Making friends all part of appeal
FOR siblings Ben and Emma Thomson from the Northern Territory, the prospect of attending boarding school in a different state was initially a little daunting.
But now into their second year at Downlands College in Toowoomba, they have settled into the life of a boarding student, making lots of friends and participating in a number of co-curricular activities.
Ben believes that having the opportunity to attend boarding school allows him to take part in more sporting teams, complete his studies and experience new places, cities and opportunities.
“It is now easier for me to play in sporting teams,” he said. “All of us also attend mandatory study sessions after dinner which I really like because it helps me get my homework done.
“I also enjoy the activities that the staff organise on weekends because I get to go to theme parks, Brisbane and the Gold Coast, places I wouldn’t be able to see too often at home.”
Principal Stephen McIllhatton was pleased to hear these positive comments.
“At Downlands we encourage our boarders to be actively involved in all facets of boarding and college life, including weekend social activities, community service and participation in various co-curricular events,” he said.
“Our mantra is that a busy boarder is a happy boarder.”
The biggest change for both students has been adjusting to the larger size of a 760 student, Years 5 to 12 college.
Ben and Emma both previously attended a small five to 12 student primary school in Douglas Daly, two hours south of Darwin.
“It’s a lot bigger here. At my previous school we had a small group of students with a mixture of kids from Transition to Year 6, ” Emma said.
She believes that this is where the differences end between her education in the NT and Downlands College. She finds school learning and routine in both states very similar. Ben and Emma’s youngest sister Annabelle will join Downlands as a Year 7 student in 2018. Their father Daniel is also a past student of the college.
Downlands College is an independent, Catholic, coeducational, day and boarding school servicing Years 5 to 12, in Darling Downs, Queensland. The college offers a broad curriculum, diverse co-curricular opportunities, on-site rural centre and a quality pastoral care program built on the Ethos of the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart.