Casey Norton knows St Michael’s Collegiate from the inside out. She first arrived as a Year 7 student and, two decades later, returned to lead the boarding house — bringing with her years of teaching experience in Health, PE and Outdoor Education, pastoral care expertise, and a deep personal connection to the school community.
After joining the Collegiate staff in 2015, Casey worked across the middle years as a Year Level Coordinator before stepping into the Head of Boarding role at the beginning of 2026. She describes the transition as “bold” — she took on the position while parenting an 18-month-old and a four-year-old — but also deeply rewarding.
“I’m really enjoying the diversity of every day,” she says. “Working with the girls in this space is fascinating and purposeful. I get a lot of meaning out of the work.”
Living on site in a residence semi-attached to the boarding house, Casey is immersed in the rhythms she oversees. Her husband, also a teacher, and their two daughters share many of the same routines as the boarders.
“We eat in the dining room with the girls and supervisors most nights,” she says. “It means I’m present — not just for the big things, but for the small, everyday moments that matter.”
Collegiate’s boarding community is intentionally small, with around 18 fulltime boarders and additional casual boarders who stay during the week or as needed. That scale shapes everything: the relationships, the routines, the pastoral care and the sense of belonging.
For families considering boarding, Casey offers a clear picture of what daily life looks like.
“Sunday night is a gentle reset that prepares girls for the school week ahead,” she explains. From Monday to Wednesday, routines are steady and predictable: dinner together, followed by prep time — supervised study either in the boarding house or in the school library next door. Staff bring a range of subject expertise, ensuring girls have support across their learning.
Prep time is non-negotiable. “All students engage in prep,” she says. “It’s part of building good habits and supporting academic success.”
Thursdays introduce more freedom. The gym opens, and girls choose how to spend the evening. “They absolutely love badminton, netball, basketball,” Casey says. “It’s not structured — they’ll entertain themselves for an hour and a half. It’s really nice to see.”
This balance of structure and autonomy is deliberate. It supports study while leaving room for social connection, physical activity and the kind of unhurried downtime that helps girls feel at home.
Weekends bring a different rhythm. Many local boarders return home, leaving a smaller group — mostly international students — on campus. That shift has prompted Casey to expand weekend offerings.
“Our boarders are so diligent in their studies, but I’m really trying to build a culture of getting out and experiencing Tasmania,” she says. Recent and upcoming excursions include a visit to Westerway Berry Farm, indoor rock climbing, and a full day trip to the Port Arthur Historic Site, linked to curriculum learning to ensure strong engagement.
Because the boarding house sits on the senior campus, students also have supervised access to school facilities: the Performing Arts Centre for musical rehearsals, music rooms for instrumental practice, the library, the gym and the grounds. “It’s a real advantage,” Casey says. “They can pursue their interests without leaving campus.”
Homesickness is a universal part of boarding life, but for international students who can’t go home on weekends, it can be especially challenging. Casey has found a simple, powerful antidote: cooking.
“One of the main things we’ve been focusing on is cooking,” she says. “It’s a beautiful way for our boarders to connect with home and with their culture.”
The boarding house’s dining room is attached to a commercial kitchen, and under careful supervision, students plan meals, submit shopping lists and cook together on weekends. The catering team purchases ingredients, and the girls take it from there.
“It’s amazing to watch,” Casey says. “They’ve all got their roles — chopping, prepping, cooking, cleaning. Then they lay everything out on the long dining tables and eat together.”
The benefits go far beyond comfort food. Cooking builds independence, teamwork and everyday life skills — the kind that matter long after school.
Pastoral care at Collegiate is similarly practical and relational. “Being head of a small boarding school, I know all the students very well,” Casey says. Her visibility — at meals, during prep, in the evenings — means she notices when something is off. Staff respond quickly, using whichever communication channel works best for each family: email, phone, WhatsApp or Teams.
Casey is intentional about how she keeps families connected to boarding life.
“You have to be communicating all the great things happening in the boarding house, not just reaching out when things go wrong.”
To achieve this, she has introduced a fortnightly newsletter, Around the House — a short, photo-filled update that celebrates everyday wins and includes practical reminders, such as flight details for term breaks or upcoming events.
“It’s a nice way to hit everyone at once,” she says. “Boarding is home — not every day is a special event, but the everyday moments still deserve to be shared.”
The boarding house is supported by a wonderful team of dedicated supervisors who are teachers within the school or bring extensive boarding experience of their own. Together, they create a warm, consistent and caring environment for students each evening. Among the team is Casey’s husband, who has previously worked in boarding and occasionally helps with the evening 5.00pm–8.30pm shift—affectionately known within the house as the “auntie or uncle” shift.
This shift focuses on supporting the everyday evening routine: helping students organise themselves for the next school day, assisting with homework and study, sharing a meal, and providing an additional caring adult presence in the house. Depending on the strengths of the staff member on duty, the shift might involve academic support, social and emotional encouragement, sport and physical activity, creative pursuits, or simply spending time with students and checking in on how they are travelling.
“It’s one of the best shifts — you get to help with all the important everyday things, then hand over just before bedtime.”
It’s a lighthearted reminder that boarding is a community effort — one built on shared responsibility, warmth and presence.
For parents weighing boarding options, St Michael’s Collegiate offers a distinctive environment: small, relational, structured yet flexible, and deeply attuned to the needs of both local and international students.
Routines support learning. Weekend programming broadens horizons. Everyday practices — like cooking together — build independence, cultural belonging and confidence.
Most importantly, the girls are known. “It’s a really lovely place to be,” Casey says. “I felt that as a Year 7 student, and I feel it now.”
St Michael’s Collegiate was founded by women who believed education could change lives. Their legacy of generosity lives on through […]