COMMUNITY SERVICE

Community and Service in the Middle School

During the past three weeks, boys in Year 7 have been completing a programme of Service Learning on Friday afternoons. Each week, boys were involved in different activities including: Listening to Scotch graduate and law student, Grant Gilmour talk about his volunteer and adventure organization - 'One Degree'; Working on environmental conservation with Coast Care and the Swan River Trust; Weeding at St Luke's Community garden; producing picture story books for our partner schools in Cambodia, India and Tanzania; and choir performance at 'Riversea' Nursing Home. The boys did a great job and their participation was well received by the communities they served.

Year 10 Guest Speaker Programme - 'So You Think You Can Make A Difference?'

Grant Gilmore has been a regular speaker in the Year 10 activity 'So You Think You Can Make A Difference?' - part of the Friday afternoon Community and Service programme. His message to the boys is that an individual's perspective on the world can change through adventurous outreach in places like remote villages in Nepal. Grant and another Scotch graduate - Callum Foulner - of the not-for-profit sustainability organization - 'Upside', serve as powerful examples of boys who have seen poverty and deprivation and set out to make a different once they have left school.

Another regular speaker in the programme is Phil Sparrow from the Tear Australia - a Christian development, relief and advocacy organisation responding to global poverty and injustice. Phil and his family lived in Afghanistan for years working in grass-roots development. His expertise and enthusiastic delivery ensures that the boys who listen to him are engaged and inspired. Phil Sparrow works alongside Phil Lindsay Scotch graduate and son of former Deputy Headmaster Ian Lindsay. Phil has spent time in Nepal - also involved in community development at the village level.

Other inspirational speakers have also come from Oxfam Australia, the Australian Red Cross and UnitedCare West.

Visit from the Young Australian of the Year.

Akram Azimi, current Young Australian of the Year came to Scotch and spoke to some boys in Years 10, 11 and 12 - as part of the 'So You Think You Can Make a Difference?' programme. He spoke about global poverty and his personal experiences as a refugee from Afghanistan. His visit coincided with a visit to Scotch by refugee students studying Intensive English Language at Balga Senior High School. Scotch and Balga SHS have had a six-year partnership of exchange visits on Friday afternoons. The partnership with Balga schools grew this week with a visit by Year 5 students from North Balga Primary School to the PYP exhibition.

Good Samaritan Industries

Last week a group of Year 10 boys visited the Good Samaritan Industries plant in Canning Vale. This was the second visit to the plant and they had an opportunity to work along-side disabled employees in sorting donated clothing. This was a transformational experience for the boys and staff involved. The visit coincided with the delivery of a 'blank' GSI bin - ready to be decorated by our boys. This will soon become available for our community to deposit clothing and toys.

Exploring International Connections

During the past week we have been involved in discussions about a possible re-connection for Scotch with Bhutan. Scotch had a number of boys as boarding students in the early 70's, as part of the 'Colombo Plan'. It may be possible to establish links for the College with schools and tertiary colleges within Bhutan in order to facilitate study visits and service projects for boys and staff. This is a fascinating prospect!

A more immediate result from an international connection came about last week through a videoconferencing link with Yeonje High School in Korea. An enthusiastic group of Scotch Year 8 boys was able to discuss a range of topics with a class of 42 Korean students using high-definition real-time video. This was a first for Scotch and demonstrated what is possible with this technology. It is hoped that this pioneering start will develop into regular dialogue with schools throughout the world.

Volunteers Required to Fill Sea Container

The college has generously decided to donate the unusable fittings and dated furniture from the old Middle School. This is property that is still functional and needs a good home. The Tanzanian Government, through the Honorary Consul here in Perth, Didier Murcia will be the grateful recipient of this offer. The furniture and fittings will be used in schools in Dar es Salaam and possibly also Matipwili village where Scotch and PLC have been improving teaching and learning facilities since 2004. A large sea container will be delivered to the Memorial Ground around the first Monday of the next holidays. Volunteers will be required to help move items from classrooms and into the container. Boys will be told of the exact arrangements through Daily Notices closer to the time.