National Boarding Week 2026
This years theme is Echoes of Home - a celebration of the culture, tradition, memory, and community that shape our boarders every day, and in every way.
In boarding, home doesn’t disappear - it evolves. It echoes through the foods our students miss, the languages they speak after lights out, the music they play, the stories they share, and the rituals they hold close.
Echoes of Home is an invitation to reflect on how identity travels with our boarders and how boarding schools can honour, celebrate, and sustain those echoes while helping young people grow into who they’re becoming.
Please note - there have also been some changes made to the days to be more inclusive of our boarders and their circumstances! Save the days & dates below:
Sunday 10 May - Echoes of Home
Monday 11 May - Boarder day
Tuesday 12 May - Community and Connection Day
Wednesday 13 May - Wellbeing Wednesday
Thursday 14 May - Family Day
Friday 15 May - Boarding Staff day
Saturday 16 may - Principal Day
Let’s come together to celebrate the powerful connections that make boarding so meaningful. We can’t wait to see what your community creates during National Boarding Week 2026!
Follow us on Instagram and Facebook: @aotearoaboarding and tag us in your content!
To help you prepare, we’ve attached:
A full activity guide for the week - the activity guide includes ideas and suggestions that we encourage all schools to get involved with. We would love to see your participation!
A printable PDF highlighting each day and its theme to showcase around the boarding houses
