BOARDING

Meet our Head of Boarding

At the beginning of the year we welcomed Mrs Suzanne Coulter to Cribb House as our new Head of Boarding. Mrs Coulter has a wealth of expertise in residential management having been the Director/Head of Boarding in two well-known Queensland girls boarding schools and the Director of Residential Services at The International School of Macau.

Mrs Coulter has also completed the Australian Boarding Schools Association’s Duty of Care Certificate Course in Residential Care, a Certificate in Youth Mental Health at the University of Melbourne, an Advanced Certificate in Teaching English as a Foreign Language and a Mediation Certificate at the Queensland University of Technology. Mrs Coulter is a member of the Australian Boarding Schools Association, Boarding Australia, and Australian Institute of Management.

Mrs Coulter was excited to start her IGGS journey and felt at home right away in Cribb House.

“My favourite memory to date has been my first meeting with our boarders. The girls were so welcoming and even ‘got’ my sense of humour!” Mrs Coulter has implemented several initiatives to keep spirits in Cribb House high.

“We have been spending a lot of time just sitting and talking with our girls, listening to their concerns and keeping them updated with current information. Activities are always important but during these times when restrictions are very tight, they become a focal point of our community,” Mrs Coulter explained.

“We’ve had activities ranging from booking out a cinema just for ourselves, soap making, cooking, many craft days including tie dying and painting, games, sport competitions in our hall, our very own “Show Day” and when the weather was cooler we took advantage of the outdoor fire pit.” Mrs Coulter enjoys the unpredictability of her role and believes that each day brings a new experience. “I know coming to work in the morning that today will be different from yesterday, no two days are the same.”

But above all, the most fulfilling part of the role is the relationships forged with staff and students. “I love sharing ideas with colleagues and mentoring the Senior girls. Building those relationships with students brings a sense of fulfilment that is unique to this role.” Mrs Coulter believes that the School values and motto underpin life at IGGS, setting the School apart from the rest.

“The five values of Diligence, Excellence, Respect, Integrity and Care are not just spoken about – they are lived and embedded in the life of the School.”

“I am very proud to be Head of Boarding at Ipswich Girls’ Grammar School.”