Headmaster's Reflections

Over the last couple of weeks it has been very satisfying to have stories relayed from the public about acts of kindness carried out by Scotch boys. At our three sub-school assemblies we often talk about making a difference, not only at the macro level, but through actions which make a difference in the everyday activities in which the boys find themselves engaged. It is clear the messages that are being imparted by the Heads of School and staff are taken on by our boys. I thank and congratulate them for the role they play in sharing with the wider community what it truly means to be a Scotch student.

I would like to also acknowledge the Parents' Association and the Old Scotch Collegians for making a difference by their recent funding initiatives. Both groups have made significant contributions. Through the Parents' Association we have been able to purchase more table tennis equipment for our Junior and Middle Schools and in the Senior School we are about to embark on a recycling trial around the canteen, as well as purchase new goals for the Water Polo teams. Our OSC have generously supported our peer tutoring programme in the residence which means that more boys will be able to experience even better levels of academic support. Both of these groups have reinforced that as a community we continue to give back as part of the cyclical nature of our community.

In closing I would like to thank the incredible team of mothers and helpers who worked so tirelessly to give our Year 12 boys the experience of a lifetime at their Ball this past weekend. Well done to everyone; especially the boys and their partners for making Saturday such a special occasion.

If you are free on Saturday 9 March, or trying to escape the coverage of the election, join us at Symphony by the Lake.

Have a great fortnight

Dr A J O'Connell

Headmaster

Welcome to The Thistle

Welcome back to another event filled term at Scotch. I would especially like to thank the students, staff and parents who supported and participated in a very busy period of school tours to Mt Gambier, America, Indonesia, and Europe. A common element of all of the tours was the way our boys represented Scotch nationally and internationally. As Headmaster it gave me great pride to receive some of the feedback regarding the performance and behaviour of our boys.

There are a number of key parent meetings throughout the year and Autumn Term is critical for Year 10 students and their parents for making decisions about Year 11 courses. I would like to extend a personal invitation to all Year 10 parents and boys to an information session on the 4th June , regarding the IB Diploma, this can be booked through the "Book a Scotch Event" page on the website. I strongly recommend you attend this meeting so you can be sure that you make the best decision regarding your son's course of study. I look forward to meeting as many people as possible on this evening. Further information and details regarding the evening can be found under the Teaching and Learning section of The Thistle.

You will have noticed by now that our fortnightly newsletter has had a facelift (unlike the Headmaster). The review of the newsletter was taken in order to modernize the way we communicate important information to the community but also to examine whether we could resurrect part of our history through the newsletter. This has been achieved through reinstituting the name The Thistle - a title that has previously been used for newsletters and Old Scotch Collegian communications. I have included pictorial examples provided from Archives. I trust you will find the new format assists you in staying better connected with all that we do as a community.

Dr Alec O'Connell

Headmaster

YEAR 9 HOUSE HEAD MEETINGS

Just a reminder of the upcoming Year 9 House Head report meeting on Thursday, 16 May, in the BRC between parents, House Head and students.

Parents will have already been emailed booking information, however for any further queries please contact Natalie Welsh, Personal Assistant to Dr Rob McEwan on 9383 6954

Assessment and Reflection

This is a very busy term for all of our boys in terms of academic testing.

Boys from Years 3, 5, 7 and 9 will take part in the National Assessment Program - Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) on Tuesday May 14 (Language Conventions), Wednesday May 15 (Reading) and Thursday May 16 (Numeracy). The boys will be taking the tests in their classrooms and have been provided with information on where to go and what to bring. The results of the testing will be provided to parents later in the year. Teachers use this information to supplement their knowledge of the boy in order to guide their learning in the most appropriate manner.

Years 9 and 10 will undertake examinations in Week 8 and more details of these will be provided later in the term.

Year 11 and 12 WACE students will begin their Semester 1 examinations in Week 2, beginning Monday May 13. All examinations will take place in the Dickinson Centre. It is strongly advised that the boys keep a clear plastic envelope with all their requirements so as to not cause last minute panic. They should ensure they have the correct calculator and that it is in good working order (perhaps bringing a spare) for the specific examination and are ready at school in plenty of time, having checked and double checked the time of the examination.

Many boys took the opportunity of attending either or both of the ATARextra or OSC Targeted Tuition courses and will hopefully feel more confident as they approach the examinations.

Year 11 IB Diploma boys will continue their learning programme and Year 12 IB Diploma boys will focus on their major internal assessments at this time.

Parents of Year 9 and Year 10 have recently received their reports for Semester 1. The Year 10 meeting with the House Heads to help the boys review their progress and set new goals took place on May 8 and the Year 9 meeting will take place on May 16. Both of these meetings are to be held in the newly renovated BRC, giving parents an opportunity to view the exciting new-look library.

Mrs Jan Skidmore

Director of Teaching and Learning

Careers Information

Boys are also advised to regularly check the university websites for information on these. UWA provides 'A day in the Life of a Uni Student' for those boys who wish to discover what a typical university day is like. The next sessions will be held in the July holidays and will cater for those interested in Architecture (July 16), Engineering (July 17), Arts (July 18) and Business (July 19). For more information contact Alison Chan on alison.chan@uwa.edu.au

An information session for students considering a pathway through UWA in Medicine and Dentistry will take place on Wednesday May 15 at 7pm, either through an assured, broadway or rural pathway. More information on booking a place can be found on the following site:

http://www.meddent.uwa.edu.au/students/information-session/registration-md-school

Information Evenings

The first is an IB Diploma information evening which will be held on the 4th June at 6:30pm in the Dickinson Centre, this can be booked through the "Book a Scotch Event" page on the website. The Headmaster invites you to attend to hear from past and present students about what the Diploma Programme experience has provided them and the opportunity to ask questions. We are running this early so boys have plenty of time to follow up and be well informed before they make their decision on their pathway. The Headmaster will meet with the boys on May 16 but the boys are also welcome to attend the evening session with parents.

Information booklets on all Upper School courses will be posted on June 20 and there will be a meeting for all parents and boys on July 22. At this meeting, boys and parents may speak with teachers of the subject areas prior to submitting their applications to study their chosen Upper School course.

Professional Learning

Fifteen Scotch teachers will attend a two day seminar this weekend conducted by Dr Lynn Erikson. Lynn has assisted schools and districts around the world with curriculum design and instruction. During the past seventeen years she has worked extensively with K-12 teachers and administrators nationally and internationally on the design of concept-based classroom and district level curricula and concept-based instruction. Lynn is a recognized presenter at national conferences in the areas of concept-based curriculum design, teaching for deep understanding, and standards alignment.

The three International Baccalaureate programmes encourage teachers and students to scaffold thinking to deeper levels; to see the difference between an activity and a performance of deep understanding. At Scotch College we continually strive to teach both factual and conceptual knowledge with greater depth and rigour and hence increase motivation for learning. The seminar will provide an opportunity for these teachers to share their own learning and to share with their colleagues on return.

Information Learning Technology

As part of the two year rollover plan, over the past three weeks all boys in years 5, 9 and 11 will have received a new Mac Book Air or Pro, the Year 7s received theirs at the end of last year, and all boys with laptops should now also have a Time Machine backup drive. Time machines are an important part of laptop maintenance, allowing the Tech Centre to support the boys in their learning journey, whilst allowing the boys to take responsibility for their data. We recommend backups be done at least one a week as Time Machines are used to restore the boys' data in case of a computer malfunction or loss. The more frequent the backup the quicker the boys will return to full productivity in using their laptop.

In the continued support of boys and teachers, 1° coaches are running lunchtime Mac101 workshops where boys are able ask questions about, and receive instruction on, using their laptops including learning how to use the different applications. The workshop timetable can be found here.

Parents are able to book specialised ILT workshops on such topics as understanding the Scotch systems, and managing laptops at home. The workshop details can be found here.

Any important Scotch information can be found at home.scotch.wa.edu.au and the links contained there, but should you have any concerns regarding computer usage and technology I, as ILT Curriculum Manager can be contacted on 9383 6897 or nspadaccini@scotch.wa.edu.au.

STAFF NEWS

New Staff

Julia Robinson Music Administrator 27/3/2013

Gary Fowler Maintenance Trades Assistant 8/4/2013

Craig Bailey Pipe Band Master 8/4/2013

Andrew Wood Maintenance Carpenter 22/4/2013

John Stewart Head of Junior School 4/6/2013

Temporary New Staff

Lena Matulin Payroll Officer 8/4/2013 - 29/1/ 2014

Stuart Mann MS Teacher 15/4/2013 - 5/7/2013

Resignations

Christina Gamble Head of Junior School Effective 19/4/2013

Jenny Hutchinson ILT Coach/SOSE Teacher Effective 22/3/2013

Jack Graziotti Academic Support Effective 19/4/2013

Jonathan Lewis English Teacher Effective 10/4/2013

Julia Trezise-Conroy Music Admin PT Effective 12/3/2013

Sharman Orr Facilities Dept - Carpenter Effective 5/03/2013

On Leave Next Term

Peter Frusher Returning 20 May - Autumn Term

Wayne Ramsey Autumn Term

Bill Cordner First 3 weeks Autumn Term

MUSIC DEPARTMENT

The Music Department holds a variety of performances for the Scotch College community throughout the year plus events for Scotch College boys and the girls from PLC who participate in Combined Ensembles. Some information about upcoming events and contact details are outlined below - A more detailed version of the Music Department's Newsletter can be found by following this link.

https://ishare.scotch.wa.edu.au/groups/thevmdthevirtualmusicdepartment/wiki/a583e/Music_Department_Newsletter.html (Please use your Scotch Parent login.)

GROWING GORGEOUS BOYS INTO GOOD MEN

Scotch College is pleased to present an opportunity for parents to hear Celia Lashlie, renowned speaker and author at a seminar entitled 'Growing Gorgeous Boys into Good Men'. Celia has some challenging suggestions for parents, as well as a call for women in particular to rethink the way they interact with the men in their lives - their sons and their husbands - if they want to see their sons become the good men they want them to be. This year's seminar will be held Monday, 20 May, 7pm - 9pm in the Dickinson Centre at the School. Please see the attached flyer for details. Bookings are essential and can be made through "Book a Scotch Event" on the Scotch Website: http://www.scotch.wa.edu.au/.

UNIFORM SHOP

Tuesdays: 8.00am - 5.00pm

Thursdays: 7.30am - 11.30am

Fridays: 7.30am - 11.30am

The Uniform Shop will be closed for the Boarders' Long Weekend (ie on Friday, 31^st May)

Supporters' Tops

Supporters' tops are available in the Uniform Shop. We have a warm polar fleece vest and a rugby jumper - ideal for those cold winter mornings next to the playing field!

STAFF CHANGES AUTUMN TERM

Permanent Staff

Internal Changes

New Temporary Appointments

On Leave

Returning from Leave

INSURANCE AGAINST INJURY

Scotch does not provide insurance cover for students on a 24 hour basis. However, we do have accident insurance for all boys whilst they are in the charge and under the control of the College. This includes cover whilst on work experience. The amount of cover is dependent upon the type of injury, generally to a maximum of $2,250.00, with the exception of total and permanent disability. This cover does not include expenses which can be claimed through Medicare and private health insurance or the Medicare Gap and only provides limited cover for dental expenses. Parents are strongly recommended to supplement the School's cover with their own private insurance.

Library

Mr Brad Tyrrell has started this term as the Head of Library across the three sub-schools. He has exciting new ideas for libraries, not only in what the physical environment should look like to optimise learning, but what the library should provide to students in schools. With the new Middle School/ Junior School library building envisaged for completion during 2014, parents and boys can expect to hear regularly from Mr Tyrrell as he takes Scotch libraries to a new standard.

WINTER UNIFORM

Must be worn throughout the whole school from Monday, 20 May 2013

Scotch Canteen

The Senior School canteen

The Senior School canteen is situated underneath the Music department adjacent to the swimming pool.

The canteen provides snacks at recess for all Senior School boys and lunches for Senior School Day boys. Click for a Senior School Menu.

The Junior and Middle School canteen

The Junior and Middle School canteen is situated in the Junior School Quadrangle. Boys order their lunches before school by writing their order on a paper bag (supplied by the canteen) and enclosing the money. Click for a Junior and Middle School Menu.

Scotch College uses the FlexiSchools system to provide a new cashless way to pay for school canteen services. This system allows parents or students in Year 1 to 7 to place Online Orders for Canteen purchases from home, work or school at any time via the internet, including an iPhone/iPad "app". Senior students (Year 8 - 12) can use their Student/ SmartRider Card to purchase items over the canteen counter.

Check

Kawai Scotch Piano Sale

Scotch Music Department replaces its Kawai Pianos each year with the assistance of Kawai Australia.

As a member of the Scotch College Community you have the opportunity to purchase these pianos before they go on sale to the public. All pianos are 12 months old, professionally maintained and are supported by the manufacturers warranty.

For further information downlaod the flyer here.

Managing Your Child's Online World

Scotch College is pleased to present an opportunity for parents to hear Susan Mclean, Australia's foremost expert in the area of Cybersafety and young people. Please see the attached flyer for details. Bookings are essential and can be made through "Book a Scotch Event" on the Scotch Website: http://www.scotch.wa.edu.au/

To download the flyer click here.

Concept-based Curriculum and Instruction

What does it all mean?

Over the next few months, as part of our focus on academic rigour, the Junior School staff will be undertaking Professional Development focusing on concept-based curriculum.

This is very 'teacher based' terminology, so I thought it might be valuable to take a moment to explain the key ideals behind concept-based teaching.

In essence, when we explore curriculum though concepts, we frame the factual content of subject areas with transdisciplinary concepts and generalisations. As a PYP school, we aim to teach beyond topic-based units to develop richer understandings. Concept-based curriculum and instruction allows us to focus on concepts, facts and skills.

Research suggests that structuring learning in this way develops the brain for sorting, organising and patterning information, provides a relevant context for application of new and past knowledge and requires the synthesis of thinking at a deeper level. We believe learners feel more empowered and motivated to learn in this way and in the context of our focus on the fostering of rigor, concept-based learning certainly provides a more intellectually sophisticated level of interaction between students and teachers.

Over the course of the year we will continue to provide you with information on some of the important elements of Teaching and Learning at Scotch Junior School. I encourage you to ask questions of us and to share in this exciting journey.

Chrissy Gamble

Head of Junior School

From the Head of Junior School

So much to look forward to…

As the new term commences, we do so with a renewed sense of excitement and enthusiasm. After a busy and eventful summer, our new term looks to be a time of great progress and promise for the Junior School.

From a curriculum perspective, as a staff we have commenced the term with productive professional development pertaining to being an International Baccalaureate School. Our workshop lead by our Headmaster and Helen Egeberg (Teaching by Design), re-engaged academic staff with the three programmes across the three sub-schools; working together, we actively engaged in professional dialogue as a whole Academic staff, reaffirming our knowledge and understandings of the IB in a whole school context.

From a Library perspective, the boys will be working with Kaye Turner in Library for the first four weeks of term, as Warwick Norman takes on the an acting position of Deputy Head of Junior School - Administration and Pastoral Care. Kaye is enjoying the opportunity to work collaboratively with the Junior School and share in many exciting Units of Inquiry.

In Performing Arts, the Year 5 boys will certainly be very busy preparing for the IPSHA Performing Arts Festival, which is held in June at the Perth Convention Centre.

From a sporting perspective, the boys will be preparing for winter sports, so we can expect to see muddy shoes and wet sports clothes coming home in the school bag! We are also looking forward to our Cross Country Carnival, where every boy will have the opportunity to participate and earn points for his House.

As always, I encourage you to embrace the many opportunities to engage in College life. We will continue to run a range of informative Parent Engagement Workshops this term; if you require any information regarding these sessions, please do not hesitate to contact the Junior School Reception.

Best wishes for the new term!

Naplan

NAPLAN will take place in Week 2 of the Autumn Term, commencing Tuesday 14 May and concluding on Friday 17 May (catch-up day). The testing will involve all students in Years 3 and 5 and take place in Period 1 and 2 each day. Please contact Junior School Reception should you have any queries pertaining to the testing.

Uniform

In the Autumn Term all students in Years 1- 5 will be required to wear their full winter uniform commencing in Week 3, Monday 20 May. All students in Years 1 - 5 will have the option to wear either their full summer or full winter uniform in the first two weeks of the Autumn Term.

Full Winter Uniform:

Shirt - White, long sleeved 'business style' shirt
Shorts - Grey melange shorts
Socks - Scotch grey socks, wool mixture
Tie - Scotch school tie
Jumper - Light, grey, long sleeved with Scotch colours
Hat - Blue wide brimmed hat with the school crest and Scotch peaked cap for sport

Winter Sport Uniform:

Year 1-3 Fleecy Scotch navy tracksuit pants and jumper
Year 4-5 Scotch navy parachute tracksuit

Parents are respectfully reminded to ensure their boys wear and bring to school the correct uniform each day. Hair should be neat and off the collar. Your assistance with this request is gratefully appreciated.

Andrea McNally

Acting Head of Junior School

Junior School Parking

Additional parking is currently available on the oval in the mornings from 7.45 - 9.00am and in the afternoons from 2.45 - 4.00pm. This parking area is for the purpose of morning and afternoon drop off only, as the space is required for student activity during the remainder of the day. The Grounds staff will be monitoring the area closely and parking may be unavailable when the weather is inclement or if the area is required for School sport.

Important Dates to Remember

*For selected students only

Primary Years Programme (PYP)

The PYP was developed as a result of the vision and effort, sustained for over 10 years until 1997, of the former International Schools Curriculum Project (ISCP).

In 1997 the responsibility for ownership and ongoing development of the programme was handed over to the International Baccalaureate (IB). The ISCP was an independent, grass-roots movement of heads of school and teachers in international schools. Its aims were to:

• produce a common curriculum for international primary education that would suit all the learning communities represented within the group.

• develop international-mindedness on the part of the learners.

There was a shared belief that the nature and substance of learning were the means of promoting corresponding insight, empathy and compassion.

The IB has broadened access to the PYP by making it available to a wide range of schools, all willing to support the mission of the IB and prepared to commit to the standards and practices drawn up to ensure successful implementation of the programme, IB World Schools offering the PYP include state or national system schools, as well as independent fee-paying schools - the group to which designated international schools most usually belong.

There are currently 150 IB world schools in Australia with 86 of these schools being PYP schools. In the Perth area there are five PYP schools. As a group of schools following the same set of standards and practices we have formed a network and meet regularly to support programme implementation, discuss best practice and share ideas.

More information on IB school numbers within Australia and globally can be found on the IB website: www.ibo.org

Kathy Derrick

PYP Coordinator

4L News

The boys in 4L have shown themselves to be excellent inquirers. For the past five weeks, the boys have been learning about supply and demand. We kicked off this inquiry by reading 'The Lorax'. We made connections through literacy to start the boys thinking about the basic notion of supply and demand along with our responsibility as consumers. The boys confidently presented their version of 'the Lorax' at assembly last term. Special thank you goes to the parents who have come in and talked to the boys about supply and demand. This week the boys will further their knowledge and understanding by interviewing small business owners in Claremont to learn more about how the economy works in our local area. The 4L boys are to be commended for their very relevant responses in the summative assessment for 'Who We Are' inquiry; all the boys have learned the benefit of following rubrics and outlines to guide their thinking. The boys are to be commended for improving their writing skills. It is pleasing to see the boys begin to consistently write clear, coherent and correctly punctuated writing pieces. The students of 4L are working to full capacity.

Janet Lopez

4L Teacher

Art News

I would like to share an insight into an incredible arts opportunity this term that will showcase how learning can be transferred from class to specialist areas to out-of-school community; whilst connecting and building on the key concepts of a transdisciplinary theme of 'How the World Works'. The Year 2 boys will be embarking on a unique opportunity to visit and take part in a series of workshops, at 'The Clay House' a brand new ceramic school in North Fremantle. They will be mentored by internationally acclaimed ceramicist Fleur Schell, linking beautifully to the unit of inquiry with the central idea being 'Force can be applied to objects to enable movement and make deliberate changes.'

Preliminary sketches and front-loading activities have included inspiration from:

• Movie 'Robots', to see how shapes connect and join into forms.
• Movie 'Howls Moving Castle' by famous Japanese animator and storyteller Hayao Miyazaki, to inspire creativity and imagination.
• Illustrations by Shaun Tan to encourage boys to create a number of preliminary sketching and diagrams before creating an artwork.
• Thumbnail sketches of French illustrator Rebecca Dautremer, whose sketches of 'Palaces and Residences' have taught us how to explore ideas by changing variables on a simple form like a house that is static and make it portable or move.

Already, the boys sketches have reflected knowledge and creativity beyond their years. Fleur forwarded a list of 'collectibles' that we may be able to add into our ceramic/mixed media assemblages later. Over the holidays, boys started these collections and they are amazing! We are looking forward to seeing how it all comes together and we are not sure how it will all end up, so we are really being risk-takers.

Karen Sabitay

Visual Arts Specialist

Performing Arts News

This term is going to be both exciting and very busy with all of the performances scheduled! Many rehearsals have already commenced, including the Year 5 boys who have made an enthusiastic start to their IPSHA rehearsals that commenced at the end of last term. The boys will present this piece, showcasing a mix of African and Urban Hip Hop, at the Mid Year Concert in Week 7, Friday 21 June, and then perform a matinee and evening show at the IPSHA Performing Arts Festival in Week 8, Wednesday 26 June. A rehearsal for the Festival will take place on Tuesday 25 June at the Perth Convention Centre. The boys have had a fabulous time working with specialist dance choreographers and aim to have their piece finished in Week 3. It is important that all Year 5 boys send their costumes to school in a labeled bag as well as the permission slip (sent home last term) so that the remaining items of the costume can be purchased as soon as possible. Once these items are received dress rehearsals will commence. If parents have any queries, please don't hesitate to contact me.

Phebe Samson

Performing Arts Teacher

Friendly Schools and Families

What can I do if I think my children are being bullied at school?

• Try to talk with your children about what is going on
• Listen to their concerns and believe them
• Be aware of your own response and react in a calm and helpful manner
• Talk with your children's teachers and calmly discuss the situation and some possible strategies
• Encourage your children to ask for help at school if they are being bullied e.g. talk about who they could talk to at school, and how to ask for help. 


What can I do to help my children if they are being cyber bullied?


To prevent and respond to cyber-bullying, a useful acronym to remember is I-CURRB.

Investigate what your child is doing online.

• Communicate regularly with your children to understand what they enjoy doing online.
• Use family safety software to keep track of what your children are able to access online.
• Research your school and Internet Service Provider's (ISP) policies on cyberbullying. Online applications, such as IM, will also have their own policies.
• Report cyberbullying to your child's school and/or ISP. If you have serious concerns for your child's safety, contact your local police.
• Block communications from students who cyberbully others. Most Instant Messenger (IM) applications, chat rooms and email account providers allow you to block messages from identified people.

Warwick Norman

FS&F Coordinator

French News

Bonjour! It has been a delight to work with the Year 1 classes. The boys have made great progress over the course of the Summer Term and their confidence with their French skills has improved steadily. It is with great joy that we are now able to share their video recordings, which were a result of French class making links to the 'Who We Are' Unit of Inquiry. The boys were interviewed being asked questions in regards to their siblings in French. The videos can be viewed on the French wiki: https://ishare.scotch.wa.edu.au/groups/jslanguageb/wiki/cd216/Year_1.html

Madame Edwards

French Specialist

Physical Education News

Welcome back to everyone - I trust that you all had an enjoyable and relaxing break!

This term we hit the ground running. Year 5 boys will resume their JPSSA sport. Training will continue as usual on Tuesday mornings from 7.45pm - 8.20pm. Games will take place on Thursday afternoons.

Year 4 boys will participate in two JPSSA Carnivals this term. The AFL Carnival will be held here at Scotch College on Thursday 13 June. The Hockey Carnival will take place at Hale School on Thursday 27 June.

Our annual Scotch College Inter-House Cross Country Carnival will be held this term on Thursday 6 June. Further details will follow.

Jason Caniglia

Head of Junior School Physical Education

Junior School Resource Centre

Hello from the Library! I hope you have enjoyed the holiday break and quality time with your children. This is the term when Book Survivor takes place at Scotch College Junior School. Book Survivor is an initiative aimed at building connections and commonalities between the staff and students of the Junior School. Staff are encouraged to recommend a character from a picture book that they believe to be the greatest of all heroes. It is a personal choice and the students have to vote out one book each week, which they feel is not as popular or enjoyable to read as the other books. Eventually only one book remains; this being the Book Survivor. The other component of the competition involves the students making their predictions on which teachers chose particular heroes. The student who correctly guesses the most heroes of teachers is declared the winner. At the end of the term both the teacher associated with the winning book and the student who has guessed the most books to teachers are declared the Book Survivor winners and announced at Assembly.

Warwick Norman

Junior School Teacher Librarian

Excellence Awards

Year 1

Jordy Bailey

Charlie Bowles

Tane Croon-Hargrave

Wesley Howell

Angus King

Noah Lisle

Lewis Muller

George Di Prinzio

Year 2

Thomas Byass

Tom Gray

Daniel Kerfoot

Year 3

Ben Breden

Matthew Coutts

Julius Kain

Thomas Macknay

Gianluca Mastrocinque

Fletcher O'Connell

Sean Palmer

Alex Russell-Weisz

Cooper Stanley

Parents of Junior School students please note that due to a high number of events taking place in May, unfortunately the Junior School picnic scheduled to take place on Sunday, 19 May 2013, has now been cancelled.

This is a big week for the College as we open the doors for inspection in all that we do. During the week three evaluators will look at, question and report on how we as a College are implementing the IBO, in particular the MYP and DP programs. As an IBO World School we must meet, or exceed, the critical standards that give the Baccalaureate the international reputation for rigour and integrity it enjoys. On Friday we invite prospective new families to Middle School during our annual Open Day. From 8.30am-10.30am we answer questions and offer a show and tell to try to give new families a feel for what a Scotch College education is all about. In both of these events the boys play a significant role in showcasing our mission, our values, our activities and our outcomes. It is an exciting week.

To the Parents Association and Melissa Harkins in particular with her band of willing workers, a huge thank you for hosting a wonderful Year 7 Dinner last Friday evening. Not only was it a lovely meal, I received a wonderful insight into the energy, the camaraderie and very social nature of this years' Year 7 parent cohort. Our boys probably haven't realised this yet, but they have a dynamic group of parents looking out for them.

Richard Ledger

Head of Middle School

Welcome to Autumn Term in Middle School

Dear Parents

Our new Middle School Building remains on schedule to be finished before the end of this calendar year and therefore allows for the greater possibility for this year's Year 6 and 7 boys to 'move in' and experience the new rooms. Whilst there is still a long way to go before that point it is exciting to think that the boys who have watched the building grow will get the chance to use it first.

NAPLAN commences for Year 3, 5, 7, 9 students across the country this week. Year 7 boys will sit five tests that allow teachers, schools, school systems, states and national education authorities comparable data on where our students are academically and offer strategic direction at all of those levels for improvement.

As our first set of Winter fixtures conclude it is useful to remind parents of the Parent Supporter Groups that work behind most of the activity that unfolds at Scotch. Four parent support groups that offer behind the scenes strength to our Winter sport program are:

• SOFAS: Supports of Football at Scotch
• Hockey Supporters Group
• Soccer Supporters Group
• Rugby Supporters Group

Year 7 representatives will contact you about how you can become involved throughout the season. Your involvement in these groups whether it be on game day or behind the scenes organisation is vital in creating the atmosphere and environment that boys enjoy while participating in their sport.

E Diaries

As we live in an increasingly electronically connected world with information being pushed and pulled from multiple sources, the Student E Diary is one mechanism that is helping us groove habits for our boys to work comfortably in this environment. The Student E Diary is an initiative being trialled in Middle School this year with the aim of developing different aspects before it is rolled out in other areas of the school. One aspect we are seeking to amend is the ability for parents to see the information the boys enter into their diary, particularly around the homework field. We are working on making that feature available this semester.

A second feature we are keen to streamline is the communication between home and school, or parent and teacher. We have some confusion between email and Direct Messaging mechanisms with the result that teachers are inundated throughout the day and evening with messages from both sources. The following is how we would like to proceed from here in relation to contacting a teacher for information:

Direct Messaging: Please consider this feature as it was in the normal paper diary. Teachers typically set aside a period at the end of the week to review a boys diary, comment on its usage or underscore a reminder of task. Parents typically acknowledged the student's diary usage and activities or asked a question or passed on information in this forum on a weekly basis.

Email: For information required to be communicated or sent on a daily basis please use the email system. Typically teachers will check their emails before school and intermittently until 5.15pm each school day. Any information regarding student absence or urgent messages should also be sent to middleschool@scotch.wa.edu.au

Co Curricular Clubs

Please click on the link to see this term's Co Curricular schedule

Richard Ledger

Head of Middle School

Scotch Youth Voices

2013 has been an exciting year for the Scotch College Middle School. Along with the development of the new Middle School building there has also been a new vocal ensemble created: the Scotch Youth Voices. The ensemble aims to give boys who have a love of singing and show strong musical potential, the opportunity to work to a high standard and perform on a professional music circuit.

There are 40 boys in the ensemble who rehearse on a weekly basis. The programme encourages boys from Year 6 through to Year 8 to sing, and provides them with musical experiences that were fun and engaging. The ensemble performs repertoire from a variety of styles such as Classical, Jazz, World and Contemporary to name a few.

At the end of 2012 the ensemble auditioned to perform at the Fairbridge Festival. The festival is a major event on the WA cultural calendar with a large fan base and audiences of over 5,000 people every year. The Scotch Youth Voices competed against more than 500 other applicants from WA, interstate and overseas to perform at the festival. Not only were they accepted, they were also provided with the opportunity to perform with one of the headline acts: Mr Andrew Winton.

On Saturday 27 April the boys headed down to Moray and completed the final rehearsals before the performance. They also had some time for relaxation and bonding together as an ensemble. The next day the boys headed to Pinjarra and performed on the Youthtopia Stage with Andrew Winton. The performance went extremely well and the boys were rewarded for all their efforts by mingling backstage with the John Butler Trio afterwards.

Later in the year during the July school holidays, the boys will be heading off to perform at the International Festival of Voices in Tasmania. They will have the opportunity to attend workshops with some of Australia's greatest vocalists and choral directors, as well as having the opportunity to perform at various locations around Hobart.

Jenny Sullivan

Middle School Music

Middle School Sport Update

The winter season is upon us and we look forward to another exciting term of winter sport. With the wet weather around, it is important to remind parents that training and fixtures will generally go ahead. Should the conditions become untenable, then a call will be made to cancel sport training and boys will be notified and an email will be sent to parents. In the event that sport is cancelled students will have indoor sessions and must still participate. Boys should not assume training or fixtures is cancelled and not attend. We do our best not to cancel conditions because of the impositions it places. I look forward to seeing you on the sidelines. Please if you do take photographs could you email me them as they are always useful of the School's publications. A reminder to parents, that appointments should be made around training and should a student not be able to compete in a fixture, the school will need to be notified in writing.

Middle School Running Club

Boys and their Parents in Year 6 and Year 7 are welcome to take part in the Running Club on Monday and Thursday mornings meeting at 7.30am at MacKellar Hall steps. Each student is encouraged to build up their endurance and run/jog at their own comfortable pace. This will be useful for building up an aerobic base with which to platform all winter sports and general fitness. Boys will be required to bring their asthmatic equipment along the route.

There will be a choice of distances of 2km, 3km, 4km or 5km routes utilising the running map:

<https://maps.google.com.au/maps/ms?msa=0&msid=209930549180040279665.0004dc1be3eff3f15f690&ie=UTF8&t=h&z=16&vpsrc=1>

Yellow = 2km, Blue = 3km, Red = 4km & Green = 5km.

Boys will track their distances over the course of the season to measure how far they have travelled and will be awarded prizes along the way for their commitment.

At the conclusion of the session, all boys will congregate at 8.00am outside MacKellar steps and place their pin on the board for the distance completed. Boys may then eat their own breakfast or will be taken up to the Senior School canteen by a teacher to purchase breakfast.

The squad will also get the opportunity to compete in some Perth running races.

We look forward to seeing you!

Lawrence Felgate

Head of Middle School Sport

Excellence Awards

Important Dates in Middle School Autumn Term

From the head of Senior School

I am delighted to have commenced my new position as Head of Senior School at Scotch College. On behalf of my wife Gaye and our son Tom, I extend our sincere thanks to the Scotch community for the warm welcome shown to us over recent weeks. It is with a sense of anticipation that I look forward to meeting more of the boys in the Senior School and working with you over the coming year. To help me get to know you, please do not hesitate to introduce yourself when you are next on campus or on the sidelines of the sporting field.

The term has begun well and the boys have quickly hit their stride after returning from the summer break. Classes commenced smoothly, new laptop computers were rolled out to all boys in Year 9 and Year 11, Information Nights have been held for Year 12 and Year 8 and the co-curricular programme resumed as if the boys had never left for the holiday break. One of the highlights of the past week has been the Senior School swimming carnival. The carnival was an outstanding success due largely to the efforts of the boys. While three records were broken and there were a number of outstanding individual performances, it was the willingness of the boys generally to participate and support their House and each other that made the day a wonderful success. I thank all staff for their efforts on the day and specifically the House Heads and Mr Bridle and Mr Foster for their meticulous planning and hard work.

At last week's assembly, Tom Wilson (Year 12, Shearer) shared with the Senior School a personal story about accepting challenge and embracing opportunity. He reminded all of us of the opportunities that lie before us at Scotch. Occasionally we allow a fear of failure to prevent us from trying something new and enjoying the rewards that come from conquering challenge. Tom's speech was both thought provoking and inspiring and had many students and staff reflecting on our own opportunities. A powerful lesson for all of us, thank you Tom.

Dr Rob McEwan

Head of Senior School

With the installation of digital signage around the Senior School campus over the Summer term break, we were all greeted on our first day back with video footage and photos of just a small sample of the activities that occurred over the 'holiday' period. In addition to the football camp, rugby and fitness training sessions, and ATAR preparation courses held on campus, there were also four major tours: History and Visual Arts students travelled to Europe; an Indonesian languages tour to Indonesia, the Pipe Band tour to the USA and the Scotch Big Band travelled to Mt Gambier to compete in the National Stage Band Championships.

To learn of the experiences and hear the stories of the boys and staff who participated in any one of these tours, only highlighted to me the diverse and rich experiences available at Scotch. From hearing how boys lived with a family in an Indonesian village, attended the local school and planned, budgeted and led an excursion across a major Indonesian city without assistance, through to images of our boys standing at the ANZAC dawn service in Villers-Bretonneux left me reflecting on the breadth of experience available to boys at Scotch.

There is no doubt in my mind that tours greatly contribute towards the building of character and exemplify the International Baccalaureate's values related to intercultural understanding, and holistic education. The evidence is plentiful and is easily seen in the actions of our boys. To illustrate just one of these qualities, that of character, I am pleased to share with you an extract from an email sent from a tour guide from New York after spending time with the boys and staff on the Pipe Band tour.

I recently had the great pleasure of taking 26 members of your Pipes and Drum band around New York City. I have been a tour guide in New York City for eight years with thousands of tours under my belt. I have never sent out a post facto email to anyone after a tour, but your young men and their teachers were so fantastic that I felt I should let someone know what great Ambassadors the boys are for Scotch College and for Australia. My only regret is that they were with me for just a few short hours.

We are fortunate to have teachers who motivate, challenge and inspire our boys and I thank those staff members who did exactly this when they led and accompanied the boys on the activities of the Summer Term break.

Dr Rob McEwan

Head of Senior School

BOYS ACHIEVEMENTS

Tim O'Donnell (Year 12, Anderson) competed in the National stage of the Lions Youth of the Year Speech and Leadership Competition. Tim spoke on two impromptu topics: "inter-generational welfare is an issue the Australian government is addressing. What are some of the challenges and solutions?" And

"should primary and secondary education be resourced at the expense of tertiary education?"

In his prepared speech Tim spoke on the issue of body image for today¹s teens, specifically through objectifying pictures on Facebook.

As the Western Australian Representative, Tim will be travelling to New Zealand at the end of December to attend the International Lions Youth Conference with the other State Representatives.

Louis Cassell (Year 10, Ferguson) has been selected in the Under 15 WA Ice Hockey Team and also the Under 18 WA Ice Hockey Team.

Callum Jacobsen (Year 8, St Andrews) represented WA at the 2013 Australian Little Athletics Championships during the school holidays. With personal best performances Callum won the gold medal in Javelin (46.74m) and silver medal in Triple Jump (12.04m).

Andrew Tole (Year 12, Brisbane) and Jonty Bean (Year 12, Cameron) will be competing in the State Finals of the UN Youth Evatt competition representing Scotch at Parliament House.

Sailing Team

The 1st VII finished 2nd overall to CCGS. The boys actually finished top of the table after the round robins and the final 8 but unfortunately lost to CCGS 2 v 1 in the 1st semi, then beat Shenton 2 v 0 in the prelim before losing the final.

The 2nd VII did brilliantly for their 1st time at this regatta, particularly given how young the team was. They actually made the final 8 and finished 7th overall.

LOTE

Dear Parents and French students

For the last four years a programme has been in place offering the opportunity to young French students aged 15-17 years to discover Australia and its education system for a short stay of 3 weeks. In addition we also now have the opportunity to host for a more extended period of 10 weeks.

We believe such hospitality is highly beneficial for our Modern Languages students, opening their eyes (and ears!) to students of another culture for an extended period. Clearly both options would also allow your son to practise his French in some measure and make a friend of his own age from the Francophone culture.

Short stay option:

We are looking for families willing to host students for the three weeks of their visit. The boys will be part of a larger group of 30 students who spend some week days in their respective schools or go on bus tours of the area. They will usually travel to and from Scotch with your son.

The purpose of the programme is for these French students to experience living with an Australian family, to see how an Australian school operates, to improve their English language skills through this full immersion and to create a strong friendship with their Anglophone peers. The programme is highly successful and both Australians and French students greatly enjoy the exchange. Many families still keep in touch with each other.

The students are fully briefed about the school rules, are not to leave the school premises and will attend classes daily unless there is a tour. They will be fully covered by appropriate insurance. Host families will be visited prior to the arrival by the organiser to explain the programme.

Long stay option:

NACEL Australia have also requested us to host this year.

They have requested host families for students aged 15 or 16 arriving in June for 10 weeks. This would be part of the current term, over the July Holidays and into next term.

Pupils hosted will spend school days with their host student in class, as this is a more independent type of home stay, without an external program of visits.

Expressions of interest:

Please email Ms Sheila McKenna (Scmckenna@scotch.wa.edu.au) or Jonathan Rugg (Jrrugg@scotch.wa.edu.au) if you would like to host this year. Closing date 18 May 2013.

(Please note: Due to timetable restrictions boys may only host a student of their own age, in Years 10 11 or 12.)

MYP

Reducing borders between nations, classes and genders

On April 9 we had a visit from Mr John Luis, Deputy Head of Senior School at the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls in South Africa. Mr Luis had stopped in at Scotch en route to an IB Workshop in Adelaide. He was here to ask our advice regarding the implementation of the MYP programme since he had heard such good things about the programme at Scotch during his investigations into International Baccalaureate Programmes.

Mr Luis spent most of the day with us. He met first with me in my capacity as MYP coordinator, before touring the School, attending a chapel service with my tutor group and then liaising with our Director of Community and Service, Mr Cordner. After recess, he met with our Headmaster Dr O'Connell, before visiting classes and talking with students. His visit concluded with a working lunch to talk about the Personal Project with Mrs Taylor and to discuss general curriculum issues with our Dean of Curriculum, Mrs Lee.

It was a very amiable and mutually beneficial meeting. I was able to pass on a number of resources to Mr Luis and he was able to share with us how The Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy operates on a relatively small budget targeting the education of girls from disadvantaged families with the aim of bringing hope and opportunity to the girls and their communities. It was really interesting to share our very different stories and for us to understand how valuable the opportunity to attend the Academy is for these girls and their families - how for them education is not a right but a privilege. The Academy was born from a conversation that Ms Winfrey had with Nelson Mandela; she asked, "What is the one thing I can do to help your country?" His response was, "Educate girls."

According to Mr Luis, Ms Winfrey is one of the primary forces driving the school's application to become an IB World School - she is really taken by the emphasis on servant leadership, on the values promoted by the Learner Profile and by the quest for equality and global harmony from which this programme was born.

I am hoping that this is just the beginning of the professional relationship forged between an Elite School for Boys in the leafy suburbs of Western Australia and an Academy for girls from disadvantaged communities in South Africa. The reduction of borders based on nationality, race, gender, social class and religion is what the MYP is ultimately about. It was wonderful for Scotch to be able to make even a tiny contribution to the growth and development of this Leadership Academy for girls.

Charlotte Cook-Casey

MYP Coordinator

2012 REPORTER

The Reporter 2012 Committee was comprised of the following Year 12s who contributed generously to the production of our annual school magazine. Their contribution was outstanding.

William Boulden, Matthew Cairns, Jackson Clarke, Harry Goodlet, Conor Hey, Harry Josland, Jordan Lilburne, Tim O'Donnell, Jonathan Pinardi, Andrew Tole, Tom Wilson and Charlie Yin.

Dr Jeannette Weeda

SURF COACHING

As in previous years, Surfschool.com will be used by Scotch to offer training for boys hoping to represent the Scotch in the Schools and State surfing competitions in August. Applicants should see Mr Rugg for a letter as soon as possible. Boys are encouraged to apply from Years 8-12 and if there is sufficient interest (as last year) we will run the senior training on Monday mornings at 6.20 am and a new Junior session on Tuesday afternoons. As we are preparing for competition by winter training at either Scarborough or Leighton, boys must be equipped and willing to surf regularly in winter conditions. Junior and Senior teams will be picked following the Interhouse surfing competition that will run on Monday 22 July 2013. Both surfers and boogie boarders are welcome.

2014 MEGACITY TOUR - USA

Expressions of interest for the 2014 Megacity Tour to the United States will be sought during Autumn Term. The tour will be travelling to San Francisco and New York and will run during Week 10 of Summer Term into the April school holidays. Students currently in Years 9, 10, and 11 are invited to attend. Whilst the tour is designed to complement the units of work studied in Years 10-12 Geography, students who do not study Geography are more than welcome to attend. Please contact Mr Hildebrandt for further information, mshildebrandt@scotch.wa.edu.au or 9383 6927. An information evening will be held later in the term.

UNIVERSITY INFORMATION

The University of Notre Dame Information Evening

Find out about courses of study, how to apply and alternative entry at Notre Dame.

Tuesday 28 May 2013

Expo - 5.30pm and presentation at 6.00pm

UWA Medicine & Dentistry Information Sessions

Applicants will need to register to attend an Information Evening session. Details about this will be released closer to the time.

School Leaver Pathway sessions

• The information evening for school leaver and graduate applicants interested in the DMD will be held on Wednesday 15 May 2013.

A UMAT Information Evening will be held at UWA on Tuesday 21 May 2013.

POLICE ENTRY PATHWAY INFORMATION SESSION

Session includes a presentation from police recruiting about entry pathways followed by an opportunity to speak informally with presenters.

Wed 15 May, 6.00pm - 8.00pm, WA Police Academy, Joondalup

Wed 12 June, 6.00pm - 8.00pm, WA Police Academy, Joondalup

http://www.stepforward.wa.gov.au/news/career-information-sessions-booking.html

LATTITUDE GLOBAL VOLUNTEERING

For Year 12 Students considering a gap year 2014, Lattitude are holding an information session in Perth on Thursday 23 May. Parents are welcome to attend. The session will be an overview of international volunteering and the comprehensive support provided to each volunteer and their family. Placements are available in Europe, the Americas, Africa and Asia/Pacific. Flyers have been placed in the Year 12 Common Room providing details of when and where the session is to be held. You can register your interest in attending by going to www.lattitude.org.au. The deadline for applications is Friday 21 June 2013. Interviews will be conducted in July. Details will be forwarded to each applicant closer to the time.

YEAR 11 DANCE

The Memorial Hall will once again be transformed when it becomes the venue for the Year 11 Dance on Saturday, 25 May. A committee of parents and boys have been busy planning an exciting evening's entertainment for the Year 11 boys and partners in the theme of 'Parisian Street Life'. Tickets are available through the Scotch website on the 'Book a Scotch Event' tab. The Dance is a semi-formal 'disco type' social and refreshments will be served.

SPORTS CAPTAINS

Badminton:

Captain: Scott Webster (St Andrews)

Chess:

Co-Captain: Cameron Mitchell (Keys)

Co-Captain: Jordan Lilburne (St Andrews)

Cross Country:

Captain: Douglas Foulkes-Taylor (Keys)

Vice Captain: Alex Smith (Anderson)

Football:

Captain: Jack Prendiville (Cameron)

Vice Captain: Samuel Shackles (Keys)

Hockey:

Co-Captain: George McGeoch (Ferguson)

Co-Captain: Joshua Taylor (Keys)

Vice-Captain: Jack Dowland (Ferguson)

Soccer:

Captain: Jack Mahon (St Andrews)

Vice-Captain: Tas Mitaros (St Andrews)

Rugby:

Captain: Andrew Yin (Alexander)

Vice Captain: Reece Grant (Shearer)

Sailing:

Captain: William Boulden (St Andrews)

Mothers Auxiliary

Thanks to Dr Rob McEwan for speaking at the MA Meeting today. Our next meeting is June 10 in the Gooch Pavilion at 9am. All are welcome to attend.

Clair Stanley
President
MothersAuxiliary@scotch.wa.edu.au

Pipe Band Support Group

On 13 April, 48 Year 10, 11 and 12 boys left Perth for the US for their biennial Pipe Band Tour along with 5 staff members led by Mr Norm De Grussa. After 3 days in New York and 3 days in Washington the boys arrived in Norfolk Virginia for the serious business of 4 days of intensive rehearsals for the prestigious Virginia International Tattoo 2013.

Along with many military and civilian bands from the US, our boys were joined by the PLC Perth Pipe Band, the OzScot Australia Dance Team (also from Perth), the Band and Drill Team of His Majesty the King's Guard from Norway, the French Paratroopers Band, the Paris Port Dover Pipes and Drums from Canada and the world renowned Pipes and Drums, 1st Battalion Scots Guards who had only recently returned from active duty in Afghanistan.

The boys played in 6 performances before sell-out crowds of more than 5,000 and for the first time since performing at the Tattoo were granted a solo performance slot accompanied by the OzScot dancers. Approximately 50 family members and friends were also in attendance to provide a nucleus of enthusiastic and vocal support. The first two performances were on Anzac Day and it was pleasing to all Australians and New Zealanders present to hear the acknowledgement by the announcer of the significance of this day to us at the time the boys performed solo (our thanks to Ambassador Beazley for this).
The performances were brilliant and all boys in the Scotch College Pipe Band did their school, their families and themselves proud. It will be an experience and memory that will last a lifetime.

In other news, this term marks the commencement of the expansion of the Pipe Band into the Middle School and the transition of Pipe Master duties from Mr Norm De Grussa to Mr Craig Bailey. This term will also see fundraising activities in the Annual Sheep Manure Drive along with the Lone Piper Shiraz wine sale, but more on these in the next newsletter.

Soccer Support Group

Welcome to the 2013 season. The Soccer Support group is looking for Year group parent representatives for years 7-12. We are also looking for photo's throughout the season of the boy's matches. For those boys who want extra soccer skills, the coach of the 1st's, Gerry MacEwan runs skills training before school. It is open to boys of all skills and ages. For more details about any of the above information contact Megan Jefferies at soccer@scotch.wa.edu.au

Year 11 Dance

A reminder the Year 11 Dance being held on Saturday, 25 May, is fast approaching; tickets are available through the this can be booked through the "Book a Scotch Event" page on the website. The Dance is a semi-formal 'disco type' social and refreshments will be served. With only 2 weeks to go, the Parents Committee are busy finalising preparations.

The committee requires Year 11parents to volunteer on the night, we are hoping to roster parents on for 2 hour shifts starting from 6.30pm (dance starts at 7pm) with the dance finishing at 11pm.

If you are available to help out on the night please contact Liz Sutherland at liz_neil@bigpond.net.au or phone on 0412 435 231.

Fashion Parade

The Fashion Parade is on Wednesday, May 29, and tickets are selling fast. Single or table tickets can be purchased, with a glass of champagne on arrival and delightful finger food at the tables. Many thanks to all the parents who are involved in organising and also to those who will be modelling on the day. With door and raffle prizes. This major fundraiser has been put together by parent volunteers. Another massive thank you to all those who donated, especially Sana Boutique and Claremont Sports, and to Kailis Pearls for the major raffle prize..

Tickets for the Fashion Parade can be obtained on the Scotch website on "Book A Scotch Event" tab.

PA Ball

After the highly successful biennial Parents' Association Ball 2013 we would like to thank all those involved in the enormous amount of work that went into making this evening such a resounding success. In particular thanks to Jen Ehlers for her amazing coordination of the decorations coming straight after the Year 12 Ball, which she also managed superbly. First term was a busy one for the Parents' Association with the organisation of the Year 7 and Year 8 parent dinners, events that are an important part of developing community around our sons through their education.

Susan Kennerly
PA Secretary

New Vision, Mission and Values

It's a busy time for Old Scotch Collegians, as your alumni association continues to develop its reach and activities.

We are very proud to be publicly launching OSC's new Mission, Vision and Values in this month's Clan magazine. The Committee has put a lot of work into this project. The result, which culminates in the OSC's Vision of being "A Community For Life" is not just words. It lies at the centre of an important set of principles that will guide the association in the years to come. Look out for a full introduction in the Clan. I hope you will agree that the definition of our Mission, Vision and Values will serve as an operational compass for the organisation, and empower it to work with the entire school community in a meaningful and fully engaged way.

We're looking forward to some great OSC events as well.

The College Cup inter-school old boys' sailing regatta was held on Sunday 5th May. It kicked of at Freshie at [8.30am] and the "Bull's and "Colt's" were out in force as always it was a fantastic day on the water, with unashamed rivalry between each college's boats only overshadowed by the important "Best Dressed Team" award! Scotch finished a credible third place, having the wind stolen from us by Christ Church who won the overall event for the second year running. However we did win the "Best Mascot" award with a Piper on the back of Kim Gamble's spectator boat. Thanks to all who supported the event including OSCs - Peter Barblett, Kim Gamble and Jim Stevenson.

Our annual Senior's Lunch continues to grow in popularity, with over 100 RSVP's at the time of writing (but room for more). This event will be held at the School Dining Room on 10th May, and along with the opportunity for some shared memories and fellowship, OSC's will hear from Dr O'Connell on his vision for the school, his fantastic recent trip to the USA with our spectacular Pipe Band, and importantly, some thoughts on the evolution of the OSC as an organisation.

Just over the horizon is the OSC Wine Tasing at Swanbourne Cellars, scheduled for 23 July. Tickets are limited for this popular event. This year, our hosts will be showcasing OSC winemaker Hunter Smith's fabulous Frankland River Estate wines, and in the convivial surrounds of the Swanny Cellars, there'll be plenty of good cheer. Book early, and bring an OSC friend.

If you're interested in any of the above, please contact OSC's tireless Manager, Lance Quartermain on 9383 6849].

I look forward to seeing you at one of these OSC events.

Regards

Michael Silbert ('79)

President OSC

PLC OLD COLLEGIANS' ASSOCIATION ART EXHIBITION

The PLC Old Collegians' Association is once again holding its annual art exhibition featuring amazing works for sale from members of the PLC Community. The Exhibition, which will be opened by prominent journalist and old collegian, Jacqui Lang (1980) kicks off with Opening Night on Friday 17 May from 6.00 pm - 9.00 pm, then runs across the weekend, open Saturday 18 May and Sunday 19 May from 10.00 am until 4.00 pm.

About 35 artists from the PLC Community will be exhibiting more than 50 artworks at this year's event. Water-colourist Ray Eastwood (Cullen 1955) and portrait artist Aurelie Yeo (Shearer 1951) will also be artists-in-residence on Saturday 18 May from 11.00 am - 1.00 pm and Sunday 19 May from 1.00 pm - 3.00 pm. The cafe will be open for tea and coffee all weekend so have your catch up with friends as you walk around the exhibition.

Make sure you pop down to this fantastic showcase of PLC talent and if possible get to the Opening Night to snap up some amazing artwork before it's all sold. Tickets for Opening Night are $25 and available from www.plcoca.com.au/art - we'd love to see you there!

Facebook Event Page: http://www.facebook.com/events/424658467618232/

PLC Alumni Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/PLCOCA

Please share this with your families, friends and networks!

SOUTHERN CROSS CULTURAL EXCHANGE

Learn About Yourself !

As Marcel Proust, a late 19^th century novelist wrote: "the real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes but in having new eyes". Volunteer to host an international high school student in July 2013 through Southern Cross Cultural Exchange and prepare to be amazed at the way this unique and rewarding opportunity helps your family to become closer, to understand themselves better and to see the world in a new light.

Carefully selected students will arrive in July for one term, one or two semesters from France, Italy, Germany, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland, and Spain. They will attend a local secondary school, arrive with their own spending money and comprehensive insurance cover - all arranged by Southern Cross Cultural Exchange. Visit us at our website www.scce.com.au, email scceaust@scce.com.au or call us toll free on 1800 500 501, request our international student profiles, and capture the spirit of family and friendship.

BEHAVIOUR TONICS

Behaviour Tonics are offering courses in the following -

• 123 Magic and Emotion Coaching Parent Course
• Bullying - Don't Just Stand There
• Protective Behaviours and
• Growing Your Kids Socially (Social skills course for parents of 3-7 year olds).
• Engaging Adolescents

See flyer for more details.

HUNTER NEW ENGLAND AREA HEALTH DISTRICT

Disease Detectives Wanted!

Flutracking is an innovative programme running through the state government's Hunter New England Health Local Health District and is looking for disease detectives to assist with tracking influenza across Australia. Flutracking would like to invite students and families to participate in the weekly online survey. All you need to take part is access to a computer and an email address. Students can sign up individually (13 years and older) or you can sign up as a family with multiple household members. Surveys are sent on Monday mornings between May and October. The surveys are quick and easy (they take less than 10 seconds) and ask you if you have experienced any flu symptoms in the previous week. By participating you are allowing researchers to build a system that can quickly identify the onset of influenza and as the flu season progresses, we learn more about the severity of the particular strains in circulation, how well that season's vaccine is working, and whether the virus has mutated. If you would like to participate in the Flutracking survey this year visit www.flutracking.net and click the join now icon and fill in the registration details. If you have any questions about the research you can contact the team on flutracking@hnehealth.nsw.gov.au

Sign up at www.flutracking.net.