Remembrance

Last Wednesday 11 November, our whole school commemorated a very special day in the life of our servicemen and servicewomen, Remembrance Day.

At the eleventh hour on the eleventh day of November 1918, World War I ended. Germany signed an armistice, an agreement that peace would prevail and that fighting would cease. This had been prepared by Britain and France. At the time this was seen as the first step towards worldwide peace and the end to all world wars. It was a time of hope, a time of celebration but also a time to remember the sacrifices others have made to allow us to be in the position we are in today.

We were able to hold our service in the new Senior School quadrangle which has been formed by the completion of the new Mathematics and Commerce building. The space added genuine gravitas with the piper and the bugler performing from the risen veranda behind the flags. Congratulations to everyone who made this such a moving and fitting ceremony.

While reflecting on Remembrance Day, if you have not already done so, I strongly recommend you pay a visit to our Scotch Heritage Centre and the respective displays in the Memorial Hall which pays respect to past Scotch College students and staff who served both in the First and Second World Wars. Our heritage centre remains a great addition to our College and demonstrates our acknowledgment of sacrifice from those who graced our very halls and fields at Scotch College.

Acknowledging sacrifice is a concept that we can carry with us throughout all facets of life, whether that be through thanking your parents for getting up at 5am three times a week to take you to rowing training so that you can improve, or remembering all the hours your teachers put in to help you improve when you receive outstanding exam results. No matter who you are, your success and your happiness are usually never all of your own doing. Everyone gets help, everyone needs support and without others, in our lives, we would not achieve anywhere near our potential. We often get so caught up in our destination, that we actually forget how we got there, we forget everything that had to line up for us to be in our current position.

We often speak about how resilience is so important. For those who did not see the article in Friday's The West Australian, Scotch is undertaking GRIT Week. Many of our senior boys will be engaging in activities which will challenge their ability to succeed.

Exhibitions & Exams

Last Wednesday I had the honour of officially opening the Inspirations Art Exhibition for students from Pre-Primary to Year 8. I continue to be inspired at how our teachers get such young minds to produce such fine work. Well done to all of the staff who work on developing creativity in our students.

Last week also saw the opening of the Year 5 Primary Years Programme exhibition.  This night is the culmination of a term of concentration and focus by our Year 5 boys. The projects represent reflection, action and discernment. Well done to our Year 5 teachers and many others who acted as student mentors throughout the project.

As of this week, a majority of our Year 12s will complete their final exams. Some are still sitting papers, so we wish them well as they near the end of their formal schooling. I caught up with a lot of the boys before and after their exams and the general feeling is one of satisfaction and a sense that the exams were relatively fair.

Finally, our annual school exit surveys conducted with Year 5, 8 and 12 parents and students will be provided to me very soon for review and consideration. I look forward to reading the feedback as the results are an important data source for our strategic planning.

Gooch Pavilion

The work to upgrade, extend and refurbish the Gooch Pavilion is about to commence. You may have noticed that the area has been fenced off. This area is strictly out of bounds to anyone from the school, or public, as it is now a registered building site. We look forward to completing and opening the new facility in April 2021.

If you are interested in contributing to this substantial project, please get in touch with our Office of Advancement and Philanthropy.

Thanks for your ongoing support in all that we do, especially at this very busy time of the school year.

Have a great fortnight,

Dr Alec J O'Connell
Headmaster