Start of New Academic Year
What a way to start the new academic year. On Wednesday of last week the incoming Year 11 and Year 12 students attended a two-day conference at Scotch. The programme commenced with Akram Azimi, the 2013 Young Australian of the Year, speaking to the boys about his own journey. His messages were inspiring. He spoke about being a refugee in Australia as a 12 year old, arriving without any possessions and unable to speak English. The challenges were immense and the people he encountered along the way shaped his own resolve to give generously and advocate strongly for others. Akram is a dedicated mentor to young Indigenous people in remote and rural Western Australia and is also mentoring a Special Olympics athlete to help raise community awareness of disability issues.
While the incoming Year 11 and 12 boys were thinking about the year ahead, our graduating Year 12 group was thinking about the year just gone. Our final assembly with the graduating Year 12s was very much a celebration of their achievements and contribution. The assembly was followed with House meetings where the boys in each House thanked and wished their respective Year 12s well for the examinations and their future pathways. The highlight of the day was easily the March Out in front of a large crowd of family and friends at the Gooch Pavilion. To watch our Year 12s march with pride, the Pipe Band once again performed brilliantly and the rest of the School community warmly farewell the Year 12s, made for an emotional occasion felt by many proud parents and staff at Scotch College.
Dr Rob McEwan
