Girls’ Boarding Blog

It has been an absolute pleasure to welcome the girls back to Pentreve this week. Our doors have been closed for far too long and the house was feeling very sad and lonely without them. We also have a lovely new addition to the house – Graci has joined us from the Cayman Islands. She has come to us a term early so that she can settle in before commencing on her GCSE studies in September. Graci has settled in really well and already feels very much a part of the household. Unfortunately, not everyone has managed to return yet: we still really miss Aom and Percy and hope to see them soon.

So, it has been a very busy week for the girls both academically and with extra curricular activities. More clubs are opening up again and although Covid restrictions remain, things are starting to feel somewhat normal again. The glorious sunshine we have had has certainly helped matters.
By the weekend, the girls were very much looking for some rest and relaxation so we piled into the minibus and headed for the woods. Tehidy Country Park is lovely at this time of year, with an abundance of bluebells and other wild flowers. It is also the best place to come to see swans, ducks and geese – all very tame and well used to human contact. The little birds are most delightful : if you very stand still and quite, they will come and feed from your hand.

There are many different walks to enjoy including the lake, the oak wood and the north cliffs. This time, we only wanted a gentle walk so we stayed close to the lake and streams, eventually setting up blankets to relax on.

Although it was windy, we managed to find a gentle spot where the girls could soak up the sun. Some of the girls became very sleepy and grabbed a quick nap. Others, spent time reading, drawing and playing chess or African board games. These games were new to some of them and Leora enjoyed learning how to play chess; she was delighted when she was able to capture her first piece, knight! Everyone really loved being in these woods and we hope to return again soon to explore it more.

On return to Truro, the girls felt it was time to do the ever-important trip to the shops and so took themselves into town. By the time they returned, there was just enough time for a quick dance competition on the Nintendo before supper.

In the afternoon, Angie and Leora had made some Rocky Road with this week’s Leith’s Cookery Kit. By Saturday evening, everyone was ready for a quiet movie night. So snacks were prepared, pyjamas were donned and films were voted for, and selected.

By Sunday morning they were all ready for a lie in, followed by a hearty brunch and then up onto the school sports field for a game of Bubble Football. The girls spent some time getting used to their new armour. It was surprisingly more heavy than they had expected and there was a definite knack to being able to stand up once they had fallen over. We are talking top impersonations of beetles on their backs, legs waving in the air. It was hilarious! And such great fun! At times, the wind was so high that the spare monster bubbles were blown off the pitch, quickly followed by others running to catch them calling out to our neighbouring sports teams ‘ can I have my ball back, please!’.

The weekly boarders have all returned and everyone is preparing for a busy week ahead. Homework is being finished, beds are being changed and uniforms are being hung up. And of course, Covid tests are being administered. The girls all do this with such good humour and acceptance but I must say, I look forward to the day when we can relieve them of this part of their routine. In the meantime, we all work together to keep everyone safe and well.

Ms Fiol (Resident Tutor, Pentreve House)