Last week we held our final capital briefing seminar. Approximately nineteen evenings have been held across year levels and house groupings. The evenings provided an opportunity for us to update current and future capital planning, as well as being able to discuss and hear from parents about any broader whole of school matters. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of you who were able to attend one of the evenings. The information and discussions proved to be very worthwhile. In particular I would like to thank the members of our campaign committee and staff from the Development and Marketing Office who assisted to ensure these evenings were a success. Should anybody wish to find out more about our campaign, please contact Kate Quinn Director of Marketing and Development on 93836832 or on KQUINN@scotch.wa.edu.au.

This week I will be holding scholarship interviews. These particular scholarships are academic based and all applicants sat a scholarship exam a couple of weeks ago. There are also some music scholarships which are based on a recent assessment of performance ability. The process should be finalised by the end of this week and successful candidates will be notified accordingly.

One of the broader benefits of being part of our community is the opportunity to hear great speakers. This applies to the students and families. Just last Friday a number of our students had the privilege of hearing a Nobel Laureate, Professor Brian Schmidt speak. The amazing part of his address was when he told the boys about his strong connection to Scotch and his career. He came from the USA to Australia in order to pursue his career in Astronomy because two Scotch College graduates were scientists that he had followed and revered during his early career path.

On Tuesday of this week approximately 600 people have signed up to hear Maggie Dent speak at a public forum supported by the Parent Association. The opportunity to hear from these two speakers highlights yet another example of the value add we can provide for our boys and their families. Should anyone have any ideas about potential future guest speakers please do not hesitate to contact us.

One of the benchmarks for any organisation is the interest in potential applicants to join it as an employee. Last Friday applications closed for the Director of Teaching and Learning and the Head of Boarding. I am pleased to say that we have received a significant level of interest at the local, national and international level. While this makes the task of appointing more complicated and time consuming, it means that we continue to be a preferred employer in the education sector.

Next week I will be away interstate in Adelaide and Sydney with work commitments. In particular I am looking forward to sharing in the Australian Indigenous Education Foundation (AIEF) annual meeting which is held in Sydney. This is fully subsidised by the foundation which facilitates us to take two of our scholarship holders as part of the AIEF programme. It is a great opportunity for our boys to be engaged with fellow scholarship holders from schools and colleges from across Australia

Have a great fortnight.

Alec J O'Connell

Headmaster

Community and Service

Tanzanian Teachers

During the first week of term Scotch had the pleasure of hosting three teachers from Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. They had been brought here by the Australia Tanzania Society as part on an ongoing programme to strengthen ties between our countries. In 2012 Scotch teacher Jordan Owenell was part of a team of Western Australian teachers who travelled to Dar es Salaam to run professional development workshops for Tanzanian teachers. Scotch College and Presbyterian Ladies' College have been going to Tanzania since 2004 to undertake service activities in a village, climb Mt Meru and go on safari to Ngorongoro Crater.

While they were with us, the Tanzanian teachers, Steven Kialembo, Hadija Nguzo and Mary Shayo were provided with training on collaborative learning techniques and observed the application of collaborative methods in classes across all three sub-schools in the College. They hope to be able to use some of the techniques in their own schools and to train their colleagues in Dar es Salaam. The student group from Scotch and PLC will visit at least one of their schools during the Tanzanian Expedition in July.

The photo below shows the three Tanzanian teachers with Dr O'Connell, Mr Cordner and the Honorary Tanzanian Consul, Didier Murcia AM.

Round Square

During the last holiday, Middle School teacher Deborah Mullin travelled to Auckland to take part in the Young Round Square Conference, held at Kings College. The trip paves the way for the first group of Year 8 students to attend a similar conference during 2015. Next year will also likely see the first group of Year 10 - 12 boys offered the opportunity to attend a Senior Round Square conference. The most likely conference we will target in our region will be the International Round Square Conference to be held at the United World College South East Asia (Singapore) in September. Information about both the Junior and Senior conferences and the application process will be available early next term.

Student Exchanges

One of the reasons that Scotch College has joined the Round Square association of schools was to more easily facilitate an exchange programme. The College is now a Regional Member of the association and will gain full Global membership within two years. Most of the 100 or so Round Square schools offer global exchange opportunities to their students in Year 10, and regional exchange placements to Year 8 students. Membership of the association provides a network of schools having a similar ethos around the world. Schools offering exchange places do so in the knowledge that reciprocal schools have been through a rigorous membership application process to ensure that they meet the standards required. Scotch went through this process late last year. Many, but not all Round Square schools are also International Schools running IBO programmes. All strongly believe in experiential learning and the importance of internationalism.

Current Year 9 boys have been the first cohort at Scotch College to be offered an exchange experience. Information was sent to parents by email last week. Exchanges would take place during 2015 while in Year 10 and provide a unique experience for the boys who are successful in gaining a placement. Many schools in Western Australia - including Presbyterian Ladies' College - offer exchanges. The other two Round Square schools in Western Australia, Bunbury Grammar and Geraldton Grammar have been facilitating exchanges for their students for many years and are our mentor schools in this current process. So far, schools in Peru, South Africa, Romania, India, Canada, Kenya and the USA have expressed interest in hosting Scotch boys for periods of between 5 and 10 weeks. Welcoming boys from the partner schools on to the Scotch campus for similar periods would be exciting and enriching for our students. You are invited to an Information Evening on the Exchange programme to be held on Thursday, June 5, at 6.30pm in the Bunning Resource Centre. The Round Square Representative from Bunbury Grammar will at the meeting to talk about their exchange experience. Please email Anne Thompson AMThomson@scotch.wa.edu.au to indicate your attendance.

ICEA

The ICEA (Indigenous Communities Education & Awareness) Foundation has become a Scotch service partner and will run a 'Marja Mob' leadership-training course as part of the Year 10 Community and Service programme. Scotch has supported ICEA for a number of years with Cameron House in the Senior School fundraising and collecting books for the Foundation. This recent initiative strengthens the relationship and offers boys an opportunity to become role-models and mentors in the reconciliation process. Kimberley Benjamin, former PLC Head Girl and OSC Tom Joyner will run the programme. The course should provide boys with the background and skills needed to engage other students in discussions about reconciliation with indigenous Australians.

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 - Healthy ways for kids to manage their emotions.

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

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

Music Department

"Jazz washes away the dust of everyday life." - Art Blakey, (also known as Abdullah Ibn Buhaina) Grammy Award-Winning Jazz Drummer and Band Leader.

On Thursday, 8 May, 23 boys from Years 8 - 11 travelled with Mr Coughlan, Ms Palmyre and Ms van de Ploeg to the 2014 Mt Gambier Generations in Jazz Festival. It was a great opportunity for the boys to see and hear some of the best bands and vocal ensembles in Australia and arguably one of the best professional big bands in the world, the Big Phat Band from the United States. With over 3200 students involved in the festival from across Australia, the enormity of the festival really hit home when everyone sat down in the big circus tent erected just for the Festival. Both our Big Band and the Vocal Ensemble performed with energy and enthusiasm and everyone was very happy with their performances. As a festival is a competition, feedback is provided by the American Musicians together with Mr James Morrison, Jazz Trumpet Legend, but this is yet to arrive by post. All the boys were so amazing and loved the whole experience. My thanks to Ms van de Ploeg and Ms Palmyre for their work in preparing the boys for their performances and Mr Simpson and Ms Houston for their work in setting up the tour logistics prior to the event.

Upcoming events this term and beyond include the Junior and Middle School Music Camp 3 - 4 June, the Junior and Middle School Autumn Concert 20 June, Reporter Photos 23 July, Senior Recital and Upson Award 31 July, Jazz Night 8 August, Performance Festivals 9 - 10 August and Con Brio 12 - 13 August. Please make a note of the new date for the annual Jazz Night - now to be held at the end of Week 3 Winter Term.

Each of the events listed above are supported by FOSM. 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. The next FOSM Meeting is to be held this Monday, 5 May.

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

Tuesday 8.00am to 5.00pm

Thursday, Friday 7.30am to 11.30am

The Uniform Shop will be closed for the Boarders' Long Weekend and Public Holiday (ie Friday, 30 May)

Maroon Blazers

A problem has been identified with the buttonholes of the maroon blazers this year. Our tailor is very concerned and is looking into what may have caused the issue. Fortunately, the business is a local one (established about 50 years ago), so it a problem easily resolved. If you find that your buttonholes are unravelling, please bring the blazer into the uniform shop and we will get it repaired within a week. Mr Williams and Dr McEwan have been apprised of the situation and your son can be excused from marching if necessary while we sort this out.

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!

Head of Junior School

Maggie Dent

Tomorrow the College welcomes Maggie Dent. We are very fortunate to have such a renowned champion of children and adolescence speak to our school community. Maggie is a passionate advocate for the healthy, common-sense raising of children in order to strengthen families and communities. She has a broad perspective and range of experience that shapes her work, a slightly irreverent sense of humour, and a depth of knowledge based on modern research and ancient wisdom that she shares passionately in a common-sense way.

She believes if we can better understand the differences between boys' and girls' development, the way boys communicate, and what our boys' need, we can turn these statistics around. With a major focus on early years (0-5), the seminar also focuses on boys in adolescence. Maggie is a self-confessed 'boy champion' and her mission is to make a profound difference in the lives of our boys. If you are a parent, carer or educator of sons, you will gain practical tips, insights, information and inspiration to help shape our boys so that they grow into happy, healthy men.

We currently have 600 people attending the presentation with room for many more. I encourage parents and guests to attend. Tickets can be purchased for this inspiring event through Trybookings or at the door.

iLearn, youLearn, theylearn

On Wednesday morning of last week the Junior School hosted 30 parents for a Parent Engagement Workshop on iPads.

Parents were taken through the key features of the iPad to support them in managing the device at home. Some of the ideas for helping parents set up a positive working environment at home included:

• Communicating any concerns with their son's teacher
• Setting ground rules and limits for iPad use with their son
• Putting supporting structures in place at home now to help with future technology organisation

Rebecca Tapscott shared how the use of Edmodo is helping the Year 2 boys collect, sort and share information safely whilst working on their 'Sharing the Planet' unit.

There was also time to explore the features of the iPad, looking at guided access and keeping the boys safe when searching online. Parents were informed about the current apps the boys had been working on.

Parents were pleased to learn that they could replicate many of the same functions of the iPhone on the iPad.

This session is one in a series on technology that has and will run throughout the school year. Our next session will teach parent how to use iMovie to make home films. The boys are learning these skills and will showcase their creations in our first Scotch College Film Festival in the Winter Term.

I want to thank all parents who take the opportunity to join us for our Parent Engagement Workshops.

John Stewart

Head of Junior School

Important Dates to Remember

Primary Years Programme (PYP)

Thinking

I recently had the pleasure of attending a professional development seminar facilitated by Dr Ron Ritchart; a principle investigator and senior research associate at Project Zero, Harvard.

The seminar focused on exploring the key areas related to developing a culture of thinking, using a range of visible thinking tools. It was one of the best professional development experiences I have attended and I'm truly excited to explore and further develop this idea with the Junior School team in the weeks to come.

Within the PYP thinking skills are explicitly referred to in the approaches to learning under the sub headings of:

• Acquisition of knowledge
• Comprehension
• Application
• Analysis
• Synthesis
• Evaluation
• Dialectical thought (thinking about two or more different views at the same time)
• Metacognition (analyzing one's own and other's thought processes; thinking about how one thinks and how one learns)

Throughout the year, all teachers plan for, teach and assess these skills. Using a range of visible thinking skills, and promoting a culture of thinking, will further enhance and strengthen what we do in these areas. If you are interested in reading more click on the following link to Ron's webpage: http://www.ronritchhart.com/Welcome.html

Kathy Derrick

Deputy Head of Junior School - Curriculum

4D News

Year 4D have begun Term 2 with great enthusiasm and a keenness to demonstrate the knightly virtue of prowess as they've endeavoured to master their academic tasks. The boys recently completed a fascinating unit of inquiry centred around investigating principles of economics, such as trade, production and consumption, and supply and demand, just to name a few.

One of the many highlights from this unit was the completion of 'The Great Egg Drop' - a collaborative challenge in which boys traded materials to produce an effective and creatively designed safety device for an egg which was to be hurled from a 7m height. Once our contraptions were constructed, we dropped them from the Year 4 balcony and watched as they fell stylishly to the ground. No doubt the overflowing of excitement of the afternoon contributed to our boys achieving excellent results, with the vast majority of eggs surviving the impact of the significant drop. Trade and innovation worked hand-in-hand to ensure that students had a gratifying experience in producing a successful result.

More recently, the boys adventured over to Claremont Quarter Shopping Centre, where they surveyed local businesses about the demographics of their customers, as well as how they conducted their operations. The data collected from this excursion was then brought back to class, collated, and then interpreted. Through this process, the boys drew interesting conclusions about how businesses operate in our local economy.

We now turn our attention our next unit of inquiry, 'Where we are in Place and Time,' where we'll be delving into the world of exploration and discovery.

Scott Dickson and Annette Binks

Year 4 Teachers

Performing Arts News

Over the past two weeks the boys and I have been having a fabulous time participating in Performing Arts lessons in our NEW ROOM! It is a wonderful space and we have been enjoying testing it out by learning new warm up and dance routines, making full use of our new SmartBoard and speakers! The boys in Year One have proven that they are natural dancers and have really impressed me with their ability to focus and listen beautifully as we learn a variety of dance sequences and patterns. One dance, The Brilliant Boogie, required them to count in time whilst remembering several steps. As we practiced the rhythm of the dance, they did a fabulous job of sharing the space with their classmates. Once they had mastered the steps, they decided to add some costumes for the big finale!

Phebe Samson

Performing Arts Teacher

Friendly Schools and Families

What is bullying?

Bullying is when one or more of the following things happen AGAIN and AGAIN to someone who finds it hard to stop it from happening again.

Bullying is when a person or a group of people offline or online (mobile phone or Internet):

• Make fun of/tease someone in a mean and hurtful way.

• Tell lies or spread nasty rumours about someone to try to make others not like him/her.

• Leave someone out on purpose or not allow him/her to join in.


• Hit, kick or push someone around.

• Deliberately damage, destroy or steal someone's things.

• Threaten or make someone feel afraid of getting hurt.

It is NOT bullying when:

• Teasing is done in a friendly, playful way.

• Two people who are as strong as each other argue or fight.

Warwick Norman

Friendly Schools and Families Coordinator

French News

Bonjour! The Year 2 classes have been working hard and using technology to enhance their learning experiences during French class. The iPads have allowed the boys to create a document in which they can combine photos with written descriptions of their family. Each boy is able to add vocabulary according to his level of ability. Here is a work sample from Karl Evans in 2T which showcases his family as well as description of himself.

We are now tackling the French alphabet and singing it in a song from beginning to end. We will also keep working on the acquisition of vocabulary skills related to manners in French.

Madame Edwards

French Specialist

Physical Education News

With Winter sport well and truly underway the boys in the JPSSA program have been eagerly competing in their respective sports. It has been pleasing to see the positive and vibrant attitude with which each boy approaches JPSSA. They compete with great enthusiasm and continually aim to give their best.

Our Year 4 boys will compete in their first JPSSA carnival for the term. It is a Hockey carnival which well be held at Hale School.

Just a reminder to parents that our annual Junior School Inter-House Cross Country will be held on 5 June here at the Scotch College Playing Fields. The first event will be scheduled to commence at 10.00am

All boys from Years 1 - 5 will compete and will be practicing for the carnival in their PE lessons.

Jason Caniglia

Head of Junior School Physical Education

Junior School Resource Centre

As always, parents are welcome to attend the Junior School Library on a Thursday morning for book covering between 8.30am and 10am. Not only will you become an expert at covering a variety of books, you will also be able to see the books your boys will be reading hot off the press, and eat cake (compliments of Alison Palmer), drink tea or coffee made to your liking, and have a stimulating conversation with other parents and library staff.

I encourage all parents to still read to your boys to promote positive role modelling and to be able to delve into deeper conceptual understandings about certain texts. Below I have written some suggested picture books that match up with the PYP Learner Profiles:

A Bad Case of Stripes, Amy and Louis, The Frangipani Tree, Ziba Came on a Boat, You and Me, Our Place, My Place, My Dog, Window, The Singing Hat, Luke's Way of Looking, The Plane Spotter, Green Air, The Wombat Who Wanted to Fly, Flood, The Lost Thing, In My Backyard, The Waterhole, How to Lose Friends, The Perfect Pie, The Recess Queen, Willy the Wimp, Manfred the Baddie, I'm the Best, Grandad's Gift, The Water Witcher, and Rainbow Fish.

When sharing these texts I encourage parents to share ideas of the value of the stories and how the messages might be related to every day life.

Warwick Norman

Junior School Teacher Librarian

Excellence Awards

The following awards will be announced at Assembly on Friday 23 May:

Year 2

Willem Campbell

George Di Prinzio

Karl Evans

Austin Hollier

Angus King

Winston Kwan

Noah Lisle

Nathan Liu

Luke Megson

Will Salom

Isaac Smith

Isaak Ventouras

James Winch

Year 3

Levi Lawson

Hugo Poll

Lucas Woolf

Year 4

Benjamin Allen

Henry Capon

Jordan Naidoo

NAPLAN Testing

Across the College NAPLAN was a focus last week. NAPLAN seems to get a range of opinions and press on any given day however it fills a number of valuable functions for us. The data we gather from the testing is measured against School, State and National cohorts and this gives us an invaluable view on how our programmes are being delivered and received. Is our content and teaching where it should be? NAPLAN is a good window to that answer. Analysis of NAPLAN then helps us support boys by focussing attention on where they can get to next. It is important to remember though, that it is one of a range of mechanisms that feed back to us on the progress of our students and the quality of our programmes.

NAPLAN gained additional focus last year when the state government body SCASA - School Curriculum and Standards Authority determined that to achieve WACE qualification students must achieve a Level 3 of the Australian Core Skills Framework. This is an equivalent to a Band 8 on NAPLAN in both Literacy and Numeracy. Students will have at least six opportunities through Year 10 to Year 12 to reach these levels before successfully departing school with a WACE graduation.

The Lost Art of Lego Construction

Do you have an old box of Lego, accumulated over years and via various models, themes and kits that is now becoming less used and increasingly unloved? Is Robotics now the first thought when you mention Lego to your son? Middle School has recently bought two sets of architectural Lego to use in Lego Club on a Wednesday morning. This is a mechanism to entice boys back into the world of hands on 3D construction and the associated collaborative and fine motor skills that go with it.

A group of boys are currently working on building a working replica of the Tower Bridge of London that when finished will stand approximately a metre high. Once completed the Sydney Opera House is their next mission.

There are multiple aspects that are developed in a hands-on activity such as Lego; following and interpreting instruction manuals, working in pairs or construction teams, managing resources so they don't disappear into a vacuum cleaner pipe, and spatial awareness to grow a model amid its' resources, in shared space and over time. Increasingly important though is the fine motor skills developed through the manipulation of a range of pieces and the opportunity to work in three dimensions. When so much of a young boy's entrainment can now be accessed via a flat screen, through a key board strike or the rolling of a mouse, it is little wonder that fine motor control skills such as writing with a pen, using a screw driver or hammer and chisel or tying a knot are becoming more problematic for our students.

Richard Ledger

Head of Middle School

The Modern Treasure Hunt

On Friday 9 May I was lucky enough to join Mrs Berry and two teams of Year 6 students on a trip to Rottnest Island for the annual Nature Play Geo-Challenge. The Geo-Challenge is an action packed race around Rottnest Island where we search for hidden geocaches, learn about the island's rich history and compete for the Geo-Challenge Cup.

For those of you who don't know, Geocaching is a high-tech treasure hunting game that is played throughout the world by adventure seekers equipped with a GPS or Smartphone. Played by all types of people, the basic idea is to use a GPS or Smartphone to locate a hidden container - called a geocache - then share your experience online with the rest of the world! On Friday we used a GPS that lead us all around the island, searching in the most obscure places at times for the capsules!

As well as being a lot of fun, the race challenged our fitness, our inner strategist and our teamwork. All of the boys were certainly up to these challenges and although we didn't come home with the Cup we were certainly competitive and had a wonderful time. I would recommend geocaching to everybody and I really hope that I get to join in the adventure again next year.

Miss Lana Schorer

Teacher 7L

Excellence Awards

Headmaster's Commendations

Important Dates in Middle School Autumn Term

A World of Opportunities

Nobel Laureate Professor Brian Schmidt gave a fascinating and inspiring presentation to all boys in Years 8, 9 and 10 last Friday morning. Professor Schmidt's presentation left the boys pondering the vastness of the universe, the opportunities that lie before them and the importance of their learning journey. Professor Schmidt's final message was that our future is not fixed. The fun and joy in life comes from the journey, being absorbed in the moment and in discovery. The end point, in Prof Schmidt's case winning the Nobel Prize, is not the fun part. This was a message all in attendance took away, not only the boys.

Professor Schmidt has a strong connection with two Old Scotch Collegians who are now leaders in the field of astronomy. When asked if he would be able to fit a presentation at Scotch College into his busy schedule he responded with, "how could I not come?"

Scotch College School Dux 1957, Prof. Ken Freeman is an Australian astronomer and astrophysicist who is currently Duffield Professor of Astronomy in the Research School of Astronomy and Astrophysics at the Mount Stromlo Observatory of the Australian National University. He received the Prime Minister's Prize for Science in 2012.

Scotch College School Dux 1964, Prof. Garth Illingworth is a Professor of Astronomy and Astrophysics at the University of California Observatories, Lick Observatory, Santa Cruz CA.

Professor Schmidt spoke not only of his contribution to the discovery of the accelerating expansion of the Universe, but also of the possibilities that lie ahead for all of us. For our boys, the opportunities in Science and Technology in our home state of WA are world class. For example, just 10 minutes up Stirling Highway in Nedlands boys in the Enrichment programme have recently visited the International Centre for Radio Astronomy Research where astronomers and engineers are about to take the greatest step yet in astronomy through the Square Kilometre Array project. Supercomputers are being built in Perth to process that vast amount of data being gathered and some of the greatest minds are moving to Perth to work on this and a number of other leading international projects.

Our boys are in the perfect place at the perfect time. They are on the threshold of the greatest period of scientific discovery and much of this work is happening on our doorstep in Perth. Prof. Schmidt's presentation served to raise awareness, inspire boys to be inquisitive and encourage the study of Science and Technology.

Professor Schmidt's visit to Scotch is part of a guest speaker programme that this year has already seen Prof. Barry Marshall (Nobel Prize in Medicine, 2005) and Corporal Mark Donaldson VC share their inspiring stories.

Rob McEwan

Boys' Achievements

Duke of Edinburgh Bronze Awards to:

Angus Grant (Year 10, Brisbane)

Graeme Stewart (Year 11, Shearer)

Joshua Bennie (Year 11, Brisbane)

Laine Mulvay (Year 8, St Andrews) achieved first place in the State Gymnastics Championships in Level 7 Open.

Alexander Allcock (Year 10, Cameron) has been selected in the 17s State Volleyball Team and will be competing in Canberra in July.

House Head and Student Review Meetings

A reminder that the upcoming House Head report meetings will take place in the BRC between parents, House Head and students.

Year 12 - Wednesday 4 June (Week 6)

Year 11 - Wednesday 11 June (Week 7)

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

Year 10 Important Dates

Wednesday 21 May (Week 4) WACE Information Evening (DC) - 6.30pm

Monday 26 May (Week 5) Student Review Meetings (DC)

Thursday 29 May (Week 5) Subject Selection Information Evening (DC) - 6.30pm

Stress and Anxiety Management for Students in Years 10-12

A four week Stress and Anxiety Management course is being offered to senior students beginning in June. Flavia Bises, from Integral Psychology Services, will teach simple techniques to relax quickly, make the mind calm, clear and focused. The course emphasises the value of relaxing a little, many times a day to maintain a sense of inner balance and mental control. The course is after school on Wednesdays, 11, 18 and 25 June and 2 July. Numbers are strictly limited and the cost is $40. To register, please contact Ms Cherie FitzGibbon at the Residence Tel: (08) 9383 6871, Email: fitzca@scotch.wa.edu.au.

La Réunion Student Exchange

The WA/La Réunion Student Exchange (inc), established in the early 1980s, is an annual reciprocal hosting programme for students of French in Western Australian schools and students of English in La Réunion. It involves a four-week stay in Australia, in late December/January, for La Réunion students. Australian students spend an equivalent amount of time in La Réunion in June/July. In both cases, students are billeted with a family.

Applications are now open for students wishing to travel in July 2015 and host either the summer before or after travel. Interested students are asked to submit an expression of interest via the website: www.walrse.org. They will then be contacted by the Data Secretary who will provide a full application form. Full applications are due by the end of Term 2 for consideration in first round offers.

Please contact Mr Rugg also to express your interest.

Mr J Rugg, Curriculum Leader Modern Languages

Easter Tour Reports

Easter China Tour 2014

By Kerry Miller (Year 9, Ross)

The Confucius Institute WA Schools China Tour was a good experience that I would recommend to anyone. It was a 10-day visit that consisted of students from all over the Perth area and from several different schools, public and private. It was a good learning experience and an excellent way to learn how another country operates and copes with modern day life.

We spent most of our time around Hangzhou where we were based at Zhejiang University international campus, the 'third best' university in China. Most days consisted of breakfast at 7:45, which was just like our lunch and dinner, then a three-hour language course, generally followed by lunch and an afternoon excursion before dinner, although sometimes we went on all-day tours. Our meals consisted of local Chinese cuisine but with nothing too spicy or obscure; each time there was a different dish or two.

The main highlights of the tour were the Song Dynasty town on the outskirts of Hangzhou where we watched a renowned drama performance. Whuzen town was a little shopping district where we bought and bargained from little stalls that sold their own products. Last but not least was Shanghai, which was about a three-hour drive northeast from our campus. In Shanghai we went to a cultural museum that showcased jade carvings, traditional stamps and various ancient Chinese artefacts. We also went shopping again on Nanjing Road, which is a popular and crowded shopping road in Shanghai.

Some of the main things we learnt over there, other than the language, were: To always bargain from stalls; don't underestimate how pushy some of the old people can be; and be prepared to have lots of fun, do a lot of shopping, make new friends and have a few late nights.

Congratulations to Kerry Miller (Year 9, Ross), Bryce Holland (Year10, Keys) and Clive Wang (Year 10, Ross) for volunteering for this bold new experience offered for the first time in 2014.

Mr J Rugg, Curriculum Leader Modern Languages

South Africa Hockey Tour 2014

Over the Easter break 18 senior boys and 18 girls from PLC went on the 6^th hockey tour to South Africa. The tour was led by Mr Peter Freitag with coaches Jack Martin and Elliot Raiter, both OSCs, Mrs Marilynn Freitag and Mr Andrew Tibbitt. PLC were represented by Ms Kobie McGurk, a two times Olympian, and Mr Matt Donaldson. We "shared" our medical expert, Dr Geoff Reynolds, who had a daughter on the tour and a Year 9 Scotch son.

The tour was a great success, from all aspects. It is first and foremost a hockey tour and we played 10 games in 13 days, winning 5, drawing 1 and losing 4. All the games were close and gave us great preparation for the PSA season. We saw some great sights too, including Cape Town and Table Mountain, the Cape Of Good Hope, Pilanesberg Game Park, Robben Island, Langa Township, the Apartheid Museum and more. And socially it was terrific with so many good friendships being made and boys and girls working and playing together in a safe and positive way.

We all came back exhausted but I am already thinking…. "Can I do another tour in 2016?" The answer - "I hope so"! I encourage Scotch hockey boys in Year 9 and 10 to start saving their pennies for the ride of a lifetime.

Mr P Freitag

Keys House Cook at Ronald McDonald House

At 4.30pm on Thursday, 8 May, "and the time starts now", it felt like we were in a My Kitchen Rules programme. We had two hours to prepare a meal for 45 people and we were going to have to work fast to get it done. Mrs Bunney, Mrs Freitag and 5 Year 11 boys, Austin Gear, Coen Lewis, Harrison Gardiner, Sam Martin and Florent Mortier had volunteered to cook at Ronald McDonald House, we were nervous. We had decided on a pretty healthy menu:

Stirfry vegetables and chicken in soy sauce

Fried rice

Garlic bread

Green salad with tomatoes, cucumber, capsicum and carrot

Apple pie and ice cream

We used every moment we had, to slice, chop, stir and dish up the food. We started serving and were asked for 5 late dinners, it sounded just like the boarding house, only WE were doing the cooking. We put some bright coloured serviettes in glasses and offered some Cadburys treats at the end of the meal. Once everyone had been served the workers joined the dining room for a well earned meal ourselves and some chat over dinner. Then there was the washing up! Thanks goodness for dishwashers, but there still seemed endless pots and pans. Four hours after we started the kitchen was clean and tidy and we were exhausted. We were shown round McDonald House, and told about who lived there, and how parents and children can stay as long as they need to, whilst the children were in and around hospital needing care. It was a fantastic opportunity for our boys to give of their time and prepare some really good food for others in need. The cost of the food was provided by money made at a recent Boarders Fun night. This social activity was attended by over 250 Year 7 and 8 boarders from other schools in Perth. Will we go again? Yes, we have booked in another evening later in the term. It will certainly be easier the second time around. Thanks to Mrs Bunney for managing to get us a booking (it is really hard to get into) and doing all the shopping. Thanks to Catering for their apple pie it was delicious. Thanks to the boys involved, I enjoyed the energy, the chat and the hard work that you all put in. Well done.

Mrs M Freitag, Head of Boarding

Careers Information

Year 10 Subject Selection for students commencing Year 11 in October, 2014

All Year 10 parents have been mailed the Senior School WACE Course Selection Handbook and IB Diploma Subject Selection Handbook. Included in this package is a letter explaining the subject selection process and the results of recent Allwell testing completed by all Year 10 students. If you have not received this package or you have any concerns about any of the content, please contact Mr Peter Frusher (Subject Selection) or Ms Jan Skidmore (Allwell Testing).

Scotch College Combined Schools Careers Expo

This annual event will be happening again on Wednesday 18 June from 5.00pm - 7.30pm in the Dickinson Centre at Scotch College. Year 10, 11 and 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. Year 10s in particular can still make changes to their subject selection for next year if they discover a particular university course that has specific prerequisites. More than 50 exhibitors will be attending so come along and get informed.

Year 12 Information

• WACE Examinations for Private Candidates

Any Year 11 or Year 12 student who is planning to sit a WACE examination this year as a Private Candidate needs to see Mr Frusher so that he can be enrolled with the Schools Curriculum & Standards Authority. 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 2014, Year 12 students will have the opportunity to have breakfast with Old Scotch Collegians who have studied and/or worked in areas that may be of interest to them in further studies and/or careers. A registration form was distributed to all students in Week 1, inviting them to select one or more breakfasts to attend. Please ask boys to complete the form in detail so that appropriate mentors can be selected for the area of their interest. These forms are now due but late applications will be accepted until Wednesday 28 May 2014. Please return to Mr Frusher.

• UMAT Registration

The final date for students to register to sit the UMAT for Medicine or Dentistry entry in 2014 is Friday 6 June 2014. Any queries in regard to the UMAT may be directed to Mr Frusher at Scotch or email umat@acer.edu.au. The UMAT test date is Wednesday 30 July 2014.

• GAP Year 2015

Lattitude Global Volunteering

Students who are interested in taking a GAP Year in 2015 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 2015 close on Friday 20 June 2014 with interviews being conducted in Perth during July.

Lattitude will be holding an information evening in Perth on 27 May 2014 at 7pm at the Shenton Park Community Centre to distribute more information about volunteering with Lattitude in 2015. Students are encouraged to register to attend at www.lattitude.org.au

• Student Exchange 2015

Free Information Evening in Perth

Hear from returned students, find out more about discounts and scholarships available and ask questions.

Wednesday, 28 May - 7.30pm

The Kings Perth Hotel, 517-525 Hay Street, PERTH

Visit www.studentexchange.org.au or call 1300 135 331 for more information.

University Information

• Meet Melbourne in Perth

Melbourne University will be holding an information evening in Perth at the Hyatt Regency on Thursday 19 June, 2014 from 6.30pm -8.00pm. This is a very useful information session if your son is considering studying at Melbourne University in 2015.

• University Of Sydney

MEET SYDNEY INFORMATION EVENING

At the University of Sydney, you will enjoy an academic and social environment unlike anything you have experienced before. Speak to University representatives and explore your options. Find out about our wide range of courses, how to apply, scholarships, accommodation and support services, life on this unique and exciting campus.sydney.edu.au.

VENUE: Hyatt Regency Perth, 99 Adelaide Terrace, Perth

REGISTRATION: www.sydney.edu.au/events/perth

• Curtin University

Interested in Computing?

Year 11 and 12 students can kick their Computing degree at Curtin University, fee-free and taught after school hours, this course is ideal for students interested in computer science, software engineering or information technology. Students will receive full credit if they decide to study any of the above courses at Curtin. For more details, visit www.cs.curtin.edu.au/feefree.

Interested in Engineering?

Register for a tour and an overview of Curtin's engineering programme, with information on the engineering foundation year, engineering majors, scholarship opportunities and more. Find out more and register at www.engineering.curtin.edu.au/tours.cfm.

Interested in Occupational Therapy?

Register for an information evening at Curtin to find out more about Occupational Therapy on Thursday 5 June, 2014 from 6-8pm ion the foyer of building 108, Bentley campus.

Year 10 Parent Information Evening from 5.30-7.00pm on Tuesday 10 June, 2014 Curtin University, Bentley.

Year 12 Parent Information Evening from 5.30-7.00pm on Tuesday 11 June, 2014 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.

• Notre Dame University

A Course Information Evening will be held on Wednesday 4 June, 2014 at 5.30pm Expo/6.00pm presentation. To be held at the university in the Drill Hall (ND 25) located on Mouat Street, Fremantle. RSVP: www.nd.edu.au/junecie.

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

• Edith Cowan University

Choosing subjects for Year 11 and 12

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

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

• Murdoch University

Open Night is Wednesday 21 May 2014, 6:30 pm - 8:30 pm

In 2014 Murdoch University has introduced its first year of our new degree structures. The new degrees have been designed with a stronger emphasis on skill development and to give graduates greater clarity on pathways into research, further study or employment. Alongside the new degrees Murdoch has realigned our admission requirements and provided better definition for alternative entry pathways. To find out more about our new degrees, discover our courses in depth, talk to our academic staff and have all your questions answered, we invite you to come to Open Nights scheduled for 2014.

You can register for "Open Nights at Murdoch" via: http://www.experience.murdoch.edu.au/

Careers

The Australian College of Nursing Careers and Health Expo

This is a great opportunity to speak to real nurses and midwives about careers, talk to all of the education providers about courses on offer and participate in some hands-on nursing and midwifery related activities using simulation models and hospital equipment. For more information on careers in nursing and health go to www.nursing.health.wa.gov.au

Perth Convention & Exhibition Centre

Friday 23 May, 2014 (9am-1pm)

Mr Frusher

Careers Advisor

Mothers' Auxiliary

We are still hoping to appoint a Vice President for the Mothers' Auxiliary. No one has come forward and we are wondering what will happen next year without a President. Please contact clairstanley@iinet.net.au if you are able to help or can suggest someone you think would be ideal in the role.

The Junior School Mothers' enjoyed a lovely afternoon tea on 9 May at MacKellar Hall. Many thanks to all the Year 5 boys who helped serve afternoon tea, a splendid job, well done. Many thanks to Jodee Woodward and Jan Friday, our Junior School Reps for putting the afternoon together.

We had a special guest, Mr Gregg Wild Scotch Catering Manger attend our Mothers' Auxiliary meeting last Monday, where he discussed the following issues;

· The newly named Middle School canteen ' Piping Hot Café' is not able to operate as a Café for morning tea, the Mothers' Auxiliary hope this may change and open at some time in the near future. The opening of this to the parents will allow an easy solution to coffee mornings within the School grounds instead of finding a Café offsite.

· The Scotch community will not be able to borrow catering items when having a function away from the School grounds. Catering has lost equipment, crockery/cutlery etc. therefore if you are having a function off site you will have to make alternative arrangements.

· We also had the chance to discuss with Gregg planning and running of events, we thank him for his valuable advice in this area.

The Year 11 Dance is on this Saturday night and ticket sales will be closing on Wednesday 21 May. Get your tickets now through the Scotch College website www.scotch.wa.edu.au and click on the 'Book a Scotch Event' icon.

We wish all the boys an enjoyable evening and many thanks to all the parents involved with organising what will be a fabulous evening.

Year 12 Coffee Morning : Friday 23 May at Bookcafé. Please rsvp to jamgmu@bigpond.net.au

Please save the date:

June 21 and 22 : Year 11 and 12 Fathers' Sleepover at Moray. Any Fathers' out there able to be involved with organising this event, please contact clairstanley@iinet.net.au

August 2 and 3 : Year 10 Mothers' Sleepover at Moray.

Our next Mothers' Auxiliary meeting is Monday 9 June in the Gooch Pavilion, commencing at 9am.

Clair Stanley

President

Mothers' Auxiliary

Parents Association

The Year 12 Parent Function scheduled for Wednesday 21 May, has been cancelled due to insufficient numbers. Parents who have purchased tickets will be contacted shortly with regard to refunds. Apologies for any inconvenience this has caused.

Year 11 Cocktail Function- Friday 6 June 2014.
A Cocktail function for parents will be held at the Blue Duck restaurant, Cottesloe. We look forward to welcoming as many parents of Year 11 boys as possible - we used the same venue for last year's cohort and by all accounts it was a great evening. Please save this date in your diary and keep an eye out for the formal invitation which will be sent out very shortly.

The organisers are David Sones and Gordon Stewart, Scotch PA Year 11 Representatives.

Year 9 Cocktail Function - Friday 13 June 2014

A Cocktail function for parents will be held at the Cottesloe Golf Club, Alfred Road, Swanbourne from 7.00pm -10pm. We hope that many parents of Year 9 boys can attend as this promises to be a lovely evening in a superb venue. To book your ticket, please go to the Scotch College website www.scotch.wa.edu.au and click on the 'Book a Scotch Event' icon.

The organisers are Brian O'Donnell and Susan Kennerly, Year 9 PA Representatives.

End of Term 2 Celebration Cocktail Function - save the date - Thursday 3 July 2014

Preparations are under way for all Scotch parents (Junior, Middle and Senior School) to attend a Cocktail function at Royal Freshwater Bay Yacht Club from 6.30pm-9.00pm. It is a good opportunity for everyone to relax and catch up before the last day of Term 2 and it is hoped that as many boarding parents as possible can attend. The heads of all Junior, Middle and Senior School will be invited, as well as Head of Boarding. There will be cocktail food and a cash bar. The organiser is Gary Pyne, Scotch PA Year 11 and Year 6 Representative.

Michelle Barrow

President

Scotch Parents' Association

PLC Old Collegians' Association Art Exhibition

The PLC Old Collegians' Association is gearing up for its annual art exhibition featuring original works for sale from artists within the PLC Community. Fifty artists are exhibiting approximately 200 artworks ranging from photography to jewellery, sculpture and paintings of every genre from Friday 16 to Sunday 18 May. See poster attached and details below.

Opening Night: Friday 16 May, 6.00 pm - 9.00 pm (tickets available on TryBooking http://www.trybooking.com/Booking/BookingEventSummary.aspx?eid=79358)

Exhibition: Saturday 17 and Sunday 18 May, 10.00 am - 4.00 pm

Where: Lower Gallery, PLC Middle School Arts and Science building

This year's exhibition will feature two acclaimed artists in residence: Ray Eastwood and Aurelie Yeo. Ray will be in residence on Saturday 17 May from 11.00 am to 2.00 pm demonstrating landscapes and still life. Aurelie will be doing commission portraiture in pastels from 10.00 am Sunday.

Bernard Kerr Exhibition

Our very own Bernard Kerr has been working hard to prepare a body of work for an upcoming solo exhibition. Attached is a flyer with details. Mr Kerr would be delighted to see you at his exhibition. The exhibition runs from Saturday, 24 May to Sunday, 29 June.

Perth Youth Theatre

Harry Broun (Year 10, Alexander) has written a play for Perth Youth Theatre to be performed during the July holiday programme. Boys interested in participating in the Perth Youth Theatre holiday programme or attending the performance of Harry's play may get details from the Perth Youth Theatre website.