As we marched out of last Friday's assembly, there was the annual air of anticipation, associated with setting up for the Year 12 Ball. It will come as no surprise to everyone that yet again our ball proved to be a huge success. Well done to each and every boy and their partners for ensuring the night was one of enjoyment and quality.

In the days leading up to the big night many parent volunteers, through their own hard work and dedication, ensured that our boys and their partners would have a fantastic experience. It is the spirit of the parent and student volunteers that carries the night. In particular, I would like to thank the Ball Committee and all other volunteers for the many hours of work and dedication that went into ensuring the Ball was a huge success. Likewise, a big thanks to all of the staff who attended to support our boys and celebrate in their special night.

Scotch has an incredible history of parent and community participation. This has been demonstrated via the work of groups such as the Scotch Parents, supporter groups and many other individuals.  All of our volunteer groups across the college are aimed at achieving one major outcome, that is, Engaging the Community. There is a wonderful saying that sums up Scotch to a tee.

'Volunteers are not paid - not because they are worthless, but because they are priceless'

 

Unfortunately, there has been a hold up with the new building due to an issue with the original soil and the embedding of the new green space. The grass has now been re-laid. I have told the boys that we will be in and operating for term two at the latest.  This allows all of us to plan accordingly with greater certainty knowing that the space is not available for general usage. Obviously if we can move earlier, we will.

Congratulations to all of the staff and the boys for surviving a busy period of house swimming carnivals and inter school training competitions leading up to the formal JPSSA and PSA Inter-School carnivals. The house spirit across all three sub-schools carnivals has been fantastic.

Have a great fortnight.

 

Do Not Worry

“ Therefore  I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?” (Matt 6.25-34)

It’s so easy to worry these days. We are constantly encouraged to focus on our own concerns and pleasures, which can be corrosive to our wellbeing and harmful to our neighbours and environment. The pleasures of self-preoccupation are short-lived and  actually prevent  us from enjoying the beauty and wonder of God’s creation. When we make an idol of our own desires, wealth and consumption we fail to see our own place in creation, and we begin to question our value.

Jesus invites us to recognise and move beyond ego. To stop worrying about ourselves and attend to the world around us. ‘Look at the birds of the air’, Jesus urges us, ‘See the flowers in the field…they do not labour or spin’. And yet, they are loved by their creator. Jesus encourages us to contemplate and enjoy the gifts of nature, to be grateful to the Giver and to have faith in God’s love for us too.

Stop worrying about the future, Jesus says at the end of this passage. “Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own” (Matt 6.34). To summarise then, live in the present, take joy in the natural gifts of the world and be thankful for all that you have. Know that you are loved by God and do not worry.

In the closing line of this passage, Jesus encourages us to stop worrying.

 

Adaptability – The Skill of the Future

It has been exciting to see the students return to school full of energy and enthusiasm for the year ahead. No doubt they have considered a new goal or two for the upcoming year, whether that be academic, sporting, service or interpersonal.  However, as most of us would be aware, through our post New Year’s resolution failed attempts, goal setting is often the easy part; it is the follow through that proves challenging. This is not usually because the goals were unrealistic or unachievable, it’s because young people may not yet have developed the important strategies to be able to plan and implement change. Unless the intended change quickly becomes a habit or a disposition, our students are likely to revert to their old ways and before long the goal is thrown into the too hard basket.

However, understanding the process of change and teaching our young people to affect change is probably one of the most useful skills this generation will hold heading into the future. So much so that measuring a person’s adaptability in terms of their emotional and social intelligence is now considered relevant to understanding their potential. Adaptability is considered an important leadership competency that entails having the flexibility to handle change, balance multiple demands and adapt to new situations with fresh ideas. It means adaptable people are more responsive to the situation or problem they are confronted with and can more readily generate new ideas.   

Scotch is addressing this need by explicitly teaching important skills, such as those required to adapt, through our Approaches to Learning. Teaching adaptability is a prime example of how we can combine the skills found in our Thinking, Self-management and Research curriculum to help students respond effectively to change or to drive change. Some of the skills relevant to this are;

• Resilience: practise dealing with change (Self-management)
• Compare, contrast and draw connections among resources (Research)
• Practise observing carefully in order to recognise problems (Thinking)
• Revise understanding based on new information and evidence (Thinking)
• Consider ideas from multiple perspectives (Thinking)

Skills form the foundation of the habits and disposition that we want our students to possess and it is therefore important that schools provide an opportunity to learn about the skill through both explicit teaching and practise. Taught through the lens of the subject content, skills provide strategies that are transferable between disciplines so that students learn how to learn in many different contexts. To become competent, we need a combination of knowledge, skills, values and attitude in order to be able to generate action in the real world and it is this successive action that empowers our learners to be independent. This journey is the responsibility of every adult involved in developing the talents of our young people and through teaching them the skills to think, act, communicate and learn independently we are providing them with the strongest platform from which to launch into adulthood.

 

Being Stoic

Stoicism is a branch of philosophy which dates back 2400 years to ancient Athens. There is much to like about it. The name comes from 'Stoia', the Greek term for the central market-place where they would meet to discuss ideas. They wanted to be in the middle of people, and they wanted to talk to people and be in their lives and make those lives better. I like the practicality of that approach.

The Stoics have been mistakenly identified with the idea of suffering in silence, with life as some grim experience to be endured. This is a long way from the truth. They recognised that life was short and death was unpredictable, but this was to be taken as motivation to make the most of what precious life is given to us. As Epictetus said, "Don't worry about death; worry about lunch." By this, he meant that we should make the most of the now because this is the only way we can influence the future.

The dichotomy of control – that there are some things that are up to us and other things which are not – is instructional for us today in recognising the nature of life. It was this line of thought which Viktor Frankl drew upon when he wrote about choosing how to respond to the horror of life in an extermination camp. The Stoics used the metaphor of the archer: you can control which equipment you use, how much you practice, how hard you concentrate and where you aim, but once you let go of that arrow, it is outside of your control to do anything. A gust of wind may push your shot off-target; the target itself may move. So, what do you do? According to Cicero, you should not attach self-esteem to the outcome, but to the process. This – your attempt – is under your control.

There is much more to like about Stoicism – about leading a good and useful life, about kindness, integrity and serving others – and I shall return to it in future articles. I see it as an increasingly relevant philosophy for us in the modern world. It has particular relevance for us at Scotch:

• Mindfulness is stoicism in action. It is an awareness of what is going on around us without judging that; accepting things for what they are and working from there. Mindfulness is about recognising the reality of life and making the most of it. We continue to seek ways to embed mindfulness in our students' lives;
• Marching is a quirky yet powerful tradition in the Senior School. Marching is mindfulness in action, as a wise person once pointed out to me. It means forgetting about your past failures and your future problems and focusing on the moment and staying in time, listening to the beat and watching the rows. It is all about being in the moment. It is all about being with others, and being a part of something larger than simply you. It epitomizes the stoic tradition.

One of the most famous Stoics was Marcus Aurelius, the Emperor of Rome from 161-180AD. He was an impressive man, perhaps most famous for the collection of thoughts he wrote and kept for himself. A true philosopher-king, he took time to write down what was important in terms of living a good life – to remind himself of how humans should behave. In  Marcus Aurelius's Meditations he has an argument with himself in the opening of Book 5. It's clearly an argument he's had with himself many times, on many mornings — as have many of us: he knows he has to get out of bed, but so desperately wants to remain there. As Emperor of Rome, Marcus didn't actually have to get out of bed. He didn't really have to do anything. The emperor had all sorts of prerogatives, and here Marcus was insisting that he rise early and get to work.

Resilience is built upon a series of small victories: encouraging your son to get up and make his bed in the morning is a simple example of this. By doing so, he will have accomplished something and established just a little bit of order and control over his world before he steps out of the house. A small win. And even if he has a terrible day (which occasionally he will), when he comes home, it will be to a nice and neat bed. Winning the morning is the key to winning the day. This then becomes a habit. A day well-begun is half-won.

References:

The Daily Stoic website

Massimo Pigliucci (TEDxAthens) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yhn1Fe8cT0Q

 

The Year 8 Community Project

The Year 8 Community Project is about to enter its third year and continues to grow as the culminating experience for our IB MYP.

On Thursday 6 February, the project was 'launched' with guest speakers and some 'speed dating' amongst local not-for-profit organisations. These included Fair Game, Uniting Care West, Earthwise, The Salvation Army, Cottesloe Coast Care, Balga Senior High School, Anglican Language School and Teach Learn Grow. The boys also heard from Year 12 students, Charlie Bevan, Nicholas Verryn and Will Reeves who told the boys about their Year 11 IB CAS project that has seen them get to know a number of OSC at Aegis Aged Care in Claremont. The organisations were able to tell the boys about the sorts of assistance they can give in the community, how best to break through some barriers they may face and expand on the skills and benefits that the Community Project promotes.

A week later, last Thursday, the whole Year 8 cohort spent time off campus at various organisations around the city. The afternoon was again, a huge success and the boys were buzzing with ideas and insights about what their project may look like. We had some excellent feedback from the organisations involved and a big thanks to them for hosting our young men.

A huge thanks to the Community Project Coordinator, Mrs Mia Sullivan, who has done a sterling job setting the scene for everyone in the Middle School.

Below is a photo from the veggie patch being managed by Junior School teacher, Carolyn Vinton. A big thanks to the boys involved and congratulations on those humungous apple cucumbers!

Finally, this week is another Disabled Surfing event at Leighton Beach. I realise the senior boys have PSA sport but any boys who are available, I encourage you to get down there. Thanks to Rachel Tsen, who is organising for some Year 8 students to assist.

Open Day

Scottish Banquet 

Save the Date – Saturday 4 April

The Scottish Banquet for 2020 will be held on  Saturday, 4 April in the Dickinson Centre.

The Banquet is a biennial event for the Scotch College Pipe Band.  It is an evening of traditional Scottish dinner and dancing and is a whole Scotch Community event.   All parents from Junior School, Middle School and Senior School are most welcome to attend.  It is a fantastic night for the whole community filled with lots of fun, a delicious feast, dancing, pipes and drums, a silent auction and more.

Ticket will be available for purchase shortly.

Thank you for your support of the Scotch College Pipe Band.

Mrs Ashley Dry

President

Pipe Band Parent Support Group

Teen Time: Tik Tok

Has the concept of time been lost to your teen and social media usage? Is it Tik Tok that is stealing precious moments with your son?  We know that teen Social Media usage has increased and Tik Tok is a current app of choice. If you're afraid you've lost your boy to his 'significant others' in the Social Media space, there is hope. While your teen is Tik Tok'ing hours away, forgoing the traditional game of Cranium with the family, parents could be upskilling on Tik Tok and endeavour to bridge that ever-widening Social Media generational gap.

What is Tik Tok

Tik Tok is a performance and video-sharing social network that mostly features teens lip-synching to famous songs but also includes some original song writing and singing. Users can build up a following among friends or share posts publicly. Gaining followers and fans feels important. Teens may want a public profile to get exposure and approval, and many are highly motivated to get as many followers and likes for their videos as possible.

What parents need to know

Songs and videos contain lots of questionable content. Think Countdown or Rage. Since this platform features popular music and includes a mix of teen and adult users, inappropriate language and content may be present.

There can be creepy comments and feedback. Though most comments are kind and supportive, some comments may be directed to the performer's body or have body image references. Like all social media it can be an avenue for bullying, so it is best to have these discussions with your teen.

What parents can do

You can provide a buffer between kids and iffy content by watching or making videos together with your teen. Time to Talk Tik Tok! Your teen will be surprised that you are interested in Tik Tok and you'll be surprised when he engages in the conversation with you.

Offer to hold the camera or turn it around to do a selfie duet. You can post it or save it as "private" so only you can see. The app also lets you share videos by email, text, or other social media where you can better control who sees it, so kids can perform for friends and relatives instead of a wider network of people.

This weekend I'll be dusting off my disco outfit and trying out some dance moves with my teen. Maybe it will reduce her appetite for Tik Tok and create more time to study.

The reality is it is a case of balance and something you need to discuss with your son. As a college, it is our role to help you navigate through this complex environment but the ultimate decision to use any form of social media is with the family.

For more information go to the common sense media's ultimate guide to Tik Tok

https://www.commonsensemedia.org/blog/parents-ultimate-guide-to-tiktok

Mrs Adelle Wilkes

ILT Integrator

Uniform Shop

No appointments required.

OPENING HOURS

Tuesday           8.00am to 5.00pm

Thursday         7.30am to 11.30am

Friday              7.30am to 11.30am

The Uniform Shop will be closed on Friday 28 February, for the mid-term break.

2020 Secondary Assistance Scheme

Families eligible for the Secondary Assistance Scheme (Years 7 - 12) will again be able to apply for this in 2020. 

Applications forms are available from Mrs Anita Johnson in our Accounts Department (email  accounts@scotch.wa.edu.au ) Applications close Thursday, 9 April 2020.

The Department of Education will endeavour to have all payments made by 30 June 2020

Further information can be obtained from:

Schools Resourcing and Budgeting Directorate

Department of Education

151 Royal Street

EAST PERTH WA 6004

Tel:  9264 4516

Email:  student.allowances@education.wa.edu.au

Mouthguard Information 2020

Galadent  will be providing us with their services for our mouthguard requirements, this is a final notification of their upcoming visit to the College.

All appointments will take place  this week  in  MacKELLAR  HALL and will run in  5 minute  intervals please choose from the dates and times below; 

Wednesday 19 February (4.00pm – 8.00pm)

Saturday 22 February (10.00am – 2.00pm)

Sunday 23 February (11.00am – 3.00pm)

Please view the  guidelines and then go online to the Galadent website  www.galadent.com.au.

Click on 'Mouthguard Booking' and follow the prompts to make your booking.

Changes to the West Leederville Bus Service

Please note from tomorrow, Tuesday 18 February, the departure time for the stops listed below will be as follows:

Stop 12725 (Cambridge Street after Southport Street) will depart at 7.25am instead of 7.20am

Stop 12730 (Cambridge Street before McCourt Street) will depart at 7.26am instead of 7.24am

Stop 19466 (Montgomery Avenue after St Johns Wood Boulevard) will depart at 7.52am instead of 7.56am

The bus will arrive at stop 19526 outside Scotch College on Shenton Road at 8.00am and will continue on to PLC to arrive at 8.15am

Please always refer to https://www.scotch.wa.edu.au/view/admissions/transport-to-scotch for the latest information.

Overcoming Perfectionism Course

Late last year, I mentioned this free online course which might be of benefit to some of our students. Participants will be part of a research project conducted by Curtin University. Some questions that might help you and your son identify if he is putting a bit too much pressure on themselves to achieve are:

• Does he focus on what he has not achieved, rather than what he has achieved?
• If he achieves his goal, does he tend to set the standard higher for the next time?
• Does he base his self-esteem on striving and achievement?
• Does he keep trying to meet his standards, even if it means he misses out on other things or it is causing problems?
• Does he tend to put off doing tasks in case he fails or because of the time it would take?

Time commitment is not more than one hour a week for eight weeks, with a pre- and post-programme survey and follow-up surveys at one and three months post-intervention (20 minutes each).

The link to the research information sheet and consent form is here:

https://curtin.au1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_1ZGAEJt7BD9Ufop

Mr James Hindle

Director of Student & Staff Wellbeing

The Fathering Project

The first meeting of the Scotch Dads’ Group will take place at the Mosman Park Bowls Club on Tuesday 17 ^th  March 2020 (Week 8). Bowls starts at 5.30pm.  There is a $15 cover charge and you pay for your own drinks. There will be a representative from TFP there who will speak to the group. This is a great opportunity for fathers and father-figures in your son’s life to get together and chat informally about ways we can better assist our boys to become good men. There will also be notices on the Junior School app and in the Middle School newsletter.

 

If you are interested in attending, please email Chris Alexander ( chris.i.alexander@gmail.com ) .

 

Mr James Hindle

Director of Student and Staff Wellbeing

Head of Junior School

On Thursday 30 January, the Junior School hosted the annual 'Meet the Teacher' evening. This important event gave us the opportunity to talk to parents and enabled us to share key focus areas and the Junior School goals for 2020.

The evening commenced with Dr O'Connell speaking about our School Mission which aims to develop boys of character with strong self-understanding, a passion for sustained learning and spiritual inquiry who will become valued members of the global community. This is emphasized by the co-mission statement of these four key areas;

• Know the boy/students – this is developed through assessments, discovery and sharing of interests, working and learning closely with all students in class.
• Learn globally – as a key aspect of the PYP, ensure international perspective is sought, build upon this developmentally as the boys move through the Junior School and link this to existing community expertise which are several vital ways to develop a global perspective.
• Embrace discovery – this is strongly developed through investigation, interrogation of information, communication of understanding and celebration of success.
• Inspire excellence – we aim for excellence for all. We want boys and girls to try hard and with our assistance succeed within school, as well as acknowledge outside of school achievements too.

Goal development for the Junior School

The Junior School over the last 2 years has spent time reviewing and developing a shared vision and core values. The premise of this review was to enhance student learning and to reflect on the practices in place within the school and their effectiveness.

All IB schools undergo a mandatory review of their IB program and Scotch has spent considerable time assessing its own program. The outcomes of this review have identified that 'Approaches to Learning' should be updated in the new PYP program.  This is going to be implemented in all IB PYP schools over the next 2 years. The review findings and the review work that our Scotch Junior staff produced resulted in the goals that have been selected for 2020.

The individual areas that Scotch have decided to focus on for 2020 are:

• Mathematics through inquiry
• Continual feedback systems
• Wellbeing with a child protection implementation
• Approaches to Learning

These are also linked to the school directives from our whole school strategic plan. The combination of systemic reviews, tabling of research findings and whole school directives formed the goals for 2020.

2020 Goals

The Junior School intends to ensure we provide a high-quality differentiated program in all curriculum areas and year levels, ie:

• Approaches to Learning - To further integrate ATL's into the Junior School curriculum.
• Mathematics - To consolidate our approach and delivery of Mathematics inquiry units.
• Feedback – To develop our approach to continuous feedback including updating reporting policy and increased use of rubric feedback.
• Wellbeing – To consolidate and refine our current Wellbeing practice including the upskill and implementation of a Child Protection program.

I look forward to working with our dedicated and committed Junior School staff in 2020 to successfully achieve these significant goals.

 

Physical Education News

On Wednesday 12 February the boys in Year 3, 4 and 5 participated in the annual Junior School Inter-House Swimming Carnival held at HBF Stadium. There were some amazing swims in all divisions across the years. In perfect conditions for swimming and with lots of encouragement from their Houses the Carnival got off to a fantastic start with 50m butterfly, freestyle, breaststroke and backstroke races. Olivier Bedel, Crusoe Bachofen von Echt and James Hargreaves-Serventy swam beautifully across their races in Year 3 whilst Connor and Zachary McManus performed well in all their races in Year 4. There were some exciting races in Year 5 with Angus McIntosh, Thomas Gamble, Charlie Burton and Xavier Fugill racing beautifully across their age group. The 25m races were just as keenly contested and there were amazing efforts from all the boys as they competed for house points that contributed to the final destination of the House Shield. Every swim counted toward this end and it was fantastic to see everyone giving their best effort. The final tally saw Gordon House triumph for the first time since 2015, in what was a great day of racing in a fun and relaxed atmosphere.

 

Mr Scott Whiston
Head of Junior School Physical Education

Year 3L News

The Year 3L boys have begun the year with a bang!  So many new routines and opportunities to be had.  One of the first introductions to Year 3 came with an excursion to Penguin Island as a whole Year 3 team with Mrs Webster’s class.  It was a gloriously sunny and picture-perfect day for an excursion on the water.  The boys began with an exploration of the marine park around Penguin Island.  They saw sea lions lazing on the beach, with one cheeky juvenile doing flips and tricks in the water around the boat.  The boys spent time exploring the beaches and lookouts finding many new natural treasures along the way.  They were careful to leave everything as they found it in order to play their part in preserving the natural habitat.  After a paddle along the shore and some sandcastle building, the boys entered the penguin area to observe the resident penguins frolicking together and waiting for a feed.  The speaker was informative and happy to answer the boys’ questions.  She talked to us about the difference between the penguin varieties and the population of little penguins or fairy penguins on the island.  Kevin was one of the boys’ favourite penguins as he was the naughtiest.  On their return to class, the boys discussed their favourite part of the day and what they learned.  This will lead us into discussions about communities and how they live.  We’ve had an exceptional start to the year.

   

 

Mrs Irene Louden
Year 3 Teacher

Primary Years Programme (PYP) Learner Profile

The Enhanced PYP

As a transdisciplinary, inquiry-based and student-centered education with responsible action at its core, the Primary Years Programme (PYP) remains trusted, timeless and transformational. Through the PYP, students experience learning that is engaging, significant, challenging and relevant.

In response to the challenges and opportunities found in our rapidly changing world, and in line with movements in global education to develop lifelong learners, a future focused PYP has evolved to support IB World Schools as they strive for excellence in primary education. This evolution is known as the Enhanced PYP.

Throughout the year, I will share the elements of the Enhanced PYP. The first element to share with you are the approaches to learning (often referred to as the ATLs – we love an acronym or two in Primary education) as listed below.

• Thinking skills – critical, creative, transfer
• Research skills – ethical, media and information literacy
• Communication skills – listening, speaking, interpreting
• Social skills – interpersonal, social and emotional intelligence
• Self-management skills – mindfulness, time management, organisation.

The ATLs are learning techniques that students utilise in order to promote independent learning and an awareness of 'how to learn' (process), as opposed to 'what to learn' (curriculum/content). You will see these referred to in many of the reporting and assessment documents throughout your child's journey through Scotch (and possibly PLC) and discussion about these skills is encouraged between yourselves, your child and their teachers.

Mr Warwick Norman
Junior School Dean of Teaching and Learning

Head of Middle School

Thank you to the Middle School parents who attended the Parent Information Evenings in Week 2, your presence underscores the importance of the sense of team we as the adult partnership need to have.  I mentioned two emphases last week: Posture and Caring.  As a partnership of adults working with adolescent boys, we need to continually be coaching and keeping these emphases to the fore.  Good posture is easier to observe and encourage, it is highly visible and can be attended to immediately.  Caring, understanding someone else's perspective is not as easy to see.  This week I will talk to the students about deliberately, consciously, caring about someone near to them.  Someone in the classroom, someone in the playground, someone in their sport squad.  I am urging boys to intentionally check in on someone, to ask how they are, invite them into an activity, say something positive.  90 seconds is what I am asking, to overtly, deliberately, care about someone else each day.  It is not long, but the benefit to both parties is significant and long lasting.  And, what a great habit to be known or having a reputation for.  The ABC's Four Corners programme tonight highlights where a lack of caring can take us, when we are not overt in helping students see the needs of others.  Can you ask your son who he will spend his 90 seconds caring about this week?

Homeroom Teacher Parent Meetings

These are particularly useful meetings and have been scheduled for Week 4 & 5.  They are a valuable two-way information sharing mechanism and again build the bedrock of the adult partnership we work from.  They are short sessions.  Sometimes they are a starting point for an agreed longer conversation at another time.  In inviting you to the Parent Meetings, I offer the reminder that you may contact any of your son's teachers with a question or background information at any time.  Responses will typically come the following day.

Scotch Parents' Middle School Parent Sundowner: Friday 21 February 6:30pm

This is a really popular event each year. Hosted by Scotch Parents it is low key and casual, a great opportunity to meet new families and extend the friendships that help build and maintain the sense of community Scotch College is known for.  New venue this year, the Middle School Quad. I really look forward to seeing you.  Don't forget to wear your name badges.  Please click on this link to purchase your tickets https://www.scotch.wa.edu.au/view/book-a-scotch-event

 

Middle School Inter-House Swimming Carnival

The Middle School Inter-House Swimming Carnival was held last Tuesday 4 February at HBF Stadium.  The event was officially opened by two of our Middle School pipers, James Tan and Lachy Teissier who gave an outstanding performance leading the school in a march around the pool.

On a scorching hot day, there were plenty of exceptional performances both in and out of the pool.

 

For the second year running, Xavier Smith (7.2) broke his year group records.  He broke the 50m Butterfly record set in 2016, finishing with a time of 30.74 seconds.  Later in the day, Xavier went on to break the 50m Freestyle record standing from 2013, swimming a time of 28.11seconds.

Another record from the day was an outstanding swim by the four Year 7 David House swimmers, Xavier Smith, Jake Taboni, Daniel LeClezio and Cruz Braddock who broke the 4x50m Freestyle record, swimming 2:15.94.

Hearing the newly created House chants was a real highlight of the day.  The chanting offered excellent support and collaboration between the students, along with an excellent display of leadership by our Year 8 students.

 

Final results from the Carnival were:

1^st                     Andrew           2398

2^nd                    David             2110

3^rd                    Robert             2090

4^th                    James             2031

5^th                    Gordon           2017

6^th                    Bruce             1937

Congratulations to all the boys in Andrew House!

Thank you to all of the parents, extended family and friends who came to watch and support the boys on what was a very hot day.  We really appreciated you being there.

 

Mr Michael Brinsden

Middle School Sport

Important Dates in Middle School Summer Term

Wed 19 Feb	Academic Assessment Testing  *Catch Up and New Enrolments* Galadent Mouth Guard Fittings, 4.00pm – 8.00pm MacKellar Hall
Fri 21 Feb	MS Assembly, 12.00pm DC Parent/Teacher Interviews Conclude Scotch Parents' MS Sundowner, 6.30pm MS Quad
Sat 22 Feb	Galadent Mouth Guard Fittings, 10.00am -2.00pm MacKellar Hall
Sun 23 Feb	Galadent Mouth Guard Fittings, 11.00am – 3.00pm MacKellar Hall
Mon 24 Feb	Ride2School
Tue 25 Feb	Ride2School MS Parents SEQTA Workshop 3.30pm – 4.30pm MS Parents SEQTA Workshop 6.00pm – 7.00pm
Wed 26 Feb	MS Parents SEQTA Workshop 9.00am – 10.00am
Fri 28 Feb	Mid-Term Break (no classes)
Mon 2 Mar	Mid-Term Break (Labour Day)
Tue 3 Mar	Year 7.7 Moray Expedition Departs
Thu 5 Mar	JPSSA Inter-School Swimming Carnival 1.00pm – 3.00pm HBF Stadium
Fri 6 Mar	College Open Day Year 7.7 Moray Expedition Returns 12.00pm MS Assembly, 12.00pm DC
Mon 9 Mar	Year 7.1 & 7.2 Moray Expedition Departs
Thu 12 Mar	Year 7.1 & 7.2 Moray Expedition Returns PSA Inter-School Swimming Carnival, 5.00pm HBF Stadium
Mon 16 Mar	Year 7.3 & 7.4 Moray Expedition Departs
Thu 19 Mar	Year 7.3 & 7.4 Moray Expedition Returns
Fri 20 Mar	MS Assembly, 12.00pm DC
Mon 23 Mar	Year 7.5 & 7.6 Moray Expedition Departs
Thu 26 Mar	Year 7.5 & 7.6 Moray Expedition Returns
Sun 29 Mar	Year 8 Bibbulmun Track Departs (Boarders only)
Thu 2 Apr	Year 8 Bibbulmun Track Returns (Boarders only)
Fri 3 Apr	MS Assembly, 12.30pm DC
Mon 6 Apr	MS Inter-House Philosothon
Wed 8 Apr	Free Dress Day World's Greatest Shave
Thu 9 Apr	Summer Term Concludes

Rethink your post

In the old school days, the term 'pile on' was used to describe a situation where during a kick to kick of the footy, the player who ended up with the ball was taken to the ground and others jumped on top. That was a different era and what was loosely acceptable as a lunchtime activity would now be frowned upon.

Unfortunately, the term has recently re-emerged, but with a different meaning. A 'pile on' is now used to describe a social media situation where an individual or group is targeted by others.

These 'pile ons' have become increasingly common and often target people in the news, celebrities or people who have made a mistake, and may be based on a rumour rather than truth. Increasingly they turn personal in nature. The original comment or comments are expanded upon, almost like a dare, as individuals attempt to 'out do' each other in their outrage and condemnation of the target. Those who are 'offended' by a comment or action sometimes become offensive themselves, but justify their behaviour with statements such as "they started it" or "they had it coming."

It is not, however, only people in the news who experience these social media 'pile ons'. Sometimes it might be someone we know. This person may have made a mistake, made a poorly chosen comment or been on the receiving end of an untrue rumour, or it could be that someone has simply taken a dislike to them and decided to comment online. Others may feel the need or desire to add their own comment, to add to the hurt that person is feeling. It is a sad reality, but one that occurs.

Unfortunately, there were a few high profile instances over the summer break and the pain caused to the individuals who had made a mistake was enormous. More often than not, people do not need others they don't know, or others they are not in the same friendship groups with, pointing out their errors. They know where they went wrong and are already working to rectify the situation - the opportunities to learn from mistakes are paramount and people lining up to pass their judgement, elevate a matter or join a chorus of abuse is not helpful.

You may have watched as comments have been posted online about others. They may be people you know or people you know of. You may agree with some of the comments, be shocked by others or simply pass them off as online 'banter'.

I encourage you to think carefully about involving yourself and, if you do, think about the manner in which you want to represent yourself. Importantly, think about the impact your comments may have on the targeted individual. The online world is continually evolving but, what gives any of us the right to pass judgement on another?

We have all made mistakes, some of which were embarrassing and some that hurt others, however, it is not acceptable to target another person in a mean or vindictive manner simply because they are seen as being 'different' or holding 'different views'. While an individual may ignite a situation by sharing a controversial perspective, perhaps trying to illicit an emotional response, it is important to think before choosing to get involved.

As a columnist for one of our national papers wrote earlier this year:

"Pile ons aren't concerned with political argument, or nuance. It's personal abuse. It's broken. It's unedited, unfiltered. It's garbage".

Even adding a comment, emoji or 'liking' a negative post might cause pain to another so it is important to put ourselves in the shoes of the individual who is being targeted. If it is a case of someone being cyber-bullied, we have a responsibility to act, whether by alerting someone to the situation, checking in with that person or by standing up for them.

Even if we don't agree with the actions of another person, we should ask ourselves what are we gaining by passing judgement online and endeavour to be the bigger person by acting with kindness. There is value for us in the social connections made on social media and just as we strive to be good citizens in our day-to-day lives, we should strive to be the same online.

Careers Information

Curtin University | Year 10 Parent Information Evening

26 February 2020 - 5.45pm - 7.30pm

Thinking about going to uni?

This event is the ideal starting place for you if you're in Year 10 or are a parent of a Year 10 student.

In this free session, our expert staff break down the university jargon and explain how you can choose the best subjects for Years 11 and 12 to suit your interests, abilities and career goals.

You'll also learn about Curtin courses, scholarships and alternative pathways.

Find out more: https://study.curtin.edu.au/undergraduate/year-10-information-evening/

UWA | Course Information Evening

30 March 2020 - 5.00pm - 7.30pm

The University of Western Australia

Join us on campus and chat to subject area specialists, academics and UWA students. Find out about UWA's courses, entry requirements, maximising your ATAR and how to keep your options open when selecting your ATAR subjects.

Find out more: https://www.uwa.edu.au/study/events/course-information-evening

University of Western Australia

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.

Closing date: 25 May 2020 for Year 12 students commencing in 2021.

Apply Now >>

US undergraduate application process for high school students

Event: US undergraduate application process for high school students – Amy Jarich - Education USA Perth

Where: All Saints' College – Gate 3 - Ewing Avenue, Bull Creek

Time:Thursday PM - Perth session for parents and students - Perth 6:30pm – 8:30pm  -

Venue: CPA Theatre OR board room dependent on attendee numbers

Please contact Grace Itzstein – Futures' Facilitator, All Saints' College Grace.Itzstein@allsaints.wa.edu.au office 93139358 or mobile 0412779194 if you have any further questions or to RSVP by Friday 28 February 2020.

Work Experience Opportunity

Applications are now open for the 2020 GREaT Program!!!!

The Get Real Experience and Try (GREaT) Nursing and Midwifery Work Experience Program has been developed to encourage high school students to experience nursing prior to studying it with a State Training Provider or at university.

The program allows Year 10 high school students to experience the many aspects of nursing and midwifery in a clinical setting while observing the team in action.

Over 5 consecutive days students will rotate through many areas previously not available to school students to find out what it's really like to be a nurse or midwife and what nurses and midwives really do.

This is the only work experience of its kind for Nursing and Midwifery and is only offered to Year 10 students.

Please see the link to website below to familiarise yourself with the program:

  http://ww2.health.wa.gov.au/Careers/Occupations/Nursing-and-midwifery/Become-a-nurse-or-midwife/Work-experience-nursing-and-midwifery

 Applications close Friday 13 March 2020 (5pm)

Top of the Class: Career Paths for High Achievers

22 February 2020 – 1.30pm – 3.30pm

The University of Western Australia

Learn about two popular higher education pathways for high achieving students, Australian Medical Schools and overseas study.

If you are in Year 9-11 and everyone keeps asking you for help in class or tries to peek at the answers on your test, it's time to start thinking about where your academic talents could take you!

At this event, expert speakers from MedView and Crimson Education will take you through two of the most popular, but challenging, university options:

• Applying to Australian Medical Schools
• Applying to top US and UK universities

Getting accepted into either of these two paths requires more than academics alone. It comes down to having a complete understanding of the application process and being organised enough to prepare well in advance.

Find out more: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/top-of-the-class-career-paths-for-high-achievers-perth-registration-86884645313

Master Mind Australia

Master Classes – Term 1 ATAR Subjects

Master Classes are one-hour tutorial sessions conducted once a week during the school term. Each week they reteach, revise and reinforce the topics and areas of study that the students are dealing with in their classes at school. These small-group seminars for senior school students focus on the ATAR Learning Areas of Chemistry, Physics, Maths, English, Literature, Human Biology and Psychology.

Program will be conducted at

Christ Church Grammar School

Saturday 15 February to Saturday 4 April

For further information contact Dr. Robert Hallam at Master Mind Australia on 9342 2000

Or visit www.mastermindaustralia.com.au

2021 Gap Year Opportunities

As you may know, since 2005 Letz Liv has specialised in the recruitment of Australian gap year assistants in schools (traditionally Boarding schools) across New Zealand, Thailand and the United Kingdom. All positions offered to potential applicants from Scotch College WA will be provided with board and lodging in addition to a weekly stipend during their time abroad. Depending on the country of destination, placements are either six or eleven months in duration.

Further details and information can be accessed at www.letzlive.org

Lattitude Global Volunteering

Over past years students from Scotch College have undertaken a gap year with Lattitude Global Volunteering, in particular the 12month option of Schools Assistant in boarding schools in the UK.

Please note that the priority deadline for applications for 2021 is Friday the 6 March 2020. This will give students the best chance at securing their first preference for the more popular programs.  If this isn't possible there a mid-year application deadline on Friday 12 June 2020 and there will be rolling applications after this date for any remaining placements.

Please visit the website for more information.   https://lattitudeaustralia.org/home  

Scotch College is a member of Study Work Grow

Scotch has subscribed to one of Australia's top careers news and information services, and it's easy for you to sign up for free membership as part of our school subscription.

You can access career building tools, discover scholarships, and more. It's safe, easy, and completely FREE for you to subscribe to this resource.

How to sign up:

Before you start, you'll need our School Code: Scotch19

Step 1 – go to StudyWorkGrow.com.au and go to 'Find Your School'

Step 2 – enter your details and our unique school code: Scotch19

FREE STUDENT EXCHANGE INFORMATION EVENING IN PERTH Hear from returned students, find out more about discounts and scholarships available and ask questions. Thursday, 27th February - 7.00pm Adina Apartment Hotel Perth, 33 Mounts Bay Road, Perth Visit www.studentexchange.org.au or call 1300 135 331 for more information

Mr Peter Frusher

Careers Adviser

Senior School Important Dates

Date	Event	Location	Time
Week 4B
Tuesday 18 February	Year 12 Outdoor Education (General) Abseiling Expedition departs	Margaret River	Final Day Thursday 20 February
	Year 9 Enrichment Parent Information Evening	BRC (Senior School Library)	6.30pm – 7.30pm
Wednesday 19 February	Salvation Army Soup Kitchen	Northbridge	6.15am – 9.30am
	Year 9 Academic Testing (catch up)
	Talented Young Writers’ Programme	Fremantle Literacy Centre	8.30am – 3.30pm
	Year 11 Parent Teacher Student Interviews	Dickinson Centre	4.00pm – 8.00pm
	Galadent Mouthguard Fittings	MacKellar Hall	4.00pm – 8.00pm
Friday 21 February	Senior School Marching and Assembly	Dickinson Centre	8.30am – 9.45am
	PSA Sport – Scotch College Bye
	Ross House Swimathon	School Pool	3.00pm – 5.00pm
	Cameron House Fundraiser	Gooch Pavilion	4.30pm – 6.30pm
Saturday 22 February	PSA Sport – Scotch College Bye
	PSA Rowing – Trinity College Regatta	Champion Lakes	8.30am – noon
	Disabled Surfing	Leighton Beach	8.30am – 2.00pm
	Galadent Mouthguard Fittings	MacKellar Hall	10.00am – 2.00pm
Sunday 23 February	Year 12 Bibbulmun Track Expedition departs		Arrive in Albany 10.00am Saturday 29 February
	Galadent Mouthguard Fittings	MacKellar Hall	11.00am – 3.00pm
Week 5A
Monday 24 February	Year 9 Rottnest Camp departs	B Shed Jetty, Fremantle	9.00am
Tuesday 25 February	Year 11 Drama Day	Scotch College	8.30am – 3.30pm
	PSA Quads Swimming Carnival	HBF Stadium	6.00pm – 9.30pm
Wednesday 26 February	Year 11 and 12 Drama Excursion – Perth International Arts Festival	Regal Theatre	6.30pm – 8.30pm
Thursday 27 February	Pipe Band Parents’ Welcome Afternoon Tea	Dining Room Annexe	1.30pm – 3.30pm
	Year 9 Rottnest Camp returns	B Shed Jetty, Fremantle	2.35pm
Friday 28 February	Mid-Term Break (no classes)
	Year 12 Bibbulmun Track End to Enders catch up for parents	Albany	6.00pm – 9.00pm
Saturday 29 February	Year 12 Bibbulmun Track Expedition ends	Southern Terminus, Albany	10.30am
Week 6B
Monday 2 March	Mid-Term Break (no classes)
	Boarding House opens – boys due back by 5.30pm		3.00pm – 5.30pm
Tuesday 3 March	Years 10, 11 and 12 OLNA Testing – Writing (Round 1)
	Year 9 Parents and House Head Dinner	Dining Room	6.45pm – 9.15pm

 

Boys' Achievements

Western Australian Junior Mathematics Olympiad 2019 – Certificate of Distinction 

First Name (Preferred)	Surname	Year	House
Nelson	Hegge	Year 10	Stuart
Hugo (Hugh)	Fellows-Smith	Year 10	St Andrews

Ethan Lamb, Year 12, Ross,  was successful in his audition for the West Australian Youth Jazz Orchestra, being appointed to the first trumpet position in the Monday Night Orchestra

Lachlan Hyndes, Year 12, Ross,  was successful in his audition for the West Australian Youth Orchestra, being appointed to the position of Cello in the Philharmonic Orchestra

Max Shervington, Year 12, Anderson,  was successful in his audition for the West Australian Youth Orchestra, being appointed to the position of Principal Tuba in the Philharmonic Orchestra

At the School Age Swimming Championships,  Nicolas Le Page, Year 11 Anderson , beat his own U/17 Backstroke record with a time of 29.67sec.

Scotch Parents

Year 10 Parents

We are still in need of a couple of parents who are willing to be Scotch Parent Representatives. It is not an onerous task and would require you to organise a few casual coffee mornings during the term and a couple of get togethers for parents throughout the year. Please email me at scotchparents@scotch.wa.edu.au if you are interested. I am more than happy to offer any assistance required.

Upcoming Events:

• Middle School Sundowner – Middle School Quadrangle - Friday 21 February, 6.30pm
• Year 9 Parent and House Head Dinner – Dining Room - Tuesday 3 March, 6.45pm

Tickets for the Middle School Sundowner are closing shortly and are available by visiting the Scotch College website www.scotch.wa.edu.au and clicking on the “Book a Scotch Event” icon. Tickets for the Year 9 Parent and House Head dinner are also available by visiting the website.

Save the Date

Year 12 Mother’s Lunch - Sunday 15 March

More details to follow shortly.

Ms Kate Reynolds

President 

Scotch Parents