From the head of Senior School

I am delighted to have commenced my new position as Head of Senior School at Scotch College. On behalf of my wife Gaye and our son Tom, I extend our sincere thanks to the Scotch community for the warm welcome shown to us over recent weeks. It is with a sense of anticipation that I look forward to meeting more of the boys in the Senior School and working with you over the coming year. To help me get to know you, please do not hesitate to introduce yourself when you are next on campus or on the sidelines of the sporting field.

The term has begun well and the boys have quickly hit their stride after returning from the summer break. Classes commenced smoothly, new laptop computers were rolled out to all boys in Year 9 and Year 11, Information Nights have been held for Year 12 and Year 8 and the co-curricular programme resumed as if the boys had never left for the holiday break. One of the highlights of the past week has been the Senior School swimming carnival. The carnival was an outstanding success due largely to the efforts of the boys. While three records were broken and there were a number of outstanding individual performances, it was the willingness of the boys generally to participate and support their House and each other that made the day a wonderful success. I thank all staff for their efforts on the day and specifically the House Heads and Mr Bridle and Mr Foster for their meticulous planning and hard work.

At last week's assembly, Tom Wilson (Year 12, Shearer) shared with the Senior School a personal story about accepting challenge and embracing opportunity. He reminded all of us of the opportunities that lie before us at Scotch. Occasionally we allow a fear of failure to prevent us from trying something new and enjoying the rewards that come from conquering challenge. Tom's speech was both thought provoking and inspiring and had many students and staff reflecting on our own opportunities. A powerful lesson for all of us, thank you Tom.

Dr Rob McEwan

Head of Senior School