Bruce House Stayback Weekend

For students new to boarding, those first few nights away from home can be a bit of a scary prospect as they settle in to a new, more independent living environment. A good many of our boarders stay at Bruce House during the week but head home on Friday to enjoy the weekend with their families. For others, the distance they travel to school necessitates full term boarding and Bruce House becomes their home seven days a week.

In a bid to integrate new boarders and help them build support networks early on, the first weekend back to school each year has become known as ‘Stay Back Weekend.’ All the boarders, even those who would generally go home for the weekend, ‘stay back’ for a weekend of fun activities to make new friendships and form new bonds between the age groups.

With much of the activity organised by the prefects, the weekend proved to be non-stop action from Friday night through to bedtime on Monday, with each activity designed to bring the students together either to work as a team or in support of one another.

Head Girl, Iris Lee said, ‘Not only does this weekend help the new students to settle in, it also created a chance for the prefects to work together as a team for the first time. As I joined Bruce House last year, I understand the unease the new boarders would have felt when they first arrived but the stay-back weekend has resulted in a comfortable environment for everyone. It really is one of the best traditions of Bruce House!’ 

Alfie added, ‘The stay back weekend really helps new boarders and especially new students to the school to help bond with one another. We focused our time on team building activities with the teams mixed across age and gender. This allowed everyone to mingle and for new boarders to get to know the rest of the Bruce House Community. I found a lot of the younger boarders really enjoyed the games and loved being a part of the more senior boarders’ teams. The weekend was action packed and tiring; consequently the new boarders didn't have time to start thinking of the distance between themselves and home. As many boarders live overseas, I personally really enjoy coming back each year to see old friends and people who, if it wasn't for school or in particular boarding, I would never have even met. The weekend allows old friends to reconnect while allowing new relations and friendships to form.’

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