Letters From Home

Amanda Ferrari
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Welcome to Letters from Home, a podcast dedicated to Australian boarding families. Hosted by Amanda Ferrari, the show explores all aspects of boarding life - from packing for the first time to life as a boarder & beyond. Amanda interviews graduates who share how boarding shaped their lives, with families about their journey to and through boarding school, speaks with schools about their unique programs, & hosts an annual "Nailing Homesickness" miniseries to help new boarders. Our podcast is essential listening for boarding families and staff, we welcome your feedback, reviews, & ratings.

  1. "You Just Make It Work" - One Mum's Journey Through Loss, Boarding School and Bush Resilience

    -4 j

    "You Just Make It Work" - One Mum's Journey Through Loss, Boarding School and Bush Resilience

    You Just Make It Work - OneMum's Journey Through Loss, Boarding School and Bush Resilience What happens when the life you planned changesin an instant? For Sophie Elliott, the answer has been onestep at a time. Born and raised on a cattle station outsideWinton, Sophie grew up learning through the School of Distance Education beforeheading away to boarding school herself. Years later, she found herselfteaching her own children through distance education while living remotely withher young family. Then tragedy struck. When her daughter Peggy was just three yearsold and her son Kip only fifteen months, Sophie's partner died suddenly,leaving her to navigate life, motherhood and the future on her own. In this heartfelt conversation, Sophie reflectson rebuilding life in Winton, the challenges of educating children remotely,and the boarding school journey she is now experiencing as a parent. Together, Amanda and Sophie explore: •          Growingup on a remote cattle station and learning through School of the Air •          Therealities of being both mum and teacher in distance education •          Howrural education has changed over the past two decades •          Thegrief of sending children away to boarding school •          Whycommunity matters when life takes an unexpected turn •          Thefinancial realities of boarding school for rural families •          Whatcommunities lose when families are forced to relocate for education •    Whyconfidence, independence and opportunity matter just as much as academicsuccess   Sophie's reflections on the future of ruralcommunities are particularly powerful. She shares why financial support forboarding school can help families remain living and working in regionalAustralia, strengthening the towns and industries that depend on them. This is a conversation about resilience,motherhood, opportunity and the enduring belief that sometimes the hardestchoices are also the most worthwhile. If you've ever wondered whether boarding schoolis worth the sacrifice, Sophie's story offers a deeply personal perspectivefrom someone who has lived both sides of the journey. Listen now on Letters from Home.

    1 h 1 min
  2. What My Daughter Never Told Me About Boarding School Part 2

    24 juin

    What My Daughter Never Told Me About Boarding School Part 2

    In Part Two, Amanda and Annabel continue their conversation, exploring academic struggles, learning support, friendships, confidence and the lessons boarding school taught that continue to shape Annabel's life today. Now a paediatric occupational therapist and business owner, Annabel shares practical advice for parents and new boarders, along with insights into how children process change, uncertainty and big emotions. A must-listen for families preparing for boarding school or supporting a child through those early years. Follow Annabel:Instagram: @theotcollective_tamworth

    39 min
  3. What It Really Feels Like to Leave Home at 12 - The Boarding School Conversation We Never Had - An honest conversation with my daughter Annabel Ferrari.

    17 juin

    What It Really Feels Like to Leave Home at 12 - The Boarding School Conversation We Never Had - An honest conversation with my daughter Annabel Ferrari.

    Over the years I've interviewed hundreds of parents, educators, boarding staff and former boarders. I've spent countless hours talking about homesickness, transition, resilience and what it means to send your child away from home. But today I'm sitting down with someone whose story I've never really explored. My daughter, Annabel. Now that sounds a bit ridiculous when you say it out loud. After all, Annabel is twenty-nine years old. She's a paediatric occupational therapist, she runs her own business, she's about to get married and we've shared a lifetime of conversations. And yet, as I prepared for this interview, I realised there are some conversations we've never actually had. We've never really talked about what boarding school felt like from her side. We've never talked about the uncertainty leading up to it. We've never talked about the fact that my mother was dying in the year before she left home. We've never talked about my last-minute decision to change schools. We've never talked about what she was feeling while I was so busy managing my own grief, my own fears and my own determination to somehow get everybody through. As parents, we often carry a version of these stories. We remember the drop-off. The tears. The phone calls. The holidays. The milestones. But what I've learned over the years is that our children often carry a completely different version of the same story. So today, we're going back. Back to twelve-year-old Annabel. A shy little country girl from Trangie who was excited to go to boarding school, terrified to leave home and about to face one of the biggest transitions of her life. And if you're a parent preparing to send a child away, if you're in the thick of it right now, or if you're like me and occasionally find yourself looking back wondering whether you got it right, I think you'll find something in this conversation. Because what unfolds over the next hour isn't just Annabel's story. It's the story of what happens when a mother and daughter sit down eighteen years later and compare memories. And some of what we discovered surprised both of us. This is Part One of my conversation with my daughter, Annabel.

    43 min
  4. The Boarding School Question So Many Rural Parents Ask - Amy Clark’s Honest Education Journey

    28 mai

    The Boarding School Question So Many Rural Parents Ask - Amy Clark’s Honest Education Journey

    As we continue travelling throughout regional New South Wales and Queensland for our Boarding Schools Expo events, we’re revisiting some of the conversations from the vault that continue to resonate deeply with families researching boarding school. This week’s episode with Amy Clark is one of those conversations. Amy is a rural mum of three boys living between Walcha and Bendemeer in northern NSW. But unlike many boarding school families, Amy did not grow up in the boarding world herself. She grew up in Sydney before agriculture, nursing and family life led her to rural Australia. What unfolds in this episode is such an honest reflection of the questions many rural and regional parents quietly wrestle with. What happens when there actually is a local high school nearby… but you still wonder whether your children might need broader opportunities? How do you weigh up community loyalty, logistics, sport, subject choices, friendships and future pathways? And how do you navigate a boarding school system when you have no lived experience of it yourself? Amy speaks openly about the research process, attending boarding school expos, touring schools, trying to find the right fit for three very different boys, and the importance of connection, belonging and community within a school environment. She also touches on something many rural families understand deeply - the juggle of parenting largely solo during busy farming seasons, the exhaustion of long-distance logistics, and the reality that sometimes boarding school becomes less about prestige and more about sustainability for the whole family. This is a warm, thoughtful and incredibly reassuring conversation for families currently exploring their options. Especially those wondering if it’s okay to consider boarding school even when a local option exists.

    46 min
  5. Go Floppy - Sarah Ryan’s Very Real Guide to Boarding School

    21 mai

    Go Floppy - Sarah Ryan’s Very Real Guide to Boarding School

    As we continue our From the Vault series while travelling for our face-to-face Boarding Schools Expo events, this week we’re revisiting a conversation that feels especially meaningful in the lead-up to our Wagga Boarding Schools Expo. Sarah Ryan lives with her family on a Merino stud at Quandialla, not too far from Wagga, where she also runs her much-loved creative business, Quandialla Candle Co. In this episode, Sarah brings such a warm, honest and practical perspective to the boarding school journey, shaped by her own experience as a boarder and now as a parent of boarding school children. This conversation is full of the kind of real-life reflections that families researching boarding school often need to hear. Sarah talks about growing up in a small rural community, the realities of limited secondary options, long bus runs, the importance of keeping an open mind when researching schools, and why first impressions matter, but should not be the only thing families rely on. We also talk about the emotional side of parenting from afar. The first drop-off. The quiet house. The change in family dynamics when one child leaves for school. The way children grow through challenge, discomfort and learning to live alongside others. And then there is Sarah’s now unforgettable piece of advice for parents when things feel a little bumpy - go floppy. Not give up. Not stop caring. Just soften, breathe, work with the school, and resist the urge to turn every wobble into a crisis. For families in the Wagga region and beyond who are currently researching boarding school, this is a beautiful, reassuring and very real listen. It reminds us that the journey is rarely perfect, but with the right support, it can help our children grow in ways we might not expect.

    52 min
  6. From “Absolutely Not” to Thriving at Boarding School…The Rainy Day in Dubbo That Changed Everything with Robert Bevern

    14 mai

    From “Absolutely Not” to Thriving at Boarding School…The Rainy Day in Dubbo That Changed Everything with Robert Bevern

    As we continue our From the Vault series while travelling for our face-to-face Boarding Schools Expo events, this week’s episode feels especially timely. We’re revisiting my conversation with Robert Bevern from Dubbo on the eve of our 2026 Dubbo Boarding Schools Expo - because Robert’s family story began at this very event. Boarding school had never really been on the radar for Robert, his wife Tracy, or their daughters. They were living happily in Dubbo, their eldest daughter Lily was enrolled locally for high school, and the idea of sending her away was certainly not part of any grand plan. Then came a rainy Saturday in Dubbo. With a bit of time on their hands, Robert and Tracy decided to walk through the doors of the Boarding Schools Expo, just to have a look. Lily was deeply reluctant, her younger sister was upset at the very thought of her going away, and as Robert shares so honestly, they had no idea what questions they were meant to ask. But that simple decision to stay open to possibility changed everything. In this conversation, Robert talks about moving from Sydney to Dubbo for what was meant to be a short country posting, falling in love with regional life, and then discovering that boarding school could offer Lily opportunities they had not expected, particularly through swimming, community and the right school fit. Since this episode was recorded, Lily has settled into her new boarding school and is thriving. This is a beautiful listen for families who are curious but unsure. It is a reminder that you do not need to have it all worked out before you arrive. Sometimes the first step is simply walking through the door and saying, “Tell us about your school.”

    46 min
  7. Just Go and Ask the Question – A Dubbo Mum’s Boarding School Journey with Lisa Green

    7 mai

    Just Go and Ask the Question – A Dubbo Mum’s Boarding School Journey with Lisa Green

    While we’re travelling across regional Australia for our face-to-face Boarding Schools Expo events, we’re opening the vault and revisiting some of our favourite past conversations - the ones that still offer reassurance, perspective and encouragement for families considering boarding school. This week’s episode with Lisa Green from Dubbo is one of those conversations. When Lisa first joined me on the podcast, she and her daughter Ellie were standing right at the beginning of their boarding school journey. Lisa could see clearly that Ellie was a curious learner, hungry for languages, the arts and wider opportunities. But as a single parent, boarding school was only possible if scholarships or bursaries could help make it work. So Lisa did something many families quietly wonder about but aren’t always sure how to do. She came along to the Boarding Schools Expo and asked the question. What followed was a thoughtful process of exploring schools, comparing options, sitting scholarship exams and ultimately finding a place that felt like the right fit for Ellie’s learning, wellbeing and future independence. Since this episode was recorded, Ellie has settled beautifully into her new school and is embracing every opportunity that comes her way. And we are absolutely delighted that Lisa is now joining our Dubbo Expo concierge team this year, welcoming families as they arrive and offering the same reassurance she once needed herself. This conversation is especially meaningful for single parents and families who are unsure whether boarding school is financially possible. It’s a reminder that sometimes the first step is simply walking through the door and starting the conversation. https://boardingschoolco.com.au/

    33 min
  8. When Schools Travel the Distance Too - Why Access to Education Matters in the Bush: with Angie Nisbet

    30 avr.

    When Schools Travel the Distance Too - Why Access to Education Matters in the Bush: with Angie Nisbet

    As we hit the road again for our face-to-face Boarding Schools Expo events, we’re dipping into the vault over the next few weeks to share some of our favourite past episodes - the ones that still speak so clearly to why we do this work and why these conversations matter. This week’s episode is one of those. It features Angie Nisbet, who many of you will remember from our Mount Isa event in 2024. Angie was such a genuine and generous supporter of that event, and since this conversation was recorded (actually just a few weeks ago) she has deservedly been named Queensland’s Rural Woman of the Year. We are so proud of her and thrilled that she’ll be returning to Mount Isa this year to host our Live Q&A panel. I wanted to bring this episode back because it captures so much of the heart behind our Boarding Schools Expo events. In this conversation, Angie and I talk about distance, about what it really means for rural and remote families trying to access educational opportunity, and about why it matters that schools travel too - meeting families where they live rather than expecting them to navigate unfamiliar cities and systems on their own. That is such a big part of our why. This episode also reflects the themes we explored at our Mount Isa event last year - connection, access, equity and the importance of creating spaces where families can ask questions, gather information and feel seen. If you’ve ever wondered what sits behind this work, or why we care so deeply about taking these events into regional and remote Australia, this conversation explains it beautifully. It is thoughtful, encouraging and a very worthy listen. Links mentioned: Married To The Land Podcast FarmHer Hands Agrifutures Rural Women's Award ICPA Queensland

    58 min
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À propos

Welcome to Letters from Home, a podcast dedicated to Australian boarding families. Hosted by Amanda Ferrari, the show explores all aspects of boarding life - from packing for the first time to life as a boarder & beyond. Amanda interviews graduates who share how boarding shaped their lives, with families about their journey to and through boarding school, speaks with schools about their unique programs, & hosts an annual "Nailing Homesickness" miniseries to help new boarders. Our podcast is essential listening for boarding families and staff, we welcome your feedback, reviews, & ratings.

Informations

  • Création
    Amanda Ferrari
  • Années d’activité
    2022 - 2026
  • Épisodes
    124
  • Classification
    Tous publics
  • Copyright
    © Amanda Ferrari
  • Site web de l’émission
    Letters From Home

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