Living in boarding provides all kinds of independence and responsibility, some of which is exciting and welcomed, while others, not so much. Keeping a clean and tidy room is perhaps one of those not so welcomed responsibilities. So in Bolton we have developed a few tricks to help incentivize the experience and there is nothing like a little friendly competition to mobilized a crew of cleaners! The Bolton boys have their rooms checked once a week by houseparents, but now and again we like to mix it up, and this week was one of those special weeks. Our sister house is Timmis and two Timmis girls were selected for each room clean night to do the inspecting. It is always staggering to see the improved level of cleanliness that occurs when the the Timmis girls do the inspections! In order to increase the engagement, there is an award given to the cleanest room and the winning room receives a “Timmis Trophy” to be taped to their door for all to see. On Wednesday, Timmis roommates, Emma and Ashley, set a standard for inspections that won’t be soon forgotten and a big congratulations went to Eric and Josh for a job well done. Incidentally, not just a spotless toilet and dust free crannies were needed for a win, but the sultry tones of a saxophone helped seal the deal!

It was a busy week around the school with the annual Clubs and Councils Day. Several options were available this year and the boys were able to learn about different options or recruit for their own. Hanson and Jonathan did a great job promoting their respective clubs and there was plenty of keen interest for each.

We also had our annual visit from the Cops For Cancer cyclists. It was a little more subdued this year due to COVID protocols, but the ever important money and awareness was generated.