Junior Girls’ Boarding Blog

It is now the end of February and we still have not been offered any reprieve in the weather. The latest arrival had been Storm Jorge which made its way down to Cornwall over the last couple of days putting us on high alert for wind and rain, and the coldest of hail storms. The Met Office has said that this February has been the wettest since records began! But the daffodils and crocuses are in glorious abundance and there have been moments of bright sunshine – which offer us all hope that spring is soon to some. So it has been a bit quieter than usual during the week in the boarding house, with everyone seeking refuge from the gales blowing outside. Despite this, Evie and Jess continue to get up early for their chorister rehearsals. Jess had her first solo this week and, although I didn’t get a chance to hear her myself, I am told it was a great success for her. Well done Jess – we are so proud of you!

The weekend was still very enjoyable. After Saturday brunch, most of the girls retreated back to the warm house for a bit of down time. Many of them used the time to catch up on some homework. Some of them felt in a more creative mood and so began to prepare the background for this year’s traditional group painting.

Come Saturday evening and the girls had really had enough of braving the elements and were ready to batten down and cosy up in the common room while I ran through with relays of pizza, berries and ice cream (don’t ask we why they all wanted ice cream when it was already so cold – but it was their request!). They had planned to watch a film but they didn’t quite get there because the evening was taken over by conversation and giggles. The girls really do get on very well together and it is lovely hearing them enjoy each other’s company so much.

On Sunday, after a very lazy and slow start (well-deserved by all the girls) we continued our PSHE programme, this time with an emphasis on mental health and well-being. The girls joined all the other boarders from the other houses on a carousel of workshops which included yoga, mindfulness colouring by creating mandalas, singing Cornish songs and learning strategies for coping with exam stress. It was a lovely day – which seemed to be enjoyed by all. The girls particularly enjoyed creating the mandalas, while listening to relaxing music. We had asked the boarders to have a mobile-free time during the day so that they could enjoy a few hours of screen-detox. This was not as arduous a task as we had expected as they were all fully engrossed in the activities and didn’t even notice.

After the boarders’ dinner (a very enjoyable Sunday roast), the weekend began to draw to a quiet close as they began cleaning their rooms, changing their beds and getting organised for the week ahead. Next week we have a special focus on healthy eating and a ‘no waste’ policy. Let’s see how we get on…

Bye for now, Ms Fiol Ms Fiol (Pentreve Resident Tutor)