Ten Houses, One Heart! House Spirit Day in early Term Four marked a special moment in the history of the College, the introduction of two new Houses, Jamberoo and Scholastica.

The day was a joyful way to celebrate the first week in new Homerooms. A day to strengthen and build House culture, to celebrate what the vertically streamed Homerooms mean to students, and to work together towards continuing to develop skills that are critical to wellbeing and learning. Commenting on the day's significance, Mr Hanratty said, ‘This is a momentous and joyous day as we bring our community together and celebrate new beginnings.’

This is only the third time in the history of Mount St Benedict College that new Houses have been introduced. The College opened in 1966 with three Houses, Maredsous, Monte Cassino and Subiaco. In 1971 Terracina was introduced and a significant change to the House structure in 2006 saw the introduction of four additional Houses, Arcadia, Montserrat, New Norcia and Stanbrook.

The introduction of Jamberoo and Scholastica is the culmination of 18 months of work led by Mrs Jen Jarrett, Dean of Students, and Mrs Briohny Hickey, Deputy Dean of Students. The development, planning and implementation the new House structure intentionally aligns with the College's Wellbeing and Learning Model, launched in 2023. Maintaining the strong sense of belonging that is fostered when Homerooms and Houses are optimal sizes is critical to the wellbeing of students. The introduction of two additional Houses in response to the growth of the College ensures that Homerooms will continue to meet the needs of students and staff.

House Spirit Day activities were designed foster a sense of belonging with Homerooms decorating their classrooms, making Christmas doors, and sharing the College value of Hospitality by visiting or welcoming another Homeroom at the Host a Homeroom session. In conjunction with ice-breaker games, these activities, align with the Relationships and Conversation domain in the Wellbeing and Learning Model. Homerooms are also participating in a learning to juggle challenge which aligns with the Coping and Resilience domain. By embracing the challenge to learn something new that requires physical and mental dexterity, students develop a growth mindset, learn persistence, and the joy of achieving something difficult as a team.

House Spirit Day culminated in a Colour Run. As students wound their way around the campus they ran past College history, old and new. The original buildings, Regenbah, the Convent Chapel and the MSB Centre and newer additions like the Hildegard Centre. The significance of this moment in College history was not lost on students and staff. Mount St Benedict College has been 'inspiring young women, transforming the future' since 1966 and is proud to be continuing this legacy as a Good Samaritan Education school.