HEADMASTER'S REFLECTIONS

Professional learning communities are not a product of unplanned interactions. True learning communities are willing to share information and develop each other both personally and professionally. Collaboration between staff, students, parents and the wider Scotch community is integral if we are to continue to grow and flourish. Part of this collaboration is the sharing of information through research and strategic projects. Why? Because it enables us to learn from the work of others, and recognize the contribution that everyone can make to our community. More importantly for our students it introduces them to how original thoughts can be turned into meaningful pieces of work worth sharing with others.

The concept of writing and publishing for a wider audience can range from sharing stories in our Junior School, or publishing the theory behind the Middle Years Programme personal projects or conducting research in the Senior School. As an IB world school we use the learner profile to underpin the work we do with our boys. By sharing our work we can truly reflect a community that values individuals who are inquirers, knowledgeable, thinkers and communicators.

In order to facilitate a culture of sharing our work, we have launched the Education Action Research site which is part of the strategic focus of our libraries. I trust this site will provide a forum to share information with each other and provide a significant forum for both professional and personal growth.

Should anyone be interested in having a piece of work considered for placement on the site please contact Mr Bradley Tyrrell Head of Library, Information & Research Services at BJTyrrell@scotch.wa.edu.au. The site can be accessed via viewed at https://ishare2.plcscotch.wa.edu.au/wiki/projects/educationactionresearch/Education_Action_Research.html using your normal logon information and password.

I hope you enjoy the new site through experiencing what terrific work is done each and everyday by members of the Scotch community.

Dr Alec O'Connell

Headmaster

Professional learning communities are not a product of unplanned interactions. True learning communities are willing to share information and develop each other both personally and professionally. Collaboration between staff, students, parents and the wider Scotch community is integral if we are to continue to grow and flourish. Part of this collaboration is the sharing of information through research and strategic projects. Why? Because it enables us to learn from the work of others, and recognize the contribution that everyone can make to our community. More importantly for our students it introduces them to how original thoughts can be turned into meaningful pieces of work worth sharing with others.

The concept of writing and publishing for a wider audience can range from sharing stories in our Junior School, or publishing the theory behind the Middle Years Programme Personal Projects or conducting research in the Senior School. As an IB World School we use the Learner Profile to underpin the work we do with our boys. By sharing our work we can truly reflect a community that values individuals who are inquirers, knowledgeable, thinkers and communicators.

In order to facilitate a culture of sharing our work, we have launched the Education Action Research site which is part of the strategic focus of our libraries. I trust this site will provide a forum to share information with each other and provide a significant forum for both professional and personal growth.

Should anyone be interested in having a piece of work considered for placement on the site please contact Mr Bradley Tyrrell Head of Library, Information & Research Services at BJTyrrell@scotch.wa.edu.au. The site can be viewed here using your normal logon information and password.

I hope you enjoy the new site through experiencing what terrific work is done each and everyday by members of the Scotch community.

Dr Alec O'Connell

Headmaster

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.

PARENTS AS PARTNERS IN LEARNING

We are often reminded that we live in a privileged society and one of the privileges our boys share is having the support of guiding parents and extended family who choose to be involved with their education. Our boys are indeed fortunate that our parents back them in their endeavours and this is not only evident in all the support groups and organisation of social functions. Our parents choose to be informed on all aspects of their son's education and particularly those that affect academic learning. Attendance is strong at three way meetings between the boys, the parents and the teachers, as our parents seek information to assist our boys to be better prepared, better organised, better inquirers and more knowledgeable. So many of the Learner Profile attributes we hope to engender in the boys are modelled by their parents. Our teachers want the best for the boys and the partnership with parents is highly valued. The large numbers of parents who turn out in these cold winter nights to take advantage of our information sessions on student progress or on student course choice are indicative of the commitment of our parents to being part of the learning journey.

Ms Jan Skidmore

Director of Teaching and Learning

Notice re Year 10 WACE Information Evening

I apologise for the change of date of the WACE information evening - in our last letter to Year 10 parents we indicated erroneously that the date was to be June 12 - please amend that to June 17 in the Dickinson Centre. A global email was sent to this effect.

This will be followed by the Subject Selection Evening on July 22.

Notice re Year 9 Examinations

Recently all Year 9 parents would have received an email about the Year 9 examination schedule in Week 8 with a permission slip to allow boys to study at home if they do not have an examination before recess or after lunch. The email mentioned that boys would be given a personalised exam timetable from their House Head. This timetable will be distributed in Week 7 closer to the examinations.

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.

Information for prospective students and parents will cover:

• University of Melbourne courses
• Housing
• Scholarships
• Ways to enrich your Melbourne degree

Individual Consultations for International Students

Thursday 20 June 2013 from 3.30pm-5.30pm

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 Wednesday 12 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 www.curtin.edu.au/pie.

University of New South Wales

UNSW will hold an Information Evening on Tuesday 18 June 2013 from 6-7pm at Rendezvous Studio Hotel, 24 Mount Street, Perth. Register at www.whatson.unsw.edu.au .

Scholarships

The University of New South Wales Co-op Program offers many lucrative scholarships across a broad range of study areas for students who may be interested in applying to UNSW.

For more information, go to www.co-op.unsw.edu.au or see Mr Frusher at Scotch.

University of Western Australia

Information session for Year 10 and 11 students and their parents

Deciding what subjects to study in Year 11 and 12 can be a daunting process, particularly if you are not yet sure if university is the right pathway for your future goals.
Monday 10 June 6.00pm and Tuesday 11 June 6.00pm (repeat session).
Our information sessions will provide advice on UWA's courses, entry requirements and other helpful subject selection.

For more information go to www.uwa.edu.au

A Day in the Life of an Engineering Science Student

Experience a typical day in the life of a UWA Engineering Science student. Budding engineers in Years 10 and 11 are invited to experience a day in the life of an Engineering Science student, to find out what studying at UWA would be like. You will have the opportunity to:

• meet our staff and students from the Faculty of Engineering;
• take part in a wide range of workshops and hands-on activities;
• explore the various streams of engineering offered at UWA (for example, Civil, Mechanical, Mining); and
• learn about where a career in engineering can take you.

Attendees in previous years have enjoyed activities such as exploring the UWA Motorsport Team's workshop; building a simple electronic motor; and, an 'Engineers Without Borders' water filtering experiment.

Application forms can be obtained online or via the Prospective Students Office

YEAR 12 INFORMATION

WACE Examinations for Private Candidates

Any Year 11 or 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 the 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. Registration for either of the final two breakfasts (Physiotherapy/Medicine/Sports Science) and (Law/Journalism) is still available. Please return your form to Mr Frusher.

Revision Courses

ATARextra WACE revision classes will be run at Scotch College in the first week of the school holidays and will provide review of the syllabus covered in Semester 1. The ten hours of subject revision is broken up into two hours per day for five days. To view the range of courses and to enrol, visit the ATARextra website at www.atarextra.com.au

Academic Associates will be conducting WACE Revision courses at Corpus Christi College (1^st week) and UWA (2^nd week) of the July holidays. To register and get more information go to www.academicassociates.com.au.

Academic Task Force will be conducting WACE Revision courses at Churchlands SHS, Perth Modern and Rossmoyne SHS in the July holidays.

See www.academictaskforce.com.au for more details and registration.

TEE Consultants will be conducting WACE Revision courses at UWA in the 1^st week of the July holidays. Accommodation is also available for country students. Go to www.teeconsultants.com.au register and obtain more details.

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.

SCHOLARSHIPS

AFS Intercultural Programs Australia announce information of scholarships opportunities for WA students. Applications close for all scholarships on 1 July 2013. For more details, please contact Ms Marion Robertson, Volunteer Sending Team Leader, AFS WA at: afs.wa@afs.org or 9246 3481.

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Over the last two weeks, two Academic Support teachers have attended workshops on handwriting difficulties, eight teachers have undertaken the required Royal Lifesaving Aquatic Rescue Qualification and three of our mathematics teachers have attended briefing sessions on the new Australian Mathematics courses that will be examined in 2016, replacing the current WACE Mathematics courses. Similarly Mr Hildebrandt attended a Geography seminar to plan for the new Geography course.

Mr Tresize in the Middle School has attended an Earth Science workshop for Year 7 Science teachers.

Mr Ledger, Mr Faint and Mr Liauw attended an IB MYP Language workshop in Indonesia.

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.

MUSIC DEPARTMENT

Over the recent mid-term break Senior Musicians from Scotch College and PLC travelled to Melbourne to visit Scotch College Melbourne, the Victorian College of the Arts Secondary School and the Melbourne University Music Conservatorium and its world renown Grainger Museum. Students also went to the Palais Theatre to see a Van Morrison retrospective and saw the musicals King Kong and Legally Blonde at two fantastic theatres.

Catching trams across Melbourne soon became second nature and the boys and girls easily accessed Etihad Stadium for the North Melbourne clinical annihilation of St Kilda, the Town Hall for a performance by the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra who "shared the chair" with their younger Melbourne Youth Orchestra counterparts, the Forum for a contemporary big band performance led by Paul Grabowsky plus a Mike Stern guitar Masterclass at the Wheeler Centre as part of the Melbourne International Jazz Festival.

This trip was a valuable experience for the senior musicians at both Scotch and PLC as it is vitally important to develop an understanding and appreciation of what musical standards and offerings are available in other parts of Australia. Perhaps some of the tour participants now have a wider view of the musical opportunities waiting for them after they leave secondary school. For more tour information and pictures please go to the Vitual Music Department wiki via the link below.

There are several events that are coming up which are detailed in other parts of this edition of The Thistle. 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. 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

Teachers from each of the learning areas recently spent time with publishers of eBooks and digital content looking at the ways in which learning could be facilitated. A traditional textbook is a static medium and in its most basic form an eBook as a PDF is much the same, though considerably lighter and easier to transport. Where an eBook comes to the fore is in interactive form where it is a rich repository of information presented through many different media. Embedded video, audio and interactive quizzes all serve to improve the experience for students whose learning modes differ widely.

Many of the textbooks your boys use come in digital form either as an access code allowing web download or as a CD accompanying the textbook. We are encouraging boys, where possible, to bring the digital versions of their textbooks with them to school. Since their laptop is always with them, so are their textbooks - without the additional weight.

A UNESCO/OECD report on the readiness of boys and girls for the digital age and the role of ICT in education is available from here.

COMMUNITY AND SERVICE

All boys can serve their community. Age is not a barrier and all boys in the school are indeed encouraged to serve. While the act of service is central to our Christian origins and therefore a reasonable expectation of our students, we also have a responsibility to teach about service - through service learning. The Year 10 Friday afternoon programme is an example of this. Boys rotate through four blocks of service, of five weeks duration. This provided boys with short exposure to a variety of service activities. While boys select their options, constraints on numbers for some activities means that boys need to have the courage to try other options. The full list of options can be found in the Community and Service Wiki site - linked below.

https://ishare2.scotch.wa.edu.au/wiki/projects/servicecommunity/Service_Community.html

While the link given is a work in progress, it currently provides some information on overseas service tours and opportunities for service locally. As the site develops it is hoped that it becomes a hub for Community and Service, providing links and hopefully incentive for all boys throughout the school to pursue service activities both on and off campus.

Senior First Aid Certificate

Year 10 boys have an opportunity to complete their Senior First Aid Certificate as part of the Year 10 Friday afternoon service programme. There are still places available in the next rotation, commencing on June 14. Any boys who now wish to complete this valuable qualification and who have not yet returned a permission form please see Mr Cordner as soon as possible this week.

Logging Service

For boys in the Senior School, the award of Colours for Community Service is available for demonstrating a commitment to serving. Boys can log service completed and verified - either on or off campus. Depending of the type or intensity of the service as well as the time devoted, points are allocated. Once 400 points are accumulated and a written reflection completed, individual boys are considered for Colours. The full process is explained in the Student Diary.

Service at the Rafiki Ball

On Saturday May 25, a group of Year 12 boys assisted to run the silent and floor auctions at the Rafiki Ball, held at the Crown Ballroom This function raises money to send surgical teams from Perth to Tanzania each year to operate on patients with facial deformities. Deformities of this type are particularly discriminatory and often limit educational and work opportunities. The boys were commended on their service by the organisers.

Jiggalong Service Trip

Over the long-weekend this term, a combined group of six boys, parents and staff travelled to the Jiggalong community in the Pilbara. This trip is a continuation of the visits previously undertaken as part of the Year 10 Karijini Expedition. The aim of the recent trip was to strengthen links with the community and to look at ways to develop a viable partnership that would have benefits for both Jiggalong and Scotch communities. Following the success of this trip, it is anticipated that there will be many opportunities to build on the friendships and understandings generated.

Tanzania Expedition

Deposits for the Tanzania 2014 Expedition are now due. The trip includes the continuation of the service project at Matipwili village, north of Dar es Salaam. Since 2004, combined Scotch and PLC groups have been improving educational facilities for the community. Please contact Mr Cordner for more information if required. wjcordner@scotch.wa.edu.au

Plastic Free July DEBATE!

To celebrate this important month in our calendar two teams from Scotch debating, a Year 8 and Year 11 team, are competing against John XXIII College towards the end of this month on the following topics "Plastic should be banned from school canteens" and "Plastic should never have been invented". This event is being coordinated by Cottesloe's Earth Carer's and promises to be an entertaining afternoon so please feel free to come and support. The attached flyer provides more information. Our thanks to the boys who are participating and Ms Kate Gooding for her assistance in setting up the event and adjudicating on the night. Stay tuned for the results to come!

Lake Claremont

Many in our community would have noticed and certainly benefited from the continuing work by the Friends of Lake Claremont. With the recent spectacular autumn weather the lake has never looked better. The improvement works achieved through the advocacy and sheer passion of this Friends group do much to enhance the environment of those enjoying the surrounds. Please help support the tremendous work done by this voluntary committee, which is headed up by our very own Heidi Hardisty who needs to be commended for her ongoing selfless dedication and commitment to this project.

Sustainability Posters

As they wander from room to room around campus, Students will see new posters communicating the sustainability message that the College holds dear. This philosophy is based on the simple premise that through the everyday decisions we make now we all have a role to play in shaping the future reality we will live in. See attached the various posters that will appear in the Junior, Middle and Senior School campuses.

HOW TO BOOST YOUR SON'S MOTIVATION AT SCHOOL

How often have you heard the comment, 'He's really bright but I can't get him motivated'?

Scotch College is pleased to present an opportunity for parents to hear Dr Andrew Martin, renowned speaker and author. Dr 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, 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/ .

PARENTING TIPS

The attached article outlines seven common parenting practices that rob children and young people of resilience.

UNIFORM SHOP OPENING HOURS

Tuesdays: 8.00am - 5.00pm

Thursdays: 7.30am - 11.30am

Fridays: 7.30am - 11.30am

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!

The Scotch College/ St. Mary¹s India tour group for 2013 would like your attendance at our next fundraising initiative. We are planning a jumble sale in the upper car park of Scotch College on Sunday morning, June 30th between 9 and 11am.

As well as selling quality second hand goods, we will be running a sausage sizzle and cake stall. All proceeds from these activities will be donated to our charities in India.

Please contact Bennet Andrews - bcandrews@scotch.wa.edu.au or Peter Freitag - pcfreitag@scotch.wa.edu.au with any queries.

MANAGING YOUR CHILD'S ONLINE WORLD

Cyberbullying fact sheets from the parent seminar on Wednesday 5 June - presented by Susan Mclean.

Cyberbullying fact sheet 1

Cyberbullying fact sheet 2

Online Grooming

Sexting

Cybersafety websites

What is Problematic Internet Use?

Internet Safety Tips

You and your family are invited to join our regular Family Worship this Sunday at 5pm in the Scotch College Chapel.

To download the invitation click here.

As I write my first contribution for The Thistle I would like to share some of my history with the Scotch College community.

I was born in Windsor Ontario in Canada. Windsor is located across the Canadian/ US border from Detroit Michigan. When I was five my family moved to Thunder Bay so my father could take up his first Principal position. My mother, also a teacher, taught French in schools around Thunder Bay. Thunder Bay is located at the top of Lake Superior, the largest of the Great Lakes. While the summers are lovely, the area is better know for the winters, when you can ski, snowmobile and ice fish as long as you do not mind the cold. I do not miss the times when I have been home in the -40 to -60 degree Celsius temperatures.

After graduating from Lakehead University I travelled to London England on a holiday. I stayed for 17 years. In the UK I taught in two intercity schools, became a Deputy and was eventually appointed to my first Head Teacher position at St Mary Magdalene Church of England Primary School in Islington. Our school was in an interesting area, not far from Emirates Stadium, home to Arsenal FC. We became one of the top 50 schools in the country and achieved some wonderful accomplishments in my time there.

In 2004 we began the process of setting up the new St Mary Magdalene Academy, a semi- independent state school and the first to be Kindergarten to Year 12. I was appointed as the Academy's first Vice-Principal. Our specialism was Humanities and International Mindedness and we offered both the International Baccalaureate Diploma and the Primary Years Programmes.

In April of 2008 I travelled to Perth to establish a partnership with John Wollaston ACS and in September of that same year I applied for and was appointed as the new Head of Primary at John Wollaston. My wife was originally from Perth and she was very happy to be coming home. Once back in Perth further good fortune met us. Both of our children have been born since we arrived. Our daughter Inaya is now three years old and our son Blaise is two. They have changed our lives and Perth and Western Australia is a wonderful place to raise our children.

As a member of the executive of the Independent Primary School Heads Association I worked closely with Mrs Gamble. I had some association with Scotch College and heard about how wonderful a school it was. When the opportunity to apply for the position of Head of Junior School arose I jumped at it. I am very pleased to be the new Head of Junior School at Scotch College. The history, traditions and success as an outstanding educational establishment greatly interested me. I am committed to the Primary Years Programme and the opportunity to lead a school of outstanding educators in the PYP was too good to resist. I look forward to a long and successful association with this fine school and to getting to know the boys and families.

I realise that change can raise some concerns for staff, students and families. I aim to use this year to get to know the school, its boys, families and staff. I want to learn about Scotch's traditions and history. I look forward to building upon the dedicated work the staff have accomplished to date. I am committed to ensuring the education each boy receives is of the highest quality and that his needs are met. Thank you all for making me feel welcome and I wish you all the best for the remainer of this academic year.

John Stewart

Head of Junior School

Exhibition

Following on from the article on assessment in the last newsletter, it seems fitting to talk about the Primary Years Programme exhibition. The exhibition takes place for the Year 5 boys in Winter Term. As the culminating PYP experience, the exhibition will reflect all the major features of the programme: learner profile, attitudes, knowledge, concepts, transdisciplinary skills and action. It will include ongoing and rigorous assessment. This includes ongoing assessment of each individual boy's contribution to and understanding of their chosen inquiry and a summative assessment and reflection on the event itself. The exhibition presentation will now take place on the new date of the afternoon of Wednesday 18 September (details to follow closer to the date). The boys will be engaged in a collaborative, transdisciplinary inquiry process that involves them identifying, investigating and offering solutions to real-life issues or problems. In the coming weeks the boys will collaborate with teachers and other students on identifying local and national issues, which might later become the basis for their collaborative inquiries. The exhibition represents a significant event in the life of a PYP student. It is a busy, but exciting time for our school community.

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.

Kathy Derrick

PYP Coordinator

During our previous units of inquiry we have focused on self-reflection of our strengths and which areas we need to improve. Self-reflection is important as it helps us to recognise what strengths we can bring to different situations and assists us in taking responsibility for our own learning. We will continue to develop our skills in self-reflection throughout upcoming units and focus on turning these into academic and social goals.

Jae Dornan

Year 5 Teacher

For the past three weeks, a group of Year 5 boys have been meeting to design and paint props for the upcoming IPSHA Performing Arts Festival performance. The aim was to provide strong visual impact and add aesthetics to the dynamic dance routine. Without giving too much away, the boys have taken inspiration using their laptops, overhead projector and photocopier to transfer African and Hip Hop designs onto huge canvas panels, that will become a backdrop for the Scotch boys item. I would like to acknowledge the action shown by Nicolas Monger-Molowny, Ivan Munoz-Morillo, Rory Bruce, Grayson Downes, Isaac Mecham, James Crawford, Archie Hoddinott and Max Clark. We had challenges, paint splats, chalk crushing and mess but it all came together in the end to create impressive painted panels. Wishing all the best to the Year 5 cohort when they perform their item at the Perth Exhibition and Convention Centre on Wednesday 26 June. I am really looking forward to being in the audience and watching the boys perform.

Karen Sabitay

PYP Visual Arts

We are looking forward to a busy few weeks in Performing Arts with the Junior School/Middle School Mid-Year Concert and IPSHA Performing Arts Festival fast approaching. The Year 5 boys will open the Mid-Year Concert with their IPSHA Performing Arts Festival item, which will be the first time it will be presented since they started rehearsals in March. The Junior School Vocal Ensemble, who will also feature in the concert, are busy preparing for an item with a difference. The IPSHA Performing Arts Festival opens the following week with our item being showcased at both a matinee and evening performance on Wednesday 26 June. If you would like to purchase tickets for this exciting event please see Mrs Locke in the Junior School office.

Phebe Samson

Performing Arts Teacher

Talking with your children about being bullied

Many children who are bullied do not tell a trusted adult as they think they are dobbing. 'Dobbing' is when a person deliberately tries to get attention or to get someone else into trouble. 'Asking for help' is when someone feels the situation is out of his/her control and he/she is unable to deal with it alone. If anyone sees someone else in this situation they should also ask for help.

What are students being taught at school to help them deal with bullying situations?

All students at our school are being taught that: When I have a problem I can:

- Try to stand up for myself in a positive way.

- Try to talk with the person I am having a problem with.

- Walk away and ignore the person completely.

- Get help from a teacher or another person I trust.

- Ignore the situation and keep playing or working.

- Talk to a friend to get some ideas to help me make a decision.

- Try coming to an agreement with the other person.

You can reinforce these messages by discussing them with your children at home.

Warwick Norman

FS&F Coordinator

There is great excitement in the Junior School as we have received our new iPad trolleys in Year 1 and 2. We are ensuring 21st Century learning for our students with the introduction of an iPad program.

Effective use of the iPads have

• increased independent and self-initiated learning among students
• increased student motivation and active engagement in learning
• improved teachers' capacity to plan for and meet individual student needs
• led to an improvement in student learning outcomes
• extended students' learning beyond the classroom

I look forward to sharing the iPad pilot projects in upcoming editions of the Thistle.

Amanda Ritchie

ILT Coach

Folk tales and legends are an integral part of every society. The characters, places and events they portray are largely drawn from people's way of life and surroundings. Every folk tale and legend, therefore, has its own cultural universe. The Year 4 boys will be watching and analysing a French Canadian legend 'La Chasse Galerie' (The Legend of the Flying Canoe). This will enable the boys to make links to the 'How we express ourselves' unit of inquiry. They will then explore and gain perspective on a different cultural universe. The Year 1 boys are working on the same unit of inquiry during French class. They will view an animated version of the immensely popular French story 'The Little Prince'.

Madame Edwards

French Specialist

Year 5 boys have been playing very well in the JPSSA programme and demonstrating fantastic sportsmanship. The evident improvement throughout the team has been very pleasing. The Year 4 JPSSA AFL Carnival will take place on Thursday 13 June. Following this will be the Hockey Carnival at Hale on Thursday 27 June. The Year 4 boys await these carnivals enthusiastically and they represent Scotch College in a very positive manner which is great to see.

Junior School Inter-House Cross Country Carnival

The Junior School Cross Country Carnival was a huge success. All boys from Years 1 to 5 had trained extremely hard for the event. It was pleasing to see each and every boy give his absolute best for his house. The sportsmanship and manner in which all the students ran was a credit to them all. Thank you to the staff who helped out on the day and ensured the carnival was such a success. Thank you also to the parents who came along as spectators. It was fantastic to see a crowd down there to cheer on our boys. Results will be published in the next edition of The Thistle and awards will be presented at an upcoming assembly.

Jason Caniglia

Head of Junior School Physical Education

It has been delightful to see the way the boys have responded to the challenge of returning their library books over the past fortnight. Mind you, we have appreciated the parents, both mothers and fathers, visiting the Library to clear up any confusion about particular books. It would be good for the Year 5 boys to check their emails as they receive a message to remind them of their overdue books. During my return to the Junior School Library I have been overwhelmed with the enthusiasm of the boys for borrowing and enjoying books. Mr Norman has purchased many new and exciting titles, both fiction and non-fiction. Some of the books of interest are:

Staying Safe Online by Sally Lee

Languages of the World: Bengali, Urdu, Mandarin, Hindi

Global Cultures: African Culture, Indian Culture, Islamic Culture, Japanese Culture

Children's Quick and Easy Cook Book

Junior MasterChef Cook Book

World Crafts and Recipes: Japan, China

There are also many new fiction titles and we welcome parents to come, browse and borrow with their son before and after school. The parent reading collection may also catch your interest.

Kaye Turner

Junior School Teacher Librarian

Year 1

Calum Cameron

Willem Campbell

Owen Clark

Ari Coulson

Karl Evans

Logan Gresham

Alex Hudson

Jamie Jones

Callum Loughnane

Declan Riordan

Yahya Sadek

Year 2

Derek Byrne

William Fairweather

Year 3

Hamish Meston

Year 4

Nathan Flynn

William Hawkins

Alexander Kennedy

Year 5

Jett Braddock

Tai Foskett

Aidan Sweeney

Jonathan Turney

Ethan Waller

JellyBeans is open daily from 3.10pm until 6.00pm in Scotch Junior School.

We offer

· Fun craft and sports activities

· Homework support

· Qualified staff to care for your children

· Care for children from Kindergarten to Year 7

· Now taking bookings for July School Holidays

Details: 0404 661 739 or email: swaoshc@jellybeanschildcare.com.au

*For selected students only

The Middle School and Junior School Relationship

We welcome Mr John Stewart, our new Head of Junior School into the College this week. The relationships between Junior and Middle School will always remain a strong link at Scotch. The Year 5 & 6 JPSSA Sports connects both schools, common facilities such as Mackellar Hall and the play spaces join us, shared teachers in areas such as Music and joint performances including the Junior Middle School Autumn Concert have us working closely with each other throughout the year. The most important connection however is in our brief: to help transition boys from Year 5, to Year 6, from the PYP into the MYP, into adolescence and into the cohort of boys they will remain with for the next six years. For these reasons Junior and Middle School will always have a strong, interconnected, working relationship between the two campuses.

Last week I had the pleasure of sitting and listening to Celia Lashlie - a popular speaker, writer and educator in the areas of boys' education and adolescent development. Celia wrote the book 'He'll Be OK.' She has a colourful presence on stage and is always entertaining with stories and personal anecdotes about boys and clever prompts that help us reconsider how we interact with boys and students. One comment resonated with me both as a teacher of boys and as a dad: " When he says it out aloud, says what he is thinking, then not only do we know what he is thinking, he knows what he is thinking too. Until then it is often only a feeling or unclarified thought."

It was great reminder that we need to wait, to make our boys respond. Too often we fill in a boy's thinking time with answer options, or pick the first hand up. Our oral language is and will remain one of the most powerful learning mechanisms we have. It is important that we give our boys and sons the opportunity and the time to develop and use it.

Mr Richard Ledger

Head of Middle School

6C's Family Heritage

Over the past few weeks 6C boys have been learning about Immigration.

Immigration is a vital feature of Australia's history and national identity. Since 1788, our population has been made up of both the original, indigenous inhabitants of the land and those who are here as a result of a journey - either in our lifetime or in our family history.

For two centuries millions of people have made the long journey across the oceans to Australia seeking fortune, opportunity and freedom.

All 6C boys thoroughly enjoyed creating their own handcrafted family tree and sharing some of the fascinating stories with the class about their parents, grandparents and further generations.

This gave the boys are more accurate insight into their own cultural background and a deeper understanding on reasons why people immigrate to other countries.

Mr Michael Campbell

Teacher 6C

Important Dates

Classroom Photographers

This year we have implemented a new club. The purpose of this club is to record the day to day life of the Middle School. We capture the big events well but we have in the past missed a lot of the classroom activity: the smiles, the effort, the focus, the team work and collaborations that generally fill most days in Middle School. Each term we aim for two students from each class to up skill in capturing moments in a photograph. These boys have the opportunity to use our new set of DSLR cameras to depict the workings of their class. We look forward to seeing the creativity of the students in Middle School using the art of photography.

Mr Jared Faint

Middle School Photography Club

Laptop Charging and Backups

Having a laptop as part of the everyday school equipment brings many benefits and opportunities to our students that would not have been possible a few years ago. But it also raises the bar in responsibilities that need to be taken on by our boys. Each day the expectation is that the laptop is fully charged before getting to school. Doing regular backups using the Time Machine provided is good practice so if anything happens, no work is lost and no time is wasted redoing that assignment. Boys should get into a good routine of where the laptop, charger and Time Machine is stored so that each evening they are plugged in and ready to go for the next day.

Mr Jared Faint

Middle School ILT Coach

Baristas, Bakers and Waiters

Baristas, Bakers & Waiters is an opportunity for Year 7 D & T Food Technology students to have hands on entrepreneurial experience in the hospitality field. On Thursday 13 and Friday 14 June our Year 7 Food Technology students will be running a Coffee and Muffins morning that offers our boys hospitality experience.

Coffee and Muffin morning will be set up on the east verandah/terrace of MacKellar Hall from 7:30am. Parents and friends are warmly invited to come along and be our first customers.

Reminder Barista Short Course Wednesday 12 June Selected Yr 7's only

Mrs Katie Frampton

D &T Food Technology

The use of praise and rewards in schools has received considerable media attention in the past two weeks. The effects of rewards and praise are not new and were the subject of Kohn's (1999) book, Punished by Rewards where he demonstrated that when children anticipate a reward for completing a task or achieving at a certain level, their performance drops, they lose interest in the task and are less creative. Not only have studies found that students' results on school assessments drop after being offered a reward for better marks, we risk changing our relationship with our son from that of a supporter to that of a judge.

With the recent media attention and the confusion that surrounds this debate, I thought it timely to offer some suggestions based on research for the effective use of rewards.

Make rewards more rewarding

• Make rewards a surprise. By offering a reward after the event you prevent your son from engaging in the task purely to get a reward. The most effective rewards and praise are those offered when they are least expected.
• Only offer rewards in areas where your son has little or no interest, for example washing dishes. The reward should only be used to initiate engagement before directing their attention to how it makes you feel to see them doing the task. Rewards do most harm when they are associated with an activity your son enjoys.
• Relate the type of reward to the task. For example, if you feel you must reward a child for reading, make the reward a book of your son's choice.
• Use rewards sparingly. The regular use of rewards in motivating children can lead them to expect praise or a prize for simply completing daily routines, behaving appropriately or doing well in an activity. They become conditioned to being rewarded, in turn leading to a false sense of entitlement. When the rewards are not offered in the future, children are left disappointed and lack perseverance and motivation generally.

• Interest and enjoyment are the greatest motivators. Direct your son's attention towards the pleasure they experience from completing a task, not the outcome or a possible reward. For example, statements like, "You looked like you were having fun out there", or, "It felt good to see you helping your friend with his study", together with questions such as "Did you enjoy the book?" not only heighten awareness of intrinsic motivation but also build your relationship as you show an interest in their feelings.

• Do not link the reward to a level of performance, for example, achieving a certain mark in an examination or being selected for a team. This heightens anxiety, lowers achievement and changes your relationship from supporter to judge.
• Never offer a reward when your son is doing the wrong thing - this is a bribe, not a reward. A boy who is offered a reward to behave quickly learns that by misbehaving they are likely to be offered more rewards in the future.

In short, a reward motivates your son to get a reward, not to perform the task. The task is simply the barrier to the reward. A 'do this to get that' approach will always have your son focussing on the 'that' not the 'this'.

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.

SCOTCH COLLEGE TOURS 2014

BOYS' ACHIEVEMENTS

Thomas Prior (Year 10, Stuart), Robert Bartlett (Year 11, Shearer) and Lachlan Mackenzie (Year 9, Anderson) have all been selected to represent Western Australia in the State Water Polo team competing in the National Schools Championship in Perth, 16-21 June.

Yannick Livingstone (Year 12, Anderson) has been selected in the Western Australia 19s Soccer team to play in Canberra, 2-9 August.

Doug Foulkes-Taylor(Year 12 Keys) placed 2nd in the Open Division of the State School Boys Cross-Country. He also broke the Guildford Cross-Country record two weeks ago by four seconds. Kyle Newman (Year 12 Stuart) placed 11th in the u/17 State Cross-Country.

Henri Brown (Year 12, Anderson) has been selected to represent Australia in Pole Vault at the IAAF World Youth Championships in Ukraine 22 June - 18 July.

Scott Webster (Year 12, St Andrews) recently represented WA in tennis at the Pizzey Cup. The team performed well, placing a creditable fourth. Scott was also selected for the Australian Merit Team in recognition of his performance at the tournament, the only representative from WA.

INDIA TOUR 2013 FUNDRAISER

The Scotch College/St Mary¹s India tour group for 2013 would like your attendance at our next fundraising initiative. We are planning a jumble sale in the upper car park of Scotch College on Sunday morning, June 30 between 9 and 11am.

As well as selling quality second hand goods, we will be running a sausage sizzle and cake stall. All proceeds from these activities will be donated to our charities in India.

Please contact Bennet Andrews - bcandrews@scotch.wa.edu.au or Peter Freitag - pcfreitag@scotch.wa.edu.au with any queries.

Scotch College Pipe Band

Sheep Manure Fundraiser

SATURDAY 10^TH AUGUST 2013

Support the Scotch College Pipe Band by purchasing high grade; weed free, 75 litre bags of sheep manure, delivered free to your door for just $15 a bag!

Delivered just in time for Spring, don't miss your opportunity to treat your garden to a high quality, slow release manure and at only $15 a bag.

Order now and your fertilizer will be delivered to your door on Saturday the 10^th of August.

To download an order form click here.

I am sure most of our newer Old Scotch Collegians will be familiar with the explosion of social networking that the electronic media provides. What you might not know is that OSC has both a Facebook and a Linked-In page. Just click on the links, and you'll go straight there. If you need a hand, ask the young people in your life (prepare for some eye-rolling!) or call the OSC Office, and we'll help.

Our trusty General Manager, Lance Quartermaine, spends a lot of time keeping these updated, and I'd encourage OSC's of all ages to join us on Linked-in and "friend" us on Facebook (I still can't quite come to terms with "friend" as a verb - perhaps that's the legacy of a Scotch College education!).

We would love to see our student and young professional OSC's, in particular, joining the Linked-In page. This is going to be an increasingly important resource to match up OSC's who are looking for career advice, professional mentoring, and possibly jobs with more senior OSCs in our network. Make an effort to update your personal profile when you join Linked-In so that we can get to understand what your skills and educational achievements are, as well as your professional and personal interests.

And make sure you join the Facebook page and feel free to post some photos of yourself when you get together with other OSC's. We'd love to see some vintage Scotch College photos from any OSC, and the Facebook page is a great way for you to have a laugh at how much hair you used to have, and maybe even re-connect with some mates that you've lost track of.

I promise to find some old school-related photos and kick things off, so keep an eye out on our Facebook Page…

Michael Silbert ('79)

President OSC