Wednesday evening offered up a warm autumn night to provide perfect conditions for the girls to attend the opening night of the live music show Jackson vs Jackson.

The show featured our very talented Wilderness singing teacher, Joanna Arul Tropeano and Victoria (Tori) Lane as a member of the supporting Gospel choir.

Last Saturday a number of girls also attended 'The Pulse' performance.

The skill and agility level was sublime as performers clambered up human towers and leapt fearlessly between them.

The sheer scale of the human structures created by the performers was most impressive, as was the regularity with which these feats were performed.

Student Leadership in Action

The 'Bonding Weekend' was a great success with the girls very much enjoying all the activities planned for them.

Working in small groups across all year levels provided the opportunity to extend their connections and sense of belonging.

A huge thank you to Julie for setting up the Museum Scavenger Hunt, Tara for arranging the 'Girl Gang' workshop and to the staff who supported the leaders across the two days.

Also thank you to the captains and the student leadership group for their contribution to the day’s overall success.

Getting to know our Student Leaders

Junior Boarding House Captains Safara and Jessica

Hi, I am Jessica Schultz from Naracoorte in the South East. I became a boarder as a Year 10 at Wilderness in 2020. My Mum (Emma), Dad (Bruce) and brother (Lucas) are incredibly supportive of me.

I love to participate in sport, as well as socialise with friends. I particularly enjoy contributing to the farm when home.

I find happiness in giving back to the community and the people around me, as I believe making someone’s day a little easier can make a huge difference.

Being selected for the Junior Boarding House Captain role has provided me with the opportunity to encourage others to take shared responsibility for looking out for each other.

We encourage the Year 7 - 9 boarders to do lots of activities together as a way to build strong cross-year level friendships.

Getting to know each other well encourages kindness and helps create a happy and harmonious living environment.

So far, I have loved the boarding experience and have learnt many things about myself which has fostered my independence and self-confidence.

On finishing my Year 12, I hope to make my way into physiotherapy.

Hi, my name is Safara Moyse, and I have the privilege of being one of the Junior Boarding House Captains for 2021.

I come from a small town on the Eyre Peninsula called Wudinna, where I live with my Mum Elke, Stepdad Viv, sister Ricca, who has joined the Wilderness boarding family this year, and two younger brothers Wiley and Ryder.

I have been a part of the boarding community for just over a year and have enjoyed every diverse aspect of it.

Since joining the Wilderness Boarding House, I have felt a sense of genuine connection, undivided support and love from the girls and the staff. This was especially appreciated during the unexpected and challenging times we all faced last year.

When running for Junior Boarding House Captain, my vision was to strengthen relationships across the year levels and make sure that every individual girl had someone to connect with, lean in on, and create unforgettable memories.

I come from a big family where supporting, caring, loving each other and providing guidance and advice is a significant factor in showing we care for each other. Providing this feeling to the juniors would create a sense of accomplishment to make sure that everyone feels happy, healthy and loved in this Boarding House.

Save the Date: Boarders' Fashion Parade

With the roll-out of the COVID-19 vaccines, we hope that we will see less disruption to our day-to-day plans as the year progresses. Based on this hope, we have the Boarders' Fashion Parade date set for Friday 30 July.

For parents new to Wilderness, this event is a highlight in the School calendar. It raises funds to meet the operational costs of our Boarding House in Bhadure Village in the Annapurna Region of Nepal.

Our Wilderness Nepal Boarding House provides accommodation for up to 12 young Nepalese girls who live too far from the village to walk to school each day. Without our support, they would be deprived of an education.

Better than anyone else, boarding parents appreciate the impact distance can have on the choice of education services.