Celebrating International Mentorship Day with a spotlight on the White Lodge buddy system

We are marking International Mentoring Day by spotlighting our Years 7 and 8 buddy system – a student mentorship initiative to help new students settle into boarding life and bond across year groups. Each Year 7 student is paired with a Year 8 buddy, who helps them transition into life at White Lodge. Uzziah is a Year 8 buddy this year and enjoys mentoring his Year 7 buddy, Spencer.

‘The best part of being a mentor to new students is that you have this responsibility to help and care for them and to be someone that they know they can talk to. That is a really nice feeling,’ Uzziah says.

Year 8 students show their buddies around the School, helping them navigate the maze of tunnels, classroom stable blocks and pathways. Mentors also help new students learn all the quirks of living at White Lodge, from touching the Margot Fonteyn sculpture’s fingertip for good luck to preparing uniforms for ballet classes. Uzziah recalls, ‘The best skill I was taught in Year 7 by my mentor was how to sew my ballet shoes.’

Young students travel to White Lodge from around the country and the world. Not all students are familiar with boarding life, and full-time vocational ballet training can be a challenging adjustment, especially far from home. This buddy system offers new Year 7 students a friendly face to help them build a support system in their new home.

Uzziah makes sure Spencer and others are aware of all the resources available to support students from the start: ‘I help support the Year 7 students by letting them know that they are not alone. You can talk to the School Counsellor, Ms. Lucy Bailie, and any other staff, including House Parents, Academic and Artistic Teachers and other students. I also tell them that if they ever feel homesick, it won’t last forever, even though it might seem like it will. I know because I used to feel that way too.’

Uzziah and other student mentors exemplify our School value of nurturing individuals. We are proud of our students for building compassionate support systems and strong leadership from a young age.

Above: Uzziah smiling with fellow classmates.