What an Honour

Throughout my time at Scotch, I have had the opportunity to meet and speak to many interesting and significant people from across society.

Last Friday presented me with yet another amazing opportunity. Along with many of the attendees at our production, I was fortunate enough to spend an evening in the company of Mr Ben Elton. Ben had accepted an invite from our Drama teacher, and Curriculum Leader of the Arts, Ms Sarah Combes, to attend our production of We Will Rock You. Ben Elton is a world-renowned writer, performer and comedian and to have him give us the honour of attending our production speaks volumes for him as a person as someone who genuinely and passionately cares about the arts.

Of course, this was no random invite, as Ben Elton wrote the musical in 2002. On the night, Ben shared that due to COVID-19, and the many restrictions around public performances globally, Scotch College is the only place in the world where the musical was actually playing.

More significantly, Ben took the time to meet and speak with the students both before and after the performance. I will long remember what he said to the cast about the concept of performance honesty in theatre. In essence, he said it is obvious that the leads must perform their roles to the highest standard, but on the night, he noticed just how strong every member of our ensemble was and that you simply cannot hide dishonest performances in any production. Ben highlighted that the genuine honesty that emanated from the whole cast is what made the Scotch College production of his script such a success.

Thanks to everyone for making this production a success, especially Ms Sarah Combes, Production Director, and Mr Scott Loveday, Musical Director, and all of our staff, both back and front of house, our wonderful performers, our parent support group, and all family and friends for ensuring that during such a challenging time across the globe, and given our restricted rehearsal schedule due to COVID-19, we still delivered a performance to remember for many years to come.

Ongoing Vigilance

Just last week, I attended the biannual meeting of the Association of Heads of Independent Schools Australia (WA Branch) of which I currently Chair. The major focus was a very timely update from the COVID-19 cross sectorial task force.

As a result of this presentation, I couldn’t help but reflect that with successes such as our production, the return of assemblies, intra and inter College sports, coupled with the general positive feeling around our own campus and the wider community, it is way too easy to forget that we must continue to remain focused and vigilant about the possibility of a COVID-19 breakout. The Victorian scenario can happen anywhere. We are only one small step away from being on the end of a member of the community who has no concern for their fellow citizens, or on the end of complacency, leading to an accidental breach of COVID–19 guidelines and protocols.

From my reading of the situation in WA, it is highly unlikely that we will progress to Stage 5 restrictions. This means that as the year unfolds, we may still face changes to the operation and structure of some of our events. All I can ask for from our community is its ongoing support, which to date has been exemplary. Your patience, understanding and execution has been very much appreciated. Most importantly, I need to remind everyone that comparative analysis of what other schools or colleges do, or say, will not form the basis of any decision making at Scotch.

It is important to remember that a post COVID-19 context is not a reality at this stage. Because so much appears normal as a school community and within the wider community, let us not become complacent.

I urge families to encourage their son(s) to continue to exercise high levels of hygiene and sensible and realistic social distancing in their day-to-day interactions with each other and the adults with whom they come into contact, especially their teachers. A priority for me is the ongoing health and safety of our staff who continue to teach and support our boys. With this in mind, I ask for your support through avoiding any unnecessary entry onto campus by parents or any other adults not employed directly in the operation of the College. Our full return to school was, and remains, a major step in relaxing community restrictions but we still need to approach the balance of our year with measured optimism, not complacent exuberance.

Once again thank you so much for supporting the College with the challenges we have faced thus far and for the support you will continue to give for the balance of 2020 as we journey through this COVID-19 environment together.

If you have any queries or concerns, please contact your respective sub-school directly. As we move forward, let us not forget to focus on the basics which have served us so well thus far.

Have a great fortnight,

Dr Alec O’Connell
Headmaster

Love Your Neighbour, As Yourself

The focus for Middle School Chapel services this term has been Jesus's commandment to 'love your neighbour, as yourself'. Such a simple instruction, so easy to understand and yet, so challenging to every one of us. As the lawyer in the story of the good samaritan quipped to Jesus, 'And who is my neighbour?'.

A modern-day good samaritan, Don Richie, named Australian Hero of the Year (2011), had the answer. His neighbour was any person in distress, who needed a stranger's help.

Don Richie lived opposite the infamous Sydney suicide spot The Gap, and over the years he talked more than 160 people out of taking their lives there. Keeping watch from a second-story window of his house, Don looked out for people preparing to jump. His strategy was simple, to interrupt them with a kind word and to offer them a cup of tea. This ordinary act of kindness effectively coaxed dozens of people back from the brink.

Don Richie claimed it does not take much to make a difference to those in need and anyone can do it. In his Australia Day acceptance speech, Mr Richie said:

"To my fellow Australians, never be afraid to speak to those who you feel are in need. Always remember the power of the simple smile, a helping hand, a listening ear and a kind word."

An important message for R U OK week and for us to remember every day.

Perception Shadows Reality

Recently, a conversation on the side of a local sporting oval led me to consider the impact perception has when it differs vastly from reality and why some perceptions are seen as a rigid dichotomy.

Why invest in education?

As you can imagine, people often ask my advice on private independent education and why I believe it is worth the investment.

When you are in the thick of education, it is easy to see the difference, in terms of what schools have to offer, but I imagine from the outside they mostly appear the same. Buildings, teachers, curriculum, pastoral and sporting programmes are fairly common among all schools. However, when you look more closely there are stark differences between schools that can only truly be compared once you fully understand the school's culture. This makes it difficult to discern between perception and reality when the current and relevant experience is hard to come by. That being the case, the perception of a school is often based on what people talk about, whether this is from firsthand experience, historical experience or perception based on some observation.

Embracing change

This poses an interesting challenge for schools as culture is constantly evolving to respond to generational differences. Fact: I do not want the education for my children to be the same educational experience as I had, even though it was a good standard for that era. Didactic teaching, chalk and talk, learning by rote and rigour through repetition were some of the highlights of an 80s and 90s education along with a generation who was expected to learn grammar through 'immersion'. Likewise, technology integration was touch typing on a computer and communication/social skills were taught through the one-off Year 12 English oral presentation! It would certainly be left wanting by this generation of young learners.

I now understand schools on a far deeper level, having taught various curriculums in a number of different systems across a few countries. I like to think of them as a complex ecosystem of intricately woven decisions. One aspect of the school and its microstructure is likely to influence so many other aspects of the school. If you disrupt one structure, it will have a flow-on effect that changes the way the organisation operates. This is not necessarily a bad thing as change is a very healthy aspect of organisational culture, however, it does explain why schools often look similar on the outside but feel very different on the inside. They have the same purpose, but how they achieve their end goal, and what they believe success to be, may vary greatly.

Rejecting dichotomies

There are a number of perceptions that I hear when people discuss schools that intrigue me. "That's an academic school, that school is good at the arts, it's a sporting school, they have strong pastoral care at …."

Sometimes I find the rigid dichotomy that is discussed when comparing schools interesting, such as, sporting schools are not academic, or strength in community and service means a lack of competitive spirit or, to be strong in the arts means you don't have a good mathematics and science programme. If this dichotomy existed in schools, then surely it would also have to exist for the students within the schools. But as we know, students who are good at sport are often very strong academically, musicians are frequently capable in mathematics, active people in the community are often successful, the list goes on. I would not dream of understanding where these perceptions are born, I only know they exist and are likely perpetuated by confirmational bias.

Our community

Like others, my perception of Scotch College when I first arrived is vastly different from what I understand it to be today. It took me a very short time to feel the sense of community, it took me far longer to understand where this is derived from and what it means to be part of this community. To explain this, I realised that over a long period of time I came to understand how the pieces of the puzzle fit together and how those pieces influenced each other.

I never expect to be able to explain in passing how intricately woven the decisions that have been made with regards to our academic programme are, but what I can say is that the care and attention given to how we design curriculum, deliver our lessons, assess student outcomes, develop skills, track and monitor progress and employ teaching staff who passionately believe in what they are doing is second to none that I have encountered.

Scotch's culture respects humility so it is unlikely we will ever be known for a long list of achievements even though there are many; it is more likely you will hear people say, 'we went to an amazing school with some ordinary people who achieved some extraordinary things in so many facets of their life'. That is a culture that I am very proud to be part of.

The Sound of Music

The three events I want to talk about from this week and last are all bound together by singing.

Singing

Singing is relational. It brings people together and it creates a shared point of reference for them. Singing in a choir, whether in a musical on a stage or in the stands at a football match or even a karaoke bar, causes human heart rates to sync up and those participating experience a steadying of their breathing, producing a calming effect.¹ Once the nerves of performing in public have worn off, there is a heightened sense of belonging and connection.

The first choir was established in Berlin in the 1780s. Amanda Lohrey, in her essay, The Clear Voice Suddenly Singing, describes the early reasons behind the formation of choirs:

"People who once worked at home where they had sung freely now moved to the factories in the towns where the deafening noise of the new machines drowns them out. John Wesley and the Methodist revival brought group singing into the realm of the common worker. Wesley wanted hymns which the simplest and most illiterate people could remember and sing. As in Lutheranism, the whole congregation was to sing and not, as in the Church of England at that time, sit silently while others sang to it. Singing together, Wesley knew, individual men and women become a community, a congregation.

Many factory owners encouraged the development of work-site choirs, seeing in these an encouragement to a sober and pious (and with luck, docile) workforce. According to Charles Dickens' father-in-law, George Hogarth (writing in the Daily News): 'their wages are not squandered in intemperance, and they become happier as well as better.' Thus begins a tradition that sees every Lanchashirefactory, every Welsh colliery have its own choir (and band), and community singing practices become entrenched in ways that live on in the massed singing on the terraces at English football games."

Singing is a way of being in the moment; it is a breathing activity and, as such, a form of mindfulness. It is an example of awe, where we experience being part of something greater than ourselves. We become part of a greater whole – it amplifies the self, whilst simultaneously enabling us to lose one's self. It is a way of escaping from our problems and talking about them at the same time. Even listening to sad music and songs can actually help by making you feel positive emotions.² Not only is singing an escape from where we are, but it is also an escape into a place that is exhilarating. You only need to see the faces of people when they sing, and hear the excited chatter once they have finished (who stuffed up; did you see that person; thank goodness that's over), to get a glimpse of the power of singing.

R U OK Week

Last week in Senior School, we ran R U OK Week, a week which is dedicated to reminding people of the importance of noticing – noticing how those around them are going, noticing any changes, either in others or in themselves. In Chapel, we spoke about the key steps in asking 'R U OK?', building on this year's theme: 'There's more to say after 'R U OK?'. I laid out what I think are the four challenges in looking after each other:

• Noticing when things aren't right with someone and being brave enough to ask them, 'Are you okay?'
• Being brave enough to ask for help when we ourselves are not okay
• Having the courage to listen when what the other person has to say may be difficult to hear, to offer support and to follow up if they are not ready to talk or they say they are fine
• Remembering that this is not just one week a year…

It is like NAIDOC Week, which reminds us of the ongoing need for reconciliation and healing in our country. These are attitudes and behaviours we need to do over and over again so that they become habits. All of these things come down to being kind, showing kindness to others and ourselves, taking time out of our lives to show someone you care enough to notice and to ask them how they are doing and what you can do to help

Asking for help, or asking if someone is alright, is not easy for most people. Neither is singing in front of others. That is why, each year, I ask the Year 12s to sing a song. This year, we performed Blinding Lights, with lyrics reworked to fit the theme of 'R U OK' and we had the biggest participation level yet seen. Reaching out to others – taking the risk to show that we care – is outside of the comfort zone of many. Hopefully, the more we can encourage the boys to notice and to act, the better we will become as a society at coping with things.

This week, it is Middle School's turn. There will be Chapel and assembly items, as well as the opportunity to make 'R U OK' stickers.

We Will Rock You

The Senior School production is always one of the highlights of the year and this year I think it has been even more special, given how fortunate we are to even be able to put on such a show at all. I have loved watching the cast rehearse and I have been reminded of just how much work goes into performing successfully at such a high standard. I congratulate everyone involved. Seeing and hearing the performance filled me with pride and joy.

The story revolves around the importance of individuality, of being true to who you are. But it is also a story about individuals working together – literally in chorus, in harmony. There is something very special about hearing voices in harmony. We should always encourage our young people to work out who they are and to be individual, but that individuality should always be used for the benefit of the whole. Human societies function best when individuals have the freedom to be themselves for the common good. Queen's music was very much about individuality and the willingness to express that. The warning inherent in the musical is for us to guard against conformity and group-think, and to resist the power of the musical's villainous corporationGlobalsoft. It comes down to being conscious of who has control over our lives.

Senior School House Singing

Since 2013, we have run a House Singing competition in the Senior School. This week will see the heats again being run during Chapel, with the final to be held at Friday's assembly. I often think that the time spent rehearsing as a group is where the real benefit lies, although there is an extra dimension to performing in front of a crowd – especially if they are your peers! This year has made a challenging task a little trickier, but I am looking forward to seeing every boy in Senior School perform at least once this week.

It is my hope that in the not-too-distant future we will be able to run something similar in Middle School. It is also my hope that we will be able to stage a whole school event where every student in the school comes together to sing.

---

1 Vickhoff, B. et al, Music structure determines heart rate variability of singers, 2013, Frontiers in Psychology

2 Kawakami, A. et al, Sad Music Induces Pleasant Emotion, 2013, Frontiers in Psychology

Scotch Rocks

This performance will showcase the skills acquired by the Year 11 and 12 boys participating in the VET course, Certificate II in Music Industry.

Scotch Rocks provides a vehicle for the students to perform live at a professional venue in front of family and friends along while gaining experience working with industry professionals PRISCILLA – a popular synthpop duo featuring Priscilla Gardner on vocals and keyboards, and Luke  Minness, our resident electronic music tutor, on keyboards and drum pads.

PRISCILLA has been mentoring the boys in workshops over the past term and will be assisting the students at the Rosemount Hotel for this exciting opportunity.

Buy tickets

Uniform Shop

Opening Hours

Tuesdays: 8am–5pm

Thursdays: 7.30–11.30am

Fridays: 7.30–11.30am

School Holidays

The Uniform Shop will close  for the school holiday break at 11.30am, Friday 25 September 2020.

The Uniform Shop will be open on Tuesday 13 October 2020 prior to school returning.

What is going on in Junior School?

Excursions and incursions

A great deal has been going on within the Junior School, with many excursions and events unfolding. We have been lucky enough to be able to arrange a few excursions for our students this term.

There is always a great deal to be gained from incursions and excursions, so in utilising this opportunity the Junior School staff had to be careful and strategic when facilitating experiences outside of the classroom. These events are additional ways to enhance the Primary Years Programme (PYP), ensuring the students consolidate and engage in rich opportunities with their learning. This includes involvement with our PLC connections and cross-school interactions, as well as enjoying online incursions for diversity.

Athletics Carnival

Our Pre-Kindy students embarked on their first Athletics carnival on Wednesday and they relished the opportunity to participate in running, spud and spoon races and small relay competition. These events all help to build the carnival's understanding for the younger students and the way in which the day runs, how to interact, and how to gauge small instances of winning and not winning.

What lies beneath

The Kindergarten students have been vigorously investigating their burning question of 'what lies beneath?'. This has enabled the students to investigate their wonderings to find out more about what is underneath the ocean, the dirt, our skin and much, much more.

100 days in school

Our Pre-Primary boys have been busy celebrating their 100 days in school. Interestingly, the boys invited the oldest person they knew at school to come and join in, and so it was lovely to see Dr Alec O'Connell interact and become a part of the celebrations. He was joined by Mrs Ritchie, Mrs Varian, Mrs Cumming and myself. One hundred days is a long time when you are in Pre-Primary!

   

Musica Vivia

The Year 1 boys had the opportunity to engage with the Musica Viva 2020 event, which this year was uniquely conducted online. The Year 1 boys were joined by Pre-Primary to Year 4 boys, and they loved watching the music and theatre unfold through several laptops and screens.

Art with FORM

In the creative realm, our Year 2 boys have been working through some extended thinking with their learning through the partnership with FORM. Mrs Alexander and the Year 2 boys have been exploring alternative school sessions at Beach School. The classroom is sporting some wonderful articles gathered from their beach experiences. The boys are very excited to utilise the outside space as an extension of the classroom learning environment.

  

Scottish dancing

Recently the Year 3 boys went to PLC to enjoy a morning of Maths activities and Scottish dancing. This has been a lovely tradition with the Year 3 students coming together either at PLC or Scotch, with students interacting and learning Scottish dancing. A little performance is planned for later in the term.

STEM

Similarly, the Year 4 boys accepted the invitation from PLC and also headed across to engage in some Maths relays and STEM activities. This joint venture was a great way to ensure that the students interacted and enhanced their connections forged previously in their Year 3 dancing and collaboration last year. The Year 4 boys thoroughly enjoyed their recent JPSSA Rugby Carnival against other PSA schools and are looking forward to their JPSSA Soccer Carnival towards the end of the term.

Exhibition journey

It is that exciting time of the year when our Year 5 students embark on their exhibition journey. Year 5 parents alongside their sons have been participating in some sharing sessions where they have been learning about the exhibition process and what direction they might decide to take for their exhibition. These sessions were part of the launch into what is going to unfold as a rich and vibrant experience for the boys.

There are always productive and varied experiences unfolding across the Junior School, all of which are well planned, implemented and aimed to actively support the day-to-day learning of our Junior School students. These opportunities are important to the students and are also a welcomed complement to ensuring rich and diverse experiences are available for all the Scotch Junior School students.

Physical Education News

The Scotch JPSSA cross country team travelled to Trinity College, Waterford for the annual Inter-School Cross Country Carnival last Thursday.

On a clear sunny day on a flat course, the students ran to their potential in all the races with the Year 4 students giving the team a strong platform with some solid performances. James Walwaski and Noah Hubble in particular having a good run.

The Year 5 students were committed and kept the team in the running against some strong teams in that year group.

The Year 6 students then performed out of their skin with some amazing runs and personal bests for a number of boys. The Scotch Year 6 team scored the lowest scored total of any year group team for the past five years and the whole team fell just short of the title in what was a most impressive run from a year group.

A special mention to Charlie Warden, Spencer Chapel, Ben Campbell, Abe Prendiville, Cooper Royle and Jack Ashby who ran to their limit in what was a great team effort.

Mr Scott Whiston
Head of Junior School Physical Education

3W News

Winter Term is flying past with the Year 3 classrooms a hive of activity.

We rejoiced in having our first excursion since Online Learning, sharing a morning of collaboration with the PLC girls at their school campus last week. Despite a few nerves, the children quickly became a cohesive unit, learning some new moves with a Scottish dancing session and competing in a Maths relay where mixed teams solved a series of maths problems and literally had to run with their solutions to beat the others. We look forward to hosting the girls at Scotch in a fortnight as we prepare for our upcoming Scottish Afternoon. It promises to be filled with tartan and shortbread and Ms Louden and I are 'chuffed tae bits' to be involved in this 'wee gem' of a show!

We also visited the Design and Technology building in Senior School to view the wide range of equipment and technologies available. Year 9 students worked closely with the boys to design and produce key tags on the laser cutter, stimulating their interest in the design process. We are so lucky to have such a wealth of resources available to us at our College. Hopefully, we will be able to use it as we enter the design phase of this latest unit of inquiry.

Next week we will be travelling to Perth Hills for a cultural experience. This is the first contact that the boys will have as they get to know the staff in the Outdoor Education department and build up to camp experiences in Years 4 and 5. It is such a thrill to be able to take the boys far afield to enjoy the wealth of opportunities that surround our city.

Five more weeks to go with lots of great learning experiences and Spring is in the air. Thank you to all of our parents for their endless support and assistance. I hope that you enjoyed watching your son participate in the Inter-House Athletics Carnival and felt proud of their behaviour and effort. 

  

Mrs Alison Webster
Year 3 Teacher

Junior School Resource Centre

CBCA Book Week 2020

Since 1945, the Children's Book Council of Australia (CBCA) has brought children and books together across Australia through CBCA Book Week.

During this time schools and public libraries spend one glorious week celebrating books and Australian children's authors and illustrators. This year the theme is 'Curious Creatures, Wild Minds'. Due to the COVID-19 outbreak, the timing for the celebration has been moved back to 17–23 October, Week 2 of Spring Term.

From 2021, the CBCA expects that the Book of the Year Awards and Book Week will revert to their normal schedule with the awards announced on the third Friday in August and CBCA Book Week commencing the following day.

This year, we will be encouraging the Early Learning Centre students to come to school dressed as their favourite book character on Tuesday 20 October. There will be a parade held in the Junior/Middle School Library between 9am and 10am.

For our Junior School students, their parade will be help from 2–3pm, Wednesday 21 October in MacKellar Hall. We suggest that these students come to school in their PE uniforms and get changed after lunch in their classrooms before making their way to the parade.

The parade will finish with a ‘really well-rehearsed’ pantomime by the staff based on a book that matches the theme for this year.

Mr Warwick Norman
Junior School Dean of Teaching and Learning

Head of Middle School

What do you do when you learn that approximately one billion people worldwide, essentially one out of every nine people do not have access to clean water?

We often have first-hand knowledge of the importance of water when it comes to drinking, hydration and the sustaining of life. We know that without drinking water the human body is seriously compromised in a matter of days. However, when we add to this the role of water in hygiene; the washing of food, the body and in sanitation, it is overwhelming to contemplate the massive problem inadequate access to water is. When we think of that ratio, one in nine, that represents 54 Middle School students, or three students in every classroom. It is a tiny illustration on how big the inequity is.

This was one of the pieces of information the Year 7 boys discovered in their current iLearn unit on water. As they look at the science of water, that is water systems and water chemistry, they also explore the concepts of access and equity to this most fundamental of human needs. The imbalance of this access is discomfiting. The three photos below show how the Year 7 boys responded to their learning. They completed a Walk for Water with to raise money for Water Aid Australia. Water Aid Australia provides clean water solutions, such as wells or a tap stands in village centres, in communities across the world where access to clean water is compromised. Boys also used the Walk for Water in their Mathematics unit investigating linear functions.

We have not finished counting the donations promised, sponsoring each student for each lap he completed, but we are currently looking at over $2,000. This is huge. Thank you for your support and motivation of your son in this endeavour.

This week, Week 6, we put a spotlight on wellbeing; the importance of a balanced life and of thinking about others via R U OK? Week. There is plenty of advice on how to monitor and improve wellbeing, the trick is incorporate some of this advice into habits so that wellbeing or mindfulness of ourselves and others becomes a part of who we are.

Lots of advice to digest but for just one, the restorative, invigorating effect that nature can have on us is a big one. Getting amongst the waves, or the bush or moving through some wide-open spaces experiencing the wind, the sun, the atmosphere, the sounds and forces of nature is wonderful for resetting the equilibrium.

A great way to embrace the arrival of Spring this week would be to make a point of experiencing nature and contemplating its effect on our wellbeing. Talk to your son this week about how he feels his life balance is and whether an outdoor session, just for the joy of being in nature, can especially be added to the week.

iPad Applications in Mathematics

Our Year 6 Mathematics students recently took advantage of the portability of the iPad and its ability to easily embed images and audio into tasks, by heading out to the oval to investigate a claim from a news article. The article stated that the length of a standing jump for Australian children aged 11 and 12 years old had declined over the years from 155.1cm in 1985 to 133.5cm in 2015. Surely this couldn't be true?

Using a template created in the Numbers app, the boys worked in groups to photograph their jumps, record the data, present the data in tables, and finally evaluate the data against the claims. The boys recorded their findings as audio recordings embedded in the template and compared themselves to the study as well as their teachers' long jumps. I'm pleased to report that both the boys and the teachers are able to jump closer to the 1985 levels!

 

By demonstrating their understanding in both visual and text formats, our boys were able to transfer this learning about data collection and analysis into their long-term memory.

Mrs Sophie Berry
Dean of Teaching & Learning Middle School

Important Dates — Middle School Winter Term

For all upcoming events, visit our online calendar.

Tue 1 Sep	UNSW Spelling Competition
Thu 3 Sep	Year 7 Immunisations Round 2
Fri 4 Sep	R U OK? Week Concludes Year 6 Parent Function, 7pm Guildhall North Fremantle
Sun 6 Sep	Year 8 Bibbulmun Track Departs (Boarders Only) Year 7 Bibbulmun Track Departs (Boarders Only)
Mon 7 Sep	Year 7 Bibbulmun Track Returns (Boarders Only)
Wed 9 Sep	Year 6 Dental Screening, 9am Health Centre
Thu 10 Sep	JPSSA Inter-School Athletics Carnival, 9am WA Athletics Stadium Year 8 Bibbulmun Track Returns (Boarders Only)
Fri 11 Sep	PSA Inter-School Athletics Carnival, 9am WA Athletics Stadium MS Assembly, 12pm Dickinson Centre
Tue 15 Sep	MS Inter-House Philosothon
Wed 16 Sep	Year 8 Community Project Submissions
Fri 18 Sep	MS Photo Day (Individual and Class Photos) Year 8 Social
Mon 21 Sep	MS Languages Week Commences
Thu 24 Sep	MS Free Dress Day
Fri 25 Sep	MS Assembly (Staff & Students only), 11am MacKellar Hall MS Inter-House Highland Games 12.30–3.15pm Agricultural Day Winter Term Concludes

Student Achievements

Congratulations to Mandeep Singh (7.7) who competed in the WA Secondary School Golf Tournament in Cottesloe last week.

Mandeep won 2nd place in the Year 7 category.

Cultural Identity

In Week 2 at our NAIDOC Week Assembly, we heard about the importance of culture. We heard about traditions that were built over thousands of years, about the importance of belonging, of connection to those who came before us and about understanding and honouring those people. I thank those individuals who shared with us their experiences, Daniel O'Meara (Year 12, Ferguson), Neville Collard and Alicia Janz.

There are so many aspects of the stories that we're told that are important to us as a country, state and community, and that message of respect, understanding and acknowledgement is one for us all to focus on. Reflecting back, I would like to comment on some aspects of our culture here at Scotch College.

We have built a strong culture over 123 years, shaped by those who first founded the College and those who have followed.

Taking pride in our traditions

Part of that culture includes taking pride in our uniform, one that has evolved over the life of the College. The first blazer, designed in 1907, was maroon with gold pinstripes, followed by the dull grey jacket that most year groups wore for decades before updating to the full maroon jacket, which had previously been worn by the Year 12 cohort. Most recently, our current Year 12 blazer was introduced in our centenary year of 1997.

The uniform is part of our culture and, like all cultures, it has evolved with the times but, importantly, it has remained a core component of our fabric. What hasn't changed, is the expectation of how the uniform is worn and all students in the school community are currently the custodians of this responsibility, which is to wear the uniform properly and with pride.

Success and respect

Another important part of our culture is the manner in which we celebrate success and demonstrate respect. This was highlighted for me during a Saturday morning sporting fixture a number of weeks ago where an enthusiastic crowd of students, families and friends had gathered following their own games, to watch the First fixtures. In watching the end of the Rugby and Football games a number of points stood out, relating to both the players and the students supporting them.

Both matches were pivotal in very close seasons. The Rugby was very tight and Scotch College came away with a gritty win which was a fantastic result, but not the most critical observation. Likewise, the Football side experienced a sound win, which was important in their season but, again, it was not what I want to focus on.

The most telling thing for me that morning was how our students behaved after those games. The players from all sides demonstrated respect for the opposing teams in the manner in which they congratulated each other and in the words the Captains shared after the matches.

And the conduct of our spectators, those students who had completed their own matches, or who had come down on a Saturday morning to support their peers and school, was outstanding.

It was great to see the support for our teams and, just as importantly, the respect shown to our opposition. I have spoken about parts of our culture, and respect and humility are central to that.

Both players and supporters are important and we need to maintain our own high standards in that regard. While it is okay to celebrate appropriately with teammates, it is not acceptable to gloat or overtly revel after a win in front of the opponents.

I commend our students for the manner in which they handled themselves, the respect they demonstrated for their opponents and their pride in their performance. It is an expectation that humility is part of who we are as a College.

Like our uniform, it helps identify us and connect us. 

Important Dates — Senior School Winter Term

For all upcoming events, visit our online calendar.

Date	Event	Location	Time
Week 6A
Tuesday 1 September	Year 12 Career Focus Breakfast – Law	Dining Room Annexe	7.15–8.25am
	Years 10, 11 and 12 OLNA Testing – Numeracy (Round 2)		11.10am–12.55pm
	Pipe Band Dining Out Evening	Dining Room Annexe	6–8.30pm
Wednesday 2 September	Scotch Rocks featuring the Scotch Contemporary Music students	Off-campus	5.30–10pm
Thursday 3 September	Years 10, 11 and 12 OLNA Testing – Reading (Round 2)		11.10am–12.55pm
	Official Opening: Mathematics and Commerce Building	Mathematics and Commerce Building	5.30–7pm
	Year 11 Drama Showcase and Year 12 Original Solo Performances	Foundation Theatre	7–8pm
Friday 4 September	Senior School Marching and Assembly	Dickinson Centre	8.30–9.45am
	PSA Sport – Guildford Grammar School v Scotch College	Away	1.30–4pm
	Year 11 Music Recitals	Dickinson Centre Foyer	7–9pm
Saturday 5 September	PSA Sport – Guildford Grammar School v Scotch College	Away	8.30am onwards
	PSA Cross Country – Ray Brown 8kms Race	Kings Park	8.30–11.30am
	Year 12 Drama Mock Examination preparation	Foundation Theatre	2–5pm
Sunday 6 September	Swanbourne Solos Pipe Band Competition	Music Department	7am–5pm
Week 7B
Monday 7 September	Year 10 Examination Period commences		Final day Thursday 10 September
	Year 12 Drama (ATAR) Mock Practical Examinations
Tuesday 8 September	Year 11 Drama (ATAR) Semester 2 Practical Examinations
	PSA Chess Competition	Trinity College	3.15–6pm
	Senior School Art and Design Exhibition	Stairwell Gallery, Senior School	6–8pm
Wednesday 9 September	Year 2 and 12 Breakfast and Activity	Gooch Pavilion and Memorial Grounds	7.15–8.25am
	Director's Cut: Media Night	Dickinson Centre	6–9pm
Thursday 10 September	Senior School Assembly including PSA Athletics send-off (No Marching)	Dickinson Centre	8.30–9.45am
	Year 12 Music Recitals	Chapel	7–9pm
Friday 11 September	PSA Athletics Team Photo	Kennedy Quad	7.10–7.45am
	Senior School Marching (No Assembly)	Dickinson Centre	8.30–8.50am
	PSA Inter-School Athletics Carnival (please visit sport.scotch.wa.edu.au)	WA Athletics Stadium	9am–3.30pm
	Year 12 Music Recitals	Chapel	7–9pm
Saturday 12 September	Year 12 Music Recitals	Dickinson Centre Foyer	7–9pm
Sunday 13 September	Anderson House Family Gathering	Gooch Pavilion	3–5pm
Week 8A
Monday 14 September	Year 9 Examination Period commences		Final day Thursday 17 September
	Year 11 WACE (including AAP) Study Day (Diploma classes as usual)
	Year 11 and 12 PE Studies (WACE) Mock Practical Examinations

Scotch Parents

I hope everyone had an enjoyable mid-term break and are looking forward to a busy second half of term.

Year 12 Ball Committee

Thank you to all who attended the Year 12 Ball Committee meeting and for those who have offered to assist. If you were unable to make the meeting but would like to be a part of the event, please email scotchparents@scotch.wa.edu.au. Regular updates of meetings and events can be found on the home.scotch website.

Scotch & PLC Sundowner Reminder

A reminder the Scotch and PLC Sundowner for parents will be held on Saturday 5 September at the Royal Freshwater Bay Yacht Club

While this event is currently sold out, we are hoping to make available a limited number of additional tickets shortly. Notification of additional tickets will be via the Scotch Parents page on the home.scotch website.

Buy tickets

Events supported by Scotch Parents

Year 10 Parents' Drinks

7pm, Thursday 3 September
Juanita's

Year 6 Parent Evening

7pm, Friday 4 September
Guildhall, North Fremantle

Year 9 Parents Drinks

7pm, Thursday 10 September
Steve’s Bar and Café

Year 9 Coffee

From 8.30am, Monday 21 September
Mel & Co

Save the Date

Year 10 Parent Evening

Saturday 21 November
Venue TBA

Ms Kate Reynolds
Scotch Parents President

Scotch College in the 1920s

Our Archive has recently received a remarkable album of photographs capturing student life during the mid-1920s. 

Comprising of 74 photographs, the photographs were taken by boarder James ‘Jim’ Alfred George Hodgson (OSC 1928). Born on 5 March 1911 in Yealering, Jim started school in February 1923. In 1926 he won the prestigious Gooch Scholarship and was a prized student who sat on many school committees, including the Library Committee, and won numerous awards, including Swanbourne Sunday School scripture prizes, form prizes and Completion of Junior Certificate Exams.

The collection offers a rare glimpse into Jim’s time as a boarding student, depicting school life and the College grounds. Jim captured first-hand adventures of fellow peers arriving at Collegians House in new uniforms for the first day of term, drinking at the water fountain, Boarding House dormitories, classrooms, chemistry laboratories, table tennis competitions, the camaraderie of the first 11 Cricket Team, games on the Playing Fields oval, rowing at the Boatshed, Headmaster Peter Corsar Anderson, visiting military service personnel, seaplanes on the Swan River, Middle School students, and the Maintenance Department located at the very end of the Playing Fields.

 

The album depicts his Boarding friends, including Ronald Gardiner (OSC 1927), Ron S. Bond (OSC 1927), Clarence Daw OAM (OSC 1926), Albert Bailey (OSC 1927), Eric Ferrier (OSC 1928), Alfred ‘John’ Burton (OSC 1927), James S. Davenport (OSC 1930), Oswald Bennett (OSC 1925) and Henry Dale (OSC 1929). Jim’s good friends at school were Oswald Bennett (OSC 1925) and Colin Burnell (OSC 1928).

Jim hails from a family of Old Scotch Collegians including his four brothers Henry ‘Harry’ Hodgson (OSC 1920), William ‘Bill’ Hodgson (OSC 1923), Oliver ‘Noll’ Hodgson (OSC 1931) and Richard ‘Dick’ Hodgson (OSC 1940); his sons Colin Hodgson (OSC 1955) and Brian Hodgson (OSC 1960); his grandson Reid Hodgson (OSC 1986); and many more cousins and nephews.

The album has been kindly donated by Jim’s daughter-in-law Margaret Hodgson.

 

Ms Yasmin McDonald
Archivist