Welcome back to the Autumn Term. While this will be one of our longer terms in 2015, the reward for application and hard work will be our inaugural three week break in July. When I first consulted the community about this strategy I made it very clear that the break is geared at giving boys and our staff a wellbeing break in the middle of the year. In particular, it will allow our Year 12s to balance their heavy workload with a more significant break in order to recharge and prepare for the run home. As Headmaster I hold the same expectations of all breaks and for families to avoid the temptation of utilising breaks for extended holidays either before or after the allocated break period.

Last Friday we held what I believe will be regarded as one of the most significant College services at Scotch throughout our history. The opportunity to bring 1555 boys together from our three sub schools, along with staff, parents, OSCs, our sister school PLC and the wider community was one to be cherished. There were well over two thousand people in attendance.

The combined ANZAC service with PLC has resulted in a significant amount of positive feedback. So much so that our service was given special mention by the Governor in her ANZAC day address. High praise indeed. In the next edition of Clan I will be writing about some of the key elements that I believe differentiate us as a College on the Australian and global stage. One of these differentiators to which I refer is Ceremony and the ability to deliver when it really matters.

Friday's service was one such example. The combination of our Scottish heritage via the Pipe and Drums and our attention to reverence and detail, ensured that those in attendance would forever remember what they had witnessed. The sense of occasion was given even more gravitas considering the role our OSCs played in the various military conflicts throughout history.

I would sincerely like to thank all of the staff and students who were involved in the planning and delivery of the service. It was an incredible day and one of which I was extremely proud as Headmaster and one I will remember for the rest of my years to come.

This term will deliver many academic and other challenges for all of our boys. As we commence another term it is important for all of our boys to settle back into their routines no matter whether they are in Year 1 or Year 12. The same crucial elements apply for all of our boys; these are suitable rest, a proper diet and a balanced programme of physical activity. We know that if you get these three things right it will enhance the boys' wellbeing and performance at school, not to mention a decrease in home based grumpiness.

For those of you with sons who are in Senior School and who may from time to time try and challenge the boundaries of independence, remember that you are the parent and that you have every right to question what your son is doing at all times and set appropriate boundaries. The key is to keep engaged in conversations with your son whether over dinner, at sport or simply relaxing. Open communication and trust are essential. The partnership between the College and parents is crucial and between us we must try and deliver clear and consistent expectations for all of our boys.

This week all of our teams will be involved in either JPSSA or PSA. It is the time when I remind everyone of my expectations of the boys and their coaches as to how I want Scotch to approach all sport, that is, to train hard, compete to the best of ones ability and to show sportsmanship of the highest order. Remember that we will be judged just as much by how we play as where we finish in terms of the respective score. I wish the players and their coaches the best of luck for the Winter fixtures.

Have a great fortnight, one that has commenced with the rightful balance of purple power!

Dr Alec J O'Connell

Headmaster

International Engagement with the International Baccalaureate

Each year as a member school of the International Baccalaureate a delegation from the College attends the IB Asia Pacific Conference to connect with educators within our region to ensure we remain at the forefront of international education. This year the conference was held in Macau, China.

The conference theme for 2015 was 'Educating for Life', with a strong message to educators to encourage students to be content with no absolute answers and to continually question what they learn.

The conference began with a reference to the German educator, Kurt Hahn, 'I regard it as the foremost task of education to ensure the survival of these qualities: an enterprising curiosity, an undefeatable spirit, tenacity in pursuit, readiness for sensible self-denial, and above all, compassion'. These words reminded the Scotch College delegation of the philosophy that comes with being an IB World School.

The keynote address was from Australia's 27^th Prime Minister, Julia Gillard, who spoke of her role as the Chair of the Global Partnership for Education, an international organisation focused on providing all children across the globe with quality education. Additionally, Ms Gillard discussed the changing nature of education and the increasing need for our students to operate with a global mindset, one that the IB is able to develop through the IB learner profile.

The conference provided the opportunity for staff to engage with schools from across the region and learn of the different ways schools are engaging in the IB philosophy and how they are delivering education to meet the needs of their learners.

When asking ourselves, what does it mean to be an IB school, the answer lies within the power of providing an internationally-minded education. An education that speaks volumes, not just across the Asia Pacific region, but the entire world as the profile of the organisation continues to go from strength to strength.

Mr Peter Allen

Director of Teaching and Learning

Community and Service

Dr Jonathon Welch

A visit to the College by Dr Jonathon Welch of 'Choir of Hard Knocks' fame late last term, provided inspiration to the groups of boys with the good fortune to be scheduled to one of his presentations. The message he brought to the IB Diploma students was one of the importance of pursuing a passion in life and building on the opportunities this brings to engage others in building community. He spoke from the heart and drew from his own very personal experiences with mental illness to illustrate the need for compassion, empathy and structure when dealing with homelessness. More than anything else, he presented to the boys an example of what it means to take action to improve the lives of others. He clearly epitomises the spirit of CAS - the Creativity, Action and Service component that is at the heart of the IB Diploma programme.

Walk Free

The 'Walk Free' organisation, based in the old Sunset Hospital site in Dalkeith is rapidly becoming a world leader in the drive to eliminate slavery in the world. Recently, two Scotch student leaders and two members of staff met with activists from Walk Free to discuss their involvement in the Human Right Arts and Film Festival (HRAFF) @ Scotch, to be held on Sunday 28 June. This issue is very much a current one and there it is important that we are informed about how we can assist in the cause. Walk Free is now working with large corporations within Australia to review supply lines in order to eliminate the possibility of slavery in the production of goods sold commercially in this country. For our student leaders, the meeting provided an opportunity to meet with highly trained professionals using their skills in non-traditional ways. It is hoped that the partnership with Scotch and the HRAFF will provide more opportunities for service learning across the College.

Young Round Square Conference

During the second week of the break, five Year 8 boys joined many other students from around our Australasian and East Asia region at the Westminster School in Adelaide for the 2015 Young Round Square Conference. This was a great opportunity for our boys to engage in activities highlighting the Round Square IDEALS. The theme of the conference this year was 'Tell Me Your Story' and the keynote speaker was Maurie Japarta Ryan, chair of the Central Lands Council of the Northern Territory. Special guests attending included a delegation of students and staff from Kalkaringi School of the Gurindji people. The conference was a learning opportunity where delegates moved from listening to and understanding other people's stories, into workshops helping the individuals present to tell their own stories. This was the first such conference attended by Scotch boys and no doubt will be a forerunner for many more in the future.

Round Square World Conference

Year 11 boys are invited to apply to attend the 2015 Round Square International Conference. This will be hosted by the United World College of South East Asia in Singapore in October. As a Regional Member of Round Square we can bring four Scotch boys to join over 1000 delegates who are expected to attend from Round Square schools around the world. The theme of the conference is 'Act Today, Change Tomorrow'. Boys who are interested should see Mr Cordner for more information. This is a wonderful opportunity for boys to engage with student leaders from Round Square schools on all continents. Scotch will be hosting a Junior Round Square Conference (Year 8) in April 2016 and this will be run by current Year 11 boys. Attending the conference in Singapore will be of great benefit. A video about the conference can be found here. https://www.uwcsea.edu.sg/centre/rsic2015#Overview

Mr Bill Cordner

Director of Community and Service

Canteen Volunteers

'The Piping Hot Café - Junior School and Middle School

'The Hub' - Senior School

The Junior School, Middle School and Senior School canteens are looking for parent volunteers!

The volunteer hours are 9.30am until 1pm.

You will experience a friendly team atmosphere and assist our talented Chefs to create innovative cuisine from daily fresh produce.

This is a great opportunity to meet other parents and enjoy a sit down morning tea with a freshly baked muffin, brewed coffee or gourmet tea.

We would appreciate anytime that you may have available throughout the semester. If you would like to volunteer please contact Christine Smith at the Senior School Reception on 9383 6800 for further details.

We thank you and look forward to your assistance.

Music Department

During the last week of Summer Term and the holidays, music students and their ensemble directors continued to rehearse, perform and work with guest musicians. Boys from almost every year level worked with renowned musician and TV personality Jonathan Welch in the Dickinson Centre as part of a massed choir, and building on this great sound the Middle School vocalists, the Scotch Youth Voices, performed with guest Andrew Winton in Perth City on the Wetlands Stage as part of the opening of Youth Week and then again at the Fairbridge Folk Festival.

Another fantastic opportunity for music boys was the first installment of the Perth Symphony Orchestra Education Programme (PSO-Ed). This programme enables PSO professional musicians to participate in normal ensemble rehearsals, play alongside the boys and guide them by example and through the direct giving of advice. Almost every ensemble and year level was part of the initial programme and the boys are looking forward to the next time the PSO musicians visit later this term. My thanks to the Parents Association for their support of this initiative.

This term provides multiple opportunities for boys to demonstrate their performance abilities with a variety of events planned. Please make a note of these upcoming dates for your dairy:

Upcoming Dates

Week 2, Tuesday 28 April, FOSM meeting, 7.00pm Senior Music Department

Week 6, Tuesday 26 May, Vocal Showcase, 6.30pm Dickinson Centre

Week 6, Thursday 28 May - Monday 1 June, "Big Band Bash" Port Macquarie

Week 7, Friday 5 June, Music Department Quiz Night, 6.00pm (Venue to be confirmed)

Week 8, Monday 8 June, FOSM meeting, 7.00pm Senior Music Department

Week 9, Thursday 18 June, Junior and Middle School Autumn Concert, 6.30pm Dickinson Centre

Week 9, Friday 19 June, Music Department Jazz Night, 7.30pm Dickinson Centre

Music Scholarships are available for those boys entering Year 7 next year. Students wishing to apply for a Music Scholarship for Year 7 2016 are required to register to the Head of Music via Music Administration. Applicants will not be considered unless they have participated in the Music Audition process to be held on Saturday, 9 May 2015. Students wishing to apply for a Music Scholarship are not required to sit the Academic testing. Enquires for Music Scholarships can be emailed to music@scotch.wa.edu.au.

Supporting the musical activities is Friends of Scotch Music (FOSM) a group of parents who enthusiastically support the work of boys and staff in the Music Department. 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.

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.

Mr David Coughlan

Head of Music

Uniform Shop

Opening Hours

The Uniform Shop will be closed for the Boarders' Long Weekend and Public Holiday (Friday, 29 May)

Japara Sale at Uniform Shop

The Uniform Shop has japaras (Scotch's own version of Driza-Bone) for sale at $40 (GST incl). They are suitable for Scotch supporters braving the elements, as well as for boys on outdoor education camps.

Wear Scotch with pride!

Buying Uniform Online

Uniform can be purchased online at the Flexischools website. All orders processed online can be picked up from the Uniform Shop on the following Tuesday afternoon, or can be posted to you. If you are already using Flexischools for canteen orders, you will notice that uniforms are also available for purchase. If you need details on setting up Flexischools access, please email the uniform shop for further information: uniform@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.

Parenting Ideas

To further support the Scotch community, the College continues to subscribe to Parentingideas, a leading provider of parenting education resources to Australian schools. Scotch parents can access parenting advice on a wide range of topics and themes such as;

Life skills for children

Kids, school and learning

Social challenges and

Children and behaviour.

follow the link to access the Parenting Ideas Magazine.

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

Also have a look at the attached article - It's not okay to be away….nor to be late to school.

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 8-week courses commence on Tuesday 28 April until Tuesday 23 June 2015 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 staff.

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

For more information about any of the courses please contact Kate Reitzenstein on kreitzenstein@ais.wa.edu.au or Wilfred Liauw on 9383 6854 ext. 854 or wliauw@scotch.wa.edu.au.

Claremont Oval Development

As you are all probably aware there is considerable activity around the development at the old Claremont Oval. As a community service the Town of Claremont is providing updates to the School which we will in turn pass along through the newsletter. Hopefully this will allow the community to be aware when changes to traffic flow occur or when to avoid potential congestion around the development.

Is It Better To Be Smart Or To Work Hard?

What do we want for our children, intelligence or diligence? I am guessing a bit of both would be good.

Carol Dweck is a Professor of Psychology at Stanford University. For the past few decades she has been studying mindset and its impact in success. She studied 400 fifth grade students in the United States. She gave them a simple IQ tests. The first group was praised for their intelligence - for being smart. The second group was praised for their effort - for working hard. While the difference in the type of praise given was minor, the impact it had was dramatic.

After setting the two groups and giving praise for either effort or intelligence, she set the next task. Providing options, the children could either attempt a harder test that would be a great opportunity to learn and grow or to attempt an easier version they were sure to do well on. Out of the group who were praised for the intelligence, 67% chose the easier option. 92% of the children praised for effort chose the harder test.

The children who are being praised for their intelligence hear that they are valued for their intelligence and are less willing to do anything that may change this. They have a set mindset and play it safe and limit the growth of their talents and abilities. The children who are praised for effort see that trying hard and embracing the process of growth is what is valued. They feel that if they make a mistake we won't think they are not talented. They feel that if they do not take on hard things they are not going to grow.

Next, Dr Dweck gave all the children a very difficult test that they would fail at to see how they would address the challenge. The group who were praised for effort worked hard, longer and enjoyed the task. The group praised for their intelligence became frustrated and gave up early.

The final test given was of the same difficulty as the first round. The group praised for their intelligence did worse on the test that the first time with their average score dropping by 20%. The group praised for their effort saw their average score increase by 30%. A simple change in the way these children were praised resulted in a 50% difference in achievement.

Praise is important in encouraging children to do better. We need to be aware of the impact on what we say to children can have on their effort and attitude. A focus on the process and the effort put forth has a dramatic impact on the achievement of children.

In the IB, being a risk taker is a key attribute. The willingness to try, to fail and to try again has been, and is, key to sound learning and the consolidation of skills. The willingness to be a risk taker always leads to breakthroughs and improvements. Being afraid of mistakes and trying something new can result in a person never reaching their potential.

Kevin Durant of the Oklahoma Thunder in the NBA said "Hard work beats talent when talent fails to work hard". I want our boys to try and try again. I want them to fail, to be faced with challenges that make them have to regroup and navigate through. I want us to see great value in the process and the effort they give. Then we will see them reach their potential whatever that may be.

"Mindset: The New Psychology of Success , Dr Carol Dweck (2008)"

http://www.mindsetworks.com/webnav/whatismindset.aspx

Mr John Stewart

Head of Junior School

Important Dates to Remember

The Transdisciplinary Nature of the Programme

The PYP acknowledges the importance of subject areas;Language, Mathematics, Social Studies, Science, The Arts (Visual Art, Music, Dance, Drama), Physical Education and personal, social education. However, the PYP also recognises that educating students in a set of isolated subject areas, while necessary, is not sufficient. Of equal importance is the need to acquire skills in context, and to explore content that is relevant to students and transcends the boundaries of the traditional subjects.

"To be truly educated, a student must also make connections across the disciplines, discover ways to integrate the separate subjects, and ultimately relate what they learn to life" (Boyer 1995: 82).

The programme defines transdisciplinary themes that identify areas of shared human experience and have meaning for individuals from different cultures and ethnicities. These themes are part of the common ground that unifies the learning in all IB World Schools offering the PYP. They provide the opportunity to incorporate both local and global issues in the knowledge component of the PYP written curriculum-what we want students to know about.

There are six transdisciplinary themes:

Who we are

Where we are in place and time

How we express ourselves

How the world works

How we organize ourselves

Sharing the planet

Mr Warwick Norman

Junior School Dean of Teaching & Learning

Creativity and Respect

Being International Baccalaureate students, boys endeavour to engage meaningfully with all activities and develop certain attitudes through a combination of core, transdisciplinary and enrichment learning - Attitudes such as CREATIVITY and RESPECT.

Boys being CREATIVE…

A group of mixed age students have opted to come into the JS Art Studio on Tuesday's afterschool with their sketchbooks and ideas. They can have the resources around them to creatively develop their own ideas into submissions for the prestigious annual competition, " The Shaun Tan Young Artists' Award". The artwork must be solely the work of the student, so my job is to support and share ideas but not to direct. Watching these boys engage and be so focused and motivated in expressing their own ideas and interpretations has been a real privilege.

Boys showing RESPECT…

To help mark the special centenary of ANZAC, Year 3 students helped to make 100 red poppies. An installation was created near the base of the flagpole and during Thursday lunchtime, boys sat on the beautiful green grass, listened to the words of the song " The Red Poppy" and reflected. It was to remind us of the symbol of hope and life, in a historical and melancholy moment. Boys were very respectful and the visual symbols and music were powerful in simply getting the message across. The book and CD " The Red Poppy" has been donated to the Scotch Library.

Ms Karen Sabitay

PYP Visual Arts

Performing Arts News

The boys in Year 3 have been having lots of fun playing around with different rhythms, sounds, instruments and movements. One of their favourite activities from recent lessons has been performing the Oonka Chukka Chant, followed by the Oonka Chukka Haka. In groups of three, the boys had to perform individual rhythm patterns on melodic and un-tuned percussion instruments whilst singing at the same time, as well as remembering the arrangement of the piece. As you can probably imagine it was quite a challenge but through using their excellent time management and group work skills the results were outstanding. We've also been experimenting with rhythms performed as part of a round and have created Barnyard Chants. If your son has been mooing, quacking or buk-bukking at home you will know why!

Ms Phebe Samson

Performing Arts Teacher

Friendly Schools and Families

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

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


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


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

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

Mr Warwick Norman

Friendly Schools and Families Coordinator

Information Learning Technology

Skoolbo

Our Year 1 to 3 boys are making some amazing progress using the Skoolbo programme on their iPads. Although Skoolbo "may look and feel like a game to the boys, every component has the underlying rationale of maximizing student improvements."

The Skoolbo app pre-tests the boy in both literacy and numeracy and continues to reassess after each game. There is a blend of new content, not yet mastered content and revision content provided to each child. This inbuilt differentiation is a significant factor in including Skoolbo in the suite of apps on the boys' iPads.

Tips for Maximum Benefit

• Recommended usage for Skoolbo is a few times per week for around 20 mins each time. The boys will want to play longer so remember to utilise the timer on the iPads!
• Don't let other children (or adults) play on your child's account. Skoolbo uses a smart algorithm that determines the most appropriate learning activities specifically for your child based on his or her recent performance. Other users could affect the level of activity presented to your child.
• Refer to the Parent Guide available at the Downloads tab on the web site for additional tips and instructions. www.skoolbo.com.au/downloads

Parents with any questions or queries about Skoolbo or any other apps used on the school iPads should feel free to contact me.

Mrs Amanda Ritchie

ILT Coach

French News

Bonjour! The year 2 classes have worked hard and used technology to enhance their learning experience 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 Soichiro Ogawa in 2F that showcases his family as well as a description of himself. We are now tackling singing, dancing and learning colours through the song "Léon le Caméléon".

Madame Edwards

French Specialist

Physical Education News

Autumn term sees a change in tack in our PE programme as we focus on skills and game play associated with winter sports. Soccer and AFL will be the focal point of our lessons as the boys cement their skills in these two sports. The transference of these skills to match play and the attitude of boys when participating in games will be a key focus of the term. Our Year 4 boys have a busy term as they will participate in a soccer carnival on 7 May and a hockey carnival on 21 May. We will be concentrating on these sports in PE in the run up to these events to ensure our boys are confident when participating against other schools.

Mr Scott Whiston

Head of Junior School Physical Education

Junior School Resource Centre

Hello from the Library. I hope you have enjoyed the break, rested and played, read lots of books and enjoyed quality time with your children. We are welcoming a new member to our illustrious staff this term. Kathryn Salt will be joining us as the Junior School Teacher Librarian. Kathryn is an experienced, energized and highly talented teacher librarian who has walked down the hill from the Senior School library to join the ranks of the little people. Please feel free to visit the library in order to say hello to Kathryn and look at the spacious new surroundings.

Last term also saw a fantastic display of Easter eggs, posters and even an iMovie presentation. The theme was 'What Easter means to you' and boys were encouraged to create their display as a painted or dyed egg, a diorama that is no larger than a shoebox or as a digital poster or short movie.

Thanks must be given to our visiting Eggspurt who judged the entries to select winners from each year group, and to the library team who helped promote and run the competition throughout Week 9 of Summer Term. All students who entered the competition received a special gift from the Easter Bunny (BT).

Mr Warwick Norman

Junior School Teacher Librarian

News 1G

The Year 1's had a very exciting start to the year and have embarked on many adventures. They have wasted no time with settling beautifully into their new school and making caring thoughtful relationships with each other.

We were very brave and had only been at school for one week when we embarked on our first adventure to The Freshwater Bay Museum. This was a wonderful immersion and gave us great insight into the past and taught us a lot about what life was like for our Grandparents. We definitely left with a greater appreciation for the hard work that went into daily chores like washing and cooking.

The following week saw us on yet another bus ride to the Perth Writers Festival at The University of WA. We were involved in two very thought provoking sessions where we created exciting main characters along with an exciting story. This excursion set the scene for the wonderful descriptive narratives the boys have been writing in class.

We are very much looking forward to term two where we will be working with our PLC buddies and creating our own characters. Amazingly, we will be printing our character out in 3D using a 3D printer. The possibilities of our stories that will follow will be endless…….

Mrs Kristen Gray

Year 1 Teacher

Week 8 (Summer Term) - Headmaster's Commendations

Week 8 (Summer Term) - Excellence Awards

Head of Middle School

As we start Autumn Term we welcome three new staff members into Middle School. Mr Darren Mumford has replaced Mr Justin Creighton in Year 8 Science, Mr Adrian Hicks has replaced Mrs Jenny Coleman for Year 7 & 8 Music and Mrs Gerry McCutcheon is a new Education Assistant working across Middle School.

The following articles and photographs in this edition of The Thistle highlight the creativity in Middle School. In an increasingly complex world, our ability to think creatively, to join information, skills, or tools from different disciplines together will become vitally important. As knowledge becomes more easily accessed, that is if we don't know it we type it in and search for it, the skill to identify, collaborate and connect that information will be invaluable. This is where the Arts come in; visual and performing art are brilliant mediums for developing creative, collaborative abilities. In one sense involvement in the Arts is essentially a hands-on course in developing collaborative problem solving skills. Below you will read about the brilliantly funny Middle School Drama production, the standing ovation for the Scotch Youth Voices at Fairbridge and the gastronomic creativity emerging in Food Design. We often think of these as just music, drama, cooking and art. As you will read, they are these, and so much more.

Mr Richard Ledger

Head of Middle School

The Very UnMerry Adventures of Robin Hood

In this adaption of the classic Robin Hood tale, the protagonist is a charming young fellow, who has no interest in helping the poor, and is only concerned with his friends and his amazing tree fort. The students and I focused on presenting the importance of friendship and loyalty, while still enjoying the comical nature of the script.

Performed in Summer Term, the Years 6 & 7 production was a great success with three sold out performances! Audience members all left smiling and many commented on the hilarious jokes and outstanding efforts by all students involved.

I am grateful to the entire cast, who worked incredibly hard to bring Robin Hood's escapades to life. Each cast member displayed dedication and professionalism throughout the 8-week process. I was delighted with the boys' efforts and they should all be extremely proud of themselves.

Ms Emma Payne

Drama Teacher

Music in Middle School

In the April holidays 57 musicians from Scotch participated in the Middle School Music Tour. Members of the Scotch Youth Voices, the Middle School Guitar Ensemble and the Middle School Chamber Musicians were involved in a series of rehearsals and performances over a three day period under the baton of Ms Jennifer Sullivan. For many of the boys this was their first music tour and their first performance in a professional music setting. The boys performed some of the greatest musical hits from the well-known group The Beatles. The focus of this tour was to encourage boys to be innovative (try something new), improve their musical skills and explore their creative potential.

The initial performance of the tour was held on the Wetlands Stage in the Perth Cultural Centre, and was the premier event of the KickstART Festival of WA. This event was part of the official state launch of National Youth Week for 2015. The boys performed a 25 minute set and were watched by an enthralled audience, which included the Minister for Youth, the Executive Director of Propel Youth Arts and the Manager for the Department of Communities.

The following day the boys performed at the Fairbridge Festival with special guest and festival patron Mr Andrew Winton. This festival is a critically acclaimed event and a major feature of the WA cultural calendar with many well-known national and international acts making it a part of their touring schedule. The boys were very pleased to share the stage with Andrew whom they had learned much from during their workshops with him leading up to the tour. After their set was over the boys had the opportunity to explore the festival and experience the diverse range of sounds and sights that the festival has to offer.

Mrs Jennifer Sullivan

Middle School Music Coordinator

Fun in Food Design

All the boys certainly agree that it has been a fast and exciting start to the year. Year 6, 7 & 8 boys alike have all been working feverishly over their units of inquiry and have had wonderful and engaging experiences in the Food Design room. There were plenty of activities to get involved in over Summer Term and the boys well and truly earned their Easter holidays!

The Year 6 boys are completing their competencies in their "Licence to Cook" booklet while learning the fundamental skills of cookery including claw grip, bridge hold and all in one method just to name a few. The Year 7 boys are working relentlessly on designing a healthy lunch for a student while creating tasty treats of meatball subs, sushi and BLTs. The Year 8 boys have completed their first unit of work "Food and Celebration" and have taken full advantage of using and maintaining the new culinary garden.

The boys and I have had a wonderful time creating and learning a great deal about Food Design. There will be more fun to be had in the term ahead!

Mrs Katie Frampton

Food Design Teacher

Performing for your Peers in 7PG

The start of Autumn Term at Scotch College has begun with Class 7PG busily preparing for their Assembly item. Presenting at a Middle School Assembly gives the boys the opportunity to demonstrate their creative side and to tell the rest of the school just what they have been up to. The Year 7 boys were given a topic to talk about and were then left to their own devices to produce an entertaining performance for their peers. The topic for our Assembly was Ancient China and the Chinese Dynasties as this has been the topic of inquiry in iLearn. At the point of writing this report the boys are still in preparation mode and are showing overwhelming levels of excitement and enthusiasm. They can't wait to get on stage and display to the Middle School what they have learnt.

Mr Peter Gaspar

Teacher 7PG

Welcome to 8T!

Summer Term has finished and we are now straight back into the demands of Autumn Term. It has been a great start to the year and I have thoroughly enjoyed working with such a wonderfully enthusiastic bunch of students.

The 8T boys started the year with learning about the diversity of Asian cultures through reading a range of short stories. They are about to further challenge their view of the world and human rights as we study our novel Bamboo People. Our English studies have merged with Humanities in that we learnt about the tempestuous history of Cambodia in the 1970s under the regime of Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge and we are now about to learn about the history of Burma and the Karen Army. Hopefully this provides the boys with an insight and empathy to other cultures and the demands faced by people living in them.

We are all very excited about the Moray Expedition which is coming up in Week 3 and looking forward to having plenty of adventurous stories and fun photos to share on our return.

Mrs Tracey Fitzpatrick

Teacher 8T

Student Achievements

Congratulations to the following Scotch boys who represented Cottesloe Surf Club and placed 1^st at the State Surf Lifesaving Championships in the Beach Relay: Zaide Moxham (7.3L), Sam Wake (7.5S), Jaxon Hayden (7.8M) and Ben Clarke (7.6T).

Congratulations to Matthew Moore (8.2R) who was awarded the Junior Club Achiever Award for North Cottesloe Surf Club. Matthew competed in the recent State Surf Lifesaving Championships with his Surf Relay Team finishing 4^th and his Board Relay Team finishing 6^th.

Congratulations to Ben Marshall (8.4C) and William Lodge (8.6F) who were selected to compete at the National Water Polo Championships on the Gold Coast during the April holidays. Ben Marshall's team City Beach Bears won the Gold Medal for the U14s competition. Well done!

Congratulations to Will Gordon (7.5S) and Jaxon Hayden (7.8M) who both competed at the State Athletic Championships. Will won the State U12's 1500m, 800m, 400m and came 3^rd in the 200m. Jaxon came 4^th in the 1500m (it was a sprint finish) and 3^rd in the 800m.

Congratulations to Sam Tulk (6.1GB) who competed in Brisbane at the National Age Diving Championships in the first week of the holidays. He qualified to enter the 12/13 years boys 1m and 3m springboard events. He came 8^th in the 1m, 7^th in the 3m, and with his new diving partner Nick from Adelaide, came 3^rd in the Synchro, winning a bronze medal.

Important Dates in Autumn Term

Excellence Awards

Paint Storm

On Wednesday 22 April Year 7 & 8 boys were treated to a fantastic Artist in Residence incursion from Phil Doncon. Phil is a high energy, big mural type painter who weaves his own story about being bullied, leaving home to go to boarding school, his successes and failures as he made his way through football and university an then into a challenging career as an artist. Phil's paintings were eye catching and the speed at which he painted was impressive but it was his message of not giving up, of understanding your personal strengths and developing them that really hit the mark.

The term commenced with stories from the boys' holiday break. Some of these stories were from Scotch tours to Indonesia, Europe, Melbourne and Sydney. Boys and staff shared their experiences that included living with a family in Indonesia, visiting ANZAC Cove as part of the European History tour, studying drama at the National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA) and rowing against the best school boy VIIIs from around Australia at the Sydney Olympic rowing course.

At each Senior School assembly, I share with boys and staff some of the remarkable boys' achievements across a broad range of pursuits. The holiday break just passed was no exception.

After winning the Head of the River, our First VIII were invited to compete in national selection trials. While Rowing Australia view this event as an opportunity to identify some of the best rowing talent in Australia, it presented as opportunity for the Scotch Boat Shed to test themselves against the best. Our first VIII represented both Scotch College and Western Australia and did so with remarkable success. In the final, our First VIII placed second and no doubt attracted a lot of interest from Rowing Australia officials.

Closer to home, our Pipe Band competed in All Schools' Pipe Band Competition against six other Pipe Bands, including PLC Sydney and a band from Malaysia. Of the six categories conducted that formed the competition, Scotch placed first in five, including Marshall Barrymore (Year 12, Brisbane) winning the best Drum Major. The Pipe Band followed up their success at the All Schools competition by winning their division in the State Pipe Band Championships.

Individual achievements were equally impressive with Alex Milligan (Year 12, Brisbane) swimming as part of the West Coast swim team's 4x100m Medley team that smashed the National record at the Australian Swimming Age Championships by a staggering 5 seconds. Alex also finished second in the Men's 17 to 18 years 100m and 200m Breaststroke events and went on to compete in the Men's Open 200m Breaststroke event at the Australian Swimming Championships where he qualified for the final. Alex is now making his mark in the open men's division in this country.

Aidan Read (Year 11, St Andrews) travelled to the Sepang International race circuit in Malaysia as the number one driver in Eurasia's Formula Masters team. After lengthy periods over seas testing and preparing in the early part of this year, he competed in the opening race of his first full competitive season. Aidan returned last week having placed fourth and two podium finishes in third place from 17 drivers.

Tim Andrew (Year 12, Ross) was a member of the winning Western Australian U/18 hockey team that competed in Melbourne over the holiday break. It is exciting and staggering to watch and learn of the boys' achievements at state and national competitions. There are no better examples of persistence, discipline, attention to detail and effort as attributes for success than those that demonstrated to us by own boys.

Finally, it was with pride of our history and the admiration for the values of this great College that I attended the Scotch and PLC ANZAC service last Friday. As a College that saw 475 old boys and teachers serve in WWI, I have no doubt that those in attendance will remember the sacrifices made by all who fought for this country.

Dr Rob McEwan

WACE Languages - Applications for 2016

SCASA Enrolments for 2016 Year 11 Language courses are now open. Please download the application form from the SCASA website (http://wace1516.scsa.wa.edu.au/languages/) and complete. Submissions are needed from any boy wishing to study French or Indonesian WACE next year (Year 11). Closing date is 1 July.

Application Scenarios for students of different backgrounds are also available on the site. Please contact Mr Peter Frusher or Mr Jonathan Rugg with any questions.

2016 Megacity Tour - USA

Expressions of interest for the 2016 Megacity Tour to the United States will be sought during Autumn Term. The tour will be travelling to San Francisco, Washington D.C. and New York and will run during the final week of Summer Term into the April school holidays. Students currently in Years 9, 10, and 11 are invited to attend. Whilst the tour is designed to complement the units of work studied in Years 10-12 Geography, students who do not study Geography are more than welcome to attend. Please contact Mr Hildebrandt for further information, mshildebrandt@scotch.wa.edu.au or 9383 6927. An information evening will be held later in the term.

Meditation Course - Year 10, 11 and 12s

Need to Chill Out? Unwind? De-stress?

The College invites senior students to participate in a meditation course. Mindfulness meditation is easy to apply, straight forward, practical and effective in gaining a relaxed body, a focused and calm mind, all within a very short time. It has proven helpful in managing the stress of exams and improving academic performance.

The 4-week course will be run at the School on Wednesdays, 3.45 to 4.30 pm, from 10 June to 24 July. The cost of the course is $40.00 (light afternoon snack provided) and numbers are strictly limited.

To register please contact Cherie FitzGibbon, School Secretary (The Residence), Ph: 9383 6871 or Email: fitzca@scotch.wa.edu.au.

French Exchange Opportunities

Information for parents and students interested in going on exchange to a Francophone country in the senior years.

The primary exchange resource comes through the W.A. La Reunion Exchange Programme, which has had many years of success inspiring our students. Applications are available online at www.walrse.org.

Secondly, our new partnership with the Alliance Française has opened a new opportunity in this regard:

The AFX Student Exchange is a family run, not-for-profit organisation which specialises in cultural and student exchange programmes between France and Australia for high school students. To apply or find out more go to www.afxstudentexchange.com/australia, or call AFX on 03 0804 8100.

Thirdly, we have links with the NACEL organisation and with Mme Martine Floyd, who both offer our families the chance to host students (in Year 11 and 12) from France (primarily to learn English of course) in June - August. NACEL have also been very successful in arranging hosting in France for some of our students (usually in December/January). Please Contact Mr Rugg, Head of Languages, if you would like to host, or NACEL directly on 1300 735732.

Finally, Scotch takes an April tour to France bi-annually, with one week spent with a host family, and then exploring Paris and the Alps. Please contact Mr Rugg if you would like to be included in the mailing list when the tour is next offered.

Mr Jonathan Rugg

Head of Languages

Career Information

University Information

A 'one-stop shop' to apply to live at a UWA Residential College 2016

All students wishing to apply to live at a UWA Residential College will now apply through the UWA Residential Colleges Application Portal. This central online portal makes the application process much easier for new students wanting to live on campus at one of the five UWA residential colleges - St Catherine's College, St George's College, St Thomas More College, Trinity or University Hall. Students will now apply to live on campus through the UWA Residential Colleges Application Portal. They need to only apply once to be considered by all colleges.

The Process

• Student completes their online application and pays the one-off registration fee of $125. (There are no longer application fees at the individual colleges.)
• Application is automatically sent to the college listed as the student's first preference.
• The college will contact the student asking them to complete any further information that is related to their placement for that specific college. If the students meets the college's criteria, they will receive their offer from that college.
• If the student is not offered their first preference, the portal will automatically send their application to their next highest preference. The portal will continue to do this until it has exhausted all five of the student's preferences.
• In the situation where a student does not receive a residential college offer, their application will be returned to a central waitlist.

Students can apply now through the portal.

Semester 1, 2016 applications will be assessed from 15 October 2015 and colleges will again have 14 days to assess the student's application.

University of Notre Dame Early Offer Programme

Notre Dame's Early Offer Programme is designed to make early offers to Year 12 students who have demonstrated academic excellence and are making a significant contribution to their school, community or church. It also gives secondary schools the opportunity to acknowledge the outstanding contribution made by its students. Offers are made prior to the WACE exams. To identify such students, Notre Dame has a unique admissions process that goes beyond the use of a single ATAR score.

The selection criteria for the Early Offer Program:

• Students who demonstrate exceptional personal or leadership qualities and are motivated to study;
• Students who are active members of their school, church and/or community; and
• Students who demonstrate a benchmark ATAR of:

93 for Bachelor of Laws and Bachelor of Physiotherapy; or

90 or above for all other courses.

Offers are made based on Year 11 and Year 12 reports to date. Candidates who are not successful in the Early Offer Programme will automatically be considered for the November or January offers.

Application packs are available from Mr Frusher at Scotch.

Applications for Semester 1, 2016 are due Friday 31 July 2015.

The University of Melbourne - Interstate Student and Family Information Day

The University of Melbourne is holding an information day for interstate students and their families on Monday, 7 July 2015.

This event has been designed for interstate students and their families who are thinking of attending the University of Melbourne to study an undergraduate degree. You will be able to listen in on presentations about the University, undergraduate degrees and graduate pathways, scholarships, student services, accommodation options and financial assistance. Specific information about the VTAC process and how students from outside Victoria apply to the University will also be available.

You will have the opportunity to ask current Melbourne students who have come from interstate about their experience and how they managed the transition to university in a whole new city. You can also take a tour of the beautiful campus, which will end at one of the residential colleges where you are able to stay for lunch and a tour of the accommodation.

The Interstate Student and Family Day is ideal for senior secondary school students thinking about moving to Melbourne in the next couple of years.

We also encourage parents to attend as moving to Melbourne from interstate is a family decision.

Academic Task Force

Want to improve your marks?

Join Weekend Help or Master Classes

Available for all year levels

Year 11 and 12 WACE and ATAR Master Classes

Classes available Sundays and afternoons after school.

Teaching classes for students seeking higher achievement and mastery of their subjects and wanting to maximise their school and exam results.

Year 11 and 12 WACE and ATAR Weekend HELP Classes

Various classes available Saturday and Sunday from 9.00am up to 3.00pm

Receive weekly help in your areas of need in your courses from experienced WACE and ATAR teachers. In the class you can ask questions about your school work and get one-on-one help to strengthen your understanding.

Year 7, 8, 9 and 10 Weekend HELP Classes:

Various classes from 9am up to 1pm every Saturday and Sunday

Experienced teachers work with students to build their skills and understanding in Maths, Science or English in a small group environment.

Enrol at any point during the Term.

Venues: Churchlands SHS, Rossmoyne SHS, Perth Modern School and our Applecross Office.

For a brochure visit www.academictaskforce.com.au or speak with your Year Coordinator.

Enrol: www.academictaskforce.com.au

Email: learn@academictaskforce.com.au

Phone: (08) 9314 9500

WACE Languages - Applications for 2016

Current Year 10 students who are considering studying a language in Year 11 are required to submit a Language Eligibility application to the School Curriculum & Standards Authority.

Please download the application form from the SCSA website http://wace1516.scsa.wa.edu.au/languages/. The completed application needs to be returned to Mr Frusher or Mr Rugg at Scotch. Submissions are needed from any student wishing to study WACE French or Indonesian in Year 11. Closing date is 1 July 2015.

Application scenarios for students of different backgrounds are also available on the site. Please contact Mr Peter Frusher or Mr Jonathan Rugg with any questions.

Become a Pilot Open Day

The Royal Aero Club of WA will be holding an Open Day on Sunday 24 May at 41 Eagle Drive, Jandakot Airport from 10.00am to 4.00pm.

There will be discounted trial flights, learn to fly seminars, industry pilots to meet, aircraft displays and joy flights.

Register on-line at www.becomeapilot.com.au.

Careers Expo 2015

This annual Careers Expo will be held from Thursday 14 May - Sunday 17 May at the Perth Convention Exhibition Centre. This event is free of charge and will be open from 9.00am -3.00pm on Thursday and Friday and from 10.00am - 4.00pm on Saturday and Sunday.

The Careers Expo is Perth's largest careers, education and training event during the all-important first semester. It gives students time to explore options and take their first steps along their career paths. With the major tertiary education institutions in attendance, together with a wide range of training and employing organisations, the expo is guaranteed to engage, inform and inspire.

For more information contact us on 9417 2331 or at careers@exibit.com.au.

Lattitude Global Volunteering Gap Year 2016

Lattitude will be holding an information evening on Thursday 30 April at Citiplace Community Centre, Perth at 6.30pm.

Students who are interested in taking a Gap Year in 2016 are invited to attend with their parents to discover more about the many opportunities available throughout the world.

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.

Important Dates - Autumn Term Week 2

Boys' Achievements

Nicholas Murphy (Year 9, Shearer) and Matthew Murphy (Year 9, Shearer) competed at the Under 14s Nationals Water Polo Championships at the Gold Coast and their team won the Gold medal.

Hamish McKenzie (Year 10, Ross) has been selected in the Western Australia State Cricket Team to compete at the National Schools Championships in Darwin, 12-20 June.

Connor Smith (Year 11, Shearer) has been selected in the Western Australia State Water Polo Team to compete at the National Schools Championships in Sydney 31 May - 5 June.

Lachlan Mackenzie (Year 11, Anderson) has been selected in the Western Australia State Water Polo Team to compete at the National Schools Championships in Sydney 31 May - 5 June.

Mitchell Atkinson (Year 11, Alexander) has been selected in the Western Australia State Water Polo Team to compete at the National Schools Championships in Sydney 31 May - 5 June.

Hamish Anderson (Year 11, Stuart) has been selected in the Western Australia State Water Polo Team to compete at the National Schools Championships in Sydney 31 May - 5 June.

Alex Milligan (Year 12, Brisbane) swam in the final of the 200m Breaststroke at the Open Australian Championships and finished in 6th place. He actually turned in 3^rd after 150m but was unable to hold on. It was a great swim and fantastic result.

Scotch College Rowing 1^st VIII

The Scotch College Rowing 1st VIII represented Western Australia at the National Selection Trials in Sydney. Choosing to compete in their Scotch colours, they rowed extremely well to place second. Congratulations to Harry Sinclair (Year 12, Keys), Harry Ayers (Year 12, Keys), Lachlan Gibson (Year 12, Keys), James Fox-Slater (Year 12, Keys), Charles Forrester (Year 12, Keys), Ruan Greyling (Year 12, Brisbane), Robbie Packer (Year 12, Stuart), Daniel Wee (Year 12, Ross) and Jonathan Ashby (Year 11, Stuart) and Bill Hutton (coach).

Scotch College Sailing

Congratulations to all the Scotch Sailing Teams for their exceptional performance, which earned Scotch both first and second places at the recent WA Yachting Schools Teams Racing Championships held during the Easter holidays.

The winners were the Scotch Maroon team of Emerson Carlberg (Year 12, Ross), Benjamin Walsh (Year 10, Ferguson), Andrew Briggs (Year 11, Cameron), Conor McMurtrie (Year 12, Shearer), Marcello Torre (Year 8), Roberto Martelli (Year 8) and Raffael Torre (Year 6)

Second were the Scotch Blue team, consisting of Liam Seagreen (Year 12, Ferguson), George Boulden (Year 12, St Andrews), Adam Brenz-Verca (Year 9, Stuart), Ahmik Mallawarachi (Year 12, Cameron), Harrison Ashbee (Year 9, Ross), Adam Martin (Year 9, Alexander) and Lukas Finn (Year 11, Cameron).

National Club Water Polo Championships

The 18 and Under National Club Water Polo Championships were held in Adelaide during April. Four Scotch students, Thomas Prior (Year 12, Stuart), Lachlan Mackenzie (Year 11, Anderson), Connor Smith (Year 11, Shearer) and Lachlan Vos (Year 10, St Andrews) all proudly represented different clubs at the championships this year. City Beach WPC went through the tournament undefeated coming away with the gold medal the team included Connor Smith and was lead by Lach Pethick, Captain of School, 2014.

After the championships Waterpolo Australia announced an Australian Born '98 team to tour Europe in May, Connor Smith and Lachlan Vos were included in this team.

Scotch College Pipe Band

During Easter, the Pipe Band returned to the competition circle and competed in the All Schools Pipe Band Competition, as part of PLC's Centenary celebrations and Pipe Bands WA, State Pipe Band Championships.

The culmination of months of preparation, the Pipe Band won four out of the five categories including Champion Band, Musical Selection, Selection of Marches and Public Appeal. PLC won Dress and Drill and Marshall Barrymore (Year 12, Brisbane) won the Drum Major's Flourish.

Scotch College was also named the State Champion in Juvenile at the State Pipe Band Championships with Marshall Barrymore again winning the Drum Major's Flourish, a fantastic result.

Mr C Bailey

Pipe Band Master

Pipe Band Parent Support Group (PBPSG)

Easter Competitions

Congratulations to the Scotch College Pipe Band for their success over the Easter weekend. It certainly was a busy time for all involved.

On Saturday, all of the 8 bands competing in the All Schools Pipe Band Competition, as part of PLCs Centenary celebrations, marched through Perth City completing with a performance on the Forrest Place Stage.

All bands were very well received, especially by tourists and unsuspecting shoppers who were literally stopped in their tracks. The upstairs balcony above Forrest Place was packed with spectators.

On Sunday at the All Schools Pipe Band Competition, Scotch won overall, PLC (Perth) were second and Trinity College came third. Others schools were represented from Singapore, Malaysia, Sydney and Albany.

On Monday, Scotch were awarded State Champions in the Juvenile Division at the State Pipe Band Competition. They also presented a Pipe Band Display.

On both days of competitions, Marshall Barrymore won the Drum Major Flourish.

The PBPSG committee would like to thank all parents who committed their time volunteering over the weekend, offering goods to sell and to those who provided so many plates of home baked goods.

Finally thank you to the Scotch community who came to support the Pipe Band, it is much appreciated.

Pipe Band Concert - Save the Date

The second Pipe Band Concert will be held on Saturday 23 May .

Put the date in your dairy for what will be a wonderful evening. More details to follow.

Mandy Perrignon

PBPSG President

Soccer Parent Support Group

The Soccer Supporters welcomes all families of boys playing Soccer in 2015.

We are looking for Year Group representatives in Years 7-12, if you would like to help please contact Megan Jefferies soccer@scotch.wa.edu.au or 0424450262

Megan Jefferies

President

Soccer Parent Support Group

Hockey Parent Support Group

Season Opening evening for parents and coaches

Friday 1st May

6.30pm

BYO drinks and a plate of food to share

Contact : Robyn Andrew andfam@iinet.net.au

Robyn Andrew

President

Hockey Parent Support Group

Sailing Parent Support Group

Congratulations to all the Scotch Sailing Teams for their exceptional performance, which earned Scotch both first and second places at the recent WA States Schools Teams Racing Championships held during the Easter holidays, and for their exemplary conduct displayed throughout the event. Both spectators and volunteers at the Regatta were heard to comment on the good manners and the sportsmanship the Scotch boys displayed at the event and we can all be very proud of them. Thank you also to the coaches, Doug Campbell and Will Boulden, and to Mr. Brad Watson and Mr. Jordan Owenell whose unfailing efforts and hard work certainly paid off!

However, a huge thank you must also go to the Sailing parents who turned out en-masse in cold and very wet weather to encourage, support and (not to mention) feed our sailors. In some part I am sure the success of the teams must go to all of you for keeping boys energy levels and spirits high.

We look forward to a successful trip to Queensland in July for both the Scotch Maroon and Scotch Blue Teams where they will compete against the top teams from all States and Territories at a National level.

Well done!

Chantal Seagreen

President

Sailing Parent Support Group

Scotch Auxiliary

Welcome back to Autumn Term. We have many upcoming events:

Junior School:

Mothers' Day Afternoon Tea - Friday 8 May *free event

Parent Quiz Night - Friday 5 June

Middle School:

Year 6 Parent Evening - Friday 8 May * Scotch Auxiliary combined function with Parents' Association

Year 7 Parent Evening - Friday 20 May * Scotch Auxiliary combined function with Parents' Association

Senior School:

Year 11 Dance - Saturday 16 May

For more details on these events and to purchase tickets or confirm attendance please visit the Scotch College website www.scotch.wa.edu.au and click on the "Book a Scotch Event" icon.

Coffee Mornings

Please pop the following dates in your diaries:

Year 9

Thursday 7 May - Book Café, Swanbourne, from 9.15am.

Year 10

Wednesday 20 May - Naked Fig, Swanbourne, from 8.30am.

Year 12

Friday 1 May - Book Café, Swanbourne, from 9.15am.

Scotch Auxiliary Meeting

All parents are welcome at our next meeting:

9AM MONDAY 11 MAY, GOOCH PAVILION

GUEST SPEAKER - Peter Allen, Director of Teaching & Learning

We look forward to welcoming you and listening to Peter discuss 'The changing nature of Teaching and Learning; impacts on education at Scotch College'.

Carissa Paganin

President

Scotch Auxiliary

PLC IB Diploma Seminar

PLC have extended an invitation to Scotch parents to attend a parent seminar being held at PLC about the IB Diploma from IB Regional Head of School Services, Asia Pacific, Dr Marcia Behrenbruch.

Academic Task Force

Want to improve your marks?

Join Weekend Help or Master Classes

Available for all year levels

Year 11 and 12 WACE and ATAR Master Classes

Classes available Sundays and afternoons after school.

Teaching classes for students seeking higher achievement and mastery of their subjects and wanting to maximise their school and exam results.

Year 11 and 12 WACE and ATAR Weekend HELP Classes

Various classes available Saturday and Sunday from 9.00am up to 3.00pm

Receive weekly help in your areas of need in your courses from experienced WACE and ATAR teachers. In the class you can ask questions about your school work and get one-on-one help to strengthen your understanding.

Year 7, 8, 9 and 10 Weekend HELP Classes:

Various classes from 9am up to 1pm every Saturday and Sunday

Experienced teachers work with students to build their skills and understanding in Maths, Science or English in a small group environment.

Enrol at any point during the Term.

Venues: Churchlands SHS, Rossmoyne SHS, Perth Modern School and our Applecross Office.

For a brochure visit www.academictaskforce.com.au or speak with your Year Coordinator.

Enrol: www.academictaskforce.com.au

Email: learn@academictaskforce.com.au

Phone: (08) 9314 9500

Behaviour Tonics

Behaviour Tonics are running the following courses at their rooms in Wembley.

1-2-3 Magic and Emotion Coaching Parent Course

All 7.00pm to 9.30pm.

Mon 4, 11 and 18 May (2 to 5yrs)

Tue 12, Thur 14 and Thurs 21 May (2 to 12yrs)

Mon 25, Wed 27 May and Wed 3 June (2 to 5yrs)

Engaging Adolescents (11 to 16yo)

Wed 4 and 11 March, 6.45 to 9.30pm

The following are available as 'In House' courses.

Parenting Information Session (Including 10 take home tips)

This 2 hour seminar is designed to improve your knowledge and confidence as a parent.

Bullying - Don't Just Stand There

Protective Behaviours.

Private Consultations Available

To enquire/register call 9382 1182 or go to www.behaviourtonics.com.au

Bindaring Clothing Sale - Supporting Our Local Red Cross.

Quality Clothes Needed Please for Bindaring Red Cross Clothing Sale

Take the opportunity of the change in seasons to clear out your wardrobe. We are collecting good quality, clean clothes, jewellery, shoes and bags, for the 52^nd Bindaring Red Cross Clothing Sale. All proceeds help fund vital Red Cross local services.

This annual event is on once again and Scotch College volunteers are hoping you can help out.

Please drop off your clothing donations at either:

• Kiss and Drive at the ovals opposite Uniform Shop,
• Driveway behind Science and Design Building.

Volunteers will be there between 7:50 and 8:30am Thursday & Friday this week to receive your donations. Please do not drop items there before or after these times as there will not be anyone there to receive them.