End of Summer Term

It feels like just yesterday that we had our welcome back to 2014 BBQ on the Chapel lawn. The reality is that this week marks the end of Summer Term. I have no doubt that our new students and their families have settled in to what is the hectic pace that we all associate with life at Scotch.

There has been much to enjoy and celebrate throughout this term and last week was no exception. The Arts came to the fore with the Summer Concert and of course our fantastic Middle School play, The Pied Piper of Hamelin. Each time I see our students perform I am amazed at the breadth and depth of talent. Congratulations to all of the students, staff and parents who helped make these two events so special.

Over the last few weeks we have held Capital Master Plan information evenings. Thus far these have proved to be an invaluable source of feedback and more importantly an opportunity for me to be able to share our vision for the College and engage in year and house interaction with parents. These evenings will continue into next term and I encourage you to try and attend your class or house information evening.

In 2014 we are conducting a review of the College's well-being programme and related strategies. Part of this review involves revisiting the structure of the school year and the breaks we have. In some other States, schools have a three week break during the mid-year July holidays. If we were to introduce an extended mid-year break, we would compensate for losing one extra week of class time in July, by remaining at school for one week longer in December. This means that we would not lose any teaching time, we would simply be rearranging the structure of the year. Furthermore, a lot of families find the early December finish challenging. This issue of an extended mid-year break has been a topic of discussion for a number of independent schools in Perth of late and has also been discussed at the PSA. The seven Headmasters at the PSA schools have agreed that each school can make an individual determination about this matter and that fixtures will be arranged accordingly.

A very simple survey will be circulated to all families this week to gauge the feelings of families about this proposal. It is very important that we constantly reassess what we do at Scotch. It is too easy to become comfortable and complacent in order to avoid the challenge of change. The email will include some commentary about the positive and negatives of extending the mid-year break as well as the link for completing the two question survey.

When we return to school next term the JPSSA and PSA commence winter sports. I would like to take this opportunity to remind the community about what all schools expect from their students, parents and coaches involved in these sporting programmes. If you have not already familiarised yourself with the PSA Code of Conduct I ask that you take time to review what is the very basis of being a member of the JPSSA and PSA. The document can be found at http://www.psa.wa.edu.au/?page_id=50. It is an expectation that we have all read this document and are aware of what it means to be part of one of the best school based sporting competitions in Australia.

Finally, thank you for the ongoing commitment and support to the education of your son(s). I would like to wish all families a peaceful Easter break and remind you to take this opportunity to maximise the break time with each other and make time to relax and recharge.

May the blessings of Easter be with you all.

Dr Alec O'Connell

Headmaster

Staff News

New Staff

Mel Colling: Administration Assistant - Marketing & Development Office 17/2/14

Adolfo Chavez: Design & Publications Co-ordinator - Marketing & Development Office 4/3/14

Andre Carvahlo: Groundsperson 25/2/2014

Temporary New Staff

Keilan Marshall: MS EA 4/2/2014

Susan Strizek: SS Academic Support Teacher Autumn Term

Sonia Scordo: SOSE Autumn Term

Bob Sjepcevich: D&T 1^st five weeks of Autumn Term

Jennifer Coleman: Head of Brass Autumn Term

Resignations

Stewart Neilson: ILT Database Administrator & Developer 28/4/2014

Jonnine Day: Morning Receptionist 16/4/2014

End of Contract

Kaye Turner: JS Librarian 11/4/204

On Leave Next Term

Bernard Kerr: Curriculum Leader of the Arts (Summer & Autumn Term)

Vicki Enfield-Kirk: SS Academic Support (Autumn Term)

James Hindle: SS SOSE | Head of Student Leadership (Autumn Term)

Tim Simpson: Head of Brass (Autumn Term)

Matthew Bradley: SS SOSE |Boarding (1^st four weeks of Autumn Term)

David Jones: Phys Ed | D&T | House Head (1^st five weeks of Autumn Term)

Grant Bennett: D&T- Commerce | Boarding (Week 10)

Andrew Tibbitt: D&T- Commerce (Week 10)

Returning from Leave

Warwick Norman: JS Librarian 2/4/14 (returning week 1)

Petra Turner: Academic Services 14/4/14 (returning 1st week of holidays)

Sarah McCarthy: School Nurse (returned from Maternity leave 5/3/2014)

Internal Changes / Current Role / Additional Role / Commencing

Ryan Foster: SS Maths Teacher / Head of Student Leadership / Autumn Term only

Kate Webster-Blythe: SS LOTE Teacher / Head of House- Ferguson / 1^st five weeks of Autumn Term

Michael Brinsden: Boarding Assistant/ Relief Teacher / Phys Ed Teacher / 1^st five weeks of Autumn Term

Year 7 Scholarships for 2015

Applications are now open for both Academic and Music Scholarships for entry at Year 7 in 2015. Scholarships are open to both current students and prospective students to Scotch College. The Scholarship examination will be held at the College on Saturday, 10 May 2014. If you currently have a son in Year 6 at Scotch College you are invited to register him via the Scotch College website Scholarship link www.scotch.wa.edu.au.

Students wishing to apply for a Music Scholarship for Year 7 are required to register to the Head of Music, Mr David Coughlan. Applicants will not be considered unless they have participated in the Music Audition process to be held on Saturday, 10 May 2014. Students wishing to apply for a Music Scholarship are not required to sit the Academic testing. Enquiries for Music Scholarship can be emailed to music@scotch.wa.edu.au.

An Allergy Aware School

The number of children with food allergies in Australia is increasing and it is estimated that 1 in 20 have a food allergy and 1 in 50 have a nut allergy.

The symptoms of food allergies range from mild to life threatening and anaphylaxis is the most severe form of allergic reaction.

Why is it important that schools become allergy aware?

In Australia more that 90% of fatal reactions to food have occurred in children aged 5 years and older.

Of those who died from anaphylaxis, 90% have been allergic to nuts with the exposure being accidental and usually away from home (including school).

As Scotch College is an allergy aware school we ask that all parents not send any foods containing nuts into school.

Community and Service

Visiting Tanzanian Teachers

During the first week of Autumn Term, Scotch College is hosting three teachers from Tanzania for professional development. They are being funded by the 'Australia Tanzania Society' and supported by five schools while in Western Australia. During their time at Scotch they will undergo collaborative learning training and observe targeted best-practice lessons from our teachers throughout the school. The Scotch and PLC group going to Tanzania in July will spend time with the visitors - learning about Tanzania and taking some Swahili lessons.

Aged Care Service

Two of the Year 10 service groups visit aged-care facilities on a Friday afternoon. Scotch has had a long-term partnership with Braemar Village in Willagee, run by Presbyterian Care. Another group has this year started going to 'Little Sisters of the Poor' in Glendalough. Both these facilities teach Scotch boys about aging and some of the issues concerning the care of the elderly. The boys going to Braemar typically play Wii games with willing participants while the boys going to Little Sisters of the Poor this term have been recording the personal histories of residents. While the experience for the boys is sometimes confronting, overwhelmingly they come away with a deeper understanding of aged care - and the elderly residents certainly appreciate the attention from the Scotch boys!

Street Swags

As the weather cools, thoughts turn to the homeless of Perth and in particular the group living rough in parks or under bridges around the CBD and in the suburbs. Agencies such as UnitingCare West, through the Tranby Day Centre do their best to cater for the needs of homeless, who are increasingly becoming more 'mainstream' and including whole families. The 'face' of homeless now is just as likely to be a single mother with children as it is a middle-aged man with substance abuse issues.

Boys have started rolling swags once more in preparation for the winter ahead. These high-quality swags provide some shelter from the elements for the most needy of the homeless. The outer shells are made for us by Bandyup Prison inmates and boys insert the foam base then roll the swag. Various agencies are involved in distributing the swags. For more information on Street Swags please go to: http://www.streetswags.org/index.php

ARAFMI

Most of the Houses in the Senior School have now been involved in ARAFMI - Mental Health Carers and Friends Association. This is an organisation that provides support for the carers of family members with mental health issues, many of whom are young. The boys volunteer to assist with a holiday programme, and offer a full day of activities at Scotch. During the process of preparation for this service action, ARAFMI staff visit the school and talk about mental illness to the boys in their House group. Presentations have also been delivered during Chapel. These have been typically powerful accounts of living with someone affected by a mental illness. For more information on ARAFMI go to: http://www.arafmi.asn.au/

Indonesian Evening Classes at Scotch

Scotch College, in partnership with the Balai Bahasa Indonesia Perth (BBIP), offers evening Indonesian Beginner Level 1 and 2, and Conversation classes. Autumn Term eight week courses commence on Tuesday 6 May from 6.30-8.30pm and are available to students, staff and parents, as well as members of the wider community.

Beginner Classes (Level 1 and 2) are designed for all ages to develop basic communication skills for the purpose of exchanging personal information and transactions. These classes are ideal for individuals travelling to Indonesia for work or holiday, who wish to understand more about the Indonesian language and culture.

Conversation Classes are designed for intermediate and advanced speakers who wish to develop their oral communication skills via simulated immersion of Indonesian. The aim of each lesson is to expand vocabulary of a topic and conclude with a task such as a role-play, group discussion, debate, or interview. Conversation classes are recommended for speakers who are already proficient who wish 'brush up' on their skills, as well as, Year 11 and 12 students who wish to further develop their listening and speaking in preparation for the WACE and IB examinations.

All lessons are delivered by native speaker instructors from the Balai Bahasa and are held in the Kennedy Block on the Senior Campus. The cost of an eight week course is $191 and includes BBIP membership. Conversation classes are free to all current Scotch College students and staffs.

To enrol in any of the Balai Bahasa classes visit: http://www.balaibahasaperth.org and follow the links to the online registration.

For more information about any of the courses please contact Wilfred Liauw on 9383 6584 or wliauw@scotch.wa.edu.au or Kate Reitzenstein on kreitzenstein@scotch.wa.edu.au.

Parenting Ideas

To further support the Scotch community the College has subscribed to Parentingideas, a leading provider of parenting education resources to Australian schools.

One of their latest articles is entitled- Teenage Daredevils.

Also available is the Parenting Ideas Magazine; visit the following link:

http://www.parentingideas.com.au/Parent_Magazine.html

Music Department

"Create with the heart, build with the mind." Criss Jami - Lead singer of the band "Venus in Arms"

On Friday 21 March, 150 musicians from Scotch and PLC joined together in the annual Quiz Night. This event has been steadily growing over the last few years, probably because of the outstanding prizes on offer, and it was a great opportunity to socialise at a fun event with friends from different year levels and schools. A senior table of boys and girls won the event for the third year in a row, and while they shared the major prize, almost everyone walked away with something to take home. Points were awarded for general knowledge plus games such as the best singer, balloon popping, hoola hoop, limbo, and air guitar. Some of the pictures will be on display around the school for everyone to enjoy. My thanks to FOSM and the music parents at PLC for their prize collection and hard work that made the event so successful.

If you would like to join the Friends of Scotch Music (FOSM) - a group of parents who enthusiastically support the work of boys and staff in the Music Department, the process is very straight forward via the FOSM email below. FOSM meets once or twice each term with all meetings beginning at 7.00pm. Meetings go for approximately one hour, and are held in the Senior School Music Room with everyone welcome. Please consider becoming involved in the FOSM Parent Support group as an excellent way to support your son and the Music Programme at Scotch College.

On Sunday 30 March, the boys in the Combined Vocal Ensemble and the Combined Symphony Orchestra performaned as guests of PLC at the Quarry Amphitheatre on Reabold Hill. This concert was performed in the evening, and happily, the timing avoided all the rain. A lovely way for the senior ensembles to begin their 2014 performances. The PLC concert was followed a week later by the Scotch College Senior Summer Concert held in the Dickinson Centre on Friday 4 April. This performance began at the new time of 6pm with Big Band entertaining the audience as they enjoyed a cup of tea of coffee in the Dickinson Centre Foyer. Following the Big Bands, the Combined Symphony Orchestra and the Combined Vocal Ensemble performed which lead into the other senior ensembles. All performers acquitted themselves well on stage and the audience certainly enjoyed the musical selections and the earlier timeslot. I will publish some photos either online or in the next edition of The Thistle.

At the Senior Summer Concert, 7 boys were commended for their selection as Senior Representatives to support the Captain of Music Patrick Mitchell (Year 12, Brisbane) in the work of the Music Department. The boys are, William Goyder (Year 11, Ross) and Harry Adler (Year 11, Ferguson) - Voice, Hamish de la Hunty (Year 11, Shearer) and Connor Henderson (Year 11, Ferguson) - Strings, Reece Grant (Year 12, Shearer) - Guitar, Nicholas Olivares (Year 12, St Andrews) - Jazz/Contemporary, and Mark Barwood (Year 11, St Andrews) - Concert Band. I congratulate and wish these boys well in their roles as Senior Representatives for the 2014 year.

I am looking forward to upcoming events next term that include the Mt Gambier Generations in Jazz Tour, the Junior and Middle School Music Camp and the Junior and Middle School Autumn Concert.

Contact Details

The Instrumental Programme is administered by the Senior School Music Department and all queries should be directed to the Music Administrator, Julia Robinson (9383 6841) music@scotch.wa.edu.au

Alternately, please contact Mr David Coughlan, Head of Music, via email DGCoughlan@scotch.wa.edu.au or phone 9383 6842.

If you wish to become more involved in supporting the Music Department by receiving information about the work of FOSM, please contact FOSM@scotch.wa.edu.au.

Uniform Shop

Opening Hours for Winter Uniform Changeover

No appointments are necessary. The Uniform Shop will be open extra hours over and above the normal opening times, as follows.

Opening Hours Until End of Term

Tuesday 8 am to 5 pm

Wednesday 7.30am to 9.00am

Thursday and Friday from 7.30 am to 11.30 am

Holiday Opening Days

9 am to 4 pm (lunch: noon - 1 pm)

23 April Wednesday

24 April Thursday

28 April Monday

Boys need to be in winter uniform on Tuesday, 29 April (start of term).

Winter Uniform

Boys are expected to be dressed in Winter uniform from the commencement of Autumn Term, Tuesday 29 April.

Head of Junior School

Is the risk worth it?

"Children need the freedom and time to play. Play is not a luxury. Play is a necessity." Kay Redfield Jamison (Professor of Psychiatry)

Last week I attended a seminar organised by the Association of Independent Schools of WA and presented by Kids Safe. The event invited Heads of schools, Business Managers, and Buildings and Grounds Managers to hear about the benefits and misconceptions for outside play for children.

During the course of the presentation some startling facts were shared:

• It is recommend that children spend two hours outside playing each day.
  • 59% of primary boys
  • 73% of primary girls
  • 90% of secondary girls

Do not meet the recommendations.

• Australian children take 200 fewer steps per day than is required to avoid being overweight or obese.
• A 2008 study undertaken by Essex University looked at the strength of a group of 10 year olds in 2008 compared with the same age group in 1998.
  • In 2008:
    • Arm strength fell by 26%
    • Grip strength declines by 7%
    • Number of sit-ups a 10 year old could do declines by 27%
    • 1 in 10 children could not hold their body weight while hanging from a wall bar, while in 1998 it was only 1 in 20.

The gradual decline of physical activity in primary aged children has made outdoor play areas more relevant today than they have ever been.

Understandably parents have concerns about letting their children go. Concerns about safety and possible injury are the major ones. Eighty-three percent of injuries children sustain are fall related. It may be of no surprise to parents that the piece of equipment that had the most injuries on it was the monkey bars. This is simply because it is the most popular piece of equipment being used over twice as much as any other.

What else contributes to injuries? We have become very good as parents at ensuring all is safe and that our children do not put themselves at taking risks. We have become so good in fact that children now are very poor at assessing risks themselves.

The main factors associated to risk for children are:

• Age
• Gender
• Rate of exposure to playground equipment
• Physical and cognitive development
• Lack of peripheral vision (this develops later in childhood)
• Inability to judge moving objects
• Concentrate on only one thing at a time
• The way children play

Learning to judge risks for themselves is a skill and play is the main vehicle for developing this essential skill. Remembering how we played as children may highlight this. As boy I climbed trees and liked to jump into snow banks. The height I climbed to or jumped from increased as I got older. If I fell, I got hurt, but I got up and reassessed. Jumping off the shed into a pile of snow or climbing the highest tree in the woods behind my house was great but I learned to assess the risk I felt comfortable with. My parents didn't know what I was up to but I learned this key skill through playing in nature.

Times have changed but the need to develop the ability to assess and manage risk in children is still key. Playing in nature can be a wonderful way to ensure our children play for the recommend amount per day and benefit from the additional skills it develops.

Children who play in natural settings:

• Are sick less soften. Mud, sand, water, leaves, sticks, pine cones and gun nuts can help stimulate children's immunes system as well as their imagination
• Tend to be more physically active and less likely to be overweight
• Are more resistant to stress; have lower incidences of behaviour disorders, anxiety and depression, and have higher measure of self worth
• Develop essential risk assessment skills
• Play in more diverse, imaginative and creative ways and show improved language and collaborative skills
• Have more positive feelings about each other
• Experience a considerable reduction bullying behavior
• Experience reduced symptoms of Attention Deficit Disorders after contact with nature

While plastic playgrounds seem ideal they do not always offer children the simulation and challenge they require.

Children tell Kid Safe:

• They like plants and tress
• The don't like bright colours
• They want to play in sand
• They want to get dirty
• The like places to hide

We will be reviewing our outdoor play spaces and will be looking to develop our playground to be a more nature based, more challenging and developmentally and learning space.

Get into nature, climb a tree and assist your child in gaining the many benefits outside unstructured play can provide.

John Stewart

Head of Junior School

Important Dates to Remember

Primary Years Programme (PYP)

New parent inquiry into the International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme

On Tuesdsay 25 March, a group of 16 brave parents joined me for a crash course in all things PYP. It was an interactive session and I thank all parents for their enthusiastic and collaborative participation.

The learning started out with a pre-assessment; what do you already know about the PYP? Some facts and figures were then shared. There are currently 3,733 schools in 147 countries offering one or more of the IB programmes, with 92 schools offering the PYP in Australia.

Participants actively worked with the learner profile constructing meaning through collaboratively answering the following question: What qualities do you want your son/sons to have by the end of their schooling? Group feedback demonstrated very strong alignment with the IB learner profile and the PYP attitudes.

The essential elements of the programme (knowledge, concepts, approaches to learning/skills, attitudes and action) were briefly explored and our session ended with a post assessment; what do you know about the PYP now?

Here is some of the feedback, which was shared through two stars (for things participants liked/gained from the session) and a wish (for further learning):

• Practical approach to learning to relate to real life
• The integration of values into all learning
• The process that goes into building the curriculum - the value of inquiry
• Very informative and something to take home and work on
• Greater understanding of the PYP - further confidence that Scotch is the best place for our son.

A lot of the wishes reflected on a focus to learn more about units of inquiry. Stand by for a session in June related to this.

Many thanks to all who were able to attend.

Kathy Derrick

Deputy Head of Junior School - Curriculum

3T News

Year 3 boys have bounced into the school year with enthusiasm for new friends and for new learning. Friendships have been quickly formed and new routines adopted; ensuring our new boys feel as comfortable as our 'oldies'.

With new-year goal setting a priority, we were most fortunate to enjoy a visit from Perth Glory's Joshua Risdon. He was able to impart wisdoms about the value of goals, dedication and persistence, which the boys have been trying to implement in all areas of school life.

Our first unit of inquiry, Where We Are In Place and Time, allowed us to get to know each other and explore the influence of our family histories. We were able to integrate iPad skills using 'Explain Everything', as we combined technology and public speaking skills to showcase our Family Heirlooms.

Reading Club has been a roaring success; boasting big numbers in attendance. Parents and boys have adopted the challenge of arriving at school early and dedicating time each day to reading aloud. The skills of fluency and expression are being developed, with some clever little story-tellers emerging in our midst.

Of particular note, our fellows have adopted a new writing programme, VCOP! Here, we explore a range of characters whose profiles promote writing. There is Vinny Vocabulary, Connie Connective, Ollie Opener and Penny Punctuation. The boys of 3T have also created a complimentary character, Hayden Handwriting, who promotes handwriting skills to support this writing initiative. We have fondly renamed the program, VCHOP!

Each and every boy in 3T is to be congratulated for the effort and energy they bring to our classroom and our school. I look forward to celebrating and harnessing this enthusiasm as we launch into our second unit of inquiry, How the World Works.

Rebecca Turkich

Year 3 Teacher

Performing Arts News

The boys in Year 2 have had a fabulous term with both classes participating in a variety of activities. One of the highlights was choreographing and rehearsing a dance to Pharrell's very popular song Happy, which 2W performed as their assembly item. The boys concluded that everyone in Year 2 is music and body smart as nobody could help but move and sing when we played the song! Other fun activities have included exploring high and low tones, beat and rhythm, and pitch maps through playing tuned and untuned percussion, using our imagination to become sea creatures moving at different levels in the ocean, singing and composing our own vocal performances.

Phebe Samson

Performing Arts Teacher

Information Learning Technology

iPads Event

Last week, Scotch hosted an iPad event run by the WA Primary Schools Network, alongside education experts from Apple. The two-day program included workshops, keynote sessions, challenge-based learning experiences, plus the opportunity to connect with leading educators from the public, independent and Catholic school systems.

It was an excellent opportunity for some of our Junior School staff to work with iPad experts to explore the effective use of iPads in the early childhood years. I was able to share a few ways the Scotch boys are using their devices to help enhance their learning for their units of inquiry.

Amanda Ritchie

ILT Coach

Physical Education News

We are closing in on the end of what has been a busy but enjoyable term.

Our Year 5/6 JPSSA boys have just finished their Summer Sport season, playing their last fixture against Aquinas. Following this final fixture, our JPSSA boys will square off against their family members in our annual Summer Sport Bring a Family Member Afternoon. This is a low key and fun event, which is enjoyed by all every year. This will be held on Thursday 10 April. Information about this day has been sent out to parents.

Our JPSSA boys will have also competed their Autumn/Winter sport choice. Our season will not start until Autumn Term with our first fixture against Wesley College. Boys will find their sport choices up on the notice board in the McKellar Hall and also on the JS/MS sport wiki.

Jason Caniglia

Head of Junior School Physical Education

Junior School Resource Centre

As the Summer Term draws to an end, the excitement in the Junior School Library is reaching fever pitch. Entries for the Easter Competition are providing lots of examination and comment from the many boys who visit to check out the new entries. Prizes will be awarded at Assembly on the last day of term.

Boys have really increased their book borrowing as they discover new resources to take home. Many boys have shared their reading enjoyment with others and this has led to great interest in different series and authors. The competition for Thin Stanley, Mervyn the Cat and Gibblewort the Goblin has been fierce in Year 2, while many boys in Year 3 have been keen to reserve Emily Eyefinger and Dirty Bertie.

To maintain such a good collection of resources it is important that boys make the effort to return their books by the end of term. They are welcome and encouraged to borrow or renew their choices for the holidays.

Mr Norman is returning for the Autumn Term and I, sadly, will complete my time. I have enjoyed the feeling of fun, interest and enjoyment the Junior School boys have displayed this term. They have made me feel very welcome. I also wish to thank all the mothers who have given up their time to help with book covering this term.

Kaye Turner

Junior School Teacher Librarian

Excellence Awards

The following awards will be announced at Assembly on Friday 11 April:

Year 1

Jaxson Austin

Jonathan Gattorna

Soichiro Kato

Callum Shaw

Year 3

Kyle de Bruin

Jack Carroll

Jack Cook

Tom Gray

Luca Green

Marco Ghiselli

Hayden Henschel

Charles Hood

Campbell Houliston

Rory Keevill

Nic Langsford

Jude Lloyd Hudson

Year 4

Jensen Blok

Codi Cook

Luca Datodi

Horry Foster

Mitchell Hyde

Lucas Ralls

Andrew Stegena

Henry Vaughan

A Sensational Summer Term in Middle School

As we arrive at the end of a fantastically engaging Summer Term and ready ourselves for Autumn Term, and our winter programme, it is worthwhile to reflect on some of the activity and learning over the past ten weeks.

It was an exciting start to term as we welcomed many new boys to Middle School in both Year 6 and Year 7 and watched them come to grips with the traditions and opportunities available at Scotch College. Old boys returned to Middle School from holidays and reconnected with old friends and established new connections. The Middle School was buzzing with energy and enthusiasm.

Looking back on our calendar, we have had a wonderfully eventful term. Every boy had the opportunity to participate in an Outdoor Education Programme. Year 7 boys spent four days in the bush at Moray, sleeping out under the stars, rafting on the river and challenging themselves on the climbing wall and ropes course. Moray also hosted a combined Year 6 and Hougang Singapore School weekend which proved once again to be a highlight of our visiting Singaporean students' time at Scotch. Hougang School will host our Year 7 boys during Week 10 of Winter Term. Year 6 boys participated in a Surfing programme at Scarborough Beach, which will be complimented later in the year when they travel to Lancelin in Spring Term for their Outdoor Education camp.

Swimming was a prominent feature of the term, and on the noticeboard outside Mr Felgate's office is a record of swim times of boys who have achieved personal bests during the season. A number of new boys represented the College for their very first time in the JPSSA and PSA Inter-School swimming carnivals.

Community Service was again enthusiastically supported across the Middle School as we raised money for the Leukaemia Foundation. Central to this was the World's Greatest Shave event, with Jonah Benbow (7M) and Mr Peter Tresise (7T) sponsored to shave their hair for the cause. Raffles, cake stalls, sport competitions and many other activities that the boys organised both inside and outside the school all contributed to the fundraising, and at the time of writing we have raised $4366.00!

Last week the Middle School Drama production "The Pied Piper of Hamelin" hit the stage with three performances given to delighted crowds. Congratulations to all the boys involved, and to Miss Emma Payne and the Drama Department for putting together such a demanding show.

At Open Day this year I listened to Dr McEwan, Head of Senior School, speak to parents and boys visiting on the day. He made a comment; "it's the habits of the boy that become the character of the man". This quote has stuck with me as it resonates strongly what our mission in Middle School is. One of the habits we work very hard at developing in Middle School is the habit of being prepared, of being ready to be in a position to maximise time in class or as opportunities present themselves. As we congratulate the actors in "The Pied Piper of Hamelin" they will be the first to tell us that the key to the success of their production was their rehearsal. The preparation is everything.

During the holidays we have a group of 45 musicians and singers who will perform at the Fairbridge Music Festival on Anzac Day. They have been preparing and rehearsing before school all term, and listening to them practise last Wednesday was mind-blowing. They will be fantastic! As we wish them well for their performance they are also a reminder to us of the value of being prepared, of being organised, of being ready.

I would like to thank all of our Middle School parents of your support this term. For attending the various parent functions, parent meetings, cheering from the sidelines at sport events, working behind the scenes baking, supervising homework and arranging early morning drop offs and late afternoon pick up. Your efforts and time are most appreciated. It has been a valuable and productive term. Enjoy your holiday and Easter break and I look forward to welcoming you back in Autumn Term.

Richard Ledger

Head of Middle School

Cake Boss

This term in the Food Technology department, we introduced a tasty, inspiring and fun club called Cake Boss. This was suggested to the boys last year as a new idea and it received an overwhelming response!

The club starts at 7.30am when boys come into the food room to cook up a storm, baking a batch of 80 cupcakes! The Cake Boss oven aromas wafting throughout the building always attract attention and many interested noses wander up to to see "whats cookin'?"

After school all the boys return excitedly to decorate the cupcakes in all manner of designs including owls, Elmos and Easter nests. They pack up their fresh cache to take home to share with their families. It is most pleasing to see some boys practising thoughtfulness and asking "Can I take a cake to give to my teacher? "

During the final week of Cake Boss this term, the boys have been set a challenge to design an Easter inspired fondant covered fruit cake. We are very excited to see the results of the challenge. The lucky winner will receive a small hamper of cake decorating goodies.

Mrs Jo Walden

Food Technology Teacher

Excellence Awards

Headmaster's Commendations

Important Dates in Middle School Summer Term

Time to rest and reflect

The Summer Term is concluding in much the same way it began with news of outstanding results across a wide range of areas. In recent weeks we have learned of very strong performances in the Have Sum Fun Mathematics competition, two Senior School teams qualified for the global round of the World Scholar's Cup in Singapore, McCarthy Hanlin (Year 11, Stuart) has been selected in the State debating team to compete in Melbourne, William Goyder, (Year 11, Ross) has reached the State finals in the Lions Youth of the Year Speech and Leadership Competition and Daniel Bloch (Year 12, Ferguson) is about to head off to the IE University's 2014 Junior Advisory Board in Madrid and Segovia in Spain.

In the co-curricular programme, the end of the Summer Term has seen the 1^st Cricket team win the Darlot Cup for the second time in the past three years, the Rowing programme win the Hamer Cup and volleyball develop significantly over the Summer term under the direction of Mr Creighton. The Music department showcased the breadth and depth of musical talent in the Summer Music Concert, rehearsals are underway for the Year 11 and 12 production of White Flag Albert and Inter-House debating has attracted an unprecedented level of interest and standard amongst boys in all year levels.

As the end of Summer Term marks the mid-year point of the academic year for boys in Years 9 to 12, it is time to stop, rest and reflect on the term just passed. It is now time to consider the feedback provided from teachers at recent Student Review Meetings and the upcoming Interim Reports for Year 8, and semester reports for Years 9 and 10 in order to set new goals for the coming semester. Conversations with your son about the past term that encourage him to identify opportunities and strategies that build on his experiences in Summer Term are essential.

In particular, I congratulate all boys in Year 8 for a wonderful first term in the Senior School. The boys have embraced the opportunities available to them and 'hit the ground running'.

I wish all boys a restful break and look forward to hearing of the experiences gained by those attending the Megacity tour to the USA, languages tour to Indonesia, hockey tour to South Africa, soccer and rugby tour to France, drama tour to NIDA, Sydney and football to Melbourne.

I wish all families a happy Easter and restful term break.

Dr Rob McEwan

Head of Senior School

Boys' Achievements

Logan Deitner(Year 9, Anderson) placed second in the Beach Relay Surf Life Saving State Championships at Trigg Beach last Saturday.

Brayden Panting (Year 11, Brisbane) has been named as Co-Captain of the U18 WA State Lacrosse team.

William Goyder (Year 11, Ross) participated in the district round of the Lions Youth of the Year Leadership and Speech competition. He finished in the top three and will go through to the state final in April.

Harrison Gardiner (Year 11, Keys) won Junior State Champion Fire Fighter (he won all his individual events) at the Volunteer Fire Brigade Senior State Championships. His Brigade also won Champion Brigade.

World Scholars Cup - four Senior School teams competed, two teams have qualified for the global round to be held in Singapore. Highlights included: Bailey Vanderzanden (Year 9, Ferguson), Lewis Weeda (Year 9, Shearer) and Luke Henderson (Year 9, Ferguson) placing first in Collaborative Writing. Drummond Orr (Year 10, Ferguson) placing first in the Senior Debate. Bailey Vanderzanden placed first in Junior Writing. James Naylor-Pratt (Year 10, Anderson) was the senior subject winner for Science and Social Studies, James also placed third overall across all sections and all students.

Have Some Fun Mathematics

Scotch College recently participated in the 2014 Have Sum Fun Mathematics Competition run by the Mathematics Association of WA. The "Have Sum Fun" Competition is an exciting mathematics initiative that uses a quiz night format. Teams of six students race against the clock to solve four intense rounds of eight challenging problems. The majority of schools in WA enter this competition.

Year 11/12 was represented by Vaughan Chin (Year 11, Ferguson), Frank Lee (Year 11, Brisbane), Bailey Banfield (Year 11, Cameron), Ralph Thompson (Year 12, Alexander), Riley Aitken (Year 12, Cameron) and Matthew Mann (Year 12, St Andrews). The senior team performed particularly well, placing 5^th on the night, only 2 points behind the eventual winners. This is an outstanding effort by our students.

Year 8/9/10 was represented by Prentice Shepherd (Year 8, Ross), Riley Thomas (Year 8, Anderson), Raghav Khanna (Year 9, Shearer), Kartik Khanna (Year 9, Shearer), Matthew Khowira (Year 10, Ferguson) and Drummond Orr (Year 10, Ferguson). The boys also competed very well achieving, placing in the top third of the teams on the night. Congratulations to these boys.

Easter Holidays Fitness Training

Fitness training sessions in preparation for the winter sports season will be run during the holidays for one hour, 8.30am - 9.30am, on the Memorial Oval during the Easter holidays. The days of training will be:

Monday 14 April

Wednesday 16 April

Wednesday 23 April

Friday 25 April

School Photos

The deadline for Keys House boys to return unwanted photos has been extended to Wednesday 30 April to allow them to take the photos home for the holidays. Parents will have the opportunity to view the packages and decide whether to keep or return them with their boys on or before 30 April.

Bunning Resource Centre

The Bunning Resource Centre will once again be opening late starting in Week 10 on a Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday for our Year 11 and 12 students in preparation for their exams. The flyer below has been emailed to each boy and I encourage all to take up this opportunity. During the evening the library will also have OSC tutors onsite to assist boys with their studies.

This year we will also be trialling opening the library for Year 11 and 12 students during the holidays with OSC tutors on site from 10:00am till 1:00pm, Monday to Wednesday in both weeks. This has been a request by many students and parents and we will see how many students take up this opportunity.

The library also acknowledges that it is important to continue this study routine during the year and as such we have started a small group study club. Boys in Years 11 and 12 can register a small group with the library that are committed to a sustained weekly/fortnightly meeting to work together on their studies. Students taking up this opportunity will be provided additional help from library staff with the specific requirements of the group being catered for where possible.

These are great opportunities for our boys in Years 11 and 12 to maximise their results. I look forward to seeing your son at the sessions.

Bradley Tyrrell

Head of Library, Information and Research

Information Learning Technology

Over the past few weeks we have been upgrading the boys' laptops to the Mavericks operating system. This affords them access to many new facilities, including the iBooks reader, previously restricted to iPads.

This upgrade is particularly important for Year 8 and Year 12 boys who next term will be using iBooks in their English programmes. If your boys should make you aware they have not upgraded yet, then we are sure they will appreciate a gentle parent prod to remind them next term is very close by.

One of the other benefits to the upgrade is that they MUST do a Time Machine backup - and there is no harm in doing that more often.

The MYP; Well And Truly 'Preparing Boys For Life'

Humans approach virtually everything in experience as something that can be "given meaning" by the power of our minds to create a conceptualization. If we want to help students develop as critical thinkers, we must help them come to terms with this human power of mind, the power to create concepts through which we, and they, see and experience the world. (Foundation for Critical Thinking, 2013)

The Middle Years Programme of the International Baccalaureate has undergone some recent changes that will come into effect in the next academic year. The changes are, in some cases, very practical i.e. all subjects will now have 4 assessment criteria and 8 levels of achievement. This greater degree of uniformity will make it easier for parents to understand their son's performance in each of the learning areas. Others of these changes are pedagogical and will serve to further strengthen the teaching and learning experiences for students at our college. The principal area of change is the move towards a more conceptual model of thinking and learning. In simple terms, this means that students are challenged to think conceptually. This enables greater transference of knowledge and skills from subject to subject, programme to programme and from school to community or work-place.

The changes have been born from years of research into 21^st century (and now potential 22^nd Century) learning programmes and environments. Today's employers are primarily focussed on the skills sets of candidates applying for work. Employers are looking for independent, critical thinkers who can look at things from new, more creative perspectives in order to solve problems and adapt readily to change. Our world is one of fast-paced change; facts, knowledge and tools are not static and our students will need to be equally as flexible and dynamic in their approach to life and work. We need to develop our students' critical thinking skills so that they can feel confident in their abilities to adapt to change and to learn new skills as necessary - knowing 'how to learn' is the key to their future success.

Educational Expert and former UK 'Super-Head' Dr Richard Gerver, cites Sir Alex Ferguson in his publication Change - Learn to love it, Learn to Lead it. The 13 times Premier League winning manager said; "To be successful, you have to be able to adapt to change." It would seem (following Manchester United's woeful performance this season) that Sir Alex's failing was in not teaching his players to be so adaptable. Dr Gerver was Keynote Speaker at the IB Asia-Pacific Regional Conference; he not only believes that a concept-based approach to education is essential but that the IBO's focus on transferable skills is a requisite for developing desirable employees.

With all Curriculum Leaders having recently been in-serviced on the 'new' MYP guides, we are in a good position to begin to ring the changes in our own classrooms. The concept of change here at Scotch is interpreted as one of growth and development - it is something we embrace as we prepare our boys for life in the 21^st Century world beyond the walls of their classrooms.

Charlotte Cook-Casey

MYP Coordinator

2014 Cambodia Tour - Community Service

Expressions of interest for the 2014 Cambodia Community Service Tour are currently being sought. The tour will involve participating in service work at the primary school in Soun Sah Village, as well as travelling to Phnom Penh (to visit Khmer Rouge era sites) and Siem Reap (to visit ancient cultural sites such as Angkor Wat). The tour will run in the December school holidays and will be open to all current Year 10, 11 and 12 students. If you require more information, please contact Miss Kate Gooding in the English Department on 9383 6715 or kgooding@scotch.wa.edu.au. Please see the form attached for expressions of interest.

Kate Gooding

Modern Languages

Mandarin beginners - Year 8 upwards are invited to join the Mandarin beginners course which continues next term on Tuesday lunchtimes. Any pupils wishing to extend or motivate their learning further, by aiming for a level 1 certification should email Mr Rugg.

Sponsored visit to China - by theConfucius institute of WA. Congratulations to Clive Wang, Kerry Miller and Bryce Holland for taking this amazing opportunity!

Exchange countries in your Summer holidays 2014/15 - Pupils aged 16-21 can now apply for the limited places offered by the Lions Clubs International for family stays in many countries worldwide. Costs range from $1800-$5600. Check out http://lionsclubs.org.au/contact/wa/ for details and contact Mr Rugg on application.

Parents and French students (Year 10-12)

For the last 8 years a hosting 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 4 weeks.

We believe such hospitality is highly beneficial for our French students, opening their eyes (and ears!) to another culture for an extended period. It allows your son to practise his French in some measure and make a friend of his own age from France.

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 week-days in their respective schools, in class with the host pupil. They 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.

Dates: Arrival - 17 July 2014 to Departure - 18 August 2014

Expressions of interest:

Please email Head of Languages, Jonathan Rugg (Jrrugg@scotch.wa.edu.au) if you would like to host this year. Closing date 18 May 2014.

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

Jonathan Rugg

Head of LOTE

Careers

University Information

University Hall, UWA is holding a tour for prospective students who are keen to learn more about living on campus. The tour will include:

• learning more about our Residential Life (ResLife) programmes - ResLife ensure our students are supported academically and have fun while living at the Hall
• meeting our current residents
• viewing our accommodation and common areas
• learning about 'how to apply' to live at the Hall

The tour is suitable for all students interested in living on campus but will be particularly useful for Year 11 and 12s.

Date: Thursday, 17 April 2014

Time: 11:00am

Where: University Hall, UWA - 130 Winthrop Ave, Crawley

Places are limited so please register your interest to laurissa.starling@uwa.edu.au.

Scholarships

Applications for the 2015 Tuckwell Scholarships are now open for high-achieving, community-minded Year 12 students to apply. 25 Tuckwell scholars will receive $20,900 per annum (increasing with inflation) for each year of their degree, for up to five years. This scholarship is not just for students with academic potential, but for those who wish to give back to the Australian community.

For more information go to tuckwell.anu.edu.au.

Careers Expo 2014

The annual Careers Expo is held 15 - 18 May at the Perth Convention Exhibition Centre. This event is free of charge and will be open from 10.00am - 4.00pm each day.

Defence Force Information Sessions

The following information sessions will provide useful information in a variety of opportunities in the Defence Forces.

Pilot Careers in the ADF - 15 April 2014, 7.00pm Level 7, 66 St Georges Terrace, Perth, WA

Careers in the Navy - 29 April 2014, 6.00pm Level 7, 66 St Georges Terrace, Perth, WA

Submariner Information - 29 April 2014, 6.00pm Level 7, 66 St Georges Terrace, Perth, WA

Trades in the ADF - 29 April 2014, 7.00pm Level 7, 66 St Georges Terrace, Perth, WA

Career Tips

Confused about what career to pursue? Unsure about what a certain career involves?

The UWA website features descriptions and explanations of over 100 careers on their website.

Go to www.studyat.uwa.edu.au > future students> careers and choose a career that you would like to explore.

Parents' Association

Year 9 Cocktail Function - save the date - Friday June 13.
This year's Year 9 Cocktail function for parents will be held at the Cottesloe Golf Club on Friday, June 13. We hope that many parents of Year 9 boys can attend as this promises to be a lovely evening in a superb venue. Mark this date in your diary and formal invitations will be sent out in Term 2. Organisers of the event are Brian O'Donnell and Susan Kennerly, Year 9 Parents' Association representatives.

Year 8 Parent Dinner Wrap-Up

Good times were had by all at the Year 8 Parent Dinner on Friday, March 14. A total of 176 people attended the dinner, which was held in the Scotch Dining Room, and parents and House Heads were seated according to Scotch Houses. Year 8 PA representatives Melissa Harkins and Ian Knoble did a wonderful job organising the event and the tables were beautifully decorated in the relevant House colours. Dr McEwan gave a short and poignant speech about the Year 8 boys. Tasty canapés and drinks were served on the balcony, which was then followed by Hamish Sheridan piping the guests into the dining room for a delicious main course and dessert.

The Parents' Association would like to thank all parents who helped set up tables on the day and arrange the beautiful flowers. Thank you to Year 10 Scotch piper Hamish Sheridan from Ross House who played the bagpipes whilst the parents were being seated for dinner.

Michelle Barrow

President

Scotch College Parents' Association

Mothers' Auxiliary

The Mothers' Auxiliary is still looking for someone to take on the role of Vice President. At this stage no one has come forward either last year or this year. It is best you can come on board as early in the year as possible to gain knowledge in areas to follow on as President in 2015. We are not sure how the group will function next year with no President and that could mean no Year 11 Dance, no Year 12 Ball, no Valedictory Dinner, no March Out morning tea, no Middle School welcome Morning Tea or the many and various other social functions that MA organise throughout the year throughout the whole School. Please email clairstanley@iinet.net for further details on what would be involved.

Our Guidelines booklet should be available very soon. Any new representatives can still refer to last years' guidelines or contact with either soniamwee@gmail.com or clairstanley@iinet.net.au for any assistance.

Tickets for the Year 11 Dance will be on sale soon, $50 each and available on the Scotch College website 'Book a Scotch Event'. A letter will be sent to all Year 11 parents with information regarding the dance. A most often asked question is "what do the boys wear?" It is a semi-formal dance with the 'theme' being for decoration of the hall only. The girls wear a cocktail dress and the boys should wear formal pants with dress shoes and formal shirt. Most boys wear a tie, shirt tucked in and a belt.

Our meeting dates for term 2 are May 12 and June 9, both in the Gooch Pavilion commencing at 9am.

Clair Stanley

President

Scotch Mothers' Auxiliary

Cricket

The Cricket Support Group would like to thank all of the families and staff who have contributed so much time and effort to assist the boys in their cricketing endeavours this season. There have been amazing afternoon teas to sustain players, tremendous cheering support during the games and an unlimited supply of assistance for the smooth running of the End of Season Celebration.

Jennifer Simpson

Cricket Parent Support Group

Pipe Band

The Scottish Banquet will be held Friday 2 May 2014 in the Dickinson Centre.

Due to the popularity of this event we have restricted ticket sales to the Scotch College community only. To book your tickets online please go to the Scotch College website www.scotch.wa.edu.au and click on "Book a Scotch Event" icon.

Thank you for your support of the Scotch College Pipe Band.

Stephanie Debnam
Pipe Band Parent Support Group

Rowing

Thank you to all the parents who provided food over the rowing season. We now have an assortment of containers and platters to be collected. These items can be collected from Heidi Locke in Senior School.

Heidi Locke

Mother of Captain of Boats (2014)

Rugby

Save the date - Saturday 3 May 2014 for the Annual Season Opener COCKTAIL EVENING for Parents and Coaches of Year 7 to Year 12 Rugby Players - Mark this event in your diary invitations to be emailed this week.

Meg Aitken

Rugby Secretary

Friends of Lake Claremont Sundowner

Come and join Mike and Mandy Bamford for a relaxed evening at Lake Claremont. We will start with drinks and nibbles by the Lake as we watch the waterbirds. On sunset we will head out on the path to search for bats. After dark we will spotlight frogs, birds and other creatures of the night!

When: Saturday 3 May, 4.30pm

Wear: Long pants, long sleeves and covered shoes

Bring: Torches or head-lamps if you have them, mosquito repellent

4.30pm: Meet at Stirling Road Park (south end of Lake Claremont)

4.30pm - 5.15pm: Drinks, nibbles, bird watching, duck display behaviour

5.15pm: Sunset Walk departs to search for bats, frogs and other night creatures.

7.30pm (approx.): End

Register early to avoid disappointment: folc.wa@gmail.com. Mobile 0416 614 696.

Uncle Jack

The Blue Room Theatre and Ross Lonnie (Scotch College graduate from the 1960's) present Uncle Jack, an autobiographical celebration of an ANZAC veteran. For booking information go to http://blueroom.org.au/ or call 08 9227 7005.

Self Regulation Resources - Stuart Shanker and Mike McKay 2014

Further to the workshops held on the Self-Regulation Initiative in February, there is now information available to access through the website http://www.wacoss.org.au/Shanker2014/Resources.aspx. Please note that any resources that become available will be placed on the Resources area of this website so please check this regularly. To download the Powerpoint presentation (as a PDF), please click here.

Other resources which may be of interest are listed below:

• Stuart Shanker (2012) Calm, Alert and Learning, Pearson Canada Inc - book available to purchase from Amazon.ca or Pearson Australia.
• Canadian Self-Regulation Institute - www.self-regulation.ca/.
• Mike McKay's website/blog - www.mikemckay.ca/.
• Stuart Shanker's Twitter account - www.twitter.com/StuartShanker