SIBFORD BOARDING The Newsletter from the Boarding Community April 27th 2020
TOGETHER THROUGH PHOTO TRICKERY: The staff remain on campus in support of our boarders. Not as close as this photo suggests though...
HELLO FROM THE HOUSES News as boarding goes temporarily online These are strange times in all sorts of ways but as we would have been preparing to welcome our boarders back at the start of last week for the Summer Term, we really miss having our vibrant and supportive community within the houses. Yet, whilst we are apart, it has been heartening to see how the community supports each other at a distance. It is testament to the strength of feeling here amongst our boarding family that we have been able to maintain close contact from afar - whether that is with students down the road in Oxford or on the other side of the world in Beijing. We have held 'Virtual Boarding House' meetings every week since the buildings closed, including through the holidays. The turnout has been excellent and it has been a really valuable tool to keep the boarders and their houseparents connected and in support of each other, wherever we are in the world. The students have seemed in good spirits and we have shared many tales of our 'lockdown' lives and the various ways we have been entertaining ourselves: whether that be raising sea monkeys, sharing recipes, making jewellery, looking after a new kitten, or just relaxing with games and exercise, it has been wonderful to hear from our students and make sure they are well. The online forums that accompany these areas are lively places of support, as well, which people have been using to share stories or even just saying hello at the start of the online school day.