Community and Service
Visiting Tanzanian Teachers
During the first week of Autumn Term, Scotch College is hosting three teachers from Tanzania for professional development. They are being funded by the 'Australia Tanzania Society' and supported by five schools while in Western Australia. During their time at Scotch they will undergo collaborative learning training and observe targeted best-practice lessons from our teachers throughout the school. The Scotch and PLC group going to Tanzania in July will spend time with the visitors - learning about Tanzania and taking some Swahili lessons.
Aged Care Service
Two of the Year 10 service groups visit aged-care facilities on a Friday afternoon. Scotch has had a long-term partnership with Braemar Village in Willagee, run by Presbyterian Care. Another group has this year started going to 'Little Sisters of the Poor' in Glendalough. Both these facilities teach Scotch boys about aging and some of the issues concerning the care of the elderly. The boys going to Braemar typically play Wii games with willing participants while the boys going to Little Sisters of the Poor this term have been recording the personal histories of residents. While the experience for the boys is sometimes confronting, overwhelmingly they come away with a deeper understanding of aged care - and the elderly residents certainly appreciate the attention from the Scotch boys!
Street Swags
As the weather cools, thoughts turn to the homeless of Perth and in particular the group living rough in parks or under bridges around the CBD and in the suburbs. Agencies such as UnitingCare West, through the Tranby Day Centre do their best to cater for the needs of homeless, who are increasingly becoming more 'mainstream' and including whole families. The 'face' of homeless now is just as likely to be a single mother with children as it is a middle-aged man with substance abuse issues.
Boys have started rolling swags once more in preparation for the winter ahead. These high-quality swags provide some shelter from the elements for the most needy of the homeless. The outer shells are made for us by Bandyup Prison inmates and boys insert the foam base then roll the swag. Various agencies are involved in distributing the swags. For more information on Street Swags please go to: http://www.streetswags.org/index.php
ARAFMI
Most of the Houses in the Senior School have now been involved in ARAFMI - Mental Health Carers and Friends Association. This is an organisation that provides support for the carers of family members with mental health issues, many of whom are young. The boys volunteer to assist with a holiday programme, and offer a full day of activities at Scotch. During the process of preparation for this service action, ARAFMI staff visit the school and talk about mental illness to the boys in their House group. Presentations have also been delivered during Chapel. These have been typically powerful accounts of living with someone affected by a mental illness. For more information on ARAFMI go to: http://www.arafmi.asn.au/
