Care and Supervision – Get That Safe and Family-Like Feeling!

Students at Dunstan Hostel enjoy a truly family like feeling. A real feature of our hostel is the lack of hierarchy and the mutual respect among students. Both staff and senior students offer strong positive role models. Student safety is the highest priority of management. These are not our own words – but the words of ERO in their report on the hostel.

Hostel Governance

A sub-committee of the DHS Board of Trustees governs DHS Hostel. This committee includes the DHS Principal, Three BOT members, two parents representing hostel families, and two student representatives from the hostel along with the Hostel Managers. The committee meets monthly.

Hostel Management

The DHS Boarding Manager and an Assistant Hostel Manager (Matron) form the hostel management team. They are responsible for the effective running of the hostel. Their duties include establishing effective procedures for the care and wellbeing of students at the hostel as well as administrative and disciplinary functions. The Manager reports directly to the DHS Principal and monthly to the Hostel Committee.

Current Managers

Mr Mark Templeton is the Boarding Manager for Dunstan High School.  Mark lives on-site with his wife Jo and three young children.  Mark and Jo both have education backgrounds and a long recent association with Dunstan High School. Ms Beverly Fitzgerald is the Assistant Manager with responsibility for Supervision and Pastoral Care. (Matron)  Beverly had twelve years prior experience in boarding management before taking up her position at the beginning of 2008.

Supervisors

Hostel Supervisors are rostered weekly for the immediate supervision of students – usually in the evenings. Supervisors work closely with Hostel management to ensure that students at the hostel are well cared for and safely supervised. Supervisors live on-site and play an important roll in being an extra set of eyes and ears at all times. They also offer students a variety of role models and listening ears. In addition to the Management team there is on-site capacity for five additional supervisors.

Current Supervisors

Academic Support Programme

Students are actively supported to achieve to the best of their ability in studies. All students attend supervised prep Monday-Thursday. Students develop a study plan, set achievement goals and regularly monitor progress with hostel staff. Hostel staff and management regularly liase with teachers for both formal and informal reporting on student achievement.

Junior Prep.

Students from Yr 9-11 spend at least 1 hour in the prep. room each night. Supervisors actively work with students to complete homework, revision and goal setting/review tasks. Students may access their school files and the internet using the five new iMac computers linked to the school network.

Senior Prep.

Senior students (Yr 12-13) have the opportunity to study in their own room and are expected to complete between 1.5 and 2 hours study each night. Students use of time and academic progress are monitored and adjustments are made to their study routine as required.

Pastoral Care and Support

In addition to the ongoing support and guidance offered by management and staff, students have access to school counsellors, youth workers, public health nurse, youth health clinics and the hostel nurse and doctor in Alexandra.

A peer mentor scheme helps younger hostel students to adjust to hostel life and provides on-going support through out the year.

Hostel Activities Programme

As well as the wide range of organised sporting, cultural and leisure activities available to students individually- hostel senior student organise a range of activities throughout the year for hostel students as a whole including Hostel Olympics, Hostel Idol, Hostel Snowcamp and other sporting and recreational activities.

For enrolement information contact :
Mrs Karen Richards, Principal's PA, Enterprise St, Alexandra 9320, Central Otago
Tel/Fax: +64 3 448 8595.  Or Click Here to Email your enquiry.