Welcome to the final Thistle for Summer Term. While the term has flown past, it has nevertheless been a relatively long one packed with a lot of major events and activities. Many of these were our regular commitments, however many were new and culturally defining such as the hosting of the Choir of Hard Knocks early in March.

Of all of the assemblies and events held throughout the course of the term, I believe the celebration held at the Senior School assembly for Dallas Hamilton OSC '33 is a highlight and one that I will remember for a long time.

Dallas had just turned 100 and we invited him to be our special guest so we could acknowledge this incredible milestone and show our current students the importance OSCs are to the very fabric of Scotch.

Late last week I received a letter from Dallas after he had attended the assembly.

29^th March 2016

Dear Alec

Now that the celebration and festivities associated with my 100^th birthday are over I can draw breath to thank you for the great experience of the Special Assembly at the College. It was for me a moving event and the culmination of a wonderful birthday week. The sight of those 600/700 boys assembling and marching with their own famous Pipe Band was very affecting, particularly when the Band launched into Happy Birthday To You!

I fear I found it difficult to reply to your gracious and well-researched remarks on the Hamilton family. To see so many fresh young faces looking up at us gave me great hope for the future. Those boys will enjoy the blessings of education at a great school to help them to cope with the good and sad times which will inevitably occur over their lifetime. It is my hope that they too will appreciate and enjoy those intangible benefits of a good education which make old age tolerable.

Scotch College has become a great, truly remarkable school as the result of the dedication of teachers, parents, and scholars over 119 years. From my observation, with the help of senior staff to whom you introduced me, my old school, Scotch College, may hope be in safe hands for another century. Thank you again for the wonderful experience.

Sincerely yours,

Dallas Hamilton

This term has given us so much to celebrate as a community. Our boys across all sub schools continue to amaze me. I would like share three examples of how our focus on service and looking after the well being of others is simply a part of the Scotch DNA.

• One of our Pre-primary students Marcus McKimmie, without prompting, chose to ask his friends not to bring gifts to his birthday, but to donate the equivalent money to the fire victims of Yarloop.

• Last Thursday over 50 senior school boys joined with our sister school PLC to do the 'Worlds Greatest Shave'. Together they raised over $80,000 dollars, placing them in the elite category of fundraisers for this event in 2016 across Australia.

• This Friday, Mr Tresise, Mr Campbell and Sebastian Wright (Year 8) will do their own version of the Greatest Shave to add to the research dollars directed at finding a cure for Leukemia.

What is significant about these three examples is that they traverse our whole school. These acts of service are not restricted to just one of our sub-schools; they are part of who we are at Scotch.

Commencing on 11 April 2016 Scotch hosts the Australasia and East Asia Region Round Square Conference for 12-14 year old students, themed 'Life on the Edge - pEARTH'. Once again the College's core values of Integrity, Service and Stewardship will be at the fore as we host over 180 students and staff from across Australia and the East Asia region.

Is it any wonder that I refuse to have the type of success we achieve day in and day out at Scotch measured by an annual one dimensional league table?

Thank you to our students, parents, OSCs, friends and neighbours for making Summer Term such a great success. I look forward to seeing everyone back and recharged for Autumn Term.

Dr A J O'Connell

Headmaster

Global Teacher Prize

On Monday 14 March, Pope Francis announced the Winner of the Varkey Foundation Global Teacher Prize. Hanan Al Hroub from Palestine, who teaches at the Samiha Khalil High School in the West Bank Palestinian city of Al-Bireh, was presented with the award in the United Arab Emirates.

The Varkey Foundation is a not-for-profit organisation established to improve the standards of education for underprivileged children throughout the world. Their mission is that every child should have a good teacher.

However, there was a local connection within this global competition with Perth teacher, Rick Johnson, from Rostrata Primary School in Willetton appearing in the finalists.

On 17 February, Professor Steven Hawking announced the 10 finalists in a video that can be found here. In this clip Hawking talks about the teacher that provided the inspiration, which led him down the path of his illustrious career. He states, 'It all starts with the seed of love. The love of music. The love of history. For me it was the love of science.' He continues to say 'Today, we need great teachers more than ever. We must always remember, teachers matter.'

At Scotch College, I have no doubt that when asked to name a teacher that inspires them, every boy could easily name the one who connects with them on a level beyond all others. It is for that reason that we work hard with our staff on our professional development programme that at times can conflict with our teachers' other commitments, however as Hawking states; 'Behind every exceptional person there is an exceptional teacher.'

As we have had many parent teacher evenings in the past month, I hope that our community can see the passion that our staff has to maximise the learning potential of every boy. I encourage our parents to develop strong partnerships with our staff to support the work the teachers are completing within the classroom.

Mr Peter Allen

Director of Teaching and Learning

Year 7 Scholarships for 2017

Applications are now open for Academic Scholarships for Year 7 in 2017. Scholarships are open to both current students and prospective students to Scotch College. The Scholarship examination will be held at the College on Saturday, 7 May 2016. If you currently have a son in Year 6 at Scotch College you are invited to register him via the Scotch College website Scholarship link www.scotch.wa.edu.au.

Please feel free to contact Di Moran, Manager of Admissions on 9383 6809 or djmoran@scotch.wa.edu.au if you have any questions.

Pertussis (Whooping Cough)

The College has been informed of a confirmed case of Pertussis (whooping cough) in the school community. Pertussis is spread to other people by droplets from coughing or sneezing.

Untreated, a person with Pertussis can spread it to other people for up to three weeks after onset of a cough.

People diagnosed with Pertussis should stay away from school while infectious (up to 21 days) or until they have completed five days of a course of a recommended antibiotic.

It is particularly important not to expose young children to infection.

It is recommended that children be vaccinated according to the Western Australian vaccine schedule.

Ms Fiona Richmond

Nurse Manager, Scotch College Health Centre

An Allergy Aware School

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

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

Why is it important that schools become allergy aware?

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

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

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

Community and Service

Comfort Items for the Homeless

Thanks to many in the Scotch Community who made contributions, the homeless of Perth and Fremantle will have a little more comfort as they struggle to maintain dignity on the streets. The donations of personal hygiene and other items of comfort will make a big difference in the lives of people living rough. The distribution of these and other items such as snack bars, water and fresh food, will take place during the service activity of the Round Square Conference, being hosted by Scotch during the first week of the April holidays.

Disabled Surfing Association Event

The last disabled surfing event for the summer took place on Saturday 19 March with a number of boys attending. Other schools including Iona Presentation College, All Saints College and Santa Maria College had students on the beach to join the team supporting the disabled participants. The event was a huge success and the conditions were ideal during the four hours of the event. As always, there was great appreciation for the work of the many young volunteers expressed by the participants and their carers. Scotch College was presented with a certificate acknowledging the contribution of the many boys who came down for the four Perth events this summer.

Year 10 Service Learning Programme Update

Friday afternoon is a time when Year 10 boys have the opportunity to make contact with agencies and individuals working to alleviate some of the problems faced by the most vulnerable in society. This term, the 'A Team' (Advocacy Team) spent five weeks investigating the issue of slavery in Indonesia with the group 'Mercy Indonesia'. Other boys worked with ICEA (Indigenous Communities Education and Awareness) to explore the topic of reconciliation. While these are not 'hands on' service activities, they none-the-less form an important part of the service learning programme. More direct assistance is undertaken by the 'Backyard Blitz' group that ventures forth each week to maintain the gardens of elderly and disabled clients of the organisation 'People Who Care'. The group of boys that travelled to Braemar Aged Care home worked to record the personal histories of residents and both 'Mimates' (migrant mates) and Primates (primary mates) Balga spent time with recently arrived refugee students in Balga schools.

Mr Bill Cordner

Director of Community and Service

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.

Available in the Parenting Ideas Magazine; visit the following link:

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

Also please look at the attached article - Maintain a strong relationship with your teen.

Ms Shauna Lipscombe

Psychologist

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 3 May - 21 June 2016 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 ATAR 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. Enrolments for Term 2 will open in mid April.

For more information about any of the courses please contact Moya McLauchlan on ibumoya@balaibahasaperth.org or Wilfred Liauw on 9383 6854 ext. 854 wliauw@scotch.wa.edu.au.

Mr Wilfred Liauw

Modern Languages Teacher

Music Department

"Repetition is the mother of learning, the father of action, which makes it the architect of accomplishment." Zig Ziglar

There is an irony in writing a second Thistle article on repetition as a follow up on guest lecturer Mr Michael Griffin's presentation to music students and staff earlier this term. However, it provides an outlet to expand on the thoughts shared with boys during this session and reinforce the approaches to learning that this word encompasses.

"We are what we repeatedly do; excellence, then, is not an act but a habit" Aristotle

Great practice contains the right balance between quality and quantity. Repetition enables the brain to make strong connections (myelin) and enables us to automate processes. It is important for students to have a strong concept of what excellence is and remember (or often - be reminded by staff, parents and peers) they should strive to play at a speed where they can avoid mistakes. Myelin does not distinguish between musical excellence and music with mistakes; it is up to the musician to make sure the connections developed in the brain are through repetition of quality performance.

"The amateurs practises until he plays it right. The professional practises until he cannot get it wrong" Stephen Hillier

There are different approaches to repetition such as blocked repetition, spaced repetition and varied repetition which all have different benefits depending on the ability of a student and the amount to time they can maintain their concentration on a task. I will expand on this in the next Thistle.

Congratulations to all ensemble members and ensemble directors of the Combined Scotch/PLC Symphony Orchestra and the Combined Scotch/PLC Vocal Ensemble who performed at the PLC Quarry Concert recently. Both ensembles performed with maturity and outstanding musicianship to the full house that attended the concert at this picturesque outdoor venue.

Important Dates:

Autumn Term

Week 2, Monday 2 May, FOSM meeting, 7.00pm Senior Music Department

Week 6, Tuesday 31 May, Vocal Showcase, 6.30pm Dickinson Centre

Week 7, Wednesday 8 June, Junior and Middle School Autumn Concert, 6.00pm Dickinson Centre

Week 9, Friday 24 June, Music Department Jazz Night, 7.30pm Dickinson Centre

Week 10, Wednesday 29 June, Con Brio Strings Concert, 6.30pm, Dickinson Centre

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 Tim Simpson, Acting Head of Music, via email TMSimpson@scotch.wa.edu.au or phone 9383 6824.

If you wish to become more involved in supporting the Music Department, please contact FOSM@scotch.wa.edu.au.

Mr Tim Simpson

Acting Head of Music

Holiday Running Training

Running training will be held in the April holidays on Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings of both weeks, starting at 8.30am and concluding by 9.45am at Memorial Oval. These sessions will be conducted by Mr Doney with a focus on improving aerobic fitness, in preparation for both PSA Winter Sport and Athletics. All students in Years 7 to 12 are encouraged to attend the sessions if they are in Perth.

Mr Richard Foster

Head of Sport

Uniform Shop

Opening Hours for Winter Uniform Changeover

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

Summer Term Extra Opening Hours

Holiday Opening Hours

Boys need to be in Winter uniform on Wednesday, 27 April (start of term).

Head of Junior School

We are what we eat

Fool's Gold Loaf is a sandwich made by the Colorado Mine Company, a restaurant in Denver, Colorado. The sandwich consists of a single warmed, hollowed-out loaf of bread filled with the contents of one jar of creamy peanut butter, one jar of grape jelly, and a pound of bacon.. According to The Life and Cuisine of Elvis Presley, it was the focus of a midnight sandwich run by Elvis Presley and his friends. Taking his private jet from Graceland, Presley and his friends purchased 22 of the sandwiches and spent three hours eating them and drinking Perrier and champagne before flying home. The story became legend and the sandwich became the subject of continued media interest and part of numerous cookbooks, typically focused around Presley's love of food. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fool's_Gold_Loaf)

The Fool's Gold Loaf has been reported to contain as much as 42,000 calories. In 1995 a BBC Arena programme estimated Elvis's daily intake at 94,000 calories a day. For comparison, the typical diet of an adult Asian elephant contains 50,000 calories a day. Elvis died at age 42 from "hypertensive cardiovascular disease with atherosclerotic heart disease" - an arrhythmia, or heart attack for short.

While I think very few of us could consume the quantities Elvis is reported to have eaten, the impact of diet on performance is very clear. On Wednesday 30 March, dietician Julie Meek addressed parents for the Junior and Middle Schools on diet and its impact on our children as they manage their busy days at school and at home.

Julie Meek is an accredited practicing dietitian who worked for many years with The Dockers, Perth Wildcats and athletes at the WA Institute of Sport. She has helped thousands achieve personal and business success through eating well and implementing the strategies of the elite sports person.

Julie is the resident 'nutrition and performance' expert with a regular segment on 6PR and the author of "truth, lies & chocolate" and "Ready, Set…Go". She knows that health is a powerful instrument that can be used to improve the performance of business teams, athletes, school communities and individuals.

We ask our children to perform all day each day both mentally and physically. The challenge we face is in feeding them and providing them the fuel they need to perform to their best. Other factors such as growth, sleep, hydration, stress and exercise can impact on performance, to name but a few.

Children pick up messages about food from the media when they are younger, and from their friends as they get older. A parent's role to help their child to develop good foods habits from a young age is very important.

Children need to optimize their energy levels. Breakfast is a great starting point. While not all children will eat cereal, the ones they do eat can impact their start to the day. Corn Flakes and Rice Bubbles have more salt in them than a packet of chips. Special K is high in sugar as is Nutri Grain. While these are marketed well, and aimed at children, their fast acting carbohydrates will wear off by 8:00am. A good cereal with sugar less that 8g per 100g serving is recommended.

Energy levels are lowest at 3:00pm. What generally gets adults through is a cup of coffee. For children it is the same and providing the easy option can be the simpler choice. Fruit and sandwiches provide an energy boost that will be better sustained.

There is so much to say about food, nuts and brain development; fish, omega 3 and body and brain development; eggs and neurotransmitters; milk, cheese, yogurt and calcium and bones. We need to help children to make the connection between food, energy and performance.

The fork in the road is healthy food or easy food. McDonalds or live a long time and perform at your best. We need to put children in the driver seat and teach them the skills to make the best choices for their health and well-being.

The guidance Julie provided on the night to assist with analysing your food choices and to begin to plan for healthier food options is available as a hand out from the JS Reception.

Good eating everyone.

Mr John Stewart

Head of Junior School

Important Dates to Remember

Primary Years Programme (PYP)

How can I make a difference in the world? Action in the PYP

The PYP emphasises the development of five essential elements: knowledge, concepts, skills, attitudes and action. I have regularly written about different aspects of these over the past two years and will continue to highlight these as they are key components of the teaching and learning at Scotch.

One of the focuses of a PYP is facilitating the development of a mind-set for students to feel empowered to take meaningful action as a result of their learning. This action may be an extension of students' learning (continuing the inquiry outside of school), or it may have a wider social impact and looks different within each age range.

At Scotch Junior School we strive to provide the boys with the opportunity and the power to choose to act; to decide on their actions; and to reflect on these actions in order to make a difference in and to the world.

Action is often not witnessed by the teachers as it frequently happens beyond the classroom. If you have any examples of your son taking action as a direct result of his experiences/learning at school we would love to hear from you.

"Good actions give strength to ourselves and inspire strength in others." Plato

Mr Warwick Norman

Junior School Dean of Teaching & Learning

Performing Arts News

The boys in Year 3 have been making inquiries into beat groupings of threes and fours, exploring a variety of songs and styles. They have noted the importance of accents to provide cues and clues as to how many beats are in each bar, discussed the purpose of an introduction, including how it establishes a tempo and a time signature, and have enjoyed singing, playing and performing. We then listened to a song called Mess Is Mine by Vance Joy and discovered that it alternates bars of three and four! The boys were asked to listen to their favourite song and work out the time signature to share with the class. Perhaps you might like to pull out your favourite and discuss it with your boys. We'd love to hear about it - especially if it's on vinyl!

Miss Phebe Samson

Performing Arts Teacher

Friendly Schools and Families

Talking with your children about being bullied

• Many children who are bullied do not tell a trusted adult as they think they are dobbing. 'Dobbing' is when a person deliberately tries to get attention or to get someone else into trouble.

• 'Asking for help' is when someone feels the situation is out of his/her control and he/she is unable to deal with it alone. If anyone sees someone else in this situation they should also ask for help.

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

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

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

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

- Walk away and ignore the person completely.

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

- Ignore the situation and keep playing or working.


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


- Try coming to an agreement with the other person.


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

Mr Warwick Norman

Friendly Schools and Families Coordinator

French News

Bonjour!

All change! We have been moving onto our new French topics in all the classes over the last two weeks, having completed a lovely collection of assessment tasks, from doctor role plays and sports videos to family powerpoint presentations. The Year 2s are now beginning their "En Ville" unit, examining all the parts of a town and learning to name different locations. The boys did a great job of preparing their maps and have been completing listening tasks and group work to help them learn their new town vocabulary. A fun activity required the miming of an action and then the boys had to name the place they believed this would take place. We had a great bank robber in 2F that had the boys laughing - much more interesting than miming cashing a cheque! The classes will also look at a very famous French town - Paris - and learn about some of the great attractions of this wonderful city. Next time you are out and about with your son, if he is a Year 2 student, why not ask him to name some of the places you pass? Merci.

Madame Vinton

French Specialist

Physical Education News

The Physical Education programme is benefitting greatly from the expertise of the coaches from Northern Districts Gymnastics, who have been in helping to run the gymnastics programme at Scotch the past couple of weeks. All the students from Year 1 - 5 have been working on the fundamentals of gymnastics: strength, flexibility and discipline. The students have been pushing their known limits and it has been pleasing to see all the different abilities in the room strive to achieve their personal best. The Year 4 boys went off to Hale recently to participate in the first of six carnivals they will be participating in against Hale and Christ Church this year. By all accounts the boys performed admirably. This Thursday sees the culmination of the JPSSA summer programme with the Family Member Day. We look forward to seeing many parents and family members down at Scotch enjoying this afternoon with their sons.

Mr Scott Whiston

Head of Junior School Physical Education

4T News

The 4T boys have bounced into the school year with enthusiasm for new friends, new learning and a not-so-new teacher who wasn't content to let them go. Friendships were quickly re-established and strong routines adopted. Vibrant personalities with strong leadership potential and a zest for life fill our classroom and the dynamic is exciting and rigorous!

Our first Unit of Inquiry "Who We Are", saw us investigate our overall wellbeing through the lens of physical, mental and emotional health. Boys engaged in a vast range of activities that allowed them to consider actions that supported optimum health. Physical activity was a given, but we gained a deeper appreciation for good nutrition, meditation, drawing, music to create a peaceful space, the positive effect of twenty-second hugs, and the calming nature of soft things like cuddling pets, and snuggling toys and blankets. We are sensory creatures and should encourage natural and healthy practices that support this.

With blood and guts playing a part in our investigation, scientific experimentation took front and centre to support boys making deeper conceptual understandings of bigger physical issues. Jelly, marshmallows, jaffas and sprinkles made a deliciously gruesome cup of blood. And observing eggs soaked in vinegar left us quaking at the effect of food acid on the teeth. A parent guest-speaker highlighted the surprising and disturbing amounts of sugar in drinks, which made us shudder in horror and vow never to consume such liquids again! Leonardo da Vinci's Vitruvian Man allowed us to explore bodily proportions in relation to geometry and we actually measured the length of our guts based on these findings.

Continuing the theme of the gruesome and grotesque, boys celebrated their love of language by dabbling in the realm of spook. Poetic phrases were written about body parts, and narratives were written to frighten and scare. Scary doors were drawn and we visualised and described what it would be to stand before such a power. Would you dare to enter, was the question on everyone's lips. Strangely, filled with fear, scared beyond belief, screams ready to escape, every boy turned the handle on their imagination and entered the frightening landscape of their minds. Oh, the power of words!

I could continue to wax lyrical about the wonders of our year's beginning; however, most important is that each and every boy in 4T is to be congratulated for the effort and effervescence they have brought to our classroom and our school. We can only look forward to celebrating and harnessing all this enthusiasm as we go forth!

Mrs Rebecca Turkich

Year 4 Teacher

Week 9 - Excellence Awards

Junior School Resource Centre

Thank you to all the boys that used their creativity and entered our Easter competition, it was fabulous to see so many creative entries. Congratulations to all the boys who participated.

Our Eggs-pert came in on Holy Thursday and judged the entries. The winners in each year level and category were as follows:

Year 1

Andrew King & Jacob Timmcke

Year 2

Sacrifice - Cooper Lisle

New Beginnings - Anderson Strk-Lingard & Andrew Katsambanis

Artistic - Thomas Chambers

Year 3

Creative - Billy Chambers

Sacrifice - Lucas Marley

New Beginnings - Luca Wheeler & Marc Ricciardello.

Year 4

Artistic - James Winch, Tom Chalmers & Isaak Ventouras

Fun & Pun - Ben Flynn & George Di Prinzio

Sacrifice - Ari Coulson

New Beginnings - Declan Riordan

Year 5

Thomas Byars

Unfortunately in some year levels we did not have entries for all of the categories.

Mrs Kathryn Salt

Junior School Teacher-Librarian

Head of Middle School

In the first week of the school holidays Scotch College Middle School hosts the Youth Round Square Conference for the Asia region. 180 Year 8 delegates from across Australia and from China, Japan, Malaysia Singapore and New Zealand will spend a week on campus, living in the boarding house, involved in a range of activities that explore the Ideals of the Round Square program. The Ideals and some of the activities on this year's programme are:

• Internationalism: kite making working shops
• Democracy: producing a giant collaborative mural for MacKellar Hall
• Environment: Adventure race that explores the uniqueness of Kings Park
• Adventure: Day trip to Moray canoeing and rock climbing
• Leadership: Guest speakers on the SKA and deep space, cutting edge shark technology - and survival and life as a refugee.
• Service: rolling street swags and working with organisations Tranby House, Rocky Bay Village and St Patricks Fremantle

Each day starts with surfing at Leighton Beach or yoga around the lake and evening events include a river cruise dinner with a castaway beach theme and flying night kites on the oval. The whole purpose of the Round Square conference is to bring young, like-minded people who believe in the Ideals of the Round Square, together for fun, activity and fellowship. A Round Square Youth Conference is held annually in the Asia Pacific region. We hope to send another 6 students to next year's conference.

The Middle School production of "Treasure Island" played to three packed and delighted audiences in the Foundation Theatre last week. The photographs of the production are going to form a great visual presentation on the screens and in Clan later this year. Congratulations to the cast pictured below on maintaining their enthusiasm and commitment to a demanding rehearsal schedule and delivering such polished performances. A special thank you to our production director Ms Sarah Combes who has done an amazing job of turning a group of classroom angels into rag tag bunch of cutthroat pirates.

Mr Richard Ledger

Head of Middle School

Materials Design in Focus

In Materials Design this term the Middle School boys have been busy with the Inquiring and Analysing, then Developing Ideas sections of the Design Cycle. In class the boys are now starting to create products, which will be the focus over the next ten weeks. This year in some Design classes we are striving to better utilise industry relevant technology such as 3D printers and Laser cutters to create the boys' products.

In Year 8 the focus is on creating functional items in the various subjects, such as: bedside lamps, model planes, mechanical moving Automata, drink bottles/drink brand logos and metal balancing sculpture. Where possible students are encouraged to use local and recyclable materials to improve their environmental footprint.

In Year 7 we are now creating the CO2 dragster-racing car using a variety of materials with emphasis on achieving the race specifications and using more natural finishes. Our focus is for boys to be creative, independent and safe in the workshop environment while making the learning area enjoyable and content relevant to what is going on in modern industry practices.

Mr Edward Grant & Mr Brent Van Ingen-Kal

Materials Design Teachers

Go Manners! In 7.7G

Over the course of Summer Term, class 7.7G has focused on their use of manners in everyday situations. They have studied certain aspects of being a fine young gentleman such as delivering great greetings when meeting new people, the art of the perfect handshake, understanding their responsibilities and their use of polite words when asking for something.

The boys have been really enthusiastic about role playing the various skills and practicing them around school and at home. Mrs Turkich in the Junior School originally developed the programme that has been slightly adapted for the Year 7 boys. All the students of 7.7G encourage their other teachers to be on the lookout for their highly developed manners and would like other students to try and follow their example. Hopefully all the parents have seen their boys displaying these manners on a consistent basis at home as well.

Mr Peter Gaspar

Homeroom Teacher 7.7G

Leading in 8.1T

It's been another furiously busy start to the Scotch school year with the 8.1T boys being involved in many different activities. In Week 4 of this term, they embarked on a trip to Kings Park to put into tangible practice some orienteering and mapping skills they learnt in Humanities. This was found to be a highly enjoyable day but also demonstrated how these skills can be used in an everyday and close-to-home environment. English and Math were also interwoven into the activities for a truly interdisciplinary experience.

In their English course, the boys are exploring some different aspects of writing creatively and are enjoying the more open-ended approach to this assessment.

Leadership is a new module that has been introduced this year for the Year 8s and the boys are enjoying developing and being able to put into practise these skills. Open Day, which was held on March 11, was their first opportunity to really prove how well they could do this and they did a brilliant job, showing new potential parents-to-be around the school and confidently answering any questions that were put to them. The day was a huge success and this was largely due to the great leadership shown by the boys.

Their next venture will be taking on a buddy in a Year 6 class. This will again give the students the opportunity to be a role model to a younger student and provide advice and support, as well as friendship, to the younger boys.

Busy as the first term has been, it is clear that the 8.1T boys are settling well into their Year 8 routine. They have worked really hard and are looking forward to their visit to Moray in Autumn Term.

Mrs Tracey FitzPatrick

Homeroom Teacher 8.1T

Important Dates in Middle School Summer Term

As we commence the final week of Summer Term, I thank all boys and staff for their efforts in what has been a busy and rewarding term. Highlights have included the Year 12 Ball; Year 12 boarders completing their 1003 kilometre journey along the Bibbulmun Track; and more than 50 boys participating in the World's Greatest Shave. The efforts of the Scotch boys and PLC girls in raising over $80,000 for the Leukemia Foundation were remarkable.

With the end of Summer Term marking the end of the first semester, it is time to stop, rest and reflect on the term just passed. I encourage all boys to consider the feedback provided from teachers at recent Parent/Teacher/Student interviews and the upcoming reports for Years 9 and 10 in order to set new goals for the coming semester. Conversations with your son about the past term that encourage him to identify opportunities and strategies that build on his experiences in Summer Term are essential.

I congratulate all boys in Year 9 for a wonderful first term in the Senior School. The boys have embraced the opportunities available to them and 'hit the ground running'. The Year 9 enrichment boys capped off a great term by placing second in the Da Vinci Decathlon across all schools in Perth.

Next week, all boys will receive an invitation to attend Camp Gallipoli. This is a voluntary, overnight event that has great significance during this centenary period of the First World War.

Camp Gallipoli will be an opportunity to learn more about the events that have shaped our society today and the qualities of the ANZAC spirit of loyalty, courage, mateship and pride. Qualities that the boys demonstrate as a College at PSA events and in their daily lives. The event will include Ray Martin interviewing four Victoria Cross recipients, performances from Matt and Jess from X Factor and a number of short films.

While the event is voluntary, if the last line of the Ode, "At the going down of the sun and in the morning we will remember them" is to be more than a cliché read on ANZAC Day and Remembrance Day, events such as Camp Gallipoli and the City of Perth ANZAC Parade are integral in keeping their memory alive. I encourage boys to consider the invitation to attend and make themselves available on the evening of April 24.

I wish all families a restful and a refreshing break.

Dr Robert McEwan

Head of Senior School

Senior School Important Dates

Summer Term will conclude for Senior School boys at 1.00pm on Friday 8 April.

The final marching and assembly of the term will take place on Friday morning in the Dickinson Centre commencing at 8.35am. As always, parents are welcome to attend.

Autumn Term commences on Wednesday 27 April, Week 1A, with the boys heading straight to class. Boys are to be dressed in their winter uniform on their return to school. A reminder that uniform and haircuts are to be addressed prior to the commencement of term.

Normal sport training resumes for all boys on the afternoon of Wednesday 27 April (no morning training). All sporting information is available on home.scotch and will be updated throughout the term.

Boys' Achievements

Jordan Doull (Year 12, Alexander) was selected for the Western Australian State Golf Team to play in the 2016 Interstate Series in Tasmania at the Ulverstone Golf Club.

Alexander Allcock (Year 12, Cameron) played in the 2016 Western Australian State Amateur Golfing Championships over two days, having made it through to the final 32 players from an original field of 140 and played through to the men's quarter final. A highlight was his two under par 70 in the first round.

Kelton Mulvay (Year 12, St Andrews) was an integral part of the winning team, Trigg Island, at the state surf lifesaving carnival. Kelton won 2 gold medals, 4 silver and a bronze across the two days of competition.

Martin Berry (Year 12, Ross) is a Round Square Committee Member.

Jonathan Ashby (Year 12, Stuart) and Chase Deitner (Year 12, Anderson) have been selected for the 2016 West Australian State Pathway VIII Rowing Crew to compete at the Australian National Team Selection Regatta in Sydney.

Max Garbutt-Wilkins (Year 11, Ferguson), Blake Fabling (Year 11, St Andrews) and Toby Muir (Year 11, Brisbane) have all been selected to represent Western Australia in Water Polo at the School Sport National Championships in Canberra, 22-27 May.

Levi Duyckers (Year 10, Cameron) has been selected to play in the WA Kickstart Team to compete in the 2016 AFL National Diversity Championships to be held in Townsville from 2 - 8 April. This is an elite athlete programme for Aboriginal boys aged 15 years or younger.

Marcello Torre (Year 9, Cameron) finished the sailing season in his optimist as a state champion and has moved to a bigger boat. He has declined all Australian team offers in his Optimist as decided Year 9 was too important to take a lot of time off school. He will attend the 420 worlds in San Remo in Italy during the July school holidays. He has been offered the last youth spot to represent Australia at this regatta.

School Age Swimming Champions

Inter-House Cross Country Results

Inter-House Surfing Competition Results

Have Sum Fun

Over the two weeks leading into Easter, Scotch College presented five teams from Year 5 to Year 12 in the MAWA 2016 Have Sum Fun competitions. There were up to 40 teams in each age division and this was the first time we have entered a Year 5 and 6 team. All our teams were competitive, tough questions were a plenty, hind sight, for some, would have been great and each learnt something from the occasion.

Ms Jo Fletcher is our Enrichment Coordinator for Mathematics and the enthusiasm and passion she and the boys have shown in the enrichment sessions has been tremendous. Special mention goes to one of our two Year 7 and 8 teams, consisting of William Steinberg (Year 8, Bruce), Daniel Wiese (Year 8, Gordon), Sam Wake (Year 8, Bruce), Oliver Barrett (Year 7, Andrew), Heath Muller (Year 7, Bruce) and Jim Allan (Year 7, James), who convincingly won their competition.

The maths enrichment groups will now move onto preparing for some of the national individual competitions.

Ms Sam Rees

Curriculum Leader Mathematics

Careers Information

Schools Curriculum & Standards Authority Notices

Non School-Candidates 2016

Non-school candidates are typically Year 12 students who wish to sit a language examination through interstate language examination where the course is not offered at Scotch College (eg Italian, German, Indonesian Background Speaker …) or a Year 12 student who is undertaking the French background language examination where the course is not offered at Scotch College.

Applications forms for Non-School Candidates are available from Mr Frusher at Scotch. Applications close on Wednesday 6 April, 2016.

Changes to Enrolments Year 12 students

Wednesday 6 April, 2016 is the final date for changes to enrolments in ATAR and General courses for Year 12 students.

Year 12 students are able to withdraw from ATAR courses with practical examination components up until Friday, 29 July and from ATAR courses which do not have practical examination components up until Friday, 26 August, 2016.

Year 12 students are able to withdraw from General courses up until Friday, 26 August, 2016.

Students need discuss any changes of enrolments with Mr Frusher prior to the dates indicated above.

University Information

Notre Dame University 10 May and 1 June, 2016

Notre Dame's Course Information Evenings give future students the opportunity to find out more about the wide range of courses available on our Fremantle campus, chat with academic staff and current students, and find out how to apply.

Murdoch University

Day in the Life of a University Student - For Year 11 and 12 students

Thursday 21 April 9.00am - 3.30pm

In the upcoming school holidays Year 11 and 12 students are invited to come along and experience what it's really like to be a Murdoch University student! This event is free to attend and a delicious lunch will be provided.

Students can choose from the following classes:

Animal Science, Information Technology, Biomedical Science, Law, Chiropractic, Science, Philosophy, Criminology, Photography, Engineering, Physics, Environmental Science, Sport and Health Science, Forensic, Science, Web Communication, Games Art and Design

Registrations for this event are essential and places are filling fast. Further information can be found by visiting the website below.

Interested students to please register via http://www.experience.murdoch.edu.au/event/a-day-in-the-life-of-a-murdoch-university-student/

Revision Courses

Year 11 and 12 April ATAR Revision with Academic Task Force - 10 hour or 6 hour subject revision at Rossmoyne SHS, Churchlands SHS and Perth Modern School. Enrol now online at www.academictaskforce.com.au or call 9314 9500 or email learn@academictaskforce.com.au.

Year 12 April ATAR Revision Courses with Academic Associates - 10 hour courses available at the University of Western Australia and the University of Notre Dame. Enrol online at www.academicassociates.com.au or call 9314 9500 or email info@academicassociates.com.au

Year 7, 8, 9 and 10 Skills Development Programme with Academic Task Force - 6 hour per course - 3 hours per day at Rossmoyne SHS, Churchlands SHS and Perth Modern School. Enrol now online at www.academictaskforce.com.au or call 9314 9500 or email learn@academictaskforce.com.au. Courses include Learning Skills, Essay Writing, Foundation Maths and English and Advanced Maths and Intermediate English.

ATARget Revision Programme

Christchurch Grammar School

Monday 11 April - Friday 15 April, 2016

The Middle School Programme consists of five hours of teaching per subject broken up into five sessions of 60 minutes each.

The ATAR Revision and Exam Preparation Programme consists of 10 hours of teaching per subject broken up into two hours a day for five days. There is also an option to attend a five-hour study skills seminar that focuses on exam techniques and strategies. The essay writing programme which also involves five hours of instruction re-teaches how to construct a sound thesis and topic sentences, and revises how to include evidence to justify these claims.

Enrol on-line at www.atarget.com.au or phone 9486 1377.

Lions Club International

Two national Lions' youth projects are now being offered to Australian youth aged 16-21 years.

Lion Youth Exchange give young people the opportunity to live with Lions families overseas during the end of year summer holidays. The program does not involve tuition or school attendance but is rather a cultural holiday whereby students can immerse themselves in a new culture, enjoy supervised sightseeing and practise second language skills such as German, French, Japanese Italian, Spanish … Contact Lorraine Hemsworth to discuss the application process l.hemsworth@bigpond.org . Applications close 30 June, 2016.

Leo Clubs focus on the individual and social development of teens and the personal and professional development of young adults. Each Leo Club is mentored by, and works in partnership with, their local Lions Club. For more information go to www.lionsclub.org.au/activities/youth/leos or contact Martin Peebles mgfp1952@hotmail.com.

Student Exchange Australia New Zealand

Experience a new culture, make new friends and learn a new language at home.

In April, June and July 2016 students from over 25 countries around the world, will be arriving in Australia to study at local high schools for 3-10 months.

Opportunities exist for families to act as a host family, in a volunteer capacity. Hosting can be on a temporary, short or long term basis. Host families help provide international students with the chance to study and experience life in Australia. This is a great way to learn about another country and culture, establish a lifelong link to a family in another country and contribute to international goodwill.

If your family can offer a friendly, supportive and caring home environment, contact us today.

To hear more about this wonderful opportunity or our student exchange programmes out of Australia, Call Student Exchange Australia New Zealand on 1300 135 331 or visit www.studentexchange.org.au/host-a-student.

Career Tips

CareerMe App

CareerMe is a free app for young people that helps plan career paths and find job opportunities. It has information about which skills are required for different industries and training requirements and opportunities. It is available for Apple and Android.

http://www.careerme.com.au/

Mr Peter Frusher

Careers Adviser

Scotch Auxiliary

Thank you to the parents who attended the March parent evenings for Year 6, 7 and 9. These get-togethers, hosted jointly with the Parents' Association, were very well attended which is a nice reflection of our parent community, particularly as an enjoyable way to meet new parents.

Upcoming Events:

Year 10 Coffee Morning - Monday 2 May, The Shorehouse, Swanbourne from 8.30am.

Save the Date:

Year 9 Parent Evening - Steve's Hotel, Nedlands, Thursday 19 May from 7.00pm.

Next Meeting:

Monday 9 May, Gooch Pavilion

Parents please join us from 8.30am. Tea and coffee provided. The meeting commences at 9.00am.

Wishing everyone safe and relaxing school holidays.

Mrs Carissa Paganin

President

Parent Rugby Supporters Group

Could rugby parents please respond directly to your Year Group Rep if you are happy for your email to be used in a parent contact list to receive weekly rugby information. Could you please also confirm to your year reps your attendance at the season opening cocktail party on 7 May for catering purposes.

The reps contact emails are as follows:

Important Dates

Trial Game:

First XV vs Associates at Scotch, Tuesday 26 April. Kick off at 4.15pm.

Committee Meeting:

Monday 2 May, 6.00pm at Council Room

Season Opener:

Saturday 7 May, 6.30pm - 9.30pm, 23A Airlie Street, Claremont.

Contact details for local Community Rugby Clubs:

Associates Rugby Club: 0422 935 740

Cottesloe Rugby Club: 0407 009 066

UWA Rugby Club: 0413 107 130

Gill Youngleson

Parents Association

Save the dates

The Scotch Parents Association in conjunction with the Scotch Auxiliary manages a number of Parent functions throughout the year. These Year Group functions are annual events and a great opportunity to meet other parents in your boys year group(s)

Thurs 9th June - Year 8 parent Evening - The School Gallery

The parents Association also organises a mid year function for all parents across the whole school to come together to celebrate making it to half way ..!! This is held on the last day of Term 2.

Thurs 30^th June - PA Mid year Evening - The School Gallery

On behalf of the Parents Association I take this opportunity to wish you all a safe and restful Summer Term break. We look forward to the next opportunities that await our return for the Autumn Term.

Regards

Ian Knobel

President, Parents Association

Scotch Sailing Support Group

Good luck to our Sailing teams.

Scotch Sailing has been training hard. During the April school holidays Scotch sailing teams will defend the WA Inter School State title at Point Walter. The regatta will be held from 19 to 21 April.

Scotch will have two teams competing and possibly a third. First and second teams have been named and the boys will continue to train through the holidays. We wish the boys well to again bring home the silverware.

Town of Claremont - Victoria Ave Road Rehabilitation Project

The attached letter was delivered to residents in Victoria Avenue between Warwick Street and Freshwater Parade re 'Victoria Avenue - Road Rehabilitation Project 2015-16 - between Warwick Street and Freshwater Parade, Claremont'.

Pre works will start this week and most of them will be in the verge and any works in the median will be done between 9.30am and 2.30pm.

Week 2 and Week 3 works are during school holidays.

Frankie Fraider

Administration Officer - Infrastructure

Town of Claremont www.claremont.wa.gov.au