From The Head Of Senior School

A warm welcome to all boys, parents and staff as the new school term commences. I extend a special welcome to all of our new boys and families joining the Senior School this term. No doubt many of the boys new to the Senior School will have stories to tell of their first time marching to assembly to the sound of pipes and drums.

While the summer break provides an opportunity for boys to slow down and rest, it also serves as a time for boys to pursue personal interests and opportunities. In addition to the Scotch College Community Service Tour to India and the Basketball Tour to the US in December, there were sporting camps and training sessions held at School in January as well as a number of boys learning of their selection in State and National teams. Nine boys were selected in Western Australian representative teams and Emerson Carlberg (Year 11 Ross) was selected in the Australian Youth Sailing Team.

The outstanding academic results achieved by the Year 12 cohort of 2013, published over the summer break, reaffirmed Scotch's place as one of the highest achieving schools in Western Australia. With the School's strong record of academic achievement, the opportunities for boys to perform at their best in 2014 will rest on their ability to set high expectations, establish a disciplined and routine study schedule and apply a consistent effort to all that they do. The beginning of the term is a great time to set goals and I urge all boys to take time to think about their efforts and achievements in 2013 before setting new goals for the year ahead.

There is a sense of anticipation and optimism for the year ahead and I look forward to watching the boys "exceed expectations" - the theme set for 2014 by our Year 12 cohort.

Dr Rob McEwan

Head of Senior School