With the first Bruce House formal dinner date put on hold due to the brief Covid lockdown last week, the Bruce House community finally came together last night, along with invited guests, to formally commission this year’s Bruce House prefect team. Wednesday night formal dinner is a Bruce House tradition that stretches back 66 years, with the same grace and prayer from 1954 when Bruce House first took in boarders. On this occasion, another tradition, Year 13 boarder, Ben Ake celebrated his 18^th Birthday with a huge cake to share!

This year, Sasha Croon and Kenza Taele have been appointed as Bruce House Head Boy and Head Girl, having demonstrated leadership, self-discipline, humility, sensitivity and empathy in their time as boarders. Sasha and Kenza will be supported by Devon Atiga and Anna Kennerley as Bruce House Deputy Head Prefects. The rest of the team have leadership responsibilities for different age groups from Year 8 to Year 13, with each pairing mentored by a staff member. 

Bruce House will be home to 88 boarders this year - 28 girls and 60 boys, including 12 International students from Thailand, Japan and China. With the travel restrictions imposed by Covid, these 12 students chose to stay on in New Zealand over the summer so that they could continue their Saint Kentigern education. Seven of last year’s international students chose to return home at the end of the 2020 school year and with restrictions still in place, were unable to return to New Zealand. Unfortunately, another five international students who had enrolled for 2021, hoping that our borders would open, have been unable to take up their placement.

Of this year’s 88 boarders, 25 were new to Bruce House at the start of the year and the prefect team wasted no time making them feel welcome. The first weekend of each new year is known as ‘Stay Back Weekend’ – a full weekend of activities when all boarders stay onsite to work in teams to build new bonds for the year. The prefect team took an active role in organising this fantastic weekend of socialising and building new friendships.
To read more about Stay Back Weekend, click here: https://www.saintkentigern.com/news/bruce-house-stay-back-weekend2/

At the first Bruce House Chapel, Sasha and Kenza said, ‘We have big aspirations for Bruce House this year. With the help of our amazing staff, prefect team, and the incredible diversity of students within our Bruce House whanau, we hope to create a tight-knit community, where each of our differences do not appear as barriers dividing us, but instead are used to bring us together, as one. During our time at the College, it has become clear to us that year after year, Bruce House displays a very strong sense of family and togetherness that the other day-students down at school admire. This is something to take pride in. Because it is these brother and sister bonds and the many memories that we make in this second home of ours, that will become the highlights of our high school years.’

The Bruce House prefects are well attuned to lead their fellow students and help new students adjust to life as a boarder. They all recall the initial feelings of missing their families but came to learn that the best way to combat homesickness is to get involved. With the College and all its facilities on their doorstep, the capacity for boarders to engage and gain the benefits of all that is on offer means there is plenty to keep them busy!

We wish Sasha and Kenza all the best as they take on the challenge of leading Bruce House in 2021!

BRUCE HOUSE PREFECTS 2021

Head Boy                           Sasha Croon
Head Girl                           Kenza Taele  
Deputy Head Boy            Devon Atiga
Deputy Head Girl            Anna Kennerley
Year 12 Prefects               Tommy Stevenson and Christine Gao
Year 11 Prefects              Jade Stewart and Jorja Gillett
Year 10 Prefects              Luka Clark and Emma Halliday
Year 8&9 Prefects           Jaden Sim and Justine Cai

BEING A BOARDER AT BRUCE HOUSE
Bruce House will be home to up to over 88 boarders this year from Year 8 to Year 13. It is a second home to students from around New Zealand and across the globe, representing many ethnicities. This combination of students brings a vast cultural diversity to the boarding house.

Whilst our Kiwi boarders come from all around New Zealand, many from rural homes, there is also a large contingent from Greater Auckland. These ‘local’ students live a little too far away for an easy daily commute by bus or car and so, often in their senior years, choose to board to take full advantage of co-curricular activities that take place before and after school, as well as the assistance of tutors during Prep time. For the senior students in particular, their proximity to the College facilities mean that they are easily able to juggle their academic and co-curricular commitments without spending time travelling to and from school. A 7am music rehearsal or sports training that finishes at 5pm are much easier to manage when they take place only a few minutes’ walk away!

Over the years, Bruce House has been the home of some very fine young men and women. There is an emphasis on Bruce House adding value to the College and boarders develop as leaders and willing contributors. Whether academically, on the sports field, the music centre or the stage, there are many boarders who are not only involved, but excel at all they undertake.

Testimonials from past boarders never fail to mention the sense of belonging that living at Bruce House engenders, with many referring to fellow boarders as an extension of their families. 

As well as the student leaders, the Bruce House staff play a vital role in creating and maintaining the feeling of community. Director of Boarding, Mr Martin Piaggi lives onsite, as does Head of Girls’ Boarding, Mrs Bridget Anitelea, who has responsibility for the girls. Along with the duty staff, nurses, tutors, and kitchen and laundry personnel, there is a caring team making sure the boarders have a true home base at College when they are away from their own families.

Boarding has come a long way since Bruce House first opened back in 1954. Cold showers, muddy fields and frozen sandwiches at lunchtime are definitely a thing of the past! With fresh, nutritious meals receiving the ‘Healthy Heart’ tick, constant refurbishments and building additions to ensure comfortable living arrangements, and an all-pervading sense of family amongst the boarders and those who care for them, the boys and girls who board develop skills that will enable them to thrive in life beyond Saint Kentigern; skills such as resilience, confidence, organisation and the ability to work in a team that includes both genders. Living with others helps develop crucial traits such as empathy, tolerance, considering others first, patience, humility and loyalty.

As boarders, they may not recognise these advantages now, but like others before them, when they look back on their time at Bruce House, they will remember their College and boarding years as a time of learning, fellowship and fun - with ties that will last a lifetime!

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