I had already completed this Thistle article on Friday afternoon, none the wiser at that stage of what had unfolded in Christchurch NZ. Upon getting home that night my family asked what I thought about the attacks in Christchurch. Such incidents are incomprehensible to any normal person and, no matter how much analysis or soul searching one does, nothing explains why a fellow human being would carry out such an act of religious bigotry.

On behalf of the Scotch College community, we extend all of our thoughts and prayers to the city of Christchurch and the people of such a beautiful place and welcoming country, New Zealand. We particularly pray for the families who experienced the direct loss of their loved ones. May those who were taken rest in peace.

At Scotch College, as part of our wellbeing resources, we have a professional association with SchoolTV.  They have provided the College with a link to a short, seven minute video with Michael Carr-Gregg speaking. Michael is a leading Psychologist who does a lot of work with schools and communities. Should parents wish to view this, please click here.

Last Friday, 15 March was the National Day of Action against bullying and violence. I addressed this matter at our Senior School Assembly on Friday. There cannot be a more important matter than addressing the matter of bullying in society. Of course, one of the challenges regarding bullying and its associated issues is trying to be clear about what constitutes bullying.

The national definition of bullying for Australian schools is:

Bullying is an ongoing misuse of power in relationships through repeated verbal, physical and/or social behaviour that causes physical and/or psychological harm. It can involve an individual or a group misusing their power over one or more persons. Bullying can happen in person or online, and it can be obvious (overt) or hidden (covert). Bullying of any form or for any reason can have long-term effects on those involved, including bystanders. Single incidents and conflict or rights between equals, whether in person or online, are not defined as bullying. However, these conflicts still need to be addressed and resolved.  

As a college, we try to focus on activities and policies geared at minimising the incidents of bullying, and for that matter the single incidents and conflict or rights between equals, whether in person or online. While it is imperative that a modern institution has appropriate policies, these alone do not change behaviour, nor create a sustainable culture. The greatest strategy to address bullying, is to create a culture whereby the activities and experiences, expectations and aspirations, all reward a culture of non-bullying. If any parent is ever concerned about their son, or would like to know about the strategies we have in place regarding the issue of bullying, they should make immediate contact with their respective sub school. Parents may find this link with some simple tips of use if this topic ever comes up at home.

It is the role of all of us involved in the Scotch community, to ensure that the culture we promote and the messages we send, are counter to anyone who thinks that bullying is in anyway acceptable in our society.

Have a great fortnight.

Wednesday 6 March was 'Ash Wednesday', which begins a six-week season of Lent. It remembers the time that Jesus was tempted in the desert. Before Jesus began his ministry, he had to be clear about his own identity, about what he valued and about what really mattered.

If Jesus were in the desert today, perhaps one of his major temptations would be to find identity in an ideology, a philosophy or even the lure of certainty – having to know and be in control.

The new religious fundamentalisms popping up all over the world predicate themselves on absolute certainty. In my own spiritual journey, I have always had many questions and doubts. And I do not think I am alone. I have never considered doubting to be sinful or against the 'will of God' and sometimes my questions have led me to a deeper appreciation of Christian truth.

As a person of faith, I believe that God is at work in this world. It gives me a certain confidence to face and live with difficult questions without having to resort to easy answers. We need not be threatened by doubts. What is more threatening to our wellbeing is the suppression of them – the inability to recognise that we cannot always be certain!

Year 10 and Beyond

This week the Year 10 cohort commences the process of subject selection for Year 11 with an introduction to WACE and IB courses. For many schools, this process will not commence until late next term. However, at Scotch College, the boys together with their parents have a much broader decision to make, as we offer both the Western Australian Certificate of Education (WACE) and the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP). This may make the scope of decisions harder; however, reducing this choice for boys would falsely assume all students learn the same irrespective of personal differences and interests. It is important the academic challenge of the programme is in line with each boys' ability and promotes the development of their individual skills and talents. If we consider that the final two years should engender a passion for sustained learning, our commitment to offering variety in both the overall programme and in the various subjects is vital. Through the provision of different pathways, we ensure an engaging and versatile programme of study for each boy to meet this endeavour.

Last year a study conducted by a Victorian University reported that only 26% of students were applying to university through a typical ATAR application, instead, opting for other methods such as aptitude testing, interviews, portfolios, auditions or essays. This approach to University entrance is growing in popularity as tertiary institutions endeavour to match the right students to the right courses. Additionally, this highlights that not all students flourish in an examination-based education nor will this method of teaching and learning guarantee success in further studies.  As a school, we need to think carefully about the many and varied pathways that our boys take beyond secondary school, and through choice, establish a transition that will ensure their success.

It is not uncommon to hear remarks such as, "if you don't take an examination based pathway, you cannot access University" or "you only take the IBDP if you want to study overseas" or "you should take Methods because the scaling is better". However, every one of these comments is false, yet we continue to hear them year after year. For example, if you combine ATAR English with a Certificate IV you can directly enter University without an ATAR. The IBDP is recognised at UWA without the need for conversion and Curtin offers advanced standing on some Higher Level (HL) subjects. Historically, students who have taken both Methods and Application have used their Applications score in calculating their ATAR. Myths should not inform decisions.

At Scotch College, we have a number of ways of keeping both our parents and students informed. We offer;

• Separate information evenings for both the WACE and IBDP.
• A comprehensive course information site (https://home.scotch.wa.edu.au/courses) that describes each pathway, the subjects on offer and the desired pre-requisite from Year 10.
• A Day in the Life of a WACE student and a second day for the Day in the life of a Diploma student. Each day they select six subjects and hear valuable information from the teachers.
• A House Head meeting after the Semester One Year 10 report to discuss suitable pathways.
• A parent, teacher, student interview evening to discuss recommended subjects.
• A one on one meeting with a senior member of staff to discuss the final selections.

Although this approach is extensive, it is done with the view to minimise disruptions through subject changes in Year 11.

Resilience and Grit III

Last year, I shared some of the work that has been done in relation to resilience and grit. I wanted to share some more thoughts on these key elements of wellbeing. Resilience forms one of the three pillars of our Wellbeing programme. I see resilience and grit as two halves of the same thing – resilience is the capacity to overcome obstacles and deal with setbacks, while grit is the ability to anticipate and plan a way around or over obstacles. Resilience is getting back on track; grit is finding another track to get to wherever it is you want to go. Resilience is the ability to bounce back, while grit is the ability to keep on bouncing. Resilience is the capacity to ride life's waves, while grit is the determination to use those waves to move us toward a distant objective. In a sense, resilience is about short-term recovery ("get back up"), whereas grit is a longer-term dedication ("never give in").

No doubt, many of you remember your son's first steps. What you are less likely to remember is how many times he fell over prior to mastering this skill. He failed over and over again but without realising it, he was determined to master the skill. And whilst you guided him and caught him, you could not stop him from falling over many times. We learn by making mistakes; by getting up, changing what we do slightly, and having another go.

Angela Duckworth, in her book, "Grit", talks about "the mundanity of excellence": the most dazzling human achievements are the aggregate of countless individual elements, each of which is, in a sense, ordinary. Because we do not often see how much someone has practised to reach a level that is so far beyond the norm, we default to labelling that person a "natural" or a "freak". It makes it easier for us to tell ourselves we do not need to – or cannot possibly – compete with them.

The book talks about the importance of deliberate practice, that is practice aimed at reaching a 'stretch' goal (something that will stretch you just a bit more towards where you want to end up). These goals require full concentration and effort, immediate and informative feedback, and repetition with reflection and refinement.

For Families

In the last Thistle, John Stewart mentioned the importance of helping by not helping, a most difficult thing to do, no doubt. It is frustrating when we know there is a better way, yet our boys persist in doing a task a less efficient way. It is frustrating when we can see the solution, but they cannot. Swooping in to fix problems may be easier in the short-term, but it creates limitations in the longer-term. Learned helplessness (sitting back and waiting for someone to show us how to do something, or having others do it for us, or letting them fix a problem we have created), is perhaps the worst habit young people can pick up at school, as it removes agency from their lives – they come to believe that they have no control over what happens and, therefore, they take no responsibility for their future.

Carol Dweck, a leading researcher into Growth Mindsets, said, "….the best thing [parents] can do is to teach their children to love challenges, be intrigued by mistakes, enjoy effort, and keep on learning." I could not have put it any better myself!

Just as young people can learn helplessness when we do too much for them, so they can learn industriousness. They learn this by being set increasingly challenging tasks. And they learn this by watching others in their family do hard things.

The "Hard Thing" Rule

Duckworth lays out a rule for families – The "Hard Thing" Rule:

• Everyone in the family has to do one hard thing (something that requires daily deliberate practice)
• You cannot quit until the season is over, the tuition payment is up or some other "natural" stopping point has arrived
• You must finish whatever you begin, at least for the period for which you have committed
• You get to pick your hard thing, not someone else

How many of us start something new, full of excitement and good intentions, and then give up – permanently – when we encounter the first real obstacle, or the first long plateau in progress? Many of us, it seems, quit what we start far too early and far too often. New Year's Resolutions are a prime example of this in action. Perhaps this year can be different. Perhaps you and your family can try one hard thing. Flip the switch: go from "Why bother?" to "Why not?". We should strive to be the change we wish to see in our children.

A Culture of Grit

We can all become grittier. In some places, a culture of grit exists. Finland is a prime example. There are just over five million Finns; it is a small country that is very cold for much of the year. Its bigger neighbours – Sweden and Russia, have invaded it many times in particular. But the Finns have a word – Sisu. It is hard to translate but it means something like perseverance; a source of inner strength – a sort of psychological capital – that Finns believe they are born with by dint of their Finnish heritage; it is about guts. It is also a rather popular brand of liquorice. Most importantly, 83% of Finns believe that sisu can be developed. I hope that we can build a culture here at Scotch wherein everyone believes that grit – their own and our collective – can be developed.

Strength through diversity

Strength through diversity is the name of a current OECD project that considers the impact of education on migrant integration and social cohesion. The term reminds me of an unofficial motto of an incredible migration story, the story of the United States. E pluribus unum, translated from Latin "Out of many, one. The meaning of the phrase originates from the concept that out of the union of the original colonies emerged a new single nation. It is emblazoned across the scroll and clenched in the eagle's beak on the seal of the United States.

When it comes to the Scotch College exchange programme the greatest strength is the diversity of schools that we have built a relationship with and the breadth of countries that these schools are located in. As well as the life shaping experience for our boys spending time overseas, the international perspective and flavour that hosting boys at Scotch College provides is important for our whole community. There is research that states that organisations with the greatest global outlook, are not those that spend time outside of their home country, but those that host or employ the most diverse employees. In the school setting, hosting students from almost 20 schools across six continents brings a huge amount of diversity and global perspective and our membership of the Round Square network enables this. As Reverend Gary told us in Assembly on Friday, what brings us together is far stronger than what divides us and our exchange programme is an excellent method for our community to embrace people and perspectives from around the world.

So, a big welcome to the four Round Square exchange boys in the Senior School at the moment.

Lachlan Harris-Fiesel (Year 10, Brisbane) from Strathcona-Tweedmuir School in Alberta, Canada.

Jacob Febrey (Year 10, Stuart) from the Inter Community School in Zurich, Switzerland.

Sebastian Jacques (Year 10, St Andrews) from La Salésien in Quebec, Canada.

Reilly Kaczmarek (Year 10, Alexander) (arriving 25 March) from the Fountain Valley School in Colorado, USA.

The article above features Nicholas Ode (Year 10, Cameron) from Markham College in Lima, Peru who we recently farewelled.

Most of these boys are staying in Western Australia for about eight weeks and our Scotch boys will spend eight weeks at the reciprocal school.

A few reminders below on various web links for information on The Duke of Edinburgh's International Award and Round Square.

Skills that matter

One of my colleagues in the Music Faculty recently pointed me to a column in the Washington Post, which looked at research done by technology giant Google on the skills that matter the most to its employees' success.

After founding their company on the conviction that only technologists can understand technology, Google sought and appointed mainly computer science graduates with top grades from elite science universities.

Having a decade and a half of data behind them, Google launched Project Oxygen to essentially determine what makes a great manager at the organisation. It grew from a hypothesis based on the early belief held by some of Google's leaders and engineers that managers are at best, a necessary evil, and at worst, a layer of bureaucracy. The science-based technologists were the only people important for the future success of the organisation.

Project Oxygen examined the data collected on the hiring, firing and promotion of employees. The results were contrary to the beliefs of those leaders and engineers and provided a stark contrast to the mantra consistently regurgitated by governments, sadly much of which continues to be repeated in the reflections articulated in many Australian households.

Google's Project Oxygen research came up with ten important qualities contributing to the success of their employees. Nine of the top ten qualities were what human resources departments refer to as soft skills, such as: being a good coach; empowering team; creating an inclusive environment with concern for success and well-being; being productive; being a good communicator who is able to listen and share information; having a clear vision and strategy for the team; being a strong decision maker. Only one of the top ten characteristics had any relation to expertise gained through the exclusive study of the traditional content related material.

One of the privileges of a Scotch College education, is the opportunity to develop the very skills Google identified in their research. In all learning areas, these skills are not only tacitly developed in the background, they are explicitly taught. Approaches to Learning are a key component of the teaching and learning programmes in every Scotch course. In the performing arts, the grounding, shaping and refining of these skills also occur naturally as an outflow of music, drama and dance performance practice. It is my conviction that students should always broaden their studies during compulsory schooling and take advantage of such opportunities. The Creative and Performing Arts anyone?

Mr Scott Loveday
Head of Performing Arts

Uniform Shop

Opening Hours for Winter Uniform Changeover

No appointments are necessary. The Uniform Shop will be open extra hours over and above the normal opening times, as follows.

Summer Term Extra Opening Hours

Wednesday 3 April	7.30am to 9.00am
Wednesday 10 April	7.30am to 9.00am

Holiday Opening Days

Friday 26 April	9.00am to 4.00pm (lunch: noon – 1.00pm)
Monday 29 April	9.00am to 4.00pm (lunch: noon – 1.00pm)

Boys need to be in winter uniform on Tuesday, 30 April (start of term).

Community Exhibition

Attention all artists! Scotch College will be hosting a Community Exhibition of the talents of the staff and parents of our school. If you are an artist, professional or private, and you would like to exhibit and possibly sell some of your artwork, we would like to invite you to take part in this exhibition. It will take place from Week 2 to 4 of Winter Term. We currently have over 30 members of staff exhibiting. If you are interested, please email Junior School Administration via juniorschool@scotch.wa.edu.au.

PSA Sporting Arrangements: Week 8 - 11, Summer Term

Students and parents should make note of PSA sporting arrangements for the remainder of Summer Term 1 2019:

Week 8  – PSA Summer Sport (Years 7 to 12) concludes Friday/Saturday 22nd/23rd of March with the Scotch v Aquinas fixture.

Week 9  – Senior 1^st  winter squads ONLY will train Monday 25th to Thursday 28^th  as per the coaches' instructions

There will be  no training  in Week 9 from Monday 25^th March to Thursday 28^th  March for all other teams aside from 1^st  squads.

Friday 29^th  of March. Year 7s and 8s will have Winter Sport training from 1pm onwards. Year 9s will be engaged in a Wellbeing Workshop with Mr Hindle. Winter Sport training will begin on Friday (29th March) during PSA sport time for Year 7s and 8s ONLY.

Week 10  – There will be full winter training for all Years 7 to 12 as per the "Winter Sport Training Schedule" which will be available on sport.scotch.wa.edu.au by Friday the 29^th  of March 2019

Year 9s will be engaged in a Wellbeing Workshop with Mr Hindle on Friday the 5^th  of April. Winter Sport training will continue on Friday (April 5th) during PSA sport time for Year 7s and 8s ONLY.

Week 11  – Full winter training continues for all years 7 to 12 as per the "Winter Sport Training Schedule" which will be available on sport.scotch.wa.edu.au by Friday the 29^th  of March 2019

Friday the 12^th of April: No Year 7, 8 or 9 PSA sport training. Year 9s will finish school at 1pm. Year 7s and 8s will be engaged in classroom activities

Should you have any queries or need further information regarding PSA sport please refer to the Sport website on home.scotch.wa.edu.au

Mr Richard Foster
Head of Sport

Junior School Information Session

Scotch College invites interested families (new to the College) to attend our May Junior School Information Sessions on Tuesday 21 May, 9am - 10.30am and Wednesday 22 May, 5.30pm - 7pm.

Junior School sees the foundations of learning being further developed – it is a time of discovery, growing independence and confidence building. Hear from Mr John Stewart, Head of Junior School and find out about how our teachers invest the time to fully understand the academic and emotional needs of each boy.

If you know a family who may be interested, please direct them to the College website for further information and to register: http://bit.ly/2GmdnIt

From the Head of Junior School

Cyber Safety

Last week, the Junior School students and families had the opportunity to hear from Jordan Foster from ySafe. Jordon spoke to classes from Pre-Primary to Year 5. Her message was based around how to behave online and how to keep themselves safe.

In the evening, Jordan spoke to parents about the numerous sites where students can and do share personal information about themselves. She shared ideas on how parents can help their children to identify the risk and what to do when they feel unsafe.

She provided some sound advice on how help you child manage internet and gaming at a friend's house.

1. Don't change the rules for your children. If they are banned from games at your house, then they shouldn't be accessing that game at a friend's house. Realistically, we know they aren't always going to stick with that, but it's still important to reinforce your rule and not give it up just because your child is somewhere else.
2. If your child gets stuck on how to deal with a situation where they want to say no to a friend but don't want the social fall out, brainstorm with your child a few different activities that they could suggest to their friend when the idea comes up. 
   ie. The friend suggests playing Fortnite, but your child knows that's against the rules. You can prep your child with a sentence such as 'That's cool, I thought we could play this game first, or watch this YouTube video about how to make slime, could we do that first?'. This gives an opportunity for your child to divert attention away to a different activity.
3. If after all of that, the friend's child is still adamant about playing the game or accessing the social media you have banned, ensure you've explained to your child that it's important to tell you what they saw and experienced. It will be essential that you tell your child that you won't tell them off if they tell you, otherwise a communication barrier will occur that will prevent your child from sharing with you in the future. Debrief with them and discuss and explore what they may have noticed. Talk about the fact that this is why you have a rule against it and ask them how they think this actually might benefit them.
4. Ensure you have adequate parental control settings activated on your child's device that blocks the things you want to block, even when at a friend's house. The manual settings or parental control tools can be used for this, but it is essential that whatever your filtering tools are, that they still work on 4G and hot-spotting, not just on WiFi.

Educating your child is as important as rules of the internet and gaming and parent controls. These simple ideas can assist your child to keep safe when online.

Deputy Head of Junior School

What Makes A Great Leader?

At the beginning of every new school year, the Year 5 cohort have newly elected Semester 1 Captains. This year, all 35 of these Year 5 boys were ready and waiting for their appointed tasks and were keen to take on the responsibilities of the various roles in their appointed captain's position. The boys have made an exceptional start, with a great number of these Year 5 boys understanding what is expected of them and thus far have been eager every step of the way.

Leadership is influence, and these boys experience this every day at Scotch College whether they display it or grow from it. I watch the boys in class, in the playground and in the various events they participate in throughout the year. They encourage those reluctant to have a go, they help each other out and I can see they want to make a difference, and this influences all who are around them.

To date the Year 5 House Captains have reviewed house chants, lead their teams in the Inter-house Swimming Carnival, house chant meetings and they meet regularly to ensure that they are underway and on target for 2019. The Specialist Captains have also met regularly and are beginning to plan events they want to host, as well as report back to the school community at our performance assemblies. All of the Semester 1 Specialist and House Captains have met with the Year 12 Captains and have taken the opportunity to share their leadership journeys to date, talking about the similarities and differences between the Junior and Senior School leadership positions.

At the yLead conference last Friday, all the Year 5 boys participated.  They learnt how to be the best they can possibly be, they promoted and shared positive energy, became aware of their personal strengths, found ways to work as a team and found the courage to try new things. I am looking forward to watching the boys over the coming year to see how the skills they learnt throughout the conference and the influences around them from other boys, help mould them to become strong and productive leaders.

Boys at their Captains Meeting

 

Boys at their yLead Conference

 

Year 5/12 Leadership Morning

  

Miss Penny Hooper
Deputy Head of Junior School
(Administration and Pastoral Care)

Year 3W News

Summer Term has been the usual whirlwind, with the boys throwing themselves into a wide range of activities and learning opportunities. They have completed their block of swimming and participated brilliantly in their first Inter-House Swimming Carnival. There have been excursions to Penguin Island to look at the way that animal communities rely on one another and co-exist successfully in their environment.

Currently, we are lucky enough to be working with James Giddy, Artist in Residence, on a mural project which will see a large mural being painted on the stairwell of the school. It will reflect the connections with our local community and will be a wonderful collaboration.

Next week we will host a group of visitors form Romily House; this French initiative will welcome others from the local community, help the boys to practise their conversational French and allow them to interact with different members of our local community.

As if that is not enough, we are now commencing our Action component of this unit, brainstorming ideas and ways that we can do something to help our local community. Mr Stewart has received lots of persuasive letters seeking permission to stage some exciting events; a Cookie and Lemonade Stall to raise funds for Romily House, Donations of towels for Shenton Dogs Refuge and also a Toy Swap Day. Watch this space for all of the pertinent details as 3W swing into action and make some positive and exciting changes. It is fabulous to see their enthusiasm and empathy and I am excited to help the boys on this stage of their learning journey.

  

Mrs Alison Webster
Year 3 Teacher 

Performing Arts News

The Junior School boys have had a fabulously creative start to 2019. The boys are in the thick of inquiry-based music units and we are having lots of fun! The Year 1 boys have been exploring pitch and melody through movement, singing and playing songs on the glockenspiels; boys in Year 2 have just finished writing and performing their own rhythm compositions and are now considering creating their own musical notation; the Year 3 lads have been having fun picking the 'odd one out' by focusing on the placement of accents to determine whether music is in threes or fours; the Year 4 gents have been exploring 'feels' in music and the musical elements that help to characterise various genres; and the Year 5 boys have just finished a task in which they carefully considered the process of learning and performing reggae rhythms in groups before transferring them onto instruments. I'm so impressed with the rich learning that has been taking place. Keep up the great effort, boys!

  

Miss Phebe Samson
Performing Arts Teacher

2018 at a glance - A photo journey

2018 was an exciting year at Scotch College. Many events took place that not only brought the College community together but also showcased many of the wonderful characteristics of our students. 2018 at a Glance is a visual history photo collection spanning Kindergarten to Year 5 and the exhibition is currently on display in the Gallery. It features photos of our students engaged in learning, sport, community service and much much more. Parents are encouraged to take some time to visit this new exhibition.

From the Head of Middle School

A few weeks ago at our Middle School Assembly I introduced the boys to Bluewater State School, a small primary school 30km north of Townsville.  During the Northern Queensland floods in January, Bluewater Primary School was inundated and as a consequence their school library was swamped, with over 5,400 books being ruined.

At Assembly I asked if anyone wanted to help and as a result we have a 'small' committee of 20 boys who have planned some activity over the next three weeks to raise funds to send to Bluewater Primary.  The goal: to help Bluewater Primary restock their Library.  To date we have had two very positive responses from Dymocks book store in Claremont and QBD Books in Townsville about matching the funds we generate.

Key activities include:

• Free Dress Day: Wednesday 10 April.  We hope for a gold coin donation from each boy for this activity, but always happy to accept more than that.
• Cup Cake Stall: Week 10 Monday-Friday, Iced Vanilla Cup Cakes on sale.  A roster has been made up of volunteers to bake.  I am hoping it is the boys themselves who do the baking.
• Second Hand Book Stall: Week 9-10.  Pre loved books we can resell for between 50c - $3.  Donations can be left at Middle School Reception.  We will not be accepting donations of second hand books to send to Bluewater as we wish for them to be able to select their own replacement books.
• Zooper Dooper Icy Pole Stall: Week 8 looks a nice warm week for icy poles, $1 each.

These are the ideas the 'committee' have organised to date, but already we have had boys who have been mowing lawns, washing cars, organising lemonade stalls with the aim of generating funds to help another school out.  When organisations talk about culture and the importance of it, I am continually impressed to see how quickly the culture of coming together, forming a team to help someone else, rises to the surface in our students.

Congratulations to our Middle School boys who represented Scotch College at the Inter-School Swimming Carnival last week.  I suspect it was pretty exciting to be a part of one of the College's big PSA teams.  Good luck to our Year 8 rowers who will be stroking their way down Champion Lake in their first Head of the River this weekend.

Inter-House Philosothon

Thinking Critically, Creatively and Collaboratively

We can all think, of course, but we do not all think well.  That's why being given a whole day to practice and refine our thinking skills is such a valuable opportunity.  On Tuesday 5 March, 53 boys from Years 5 to 8 accepted the challenge to compete in the inaugural Middle School Philosothon.

The Philosothon is an Inter-House event with four rounds of competition.  In each round a group of six boys form a 'Community of Inquiry' to discuss a philosophical question or an ethical dilemma.  Boys are judged on their ability to think rationally, to listen carefully and to communicate effectively.  They are rewarded for working together to develop a deeper collective understanding of the question and its related issues.

The Philosothon questions for 2019 were:

1. Is it more important to help yourself, help your family, help your society, or help the world?
2. What would you genetically change about humans to make them a better species?
3. If a child somehow survived and grew up in the wilderness without any human contact, how "human" would they be without the influence of society and culture?
4. Is privacy a right?

The competition began with a keynote address from Year 12 Scotch student and WA Philosothon champion, Lewis Orr, who urged the boys to have the courage to speak their mind and also the humility to listen to others.

There was a buzz of excitement as the boys launched into their first philosophical dialogue.  By Round 4, after three hours of concentrated talking, listening and thinking, there were signs of intellectual exhaustion amongst the competitors, but a few bright sparks were still going strong.

   

All the boys who competed are to be highly commended.  The teachers who facilitated and judged each round were impressed by the depth and originality of many boys' comments and by the spirit of collaboration throughout the competition.

Victory went to Bruce House, which produced Champion philosophers in every year group.  Henry Feutrill (8.6) was the Middle School Philosothon Champion, with Monty Smith (8.2) runner up and Lachlan Richardson (8.6) in third place.  Charlie Warden (5A) was both the Year 5 Champion and named 'Most Promising Philosopher'.  The awards will be presented at Middle and Junior School assemblies at the end of term.

My thanks to the College Enrichment Coordinators, Mr Sam Sterrett, Ms Deborah Mullin and Mrs Alison Webster who helped organise this event and to the Middle and Junior School teachers who facilitated and judged each round.

Reverend Justine Wall
Middle and Junior School Chaplain

News from 6.1

What a start to 2019 it has been! Only a few weeks ago boys arrived wide eyed and excited for the many firsts that awaited them in the Middle School.

From lockers and wobble stools to table tennis and new timetables, boys have quickly adjusted to their new environment.  6.1 have dived into exploring the Earth's structure and tectonic plates in our Natural Disasters' unit as a part of iLearn.  With a focus on organisation and thinking skills, boys have explored scientific terminology and created eye catching diagrams.  The opportunity to create maps and rehearse important note taking skills has seen students develop a deeper understanding of the topic.

 

The class are looking forward to exploring the recent volcanic activity in neighbouring Bali and the popular tourist islands of Hawaii.  The questions of; "How have local communities recovered?", "Why would people live in these areas?" and "What happened to tourists caught in these disasters?" will be explored to examine the far-reaching impacts of these events.

With a positive and enthusiastic start to the year now leading into a busy term everyone has enjoyed getting to know each other and forming new friendships.  With Surf lessons quickly approaching early next term everyone is looking forward to the exciting events to come!

Mr Justin Shaw
6.1 Homeroom Teacher

The Wellbeing Programme in 8.2

This term the boys of 8.2 have been introduced to breathing and meditation techniques during the Wellbeing Programme.  We discussed that arguably one of the most underestimated muscles in our body is the diaphragm.  Despite not being able to see this muscle, the diaphragm plays an important role in the breathing process and in structural mechanics such as posture.  Rarely do we think about breathing, so to spend some time focussing on this vital process was enlightening for the boys.  They appreciated the vast complexity of the human respiratory system and this linked well to our current Science topic of Human Biology.

We have also discussed the need to be mindful and patient; finding a balance with screen time in this ever increasing technological world in which we live.  It is some of the small things, such as appreciating family time at the dinner table, observing nature and engaging in personal interactions to name a few, that can bring personal fulfilment.

We also discussed the range of common emotions that we feel in a busy day to day environment and the need to talk to others and never feel that we have to bottle up our worries and concerns.  To help bring a sense of calm into the classroom we have used essential oils as an invigorating way of being present and appreciating nature's gifts through chest (shallow) and deep (belly) breathing in the classroom.  The boys have been open-minded with their approaches towards mindfulness and appeared to enjoy the togetherness of the Homeroom.  Hopefully with a consistent approach to the Wellbeing Programme, the boys of 8.2 can start to focus on some small changes to make long-term healthier habits.

Mr Toby Robinson
8.2 Homeroom Teacher

Important Dates in Middle School Summer Term

Tuesday 19 March	Year 8 Geography Excursion 11.00am (8.2, 8.4, 8.6)
Wednesday 20 March	Year 8 Geography Excursion 11.00am (8.1, 8.3, 8.5, 8.7)
Thursday 21 March	Year 7.1/7.2 Moray Programme Returns
Friday 22 March	MS Assembly, 12.00pm DC
Saturday 23 March	Head of the River
Monday 25 March	Year 7.3/7.4 Moray Programme Departs
Thursday 28 March	Year 7.3/7.4 Moray Programme Returns
Saturday 30 March	Year 7 2020 Scholarship Testing, 8.20am MS
Monday 1 April	Year 7.5/7.6 Moray Programme Departs
Tuesday 2 April	Year 6/7 Production "Worry Warts" All Day Dress Rehearsal, Foundation Theatre
Thursday 4 April	Year 7.5/7.6 Moray Programme Returns Year 6/7 "Worry Warts" Production Opening Night, 7.00pm Foundation Theatre
Friday 5 April	MS Assembly, 12.00pm DC Year 6/7 "Worry Warts" Production, 7.00pm Foundation Theatre
Saturday 6 April	Year 6/7 "Worry Warts" Production, 2.00pm Foundation Theatre
Sunday 7 April	Year 8 Bibbulmun Track Departs (Residential Life Students only)
Wednesday 10 April	Year 8 Bibbulmun Track Returns (Residential Life Students only)
Friday 12 April	Summer Term Concludes, 3.25pm

From the Head of Senior School

One of the concepts we concentrate on in the Senior School is "future" and we are always focussing on ways we can prepare the boys for their transition through from Year 9 to their life beyond school. As we enter Week 8 of Summer Term and near the end of the semester for the Senior School boys, it is a good time to look at how we are preparing them for the academic challenges that lie ahead.

Year 9 is a three-term year, but the boys have started assessments and students and parents will be receiving feedback on progress through the continuous reporting process across all subjects. The examination period in Autumn Term gives the boys an opportunity to demonstrate their understanding of the work they have covered and provides them with more experience in examination conditions. This is an important learning tool for their senior years at school.

Last week we started the process of the Year 10 into 11 subject information sessions, which culminates with the course selections later in May. The process includes information evenings, Parent Teacher Student Interviews, House Head Meetings and the experiences of "a day in a life" of a student in both the WACE and IB Diploma before courses are finalised in meetings with senior staff. The aim is to provide the boys and their parents with as much information as possible before they choose their course of study, and the subjects within that course. The boys have a number of opportunities to explore the available options and to engage in conversations with their parents and staff about the course that will best suit their needs.

The Year 11 and 12 cohorts are moving towards the end of Semester 1. For some that means WACE or IB Diploma examinations early in Autumn Term. For those in the Alternative Academic Pathway it is an opportunity to spend time completing work experience in potential careers and to gain a better understanding of the workplace. Importantly, the boys will be heavily involved in arranging this experience with the employer. Our Year 12 boys will also be working with the Year 11 cohort on study skills in the lead up to the examinations as the Year 11 boys found this to be of great benefit last year.

It is a busy time for the boys academically as they continue to balance their co-curricular commitments. Those Year 11 and 12 students who are interested in the Brain Reset sessions currently running on Monday and Tuesday afternoons, are encouraged to speak with Mr Hindle about getting involved. Mindfulness is an important skill to understand and apply in our lives. These sessions have proved to be very helpful in that regard and again provide boys with a learning opportunity that they will be able to apply both in their final years of school and in their life beyond Scotch College.

Important Dates in Senior School Summer Term

Date	Event	Location	Time
Week 8B
Monday 18 March	Year 10 Diploma Parent Information Evening	Dickinson Centre	6.30pm – 7.30pm
	Year 12 Drama Monologues	Foundation Theatre	6.30pm – 7.30pm
Tuesday 19 March	Scotch Parents Meeting	Gooch Pavilion	9.00am – 10.30am
	Instrumental Music – Parent, Teacher Student Interviews	Dickinson Centre	3.00pm – 7.00pm
	WADL Debating Round 1 Week 2	Shenton College	6.30pm – 9.30pm
	Old Scotch Collegians' Annual General Meeting	Memorial Hall	6.00pm – 7.00pm
Wednesday 20 March	Salvation Army Soup Kitchen	Northbridge	6.15am – 9.30am
	Years 7, 8 and 9 Cricket Medallion Presentation	Gooch Pavilion	4.45pm – 5.15pm
Thursday 21 March	Year 11 Marine and Maritime Studies (General) Excursion	Off campus	8.30am – 12noon
	Year 12 Marine and Maritime Studies (ATAR) Excursion	Off campus	8.30am – 12noon
	Years 10, 11 and 12 Cricket Medallion Presentation and Sausage Sizzle	Gooch Pavilion	5.00pm – 5.30pm
	Goland Club Dinner	Dining Room	6.30pm – 9.30pm
Friday 22 March	Senior School Marching and Assembly	Dickinson Centre	8.30am – 9.45am
	Year 10 Alliance Francaise Excursion	Windsor Cinema	9.40am – 12.30pm
	PSA Sport – Aquinas College v Scotch College (Please visit sport.scotch.wa.edu.au)	Away	1.30pm - various
	Have Sum Fun Competition – Years 9 and 10	Woodvale Secondary College	7.00pm – 10.00pm
Saturday 23 March	PSA Sport – Aquinas College v Scotch College (Please visit sport.scotch.wa.edu.au)	Away	8.30am - various
	PSA Rowing – Head of the River	Champion Lakes, Armadale	8.30am – 12.30pm
	Head of the River Picnic	Boat Shed	1.30pm onwards
Week 9A
Monday 25 March	Senior School Inter-House Cross Country Carnival	Memorial Oval	1.45pm - 3.25pm
Tuesday 26 March	Year 9 Parent Teacher Student Interviews	Dickinson Centre	4.00pm – 8.00pm
	WADL Debating Round 2 Week 1	Shenton College	6.30pm – 9.30pm
Wednesday 27 March	Parent Support Groups Breakfast	Dining Room Annexe	7.30am – 9.00am
	Talented Young Writers Programme	Fremantle Literacy Centre	8.30am – 3.00pm
	OzCLO Australian Computational and Linguistics Competition (National Round)	UWA	12.30pm – 3.00pm
	Year 11 and 12 Drama Perspectives Excursion	Perth Concert Hall	7.30pm – 9.30pm
Thursday 28 March	Year 12 Reward Breakfast	Dining Room	7.10am – 8.30am
	Year 9 Enrichment Activity		8.30am – 3.30pm
Friday 29 March	Senior School Marching and Assembly	Dickinson Centre	8.30am – 9.45am
	PSA Sport - bye
	Year 9 and 10 Cadet Camp	Woodman Point	1.30pm departs
	Ross House Swimathon	School Pool	3.30pm – 5.30pm
Saturday 30 March	PSA Sport – Bye
	Year 9 and 10 Cadet Camp		1.30pm returns
	Scotch Parents' Ball	Dickinson Centre	6.30pm – 11.30pm

Boys' Achievements

Ryan McConkey (Year 10 Anderson), William Hudson (Year 10 Alexander), Benjamin Walsh (Year 9 St Andrews) and Jacques Creighton (Year 9 St Andrews) competed in the AMT Esperance Tennis Tournament during the mid-term break.

Sam Wake (Year 11 Brisbane) and Benjamin Scott (Year 11 Ross) have been selected for the State Debating Squad.

Rohan Baldwin (Year 9 Ferguson) will represent Western Australia at the SSWA Triathlon in Queensland in May.

William Steinberg (Year 11 Brisbane) has been invited to the Australian Mathematical Olympiad Selection School, which identifies students who will represent Australia at the International Mathematical Olympiad.

Jolyon Harrison-Murray (10 Stuart) won the Public Speaking Award at the Zone round for the Lions Youth of the Year Speech and Leadership competition and will advance to the district final held in March.

Year 12 Bibbulmun Track End-to-Enders Certificates:

Cleland, Thomas (Brisbane House)

Cullen Falconer, Angus (Keys House)

Egerton-Warburton, Toby (Keys House)

Kennedy, Kane (Ross House)

McConachy, Samuel (Shearer House)

McCreery, Liam (Keys House)

Waters, Levi (Keys House)

Brooks, Denzil (Keys House)

Careers Information

University Information

Notre Dame University 

Medicine Information Session:  24 March 10:30am

Interested in studying Medicine at Australia's leading university for Medicine? Find out all you need to know about Notre Dame's Doctor of Medicine and Pre-Medicine Certificate programs including how to apply and important dates. You will also hear from current students and take a tour of our School of Medicine's facilities.

Find out more and register today at notredame.edu.au/events

Murdoch University

Education Information Evening: 27 March 

Learn more about the exciting career prospects in teaching.

For more information and to register, visit murdoch.edu.au/FutureStudentEvents

UWA

Year 10 & 11 – Individual Advisory Sessions

During the upcoming school holidays, UWA will be holding Individual Advisory Sessions for Year 10 - 11 students. These sessions are available from the 15 - 17 April. This is the opportunity to ask questions and learn more about:

• UWA courses
• Entry requirements
• Subject selection advice
• The ATAR process
• The UWA student experience

Bookings are essential due to a limited number of sessions.

Parents/guardians are welcome to attend

• The Circle Room, Reid Library
• Map location

• 15, 16 and 17 April 2019, 10am – 7:30pm

Register now

Scholarships

University of Western Australia

Prestigious UWA Scholarships; Fogarty Foundation Scholarships and Winthrop Leaders Scholarship are now open for applications.

Fogarty Foundation Scholarship

Applications are now open for this prestigious award which has been established to provide senior secondary students with an opportunity to undertake a cycle 1 undergraduate degree course and then a cycle 2 postgraduate degree by coursework at the University. The scholarship is intended for students who show significant academic potential, together with leadership ability and other outstanding achievements throughout Year 11 and 12.

Apply Now >>

Closing date: 24 May 2019 for Year 12 students commencing in 2020.

University of Melbourne
Applications for the Hansen Scholarship Program, the University of Melbourne's new flagship equity scholarship, open on 1 March. Provided by benefactors Jane Hansen and Paul Little, the program brings together an unrivalled package of benefits for high-achieving domestic students who may otherwise struggle financially to access higher education.
Information sessions will be held in late February and early March – but candidates can get a head start on their applications by previewing the application questions now and gathering the documents they'll need to submit. Applications close 21 March 2019.
Students in regional, rural, and remote communities are particularly encouraged to apply.

The Tuckwell Scholarship

Every year, the ANU offers 25 students from around Australia a scholarship of over $21,000 per year for up to five years of undergraduate study. The Tuckwell Scholarship is one of Australia's most valuable scholarships, both monetarily, and in terms of the support and opportunities offered to Scholars whilst at the ANU. Year 12 students will be able to indicate their intention to apply for the Tuckwell Scholarship when they apply directly to ANU via the new Admissions, Scholarship and Accommodation model.

Visit the Tuckwell website for more information about the application process and how students can prepare in the lead up to applications opening.

WesTrac Apprenticeship Information Sessions

As one of the largest authorised Caterpillar dealers in the world, WesTrac provides customers with a wide array of machinery and construction equipment – from excavators through to dump trucks and huge loaders and dozers – and also provides service and maintenance services. For over twenty years WesTrac has set the benchmark in equipment management, with over 3,000 employees across Western Australia, New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory.

Monday 25 March, 10am - 12pm

Lecture Theatre, South Metro TAFE Thornlie

Burslem Drive, Thornlie WA 6108

Tuesday 26 March, 10am - 12pm

Lecture Theatre, South Metro TAFE Rockingham – G Block

Simpson Ave, Rockingham 6168

To register your attendance, please email thornliejsc@smtafe.wa.edu.au

Mr Peter Frusher
Careers Adviser

Senior School Security

In recent times parents have walked into the School to collect students or visit teachers without reporting first to Senior School Reception. As you can understand for the security of our students we cannot allow any adults to move around the school without appropriate identification. Even if you are wearing a Scotch College name badge you still need to come to Front Reception to sign in.  If you are collecting your son for an appointment your son will sign out in Student Services and meet you at Reception.

Please be aware that teachers have been told they must meet you in Reception if you have an appointment with them. Parents are asked not to go directly to a teacher's office or to Student Services.

This is also important should there be a fire or other emergency so that we know exactly who is on campus at any one time.

Thank you for your co-operation in this matter as we are sure you understand the security of our students and visitors is our highest priority.

Senior School Inter-School Swimming Carnival

Please see below the final placings and points along with notable achievements by Scotch swimmers

PSA Swimming Inter-School Swimming Results 2019

Placed	School	Points
1st	Christ Church	1097
2nd	Hale	931
3rd	Trinity	842
4th	Wesley	806
5th	Aquinas	763
6th	Scotch	622
7th	Guildford	354

New PSA Records Set by Scotch Swimmers 

U/16: 4 x 50m Medley Relay (Division 1):

1st Place 1 min 58.05 sec. Previous record: 1min 59.04 secs, set by Scotch in 2018

The swimmers were:

Nicolas Le Page (Year 10 Anderson)

Declan Cook (Year 10 Brisbane)

Ruan van der Riet (Year 10 Ross)

Macsen Friday (Year 10 Alexander)

The following students placed first in their individual events

U17	100m Breaststroke	Division 1	1st	1.09.17	Jesse Coughlan (Year 11 Alexander)
U16	50m Backstroke	Division 1	1st	29.64	Nicholas Le Page (Year 10 Anderson

There were 79 "personal best" times swum by Scotch swimmers on the night

Mr Richard Foster
Head of Sport

Water Polo Dinner

Save the Date

The end of season Water Polo Dinner will be held on Tuesday, 9 April 2019 from 6.30pm.

Full details for the event including ticket sales will be available shortly, so please save the date.

Mrs Maryanne Marshall
Water Polo Support Group

Scotch Parents

Our Year 9 Parents and House Heads enjoyed a lovely evening recently at the House Head and Parents dinner.  It was a great opportunity for our Year 9 Parents to meet their boys House Heads who will guide and mentor the boys through Senior School.  Many thanks the Rebecca Matthews and her team for pulling together an amazing evening.

Invitations for the Scotch Parents Ball on Saturday 30 March have gone out to all parents.  Always a fantastic night…the theme for the Parents Ball this year is "Speakeasy" styled around the 1930's. It will be held in the Dickinson Centre in a more informal setting, with pre-ball drinks served on the top lawn.  Please visit to the Scotch College website www.scotch.wa.edu.au and click on the 'Book a Scotch Event' icon to book your tickets as they are selling fast. The Ball is a not-for-profit event and a great opportunity to meet and socialise with other parents.

There is a Scotch Parents meeting on Tuesday 19 March in the Gooch Pavillion at 9.00am.  We will have a presentation on the new Vidigami Photo Gallery which is a great tool for tagging your boys photos during their time at Scotch – it's very interactive and relies on input from parents, boys and staff.  If you can please come along.

Upcoming Events supported by Scotch Parents…  

• Scotch Parents Meeting – Gooch Pavilion, Tuesday 19 March at 9.00am
• Year 7 Coffee Morning – Friday 22 March at 8.30am
• Year 8 Mums & Sons Surfing & Picnic – Scarborough Beach, Sunday 24 March at 11.30am
• Year 8 Coffee Morning - Cimbalino's Eric St Cottesloe, Friday 29 March at 8.30am
• Scotch Parents Ball – Dickinson Centre, Saturday 30 March at 6.30pm

Ms Sara Hector
President
Scotch Parents

Old Scotch Collegians

Old Scotch Collegians are very excited to launch our alumni mentoring programme. This will be a semi-structured and formal one-on-one mentoring programme, purely for the alumni of Scotch College. Alumni from all stages of post-Scotch College life are eligible to be mentors or mentees (or both!) – university students, apprentices, young professionals, experienced professionals and retirees. We all have something that we can learn from or teach others. To apply, please click here.

Alumni are reminded that the OSC Annual General Meeting & Sundowner is being held on Tuesday 19 March and the Goland Club Reunion Dinner on Thursday 21 March. A more complete list of our 2019 events can be found on the Upcoming Events page of the alumni website.

The OSC office has a number of Reporters from 2017, 2016 and 2015 that are yet to be collected. If your household is missing a copy, please contact the OSC office to collect one.