Rangi Stories – Toia Sheed
Toia Sheed has been a boarder at Rangi Ruru since Year 9. We asked her about the ins and outs of life living onsite at our kura; the perks, challenges, and all things boarding.
Community and Support
I am from Geraldine, a small town in South Canterbury. I have been lucky enough to attend Rangi Ruru, but in particular, the homely and safe environment of the boarding house, Te Whare Aroha, since Year 9.
I very quickly learned the strong sense of community which I’d receive in the boarding house, when in that same year, I was diagnosed with glandular fever. I wasn’t allowed to participate in sport for 3 weeks, and had to take it slow when I did finally return, which for me was really tough. Although I stayed home for a couple of weeks, when I returned to the hostel, I still wasn’t 100% and I wasn’t myself. Fortunately, the girls in my year group, the older students and the boarding staff were comforting and supportive. They were always there – ready to listen or offer a hug when I needed it most. This taught me that simple acts of kindness can mean so much. For them, it would have been such a simple action, but little did they know I had been missing them so much and those hugs instantly made me feel like I was returning to my second ‘home’.
Mrs Barnett, or Mrs B, is like a second mum to me. There has never been a time during my boarding experience where I’ve felt like I couldn’t talk to anyone, because Mrs B is always there. Whether supporting me if I am having a rough time, helping me out with my schoolwork, or celebrating my personal achievements–she is someone who is so comforting given any event.
Living onsite at our kura has so many perks; a two-minute walk to class in the morning, having access to the school fitness centre any day of the week, access to both gyms where we can use hoops for shooting practice, the court, equipment etc., and we can use the textiles room where we can work on projects. Also, if boarders forget something, you can get your teacher to write a note, show it to the boarding staff and go grab whatever you forgot.
There are also boarder activities during the week; crafts with a staff member, walks, games on the field, baking, swimming in the pool and trips out to Sumner beach. We have tech free time in Years 9 and 10, where we hand in our phones and do an activity with our year group. There are also unique leadership opportunities; in Year 13 as the Head of Boarding, or in any year by being selected as part of the Boarders’ Council. The Boarders’ Council consists of two boarders from each year, who have a say on a wide range of issues, on behalf of their year group.
Personal Growth and Independence
Something that has influenced my personal development strongly this year has been independence. I’ve planned when I am going to do my homework, hang out with my friends, connect with my whānau and have some time to myself. Taking responsibility for my own development has equipped me to succeed in multiple achievements that I’m proud of; I was recently selected for the Te Wai Pounamu U19 Māori netball team, where I played in a tournament in Wellington. I have never learnt so much from a netball tournament and I am grateful for the experience. I am also very proud of getting a gold medal at the Maadi Regatta in the Under 16 Four and a silver in the Under 16 Eight.
The boarding house played a huge role in these achievements through supporting, comforting, and having confidence in me, building my mana and of course feeding me incredible and nutritious meals that keep my tank full so that I can give it my all at trainings, games and races.
Resilience and Overcoming Challenges
The biggest challenge I face through boarding is homesickness. During the term I start to get tired, stressed, fatigued and frustrated but I can’t be with my whānau. Some things I’ve learnt to do to help overcome this are talking to Mrs Barnett, going for a walk to clear my head, going to the gym or for a run, or taking myself to a place on my own where I can read or listen to music.
Seeing my family can sometimes be hard to organise, but Mum and Dad are very good at working around things and ensuring we get to spend time with them. Although my home is only an hour and a half away and not a big drive, I don’t go home very often. This is mainly because I play basketball and netball in the winter, and in the summer, I row, and the game and training times can make travel tricky. We still see mum and dad though, as they often come to watch our sport and see other family. This year my birthday was straight after the Maadi Regatta. Although mum and dad took a week off work to watch us row, Mum still came up and took my twin sister and I out for dinner with my older brother, who also lives in Christchurch, to celebrate.
Boarding fits our family’s lifestyle, we make visits and activities work for us all.
