Holiday Experiences

A feature of the first week back at school has been the stories and experiences boys have shared from their holiday break. Some of these experiences include walking on burning coals in Indonesia; visiting Robben Island where Nelson Mandela spent 18 of his 27 years in prison; walking across the Brooklyn Bridge in New York City; or attending the ANZAC Day Dawn Service at Villers-Bretonneux, France. All of these experiences were part of different Scotch College tours. In addition to the four international tours, boys studying drama travelled to Sydney to the National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA) and boys preparing for the commencement of the PSA football season travelled to Melbourne as part of a football tour. I encourage parents and visitors when next on the Senior School campus to take a few moments to watch the images that appear on the digital signs near the Dickinson Centre, Foundation Theatre or in the Gym to get a sense of the wonderful opportunities available to the boys. All tours planned for 2015 have been included further below to assist families considering tour opportunities for 2015.

Senior School Assemblies for Autumn Term will be held in Weeks 1, 4, 8, 9 and 10 due to Year 11 and 12 WACE examinations (Weeks 2 and 3) and the Senior School production (Weeks 6 and 7) requiring the Dickinson Centre. In the weeks where Senior School assemblies cannot be conducted, an alternative programme has been developed that includes guest speakers for different year groups. A highlight of this programme will be a presentation from Professor Brian Schmidt, Nobel Prize in Physics, 2011, in Week 3, 16 May.

The commencement of a new term is an ideal time for boys to reflect on the past term, set new goals, both in and out of the classroom, and start with renewed determination. I wish all boys well for the term ahead and look forward to watching the boys continue to develop, achieve and be rewarded for their efforts.

Rob McEwan