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From the Director of Boarding
In April 2021 Newington College welcomed a new Head of Boarding, Mr Xavier Gargan.
Welcome
It is a pleasure to welcome you to Newington’s Boarding community. The Boarding staff aim to ensure that Edmund Webb House will provide a safe and secure base for you to enjoy all that Newington has to offer.
Boarding is a unique opportunity that is not available to most students. For that reason, we hope that boarders will throw themselves into College life and make the most of the opportunities available to them.
Director of Boarding - Mr Xavier Gargan
In April, Newington College welcomed a new Head of Boarding, Mr Xavier Gargan.
Xavier Gargan has been a pastoral leader in boarding and day schools, and has previously worked in pastoral leadership positions at Anglican Church Grammar School in Brisbane and Melbourne Grammar in Melbourne, where he was Housemaster of Boarding, Head of House and Head of Personal Development.
Xavier teaches Biology, General Science and Physical Education from Year 7 to Year 12, and has coached AFL, basketball, and water polo and coordinated rowing within both APS and GPS schools.
Xavier has a family which includes his wife Sally and their three children, Rory, 8, and twins Ethan and Charlie, 6.
Xavier loves the boarding environment and utilises his experience to create what he feels is the best environment for today’s boarding pupils to thrive. Individualised boarding experiences and positive outcomes for all boys is what he sets out to achieve.
Supporting our Boys
The Boarding staff and their families are here to support all of our boarders. Our boarding house has a strong sense of community.
The Boarding Community
There will be several opportunities for all of the Boarding community to come together, whether it be through our formal welcome Chapel service and dinners or the informal Sunday BBQs during the year. We hope that these occasions will encourage regular communication between parents, Boarding staff and boys. For those who are unable to attend, I encourage regular communication with me via, email, phone, Skype or facetime to ensure that we are all doing what’s best for the boys.
There will be bouts of homesickness for even the most confident boarder and parents will also experience a sense of loss. It is a natural sign of the love of family and one’s home environment. It is also part of stepping outside of our comfort zone. However, this provides a great opportunity for growth.
