This term has been a lively and memorable one for our boarders, combining cultural celebrations around Lunar New Year, cutting-edge experiences with VR and energetic weekend activities!
The Pitmans' buzzy, busy weekend
Mr and Mrs Pitman and the boarders kicked off Saturday morning by transforming the Red Passage into a pickleball court, their own nod to the Australian Open taking place that weekend. Juan completed a 'Spanish double', triumphing on court as Carlos Alcaraz did the same in Melbourne.
With Goodwood just a short drive away, the group popped up to Goodwood Racecourse for a light-hearted bit of fun - the WHS Boarders’ Derby! Freddie stretched away into an unassailable lead as the runners approached the main stand!
Time to relax and a delicious Sunday roast set the boarders up perfectly for their afternoon trip to Portsmouth.
"We enjoyed the Spinnaker Tower (even though the glass floor gave us wobbly legs) and then bowling to round off the afternoon. After a well-earned hot chocolate, we hopped back on the train home."
Mr Pitman
Evening activities
Our boarders have broad range of evening activities. From smoothie making to building dens in the boundaries, the possibilities are endless!
"We try to encourage the girls to plan their own Thursday nights, for one of their evening activities they opted for cooking so we made American fluffy pancakes. The girls are also excited for an pamper night."
Mrs Jeram
Lunar New Year
Creating good memories and learning to make dumplings from scratch
With heartfelt thanks to parents Lynne (mum of Andrew) and Sabrina (mum of Old Westbournian, Jay), who generously shared their cooking expertise and created the spirit of Chinese New Year at school.
For lots of our Chinese boarders, it was especially meaningful to enjoy the comfort of home-cooked food in the run up to this important celebration. For all the boarders, it was a wonderful opportunity to share in the traditions of Lunar New Year and learn to make dumplings by hand.
Thank you, Lynne and Sabrina, for making it such a memorable Lunar New Year event.
"Thank you for having us. We had a great time and before we knew it, the dumplings were ... all gone! We all loved it!"
Lynne, parent
Feast night
As we welcomed the Year of the Fire Horse, chef Daniel and his team pulled out all the stops to create a spectacular Chinese New Year spread. "It was very sweet - the children wanted to give us a big group thank you at the end of the feast," said Daniel, Sophie and Sally, our evening catering team.
With crispy chilli beef, BBQ beef, salt and pepper squid, crispy prawns... and more, it really was a feast and a sensory experience! For our boarders, celebrations like this are about more than food — they are about honouring traditions, sharing cultures and creating a home-from-home.
Marco, who is from Xi'an, China, told us: "It was sooooo nice."
