like best about your job?

The best thing about my job is that I get to meet new people, help them and heal them.

What inspired you to change your career from the Army to work at a school?

I really loved my time in the Army but dealing with young students at Stonehill reminds me of my old school days. I feel happy being amongst students and healing them. It gives me a sense of meaning and satisfaction when I see them happy.

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