Over the last couple of weeks we have been reminded about the need to reflect on past events both at the school and wider community level; quite often these events carry sad but poignant reminders. In reflecting we must also ensure that we learn from our past and continue to look to the future in pursuit of growth and improvement.
Remembrance Day is one of the few occasions when we gather as a whole school. We do so to acknowledge those who gave their life in the pursuit of the peace that we all enjoy today. During the First World War Scotch saw many of its students and masters lose their lives. It would be all too easy to forget what this means for our current students. Hence, this is why it is so important that we continue to contextualise the past so that our current students can make sense of the events which took place so long ago. In the hectic world in which we all now operate, even the salient moment where we offer a minutes silence can prove to be a unique learning experience for boys in the modern world who rarely operate in any form of silence.
Last week's Founders Day reminds us of the link to the OSC and the commonality which keeps us bonded on our journey at Scotch. The Founders Day Dinner which served as the vehicle to announce the Scotch cricket team of the century was a tangible example of how the gathered graduates from 1947 to 2012 had so much in common through a love of cricket.
Last Friday at the Junior School assembly I was again reminded about how forward looking our young boys are when it comes to their learning. Year 5D presented an expose of what they had learnt during the term. The breadth and depth of the concepts over a variety of learning areas and the boys' understanding is indeed very encouraging.
This week some of our Senior School boys will be travelling to Yale University to participate in the World Scholars Cup Tournament of Champions. I know they will be challenged and expected to reflect on the future. This trip is offering some of our boys the opportunity to perform on the academic world stage and benchmark themselves against other students and schools from across the globe. On Monday night we are holding an information evening for Year 9 and 10 boys in enrichment, regarding a summer school programme we have been offered at Stanford University in 2015. Again, this programme is geared at preparing our boys not just for the world of work, but for a world where they can and should make a difference.
So let us never underestimate how important our past is to ensuring a healthy future for Scotch. The challenge is to maintain balance by differentiating between becoming captives of the past with the need to keep moving forward and innovate. If you take a simple walk through the new Middle School it will not take long to realise that we have taken a significant step forward in the provision of modern teaching and learning spaces. As Edward De Bono, Six Thinking Hatshighlights
"We may have a perfectly adequate way of doing something, but that does not mean there cannot be a better way. So we set out to find an alternative way. This is the basis of any improvement that is not fault correction or problem solving."
I would like to finish this newsletter by thanking the students and staff who assisted in the "Tim's Ride - Safe Cycling" event which took place over the last weekend; in particular Mr Ryan Foster who acted as our co-ordinator for the event. For those of the community who are not aware, Tim Anderson (OSC 2002) was a former student of Scotch and tragically killed three years ago in a road accident while training for the Ride for Youth event. I think it is important to understand that the Tim's Ride event is an attempt to reinforce safe cycling habits. On the day Tim was hit from behind he was observing all of the expected safety strategies; riding in the cycle lane on Curtin Avenue, wearing bright and visible clothing and using lights on the rear and front of his bike. Unfortunately this could not counteract careless driving when he was hit from behind. At the memorial service after the ride we heard that the number of cycling deaths each year is simply not good enough. As a large school we must play a part in imparting the safety message so that other families do not have to face what the Anderson family has dealt with. The loss of a talented young man is a tragic way to highlight cycling and driving safety.
The next few weeks will be very busy for everyone. Most of our leaving Year 12s have completed their exams and for those still to finish we wish you the best of luck; although the way you have been prepared should eliminate the need for luck.
Have a great fortnight
Dr A J O'Connell
Headmaster
