Boarding at Djarragun College Djarragun College caters for its students from remote locations like the Torres Strait Islands and Cape York in two attractive boarding complexes on campus. The tropical setting includes a flying fox rookery in the trees behind it and the prominent peak of Mt. Djarragun (Walsh's Pyramid) in the background. The slatted balustrades and verandahs add to the airiness of the buildings. Boys and girls are housed in separate buildings, with all amenities. A modern kitchen and dining hall on the school premises provides delicious and healthy meals. All students have chores to do to ensure the smooth running of their "home away from home". In the weekends there are various activities and each Thursday evening is "Shopping Night" when students are taken to Cairns for late-night shopping.

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VISION OF BOARDING

The College provides boarding accommodation to students who for various reasons choose to study at our College. The vision of boarding, while linked with the vision of the College, has a greater focus on pastoral care of students. We envisage students who leave the College at the end of year 12 will have gained all the life skills they need to become successful and contributing members of society. We hope that they will have learned the true meaning of respect for themselves, each other and other people's property. We believe that they will have developed spiritually and emotionally and that because of their increased strength in these areas, they will have developed increased social consciences, so becoming socially responsible. We believe we are training the future leaders of Australia and so we treat them as such. We encourage them to see themselves as future leaders and so self-reflection plays an important part in our discipline procedures. Our vision for students is that they will gain skills to support them reaching their full potential physically, emotionally, socially and spiritually. While we do not expect them to have reached their full potential by the time they leave the school, we envisage that they will have gained skills for life long learning not just academically but in developing coping skills to meet and deal with the lessons of life.

COLLEGE/BOARDING MOTTO

The motto of the College, and this includes every part of the College including boarding, is:

• Respect for self
• Respect for others
• Respect for God

MISSION OF BOARDING

In our boarding accommodation we strive to provide:

• A safe, clean and nurturing environment;
• Guidance to support students to develop into responsible and independent adults;
• Healthy food and lifestyles that will enable students to develop their full physical and spiritual potential;
• Well defined rules and regulations that will ensure the safety and well being of all students and staff;
• Expectations that all students will contribute to the efficient running of the hostel by completing their home duties according to the roster;
• Expectations that all students will attend the church service on Sundays;
• Expectations that students will pay for any damage that they may   cause;
• Guidance for students to develop respect for themselves, others and property.

STRATEGIES

In order to implement the vision and mission of Boarding, the College has implemented the following strategies:

• The provision of adequate staff at all times. We have found that a ratio of one to ten works well;
• Employing staff who have the commitment, energy and enthusiasm to work with teenage students;
• Employing staff who are prepared to meet the expectations of the College and who are willing to follow the rules and regulations of the boarding accommodation;
• Provision of supervised study time every day for students to complete homework;
• Provision of supervised activities and sports every day;
• Regular excursions to not only give students a change of scenery but also to give them the opportunity to behave appropriately and to act in a socially responsible manner;
• Implementation of a roster system for students to complete a manageable number of chores without overloading them with home duties;
• Simple and clearly articulated, non negotiable rules and regulations that students are required to follow;
• Clear cut consequences of breaking those rules;
• Counselling service for students and follow up medical care if necessary;
• Support for health problems available for those that request it;
• Transport to sporting training and fixtures and other interests;
• Immediate response to appropriate requests from students;
• Training for non-indigenous boarding supervisors on cross cultural communication and training for all boarding supervisors on administrative expectations and strategies.