BOARDERS

The year started with the successful and enjoyable induction programme for the new boarders. Trennick welcomed seventeen new boarders, some from the UK, some from Europe and others from as far afield as China and Hong Kong.

MR TOM COPELAND HEAD OF BOYS’ BOARDING New friends were made very quickly and the new arrivals soon settled into the boarding community. They were ably assisted by our outstanding Head of House, Dan, and prefects Cam, Hector and Pao.

Dan was a wonderful Head of House and a superb role model for the younger boarders; he seemed to effortlessly combine a mature and sensible approach to boarding, but also enjoy himself when socialising with both boarding and day-pupil friends. Dan is a talented and dedicated musician, and he demonstrated time and again to the other boarders the benefits of developing interests and passions.

The year had many highlights, including the way in which most boarders rose to the challenge of becoming involved with sport, music, drama and the Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme. Pao, a prefect, lead the way on the sports field. Pao had never played rugby before he joined Truro School and it was truly inspirational to see him play for the school team. Another sporting hero was David, who played for the school basketball team and progressed into the Truro Basketball Club men’s team. Football remained a popular sport, and it was great to see in the school teams Daniel, Harrison, Dan, Gant, Rodrigo, Henry and David. Cyrus and Roland played badminton for the school. The fencing programme returned to full training and weekend tournaments which kept busy Amari, Miki, Paul, Sam and Ethan.

As well as sporting stars, there were several talented actors in Trennick – it was great to see so many involved in various school drama productions. Cam M, Cam H and Freddie played key roles in the school play Boudica, and went on to contribute to the Sixth Form play and the junior play later in the year. Freddie was also able to find time to partake in the Gold Duke of Edinburgh Award.

There were many popular activities at the weekends. Paintballing, gokarting and quad-biking were ever popular. The annual Christmas trip to the Eden Project for ice-skating was tremendously enjoyable – despite the varying techniques! In the Summer term a number of boarders became keen surfers and headed off to the nearby Perranporth beach for a lesson each weekend. The boarders also enjoyed Saturday evening social activities in Trennick, especially winter BBQs and poker.

The summer term was a busy period of studying for the Upper Sixth and 5th Year boarders. Frank, Josh, Felix, Kevin and Titas were particularly conscientious students. Their work ethic during revision and exam preparation was exemplary and they should be very proud of their efforts.

The year ended on a high note with the return of the Summer Ball. I truly enjoyed the ball in the company of some of the leavers. Very special mention must go to two of these leavers, Cam M and Hector E, who completed seven years of boarding. Cam and Hector represent the very special spirit of Truro School boarding. They have grown and matured into fine young adults and they have risen well to challenges along the way. They demonstrate in everything they do Truro School, Cornish and Methodist values such as humility, respect, kindness and friendship. Their journey and achievements should serve as inspiration to all those who follow.

The Summer holiday saw a number of staffing changes in girls boarding, with new staff, and their families, moving into both girls’ houses.

Mrs Dawson, her husband Jeremy and three boys, Ben, Alex and Nick, and Miss Monnier, along with her three children, Sunny, Luca and Celeste, moved into the Pentreve House flats, whilst I was joined by Miss Flowers and her partner Ben in Malvern.

This year Malvern and Pentreve have been home to boarders from all corners of the globe. We have welcomed girls from Hong Kong, Germany, Lithuania, France, Thailand, Taiwan, Ukraine, Spain, Russia and the UK. Girls’ boarding has been as vibrant and diverse as ever, with each boarder bringing her own unique talents, culture and experiences to the table. I have enjoyed getting to know and watch all of the girls grow and develop in their time with us.

The academic year began with the usual boarders’ induction activities including a school tour, a familiarisation/ selfie challenge in the city centre, EAL testing, medical and gym inductions and an introduction to watersports (paddleboarding, mega SUP-ing and the inflatable wipeout course) at Kernow Quarry, Penryn.

MRS SARAH MULREADY HOUSEMISTRESS FOR GIRLS’ BOARDING The evenings were spent enjoying BBQs, Mario Kart tournaments and plenty of Just Dance. The girls wasted no time in getting to know each other and it was refreshing to see them integrating, stepping out of their comfort zones and beginning to build friendships that we knew would not only last the year but, more than likely, their whole lives.

The weekend activity programme has been full and varied. Water-based activities such as surfing, kayaking and paddleboarding have, as expected being in Cornwall, been factored in and have been complemented by activities including pot painting, quad-biking, horse-riding, shopping and theatre trips. This year we have again benefitted from the on-site Leiths Cookery School, with all the boarders enjoying some cooking and baking sessions. The boarders PSHEE programme has been delivered and included new sessions on mindfulness and menstrual-cycle awareness this year. Each of the resident tutors have led on their own areas of interest. Miss Flowers has brought in a special-needs basketball team to play and train with the boarders on a Wednesday evening, Miss Monnier has led on sustainability and gardening and Mrs Dawson, who also works in the Cookery School café, has utilised her cookery skills, encouraging the girls to bake healthy and nutritious treats. Saturday evening activities have been, in the most part, organised by the house prefects, and have included film nights, ping-pong tournaments, chocolate-fondue feasts, ice-cream- parlour evenings, board games/Wii tournaments and art-and-craft type socials. We have played rounders, Smite and giant Jenga/Connect 4; we have painted rocks and grown sunflowers!

Raising money for charity and being community minded has again been a boarding focus, culminating in the Children’s Hospice Southwest Rainbow Run at St Mawgan in early June. With an overabundance of beaches on our doorstep, we have made the most of all that Cornwall has to offer; trips to St Ives, Falmouth and Newquay have been enjoyed, and the art of creating the perfect Cornish cream tea (jam first, then cream) has been taught! A Cornish rite of passage....

The girls have, as they do each year, impressed and inspired me with their many talents and their ability to juggle so many extracurricular activities. We have enjoyed supporting our buddy actors in their various performances in the Burrell Theatre and our musicians and choristers in their concerts and services. On the sporting front we have had success in hockey, netball, rounders and basketball,

and Amy, our GB fencer, has continued to make her mark at competitions all over the world! The Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme has been embarked upon, and many of the senior girls became ACHE student councillors. We have celebrated numerous birthdays, St Nikolous Day, Christmas and Easter, with cakes being eaten before breakfast, shoes mysteriously filled with chocolates, a Christmas party and service and eggs being hidden all over campus.

Amidst the fun and games there has been plenty of academia too. The girls have worked hard; their commitment to study has been evident from the outset. They have utilised prep times well, often working above and beyond the time set aside. A number of the girls, having achieved consistently high independent study grades, qualified as star learners too. Report cards, across the board, have made for pleasing reading and commend the positive work ethic with which the girls have attended to their studies. The staff team have enjoyed mentoring and guiding the girls, developing their academic, social, co-curricular and leadership skills whilst also helping them think and plan for their futures. Whilst more normal than the two years that preceed this one, Covid has still played a part. Isolations and travel restrictions continued to wreak havoc at times, but the girls took this in their stride, adapting and responding sensibly and without panic, showing camaraderie, true friendship and a much-needed sense of humour!

For the 5th and Upper Sixth, the ‘will they/ won’t they’ exam saga was ever-present for the most part of the year, but this did not deter the girls. They approached exam season confidently (with just a few wobbles) and a can-do attitude, and I was so proud of each and every one of them.

As the year comes to a close and I reflect, I feel honoured and privileged to have been entrusted with heading up girls’ boarding again this year; this year’s group of young ladies have been an inspiration, and I know I speak for the whole staff team when I say that supporting and guiding them through their journey has been incredibly enjoyable and rewarding. The house tutors: Miss Flowers, Miss Wood, Mrs Thurlow, Miss Wright, Mrs Dawson, Miss Monnier, Mrs Usher-Sparks and Miss Trelawney, have provided fantastic and unfaltering help and support. I cannot thank the staff enough, and I know I speak for all of the girls when I say a massive thank-you to each of them. The staff team have been more than ably supported by a fab group of Upper Sixth boarders too. The amazing Austeja, this year’s Head of House, together with the House Prefects Amy, Aim and Katie, have provided perfect role models for the younger boarders; their mature and sensible approach to boarding and their quest to grab every opportunity whilst working hard and ensuring a healthy work-life balance has been truly inspiring.

Finally, all that remains for me to do is to say goodbye to the Malvern Upper Sixth Leavers, and those that are not returning to us next year. For Austeja, Issy Fu, Issy T, Kristina, Katie, Amy, Aim and Anna, I want to say thank you! You have been a fantastic group and I wish you the very best in the next stage of your adventure. We are going to miss you hugely, but I cannot wait to hear of the successes that are, I have no doubt, coming your way! Sadly, we also say goodbye to Livia, Freya, Leonie, Caroline, Sophie, Holly and Uliana. We will really miss them all, and I hope they will pop back and say hello when they are passing!