Recently I had the privilege of being invited to attend the annual meeting of the Australian Indigenous Education Foundation (AIEF) with two of our students. AIEF are one of the corporate organisations that provide scholarships for some of our indigenous boarders. What struck me is the power that can be generated when educators and the corporate world engage in a strategy which is underpinned with sound moral imperatives and values. As a school community we must continue to search out meaningful partnerships with other groups. Not for the sake of public relations, but for the sake of enhancing the experience we give to all of our boys across the three sub-schools. In providing our boys with diverse experiences we are positioning them to enter the wider community and make a difference in what ever they choose to pursue.

While I have held the view that an individual can truly make a profound difference through commitment and passion , this concept was never more evident for me than when I had the opportunity to hear Sir Bob Geldof speak at UWA this week. He spoke about his hopes and aspirations for Africa and the role Australia is playing and must continue to play to help that continent develop throughout this century. His vision is a tangible example for everyone that from little things big things grow.

Our job as parents and educators is to ensure that we inspire, support and encourage our boys to dream, to take risks and most importantly to lead.

Dr Alec O'Connell

Headmaster

INDEPENDENCE IN LEARNING

by Mrs Skidmore, Director of Teaching and Learning

One of the skills of a good teacher is the ability to give a child time to think. Teachers at Scotch College undergo regular refresher training through a course known as the Brinsden Programme which has been operating over the last six years. Consultant Ms Helen Egeberg takes groups of teachers through workshops and then teachers observe and critique each other's lessons. I was reminded of this fundamental skill of 'thinking time' during Celia Lashlie's talk to parents this week. In the Brinsden programme, we reflect on questioning techniques where we want the child to be accountable but safe in answering questions. That takes practice and skill. How easy it is to ask a question, allow a short time (maybe three seconds) before we shoot a possible answer. Maybe we shoot several possible answers. No wonder a boy can answer "Dunno" if he realises we are going to answer the question if he gives us long enough. Giving a boy thinking time, whether in the classroom or at home will help him to develop as a thinker, one of the key attributes of the International Baccalaureate Learner Profile.

In the Senior School, Mr Peter Frusher returns to work this week after a well-earned long service break. The boys have been quick to find him to seek help on advice on courses, scholarships to university, future pathways. One way a boy can demonstrate independence is in finding out information for himself. The round dinner table chat about possible options are really helpful but then leave him to do the ground work himself. The boys have so much information at their fingertips; it is so easy for them to go to any website to explore their own options. That can be a great family exercise in itself but ultimately let the boy be the inquirer, let him become the knowledgeable one about matters that affect him.

PROFESSIONAL ACCOUNTABILITY

by Ms Cook-Casey, Mr Scaife and Ms Eriksson

This week Dr O'Connell received the two official reports from the IBO following our Evaluation visits. We were delighted that there were no 'matters to be addressed' and many commendations and some recommendations for our delivery of the Diploma Programme and the Middle Years Programme. Examples of the commendations are:

• The school has a stimulating learning environment based on understanding and respect throughout the school community
• The College is commended for its commitment to IB professional development over and above that required by the IB in many cases.
• The College is to be commended for its very good physical and virtual facilities for all subjects.
• The College is commended for having a well qualified IB DP teaching staff with a wide range of experiences.
• The College is to be commended for making changes in the library area which better support IB DP students with their hard copy and electronic resources and places to work and relax.
• The College is commended for appointing an Extended Essay Coordinator and providing time for the role, allowing her to set up an excellent site on the school network for all to use.

Scotch College Combined Schools Careers Expo

This annual event will be happening again on Wednesday 19 June from 5.00pm - 7.30pm in the Dickinson Centre at Scotch College. Year 10/11 & 12 students are invited to attend with their parents to gain valuable information regarding university courses, apprenticeships, TAFE courses and many other further study and career opportunities. More than 50 exhibitors will be attending.

Year 12 Information

• WACE Examinations for Private Candidates

Any Year 11 or Year 12 student who is planning to sit a WACE examination this year as a Private Candidate needs to see Mr Frusher so that he can be enrolled with Curriculum Council. Private Candidates are students who are studying subjects privately outside of Scotch College. This generally refers to students who are studying a second language but may include students studying other subjects that are not offered at Scotch College.

• Year 12 Vocational Focus Breakfasts

In June 2013, Year 12 students will have the opportunity to have breakfast with Old Scotch Collegians who have studied and/or worked in areas that may be of interest to them in further studies and/or careers. A registration form was distributed to all students in Week 1, inviting them to select one or more breakfasts to attend. Please ask boys to complete the form in detail so that appropriate mentors can be selected for the area of their interest. These forms are now due but late applications will be accepted until Wednesday 29 May 2013. Please return to Mr Frusher.

• UMAT REGISTRATION

The final date for students to register to sit the UMAT for Medicine or Dentistry entry in 2014 is Friday 7 June 2013. Any queries in regard to the UMAT may be directed to Mr Frusher at Scotch or email umat@acer.edu.au .

The UMAT test date is Wednesday 31 July 2013.

• GAP YEAR 2014

Lattitude Global Volunteering

Students who are interested in taking a GAP Year in 2014 are reminded that applications through Lattitude are still able to be made by registering at www.lattitude.org.au or contacting Mr Frusher at Scotch. Applications for 2014 close on Friday 21 June 2013 with interviews being conducted in Perth during July.

UNIVERSITY INFORMATION

• Meet Melbourne in Perth

Melbourne University will be holding an information evening in Perth at the Hyatt Regency on Thursday 20 June, 2013 from 6.30pm -8.00pm. This is a very useful information session if your son is considering studying at Melbourne University in 2014.

• Curtin University Parent Information Evenings

Year 10 Parent Information Evening from 5.30-7.00pm on Tuesday 11 June , 2013 in the Elizabeth Jolley Lecture Theatre, Curtin University, Bentley.

Year 12 Parent Information Evening from 5.30-7.00pm on Tuesday 11 June , 2013 in the Elizabeth Jolley Lecture Theatre, Curtin University, Bentley.

These two events are intended to help demystify university preferences and the TISC process. You will have plenty of opportunities to speak with Curtin experts from admissions, scholarships, university support services, faculty and current students about their university experiences. To register, go to curtin.edu.au/pie .

• Notre Dame University

A Course Information Evening will be held on Tuesday 28 May, 2013 from 5.30pm expo and 6.00pm presentation. This presentation will be repeated on Monday 17 June 2013. Both sessions will be held at the Drill Hall located on the corner of Mouat and Croke Streets, Fremantle.

For further information (08) 9433 0533 // future@nd.edu.au // www.nd.edu.au

• Edith Cowan University

Choosing subjects for Year 11 and 12

ECU has a webpage to provide tips for Year 10 students to help them choose the right subjects to match their career ambitions.

http://www.ecu.edu.au/future-students/year-10s/what-subjects-should-you-study

• Bond University

Students who may be considering studying at Bond University in 2014 are invited along with their parents to an information evening at the Adina Hotel in Perth on Tuesday 4 June at 7pm. This evening will provide information on courses, scholarships and life at Bond. See Mr Frusher for more details.

Trainee Programme

• PricewaterhouseCoopers

Applications for PwC's Trainee Programme are now open to current Year 12 students for commencement in 2014. This programme enables students to gain practical and commercial experience while completing a Commerce or Business degree majoring in Accounting; all while being paid at the same time. Email claire.jenkins@au.pwc.com or visit the website www.pwc.com.au/careers/student

LIBRARY

from Mr Tyrrell, Head of Library

During this time of year it is always nice to settle in with a good book and to accommodate this, the libraries across the College have been busily purchasing a variety of new books during the past six weeks. Students are encouraged to come into the libraries and enjoy these new resources during the colder months ahead.

During the summer holidays, the libraries across the College have had a system change which has resulted in new workflows for Library Staff and the boys. The new system has also been implemented to branch across to PLC and as a result, both colleges now enjoy inter-library loans from each other's collection, vastly increasing the number of books both our boys and girls can access. This process of migrating and blending the entire College collection over to the new system has been steady. A few items that I want to mention specifically are as follows:

Overdue Letters and Procedures

To workflow the process between the three library locations at Scotch and PLC libraries, we have now instituted a single system that handles overdue letters and the accompanying processes. Three reminders will now be emailed to students reminding them of their overdue loans and a final letter will be sent to parents. This process is now consistent across the Middle School and Senior School and a similar system will soon be applied to Junior School Library loans. Whilst we work through this new system, we ask for your understanding as we streamline and remove any issues that we might find occurring.

Loan Periods

The College has also opted for consistency across the College for loan periods. A two-week loan duration has been selected with reminders for overdue loans occurring every two weeks after the due date. It should be noted that students with an item overdue longer that eight weeks will no longer be permitted to borrow items, until the other items have been returned. As always the Teacher Librarians associated with the various libraries, are more than happy to help with any concerns.

At the end of the term, parents are reminded that any items that are still overdue with periods exceeding 9 weeks will mean that Accounts will be sent the value of the item and a new book will be ordered.

Overdrive

As we move the library through to a new model of access, the College now has the ability for all the community to access a variety of ebooks. These can be downloaded onto a variety of eReaders (iPad, Kindle, Kobo etc) and 'how to' guides will be sent out to all parents soon. As with our above, this is a collaborative enterprise between Scotch and PLC and we are now working at adding additional titles to the online collection. Parents are encouraged to use the service and to access this by clicking the following link: plcscotch.lib.overdrive.com

Requests Systems

The library has now centralised its requests system into a single point of contact for all of our community. The email address library@scotch.wa.edu.au and this now provides one point of contact for all the College libraries and we encourage everyone to use this service. Parents can use this service for additional support with homework for their son, proof reading of reports, requests for additional reading materials, requests for purchases etc.

If you have any concerns or questions, please don't hesitate to contact me. I am always available for a chat most mornings before school in the Bunning Resource Centre on the Senior School campus.

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

by Ms Skidmore

Over the past two weeks, teachers have continued to access professional learning opportunities. The Australian Middle Schooling Conference was attended by Ms Schorer, Mr Shirley and Mr Ledger with Ms Schorer and Mr Shirley being invited to present on the development of the iLearn course in the Middle School.

The Brinsden programme continues with teachers collaborating to share and learn about developing classroom strategies and ways to use technology in exciting and innovative ways.

Other courses attended in the past two weeks include Royal Lifesaving, Earth Science, Handwriting Difficulties, Mental Health Symposium, Aquatic Rescue, Creative Thinking, Libraries Make a Difference, Geography ebooks and AISWA - new courses in Mathematics.

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!

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.

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.

SENIOR SCHOOL PRODUCTION

The Senior School Production for 2013 will open June 12 and run for four nights, closing on June 15. The season will include a matinee on Saturday starting at 2pm. Performances begin at 7pm sharp in the Dickinson Centre. A very talented cast and supporting crew have been working very hard to bring this fascinating tale to the stage.

Tickets can be purchased via a link on the ticketing page, which is linked to the Scotch website, or by following this link http://www.trybooking.com/CXYZ.

'Billy Budd', was written by Louis O. Coxe and Robert Chapman. The play is based on Herman Mellville's unfinished novella. Set in 1797 entirely at sea, the play explores the tale of Billy Budd Billy, a junior sailor with an openness and natural charisma that makes him popular with the crew. He earns the antagonism of the ship's Master-at-Arms, John Claggart, who falsely accuses Billy of conspiracy to mutiny.

Please direct all queries to Mr Bennet Andrews, bcandrews@scotch.wa.edu.au.

MUSIC DEPARTMENT

The boys in the various musical ensembles have been working hard preparing for some big performances later this term and early next term. It was great to hear Big Band One perform at the Senior School Assembly in Week 1 as part of their Tour Report of their trip to Mt Gambier. Concert Band Two also performed brilliantly at the assembly in Week 2. I have heard some great reports of boys performing in the Middle School and Junior School assemblies. Thank you to everyone who provides feedback on the various performances that occur around the school.

There are several events that are coming up which are detailed in other parts of this edition of The Thistle. Please make a note in your diary about three important events. The Annual Kawai Piano Sale coordinated by Snadens Pianos with a Scotch College VIP evening is not to be missed. The Junior and Middle School Autumn Concert to be held in the Dickinson Centre on Friday, 21 June, is a great showcase of the younger musical talent of the school, and the magnificent Jazz Night "Sounds of the 70s" to be presented on Friday 2 August is always a fantastic event.

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. 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.)

INFORMATION LEARNING TECHNOLOGY

Technology changes the way we do things and the ways we interact. Scotch College uses technology to achieve a variety of learning outcomes. The boys in Andrew Tibbitt's Year 12 Economics class recently joined their PLC counterparts in a telepresence-based tutorial. Students presented to each other their research on the economic performance of selected countries. Question and answers sessions between both classes, including input from two teachers made for a rich learning interaction.

This telepresence session was reported in a news article posted on Australia's Academic and Research Network (aarnet) website celebrating that Scotch and PLC were the first schools to connect their high speed 10G network.

Our Digital Signage is proving popular with the Scotch community. It delivers the most up-to-date information to students and staff including daily notices, weekly programmes and changes to timetables. We also have enjoyed slide shows of the boys' cross-country achievements and student videos documenting their construction of D & T projects. Some beautifully edited videos of past tours were also presented, and keenly viewed by the next generation of tour participants.

The next ILT Parent Workshop in the Bunning Resource Centre will be:

Managing the laptops @ home - Tuesday, 11 June 9.00 - 10.00 am

Bookings can be made at: http://tinyurl.com/parentbookings

HOW TO BOOST YOUR SON'S MOTIVATION AT SCHOOL

Scotch College is pleased to present an opportunity for parents to hear Dr Andrew Martin, renowned speaker and author. How often have you heard the comment, 'He's really bright but I can't get him motivated'? Motivation at home, school and in the workplace is so important. Andrew Martin is a leading researcher into the motivation of children. He will discuss the latest research into academic resilience and the psychological factors which affect academic success at school and in later life.

This seminar will be held Monday 22 July, 7pm - 9pm in the McKeller Hall at the School. Bookings are essential and can be made through "Book a Scotch Event" on the Scotch Website: http://www.scotch.wa.edu.au/.

Reading is more important than ever

Getting students, especially boys, to read is not as simple as it used to be but the importance of reading hasn't changed; in fact it is more important than ever. With the popularity of the Internet there has been an explosion of online content. It has changed how we live, work and communicate. Before we can access and analyse this content we need to be effective readers. Learning to read is one of the most essential skills that your child will acquire. Sharing responsibility between school and home will help to ensure the acquisition of those skills.

An Independent Reader needs to develop the following skills and strategies:

• Phonemic awareness so that they can hear the individual speech sounds and can aurally segment and blend them.
• Phonic knowledge so that they can associate the sounds of letters with their written form to develop strong word attack skills.
• An extensive vocabulary. We know that children who have failed to acquire a large vocabulary of spoken word struggle to understand what the words mean when they meet them in print.
• An extensive bank of highly familiar words that they can read automatically by sight without the need to use decoding strategies. Sight words facilitate early success in reading and improve reading fluency.
• Reading fluency so that they can read effortlessly at a reasonable rate.
• Reading comprehension so that they can make sense of the words in context.

Home Reading

Children learn about the importance of reading as they watch their family reading and writing in everyday life. Whether reading a novel, sharing a story, using a recipe, making a shopping list, writing a birthday card or reading a street sign, children observe the value of reading and writing.

Home reading should be an enjoyable activity rather than one that creates pressure. If your child is tired, reluctant or experiencing some difficulty with reading Warwick Norman, Junior School Librarian and your son's classroom teacher will be able to assist with some strategies.

Andrea McNally

Head of Junior School

Staffing

I would like to take the opportunity to thank Kaye Turner, Acting Junior School Librarian and Warwick Norman, Acting Deputy Head of Junior School for their contribution and for the support that I have received in my time as Acting Head of Junior School. The Junior School is looking forward to welcoming Mr John Stewart, Head of Junior School when he commences on Tuesday 4 June.

Andrea McNally

Acting Head of Junior School

Assessment and Reporting

The main topic of conversation in the Junior School, with the recent NAPLAN tests, has been assessment.

The International Baccalaureate position on standardised achievement tests in the PYP is a recognition that globally, there are schools that are obligated to comply with local, state or national requirements. In addition, some schools choose to use commercially available tests as an extra tool to measure students' performance..…"in areas defined by the test but not directly linked to the learning defined in the academic programme." (MPYPH 2009). It is interesting to note that the Making the PYP Happen states: "When standardised achievement tests are an option, administrators and teachers should carefully consider:

• the relevance of the test to the cohort of students within the school

• the relationship between what is being tested and the school's programme

• the impact of testing on teaching and learning

• the usability of the data produced.

I will leave you to contemplate these indictors. As a staff we have had many discussions based on the above, and no doubt many more to come.

Given the recent focus on assessment in schools across Australia, it is timely to revisit our Junior School Assessment and Reporting Policy. Our Assessment and Reporting policy drives and guides assessment practices across the Junior School.

Assessment and Reporting at Scotch College Junior School

Assessment is integral to the teaching and learning cycle. Assessment procedures and methods of reporting to parents reflect the philosophy and objectives of the International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme (PYP) alongside the College's Vision, Mission and Values. For our scope and sequence we use the Australian National Curriculum. We aim to educate our students to be independent, collaborative, inquiring and active citizens.

Assessment Teaching & Learning

The ultimate aim of all assessment is improving student learning outcomes. It is central to the PYP goal of thoughtfully and effectively guiding children through the five essential elements of learning: the understanding of concepts, the acquisition of knowledge, the mastering of skills, the development of attitudes and the decision to take responsible action. Effective assessment generates information about student learning and contributes to the efficacy of the programme.

Kathy Derrick

PYP Coordinator

4C News

The boys have been fantastic inquirers during our unit of inquiry 'How we organise ourselves'. They have been immersed in many different activities in order to develop an understanding of supply and demand. The final recent component of the unit involved collecting information from a local business to learn about the drivers of supply and demand. On Tuesday 14 May the boys visited the Claremont shopping area and together with 4L surveyed 18 businesses. The boys split up into groups of three and each group interviewed a business to collect information, such as the size of the business and the age of the target customers. The boys used the data they collected to construct different types of graphs and have drawn conclusions from each graph. The boys' knowledge of supply and demand has been very impressive. They are now enjoying our new unit 'How we express ourselves.'

Olivia Creagh

Year 4 Teacher

Art News

It is clearly apparent how linked the learning is here at Scotch College Junior School, when you consider what has taken place over the last week.

Year 1 boys are sharing their discoveries about 'How we express ourselves' through storytelling, between their classroom, the library, the art programme and with their Year 5 buddies. In Art, we have been focusing on indigenous storytelling and how aboriginals tell stories through their artwork.

Year 2 boys are mixing up Science, Art and inquiry learning about how 'Force can be applied to objects to enable movement and make deliberate changes.' They are travelling to Fleur Schell's newly established clay school/studio, the Clay House in North Fremantle; to create a ceramic/mixed media model to demonstrate the boys' understandings of the basic physics of movement through natural and man made forces.

Year 3 boys are discovering 'How the world works' by learning how 'Biodiversity relies on maintaining the interdependent balance of organisms within systems'. A visit to Lake Claremont allowed the boys to apply their knowledge acquired through front loading exercises in Art, finding out about the importance of frogs in a balanced, healthy ecosystem. ILT has also played a major role in this learning.

Year 5 boys, in their quest for learning about 'How symbols are used to unify communication globally', are embarking on an art project to design and create their own Australian symbol, based on the art form of West African, Adinkra symbols. Boys are using their symbol to communicate an IB Attitude or Learner Profile such as integrity or open-mindedness. We hope to print symbols onto calico bags and fill the bags with arts materials, to send to a school in Ghana. At ABA House in Ghana, the students grow their own sugar cane to make paper, bind books and print their Adinkra symbols on them, to sell in order to make enough money to purchase new school supplies. This has inspired us to express our national identity through the Arts and to communicate globally.

Karen Sabitay

PYP Visual Arts

Performing Arts News

The Year 3 boys were in for a very big surprise last week when they found out that one of their teachers, Mr Dickson, is actually a rock star! Mr. Dickson blew us away with his awesome solo on the drum kit - he even had a double kick pedal! The boys couldn't help but keep the beat with some body percussion as Mr Dickson rocked out on the drums. As a result of this Mr Dickson decided to try having the boys and Mrs Turkich continue an ostinato pattern (think We Will Rock You) as he played an improvised solo. The boys were left buzzing in awe. I would be very interested to know how many boys went home after school that day to ask Mum or Dad if they could start drum lessons!

Phebe Samson

Performing Arts Teacher

Communicating effectively with your children…

It is important to discuss bullying with your children on a regular basis. Regular communication with a person they trust and respect will help them form their own opinions and beliefs about bullying. Your children will also feel more comfortable telling you if they are being bullied. Consider trying some of these ideas to improve the way you talk with your children about tricky issues:

Sit shoulder to shoulder or walk with your child as you talk

Talking face to face can be quite confrontational, particularly for boys. Sitting or walking side by side will encourage both you and your child to talk freely.

Use open-ended questions

It is easy to ask your child if they had a good day or if they would like toast for breakfast; however these questions only require a yes or no answer. Try asking questions such as "What did you do today?" or "What would you like for breakfast?" These types of questions encourage discussion between you and your child.

Talk with your children about what to do rather than what not to do

It is common for us to focus on negative behaviour, such as "don't step in that puddle" or "stop swinging on your chair". Try telling your children what you would like them to do rather than what you don't want them to do. You can do this by using positive statements such as "please step over the puddle" or "please put the chair legs on the floor".

Warwick Norman

FS&F Coordinator

French News

Bonjour! During Autumn Term Year 3 boys are making links to the 'How the world works' unit of inquiry during French class. The boys are acquiring vocabulary relating to animals and insects. We will also be reading two stories, La Vieille Dame Qui Avala une Mouche (The Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly) and Bon Appétit Monsieur Lapin! The boys will conduct a survey in French in order to find out about their classmates' pets. They will use their artistic skills to create and label an animal fou, fou, fou combining different body parts of animals and insects.

Madame Edwards

French Specialist

Physical Education News

We are looking forward to a busy few weeks in sport! Year 5 Winter Sport is up and running. The boys have been keen and have demonstrated both spirit and enthusiasm throughout games.

Year 4 boys are looking forward to their upcoming JPSSA AFL Carnival, to be held here at Scotch College. The Carnival will take place on Thursday 13 June and is an afternoon event commencing at 1.00pm and concluding at 2.30pm. Our annual Inter-House Cross-Country Carnival is fast approaching. Parents are reminded that this Carnival will be held on Thursday 6 June and is an afternoon event with the first race commencing at 12.00pm. Please refer to the Junior School Wiki for race details.

Jason Caniglia

Head of Junior School Physical Education

Junior School Resource Centre

Autumn Term has started at the speed the Summer Term ended. All the boys are enthusiastically borrowing books, which always keeps a Librarian happy. To help avoid confusion this article presents the opportunity to explain the book borrowing procedures to boys and parents. Boys are allowed to borrow or return at any appropriate time and the borrowing time is two weeks. If a book is overdue for a week the teacher librarian will write a little reminder in the student's record book. This is to allow parents to help the boys locate and return or renew their books. It needs to be emphasized that boys are never in trouble; we are trying to help them develop organizational skills. A letter will be sent home after the book has been overdue for a substantial amount of time. Please feel welcome to discuss with the librarian any issues with overdue books.

Exciting New Arrivals for Borrowing:

Children's Quick and Easy Cook Book by Angela Wilkes

Spot What by Nick Bryant

The Kingfisher Space Encyclopaedia by Dr Mike Goldsmith

Inventions by Alex Frith

Universe Journey into Deep Space by Dr Mike Goldsmith

Extreme Animal Dictionary

Human Body Factory by Dan Green

Atlas of Animals by Jinny Johnson

Kaye Turner

Junior School Teacher Librarian

Excellence Awards

Year 2

James Cowan

Xander Dore

Gabe Huberman

Jack Leckie

Noah Lewis

Lewis McGrath

Fletcher McIntosh

Alasdair Orr

Ben Quarterman

Harry Smith

Year 3

Henry Capon

Luca Datodi

Horry Foster

Jason Ilse

Rory King

Nagarjun Kokkerchedu

Gianluca Mastrocinque

Pablo Munoz-Morillo

Ethan Saffy

Henry Vaughan

Year 5

Alexander Aakermann

Alex Chew

Ronnie Fellows-Smith

Lachlan Simpson

Charlie Radici

Action - Free Dress Day

Each term the Junior School hosts a free dress day to fundraise for an organisation that a boy brings to the Junior School as a result of their learning in the PYP. Any boy in Junior School is welcome to write a letter to Mrs Derrick, highlighting the organisation and how it relates to a Unit of Inquiry they have completed in the past or a current unit. Submissions should be made in writing, by the boys, and delivered to the Junior School office.

Middle School Update

Last week Mr Shirley and Ms Schorer presented an information session at the national Middle Years Schooling Conference in Queensland. They were invited to speak on the interdisciplinary units of work we call iLearn. Your sons will have talked about iLearn, the amalgam of Science, Social Studies and ICT content and skills wrapped up in a unit of work arranged under one of the MYP's Areas of Interaction: Human Ingenuity, Environments, Approaches to Learning, Health & Well Being, Community & Service.

The purpose of the invitation was to offer to other interested teachers around the country an insight into a successful model of curriculum integration. A model that offers a broader, richer context for students to wrestle with, understand and apply the key learning concepts.

You can be proud of the professional delivery Mr Shirley and Ms Schorer gave and the affirmation by the audience through their questions and requests for more information that iLearn is an innovative, well thought through curriculum initiative, likely to be adopted by a range of other Middle Schools across the country.

Our congratulations also to Felix Jones 7G and Jack Taylor 6O on their presentation on behalf of Scotch Middle School at Government House last week as part of the "Kids Who Give" program. Their composure, delivery and response to questions was outstanding.

Mr Richard Ledger

Head of Middle School

Helping Save Our Oceans

Our most recent Humanities and Science topic focused on the concept of 'How can one person have an effect on our oceans'. This is a topic of interest to the majority of our boys who love the ocean for its recreational value. They are now starting to reflect on the knowledge they have gained and are beginning to understand that there is more to learn about oceans, although maybe not as much as the love they have for its recreational value. They are also learning, with some enthusiasm, that the impact of humans on the oceans of the world is not always positive.

The final inquiry task of the topic examined the impact of plastics on the ocean ecosystem. We researched, we watched documentaries, we looked at the rubbish collected from some areas of the Swan River and the Ocean at Port Beach, we discussed, we collaborated and worked quite hard on focusing our thoughts to develop an idea on how we could make a difference to this huge plastic problem. We decided that we needed to educate people about using less disposable plastic because recycling was obviously not working. Let's be creative, let's tell as many people as we can, but how? Something easy, inexpensive that did not involve some huge commitment…after all who has time? So we decided to advertise our ideas on calico shopping bags that displayed a message to get people to change their ways and use less disposable plastic. These messages had to be creative and asked people to be reflective, take a small risk and reduce their use of disposable plastic.

Even if we only get each person in our local areas of Swanbourne and Claremont to use one less piece of disposable plastic each day we would save 11,000 pieces of plastic per day. What if we did this for a year? What if the whole country used one less piece of plastic a day? That would be over 800,000,000 pieces of plastic. How hard can that be…just one piece of plastic each day!

Look at what we created in 7W.

One person can have an effect on our oceans…what about you?

Ms Vicki Ward

Year 7W Teacher

Middle School Sport Update

The boys are well into the winter season of sport and have recorded some impressive victories collectively. A reminder to parents that they can access results and reports via https://ishare.scotch.wa.edu.au/groups/jsphysicaleducation/wiki/56d53/Sports_Results.html using your username and password.

Student Achievements

Congratulations go to Lachlan Meston (7W), Lucas Ferri (6GB), Lachlan Cain (7G) and James Carrigg (7G) who were selected to represent their State and the National U12 Hockey Championships. Meanwhile Nick Crump (7G) and James Carrigg (7L) have also been selected to represent WA at the National U12 AFL Championships. This is a record number of boys being selected for State selection and is a wonderful achievement. We wish them well.

Inter-House Cross Country

Our annual Scotch College Junior and Middle School Cross-Country Carnival will be held here at Scotch on Thursday 6 June with the Middle School events commencing at 2pm. All boys in Year 6 and 7 will be required to run the 2.5km course. Boys are permitted to wear their sports uniform with their house shirt to school on this day. This year we will be utilising a timing chip system that will mean that every boy will record points for their house no matter where they place. Presentations will take place at 3pm. Boys are welcome to train at running club on Monday and Thursday mornings at 7:30am leading up to the event. A copy of the programme can be found here

Student Achievements

Luca Fry (6C) came 2nd at the WA State School Cross-Country Championships in the U12 division. This is a credible result as he is a year younger than most and is now selected to represent WA at the National Championships later this year.

Mr Lawrence Felgate

Head of Middle School Sport

Excellence Awards

Important Dates

In Middle School Year 6 & 7 complete three 12 week rotations through our three D&T courses: D&T Cooking, D&T Media and D&T Materials (more frequently referred to by the boys as Woodwork.) Each 12 week rotation is designed to engage boys in "hands on" activity that helps them see the benefits of pre-planning, the importance of design, the value of collaboration and develop some specific technical skills on a variety of equipment. They are also immersed in the language of the subject and many of the protocols around safety, hygiene and maintenance. They also experience the joy of a tangible end product. The second rotation for the year commenced last week.

As mentioned in previous correspondence, Saunders Street has become a difficult area to drop off and pick up students. I encourage you to arrange pick up and drop off at either the Gooch, particularly when the weather is fine, or the slip road by the rugby oval. Pick up at MacKellar Hall steps is also available.

In previous years this has been called Singapore Week, with Year 7s being offered the opportunity of travelling to Singapore for a week or participating in a parallel Singapore @School Tour on campus. This year we have added a French Immersion Week and an Indonesian Immersion Week, both at school, for boys to choose from as well. In brief, the Year 7 timetable ceases for the week and in its place we run a range of activities that allow boys to interact and explore the language and culture of Asia (Singapore or Indonesia) or further their fluency in French or Indonesian. A more detailed note will come home with your son this week with a response required by the end of Week 6A.

HEAD OF SENIOR SCHOOL

Dr Rob McEwan

Has your son done something that seems out of character? Have you ever asked yourself, "What was he thinking?" This is normal. Celia Lashlie, a social researcher and presenter at last week's Scotch College parent information night, described adolescent boys as being between two gates, one childhood the other manhood. Our challenge as parents and educators is that the distance between the gates is wide, as much as ten years. One day your son is offering a mature and considered opinion, the next he hasn't thought beyond the immediate and is acting like … well, a young boy.

While we know that the frontal lobe, the section of the brain that performs executive functions such as recognizing future consequences from current behaviour, is still 'under construction' for boys well into their twenties, there is another factor at play, that of groups. Celia described one boy - one brain, two boys - half a brain. Think back to a time when your son did something that seemed out of character, was he part of a group? Psychologists describe this phenomenon as group shift - the tendency for behaviour to be exaggerated in groups. We understand the factors that influence behaviour in groups but what Celia left us thinking about was the impulsive nature of many of our boys' decisions. She described how so many decision made by adolescent boys are made in thirty-second moments and yet the consequences are significant and potentially long-term. For example, running an orange traffic light or a physical response to a verbal provocation.

There is no doubt that an impulsive decision can bring with it significant, long term consequences, but what does this mean for us as parents and teachers? Celia's message was clear. Let our boys make decisions and let them learn from the consequences. If we make decisions for our boys, rush to their defense or perform tasks that they are more than capable of doing themselves, we have denied them the opportunity to learn. Far more important to learn the consequences of impulsive and group decisions now while they have their parents and teachers to act as safety nets than to learn these lessons later in life. If your son receives a detention for not making a commitment, not wearing the correct uniform or he loses marks for handing an assignment in late, seize the opportunity to teach him the consequences for his decisions. Not to teach the lessons of accountability and responsibility is to not prepare our boys for life.

Dr Rob McEwan

Head of Senior School

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.

BOYS ACHIEVEMENTS

Scotch Boys make it to the UN Evatt Nationals

Year 12 students Andrew Tole (Brisbane) and Jonty Bean (Cameron) represented Scotch College at the UN Evatt competition and made it to the final round of the competition held at Parliament House on May 4. After an exciting final day of negotiation and debating, Andrew and Jonty were one of five WA teams who have been selected to compete at the national level in Perth in December this year. Andrew was also chosen as the Best Speaker of the competition. Representing Guatemala, the boys were required to research the country's economic, trade and political stance on a number of controversial global issues. They had to debate from that viewpoint, while maintaining the highest degree of diplomacy as required by any UN delegate.

Liam Campbell (Year 9, Brisbane) has been selected to play for WA in the Australian Under 15's DeFris Ice Hockey National Championships in NSW in July.

YEAR 9 CERTIFICATES OF EXCELLENCE

YEAR 10 CERTIFICATES OF EXCELLENCE

HOUSE HEAD MEETINGS

Just a reminder of the upcoming House Head report meetings in the BRC between parents, House Heads and students.

Year 12s - Wednesday 12 June

Year 11s - Tuesday 18 June

Year 8s - Wednesday 26 June

Parents will be emailed booking information closer to the dates.

WINTER DRESS STANDARDS

Parents are advised, and boys have been reminded, that as is stated in the School Handbook, jackets must be worn when travelling to and from school, whether in private or on public transport, except when riding a bicycle. The uniform also requires grey school socks to be worn with plain black leather lace-up shoes (not boots), and a plain black belt to be worn with trousers.

Parents are asked to ensure their sons are properly attired in all the above respects. Blazers must be worn by boys for Chapel and Assembly.

Please help us by ensuring shirts have top buttons which can be done up. All too often boys indicate a top button is undone because there is no button or the shirt is too tight.

STUDY SPACES

Sometimes parents ask what spaces are available for boys who are looking for a quiet place to work after school.

1. The RESIDENCE is open from Monday to Thursday until 4.45 pm. This is for all boys and is an ideal space for homework completion. There will be a teacher on duty up to this time. There is no need to pre-book a place but the teacher will take note of who attends in case of emergencies. It is advisable to provide a small snack for after school to help with concentration.
2. The BRC is open Monday to Thursday until 5.00pm and Friday until 4.00pm for students who wish to access resources or who are looking for a quiet space to do homework. A teacher librarian is always on duty to offer help.
3. YEAR 12 only. There are two rooms, Room 25 and Room 26, available in the main block. One is for quiet work that does allow for some group discussion and the other is for super quiet work where no talking at all is permitted. These are open every day after school. If a boy intends to use either of these rooms, they must notify Ms Skidmore in her office that they are there and the likely time of leaving. Special consideration will be given also to any Year 11 boy who can demonstrate that he has need of a quiet space.
4. YEAR 12 space under the BRC is open until 5.00pm.

SCOTCH COLLEGE TOURS 2014

FRENCH STUDENT EXCHANGE

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 programme 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 soon.

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

MYP PROGRAMME

In March we had our second 5 Year Evaluation of our Middle Years Programme by the International Baccalaureate Organisation. The Evaluation process began 18 months ago with a detailed self-reflection document in which we rated our school's performance against a number of practices within three standards (A - Philosophy, B - Organisation and C - Curriculum). The official Evaluation Visit lasted three days and included interviews with Staff, the School Council, parents and students led by the visiting IBO representatives. There were also tours of the facilities, and classroom observation visits.

After a nervous 8 week wait, we received the final report based on the Visiting Team's findings. We were gratified to find that IBO agreed with our own self-assessments and we were very pleased indeed to receive confirmation that we are doing very well overall with all 3 Standards being rated as "Shows satisfactory development" (there are only two levels of achievement possible; "requires significant attention" or "shows satisfactory development"). Our School Council and parent body were commended for their level of engagement in and knowledge of the programme and, most importantly our school as a whole was noted for providing a "stimulating learning environment based on understanding and respect throughout the school community."

The point of evaluation is that we should be constantly seeking to further improve our performance and areas that could be further enhanced are; connections between different subjects and between school campuses. Our team is already working on this by initiating the first in a series of cross faculty planning sessions to be held after school. In each of these sessions 3 different subject areas will join together to plan units of work that make explicit the connections (in terms of content or skills or concepts) between each learning area.

Our next formal IBO Evaluation is scheduled for March 2018. I am certain that our journey towards even greater self-improvement in the delivery of our programmes will be reflected in the next report. Until then, we have a clear action plan in place to help us ensure that the experiences the boys enjoy, and the international education they receive, are the very best we are able to provide.

Charlotte Cook-Casey

MYP Coordinator

Scotch 1st XI team vs Hotspurs, Thursday 6 June, 4.00pm at the Scotch Playing Field

Come along and support our boys.

The Scotch College Rugby were thrilled to have their funding request for the provision of marquees accepted by the Scotch College Parents' Association.

The marquees were organised by Retha Dutton and look superb in the school colours with the crest emblazoned on the front roof panel. The Rugby Club are very proud to be able to offer visiting teams and their supporters shelter during inclement weather and it is also good to know that through the support of the Parents' Association the various interest groups at Scotch can have access to funding for such items.

It was with some pleasure that I hosted the recent Seniors Luncheon and as one of my first duties as the new OSC President, it reminded me of the rich and important history of our association, full of legends, rumours, traditions, and stories which were bolder in the re-telling by members of the audience of our most senior and respected members.

As an Old Scotch Collegian I recognise that at the heart of our association is the notion of "stewardship". Between us all we carry the responsibility of keeping alive and relevant the idea and identity of what it means to be an Old Scotch Collegian.

I was therefore pleased to learn that the Seniors Luncheon attendance was significantly increased over the previous year. There was certainly a strong vibe in the air and the atmosphere was a lively one punctuated by an address from the Headmaster together with Adrian Monger - OSC '50 who gave us an abridged history of the school, potted with some remarkable personal anecdotes of PC Anderson and other luminaries of the school.

John McNaught - OSC '58 counted down the students by cohort until we reached Table No. 1 and Dallas Hamilton - OSC'33 (pictured above) was the last man standing, a remarkable feat given that past students attending covered a span from 1961 through to 1933. It gave me time, personally to reflect of OSCs current and past that have contributed so much to the school and college community.

Our next significant event is the Founders' Day Dinner which this year is being held on the 20 of September and the OSC will shortly announce a speaker, I particularly look forward to seeing a strong turn-out of younger OSCs to our signature event for the year.

Michael Silbert ('79)

President OSC

Photo 1 - Dallas Hamilton - OSC '33

Photo 2 David McIntyre OSC '55, Lewis Blake OSC'56 and John Blake OSC '53

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.

2013 CLUBS WA - WALK THE KOKODA TRACK

Clubs WA, the non-profit industry association representing WA community clubs, is looking to sponsor a community driven young leader to represent Western Australia in Clubs Australia's Kokoda Youth Leadership Challenge. The worthy recipient from WA will join winners selected by local clubs from across the country and head to Kokoda as a group, for a 10 day trek scheduled from 24 September to 5 October 2013.

The Kokoda Youth Leadership Challenge is an annual programme administered by Clubs Australia and Clubs WA, offering young people between the ages of 16 and 22 the opportunity to walk in the footsteps of Australian heroes. The Challenge provides young people with the skills and confidence to develop leadership skills so they can make a significant contribution to their local community. Application form is attached.

STS STUDENT EXCHANGE

STS Student Exchange is a not-for-profit student exchange organisation, with over 50 years of experience and a global network of 22 offices. Our organisation is registered with the Department of Education in Western Australia and a funding member of CASEO (Council of Australian Student Exchange Organisations).

STS has placed many students from all around the world with Australian host families over the last 25 years. We have a number of exchange students who are arriving in July 2013 and are very keen to become part of an Australian family.