It is important for a boarding environment to use routines to maintain a consistent level of expectations and provide boarders with a solid foundation to manage their own circumstances. This practice enables for effective management of the activities of Fenton Village.
Fenton Village organises its operations through two main routines. These are the weekday routine (Monday – Friday am) and the weekend routine (Friday – Sunday pm).
The Head and Deputy Head of Boarding ensure that there is a calendar of events, activities and outings published for boarders, boarder parents/caregivers/families and boarding staff to use as a guide for what is happening in Fenton Village.
These events are organised and planned to encourage boarders to embrace diversity and new experiences, all while identifying with key elements of the John Paul College Positive Education model – the SOARING Tree.
Term Lifestyle Calendars are published on the College website, student and parent portals, along with hard copies placed in prominent locations throughout Fenton Village.
Our weekend routine is much more relaxed than the weekly routines. We determine weekends as the period of time between Friday 3.20pm and Sunday 5.30pm.
The weekend routines are guided by a number of influences including:
- TAS and other sporting commitments
- Academic timing (exams and assessment time)
- Boarding calendars (published every term on the College’s website)
- Planned Fenton Village events and outings: formal dinners and end-of-term outings
These are outlined in the term Lifestyle Calendar. However, each week boarding staff prepare a definitive schedule of activities and outings that are co-ordinated for that coming weekend.
At 8.30pm each Sunday all boarders are expected to attend our weekly boarders’ meeting. These are held in the Boarders’ Recreation Room.
The boarders’ meeting provides an opportunity to discuss relevant matters of operation, to recognise excellence within the boarding and College community and, most importantly, to set the tone for the week ahead.
Boarders also attend services at the Life Place Christian Church, located nearby, at least once a term. During these services, boarders are asked to engage with the Christian ecumenical values of the College and reflect upon the significance that Christ has in our lives, the College and the community. These services are scheduled on the Boarding Lifestyle Calendar.
Fenton Village is a collection of sixteen buildings, seven of which are four-bedroom villas that house our 56 boarders. Typically, there are four villas designated for girls’ boarding and three for boys’ boarding.
The population of each villa is allocated using a vertical boarding model, meaning that it houses boarders from Years 7 to 12.
Boarders share a room with someone of a similar age. Generally, at the end of each term, all boarders move rooms and enjoy the next term with a new roommate. In our experience, this enables boarders to build strong relationships with other boarders who share different backgrounds and interests.
These moves are negotiated through a preference system overseen by the Head of Boarding and other key boarding staff.
