When I consider the various things that differentiate Scotch College from other school communities, a major one that comes to mind is the presence of our Residential Life community. Last week was National Boarding Week, and while Scotch will be doing a separate day of celebration in line with our Ag Day, I thought it an appropriate time to reflect on why we have Residential Life and why it is so important to our College.

For families from the city, the concept of sending your Year 7 son away to receive an education may seem very foreign; however for many of our rural, expat and international families, Scotch College offers a residential haven for their son to study, grow and flourish. I have no doubt that if, in their home towns, they had the same opportunity Scotch College offers, then most parents would have their sons stay and complete their education locally. For many this is simply not a reality. Furthermore, capital city boarding schools are seeing an increase in mid-week boarding for other reasons, not just rural isolation.

Having lived in a university residential college for 10 years, six as the Head and CEO of Trinity UWA, I came to meet 350+ students a year who had come from some form of boarding community or school. Furthermore, over dinner conversations and corridor catch ups, I was privy to the myriad of reasons why students had chosen to come to a Perth based boarding school to complete their high school education, then move into a residential college for their tertiary studies.

There are many reasons why parents choose to send their children to boarding school. Undoubtedly the main driver for both country and international families (and indeed some city families) is to provide their child with greater educational opportunities.

For those living in rural communities, their 'local' option may be some distance from home, necessitating several hours of travel each day. International families might seek English language fluency for their child as a prerequisite to overseas tertiary education. Sending a son to boarding school is not an easy decision. Leaving aside the financial commitment, it can be a major pull on the heart strings.

Notwithstanding the obvious challenges for the families and boys, there are many benefits to boarding school that can have a life-long impact on a boy's education journey. Here are just some of the benefits of boarding.

1. Access to a world-class education. This may not be the case for many of the families in their home region.
2. A choice of curriculum. Students at Scotch College have a large choice of education pathways, with access to WACE, the International Baccalaureate or Vocational Education and Training programmes. This means students have a range of career options to pursue once graduating from the College.
3. Sporting opportunities. Our boarding house opens up onto arguably the best set of sporting fields in WA if not the country. Our boarders love sport and can access the pool and gym facilities along with all of the playing fields. They also have the opportunity to join local clubs to play weekend sport outside of their PSA commitments.
4. Independence. Boarding students quickly learn how to perform many household tasks and chores themselves and they also become more independent learners. In addition, boarders need to be responsible for managing their own money and belongings, helping them to mature earlier and become more resourceful.
5. Friendships and connections. Boarders often form very close friendships and connections with their boarding 'family'. They have the benefit of having many shared experiences through the enormous extracurricular offering. The connections that boarders make with their fellow residents is never more apparent than during their graduating dinner when they share their stories about life in boarding.
6. Cultural diversity International and global perspectives. Boys don't see race or colour - they see opportunities to play and relate. Boarding students benefit from living amongst boys from a range of different backgrounds and cultures.
7. Boarding Specific Wellbeing programmes. We have a team of support staff to meet both the academic and emotional needs of boarders. Furthermore our wellbeing staff member offers an array of recreation and other activities to enhance the boys experience while in residence.
8. Close community of learners. Living and studying together brings with it many benefits. Helping each other to achieve is just part of living in residence.
9. Daily routines that teach co-responsibility and discipline. Strict routine and independence from parents fosters self-reliance among our boarders.
10. Mentorship Teachers and older students in a boarding school environment are uniquely supportive of younger students.
11. Academic Innovation. Boarding is often ahead of the curve in terms of creating or integrating innovative education techniques and improvements.
12. An environment of learning outside of the classroom. The immersion in school life offered by boarding allows a holistic approach to learning that extends well beyond classroom walls.
13. Culture of collaboration and responsibility. The boarding school environment encourages all children to learn more about how to work well with others.
14. Cross curricular. The extra time allowed by boarding school allows for fuller integration of curricula and programmes.

In essence, the Residential Life community at Scotch College offers many rewarding and ongoing experiences that really do add to our College's goal of 'Preparing boys for life'.

A second major differentiator at Scotch College is the strength of community support and participation in big events. This was on display on Saturday night, 19 May when we held our bi-annual Scottish Banquet. Some 400+ parents and staff were treated to yet another night to remember. Special thanks must go to Natasha Taylor, Claire Howie and Sue Moffat for their coordination of the evening. I would also like to extend my sincere gratitude to one of our parents, Mr Liam Bartlett for generously agreeing to MC the evening. The camaraderie and fun loving atmosphere reinforced why Scotch has a culture of which we can be so proud.

Finally, congratulations to all staff, especially Mr Peter Allen, Mrs Kate Quinn and Mrs Katie Hobbs, who assisted in the facilitation of the Scribblers Festival. Across three days, over 1500 students attended sessions at Scotch. The festival was an amazing success.

Have a great fortnight.

Dr A J O'Connell
Headmaster

Want to know what your son is learning? Just click here…

As a relatively new parent when it comes to my own children's experience at school, I am already finding my thoughts of engaging family discussions around the dinner table about learning are a misguided reality.

The reality works something like this:

Me: Isabella, what did you learn in school today?

Isabella: That my teacher is not married…

Me: That's nice, what else did you learn?

Isabella: That Mrs Sanderson supports the Giants in AFL.

Me: Did you learn any new words or numbers?

Isabella: I don't know…Can I go outside.

Me: Yes...

At the College, this may not represent your interaction with your son. However, if it does, we would like to give you a small head start to ask some questions with a clearer focus. This year Mr Brad Tyrell and library staff have worked in conjunction with Deans of Teaching and Learning in each sub-school to deliver a newly updated course information page.

It can be accessed by clicking here.

Whilst not designed to be a detailed breakdown of content delivery. It should provide a broad overview for parents, as well as boys, to consider what it is they are learning now as well as looking into the future years ahead.

We hope that you find the resource useful and can engage more meaningful conversations about learning in your family home.

I am off to speak to Isabella.

Mr Peter Allen
Director of Teaching and Learning

A Sense of Entitlement

Each of us, at some stage, feels as though we are entitled. We might have a sense that we are entitled to feel a particular way. This is often when we feel aggrieved that some wrong has been done to us. We might feel entitled to a pay rise or to some peace and quiet, or to more than we have, or to what others have. A sense of entitlement goes well beyond our basic human rights and into the realms of privilege. The great danger with having a sense of entitlement that endures over a period of time is that we come to see ourselves as more important than anybody else; that we deserve to be treated better than anybody else, or that we deserve more than anybody else. We see this daily, from the corridors of power to the kindergarten sandpit.

This sense of entitlement is something that eats away at a community: believing that others are there to serve us and that we have a right to take what we want creates a deep sense of unfairness, which leads to division and dysfunction.

Being honest and open minded are keys to countering a culture of entitlement. Firstly, we must be willing to accept that perhaps we are not as special as we have come to believe, or as we have been told we are. We have to be open-minded enough to accept that there are other ways of looking at - and seeing - a situation, and even the world. We have to be willing to interrogate our own mindset.

I think that the opposite end of the spectrum to entitlement is compassion, which is really empathy in action. It is an awareness of suffering, wishing that suffering would stop and a willingness and readiness to take action. If you are interested to read more, please click here.

Self-compassion is an important part of compassion, and of resilience, but that is a topic for another time.

Along the pathway to compassion are things such as appreciation and humility. I often think that humility is misunderstood - it is not that we don't matter, or that everyone else is more important than us, but that everyone matters, and the concerns and needs of others are at least as important as our own. Appreciation, humility and compassion should lead us to showing gratitude.

People with a sense of entitlement are not curious about the world around them, except for trying to work out what it can do for - or provide for - them. Those who have compassion are interested in the world around them because they explore it from a mindset which asks, "What can I do to help?" This is something each of us should strive to embody and to embed within our sons and students.

Fortnite

Many of you will be aware that this computer game has become very popular and it may be that your son is playing it. Boys are not entitled to play whatever they want - this is something that they must negotiate with you. At Jordan Foster's cyber-safety presentation to Year 8 parents, she emphasised the importance of controlling access, setting boundaries and openly communicating. She encouraged parents (particularly dads) to supervise and even participate in some gaming, as a way to build trust and understanding. It should be said that Fortnite is simply the latest in a long line of online attractions; I think knowledge is power and enables us to deal with our fears much better. Whilst the game in and of itself is not necessarily a bad thing, there are some concerns which have been raised. Family Zone have written a blog on the game which you may choose to read here

Mr James Hindle
Director of Student and Staff Wellbeing

Love Angels

Last Friday evening the products of a lot of hard work went on sale at the first Love Angels Market Stall. In Jane Roche's art lessons Year 3 boys have been using mono printing of their dogs to create greeting cards. These were then printed with the generosity of the Constantine family. The name of the boy who made the card is on the back and most have a quote describing how they came to create their picture. The cards were a big hit and the boys raised a considerable amount of money which has been donated to Ros Worthington's Love Angels Project.

Felix Jones, Head of Student Council, made a speech at the event that outlined how Scotch College came to be associated with Love Angels and the resulting relationship that we have built with Maddington Primary School. The College's work with Maddington is having a great impact and the Year 3s efforts were warmly received. As one attendee I heard say, "if this is a reflection of the youth today, we are in good hands".

If you are interested in purchasing a set of cards, please email Pru Adams pru.adams@scotch.wa.edu.au.

Knitwits

Knitwits has started on a Thursday afternoon. All boys are encouraged to come along to learn a new skill and contribute to providing for those in need.

Salvos Soup Run

Last Wednesday morning the College filled its first roster on The Salvation Army morning Soup Run in the City. Mrs Scott joined us as we prepared the van and headed to two locations in the city, just off Langley Park on Plain Street, and Wellington Square. The boys were brilliant at serving the homeless who visited the van and engaging with them as they would other citizens.

We have secured one morning a month on the roster and are using it as an opportunity for the boys who make soup on Tuesday afternoons to get out and see how their hard work pays off.

Women's Hearts

On Thursday 10 May, we welcomed Fiona Gardiner and Linda Bolton form The Heart Foundation to the Mother's Day Breakfast hosted by the Junior School. Linda spoke to the gathering about the dangers of heart disease, especially in women, and some of the things that Scotch College is doing to promote healthy hearts.

The College has entered an agreement with The Heart Foundation to help them promote their messages and to ensure we are doing all we can to prevent heart disease in our community. These initiatives include, equipping our students to encourage their families (particularly mothers) to take time out to look after their hearts, familiarising our students with signs of a heart attack, and where possible training our boys in CPR, and ensuring our defibrillation devices are on hand and in working order.

Students will also be educated on the importance of focusing on heart health from birth onwards, with heart disease now known to begin in childhood and teenage years.

Mr David Kyle
Director of Community and Service

Senior School Production: The Wedding Singer!

The 80s were an era of excess and ostentation, where greed is good, hair is huge and rock-star wannabe Robbie Hart is living in his Grandma's basement making ends meet as New Jersey's favorite wedding singer. Scotch College invites you to the ultimate blast from the past with this year's Senior School Production of the Broadway Musical, The Wedding Singer 12 - 16 June.

Tickets available now via the Scotch College website - Book a Scotch Event. Click here.

Headmaster's Country Tours

In the coming months, Headmaster Dr Alec O'Connell will be travelling throughout regional Western Australia with our Director of Residential Life, Mr Marcus Wilkinson.

The purpose of the tour is to connect with current, past and new families and speak to interested families about the future of education and "Why Scotch?" Dr O'Connell and Mr Wilkinson will be at the following locations between May and August and welcome you to register your attendance via the Scotch College website. For more information and to register, please click here.

Thursday 24 May - Busselton
Stilts Beach Bar & Restaurant
11 Holgate Road, Broadwater, 6pm - 8pm
Light refreshments provided

Wednesday 6 June - Beverley
Details TBC

Wednesday 13 June - Moora
The Drover's Inn
1 Dandaragan Street, Moora, 6pm - 8pm
Light refreshments provided

Monday 13 August - Bridgetown
Nelson's of Bridgetown
38 Hampton Street, Bridgetown, 6pm - 8pm
Light refreshments provided

Temporary Boarding

Join our Residential Community

Scotch College Residential Life continues a long and valued tradition of boarding at the School. It provides a structured, supportive and caring educational environment for boys to develop skills and attitudes that will prepare them for the wider world. In boarding we pride ourselves on teaching the social values of trust, cooperation, tolerance, respect, loyalty and pride.

At Scotch, we provide a range of flexible boarding options to meet the needs of our Year 7 to 12 students and their families.

We offer full-time boarding for students from remote areas, international students and local students choosing to live-in seven days a week.

Boarding is also offered on a temporary basis, if you are travelling, or if there is an illness in the family. This option can be as flexible as you need it to be. Temporary boarders will be part of a close knit community and have plenty of opportunities to study, play sports and enjoy recreational activities.

Another option available to Scotch students is weekly boarding, taking the pressure off busy family life. Students live in the boarding house for four nights (Monday to Thursday) then have three nights at home (Friday to Sunday). This is a perfect solution for many families.

If you think your son would benefit from life in boarding, then please contact the Residential Life Administration Office on +61 9460 6655 or by emailing ResidentialLife.Admin@scotch.wa.edu.au.

Mr Marcus Wilkinson
Director of Residential Life

Report Card On Health And Wellbeing

In December 2017 the Australian Research Alliance for Children and Youth released a 'report card' on the wellbeing of young Australians, its third in recent years. It provides international comparisons showing areas of success - and challenge - for child and youth wellbeing. See more here.

It notes that mental health is a growing issue for young Australians. The report highlights increases in the percentage of young people experiencing high levels of psychological distress, increases in the percentage of 15 to 19 year olds with probable serious mental illness, and an increase in youth suicide rates.

While not all the news is bad (both youth violence and smoking and drug use are down), the statistics point again to the vital role of schools in preparing young people for life by addressing mental health and wellbeing needs.

Ms Shauna Lipscombe
Senior School Psychologist

Uniform Shop

Opening Hours

The Uniform Shop will be closed for the mid-term break and Public Holiday (ie Friday, 1 June)

Supporters' Tops

Supporters' tops are available in the Uniform Shop. We have a softshell jacket and vest, a rugby jumper and a warm polar fleece vest - all ideal for those cold winter mornings next to the playing field!

Medical Information and Contact Details

Just a reminder that it is a requirement for all students attending tours and excursions that Medical information and contact details have been checked and updated within three months of departure. To ensure we have accurate medical information in the case of an emergency, please ensure you log on and check your son's details as and when requested. This is essential for your son's safety and a legal requirement. If you wish to see your son's present details, please click here on the link below or search 'medical' on the main page. You will however be requested to check them again if your son is going on a tour.

Clean Safe Water

Cheru is five years old and she lives in Kenya with her family. The youngest of four siblings, each day Cheru walks 7 km to collect water. She can only carry it in a small kettle because of her size. Cheru and her family have to make that trip twice a day taking close to seven hours gather the much need water. This means Cheru and her siblings rarely have the time to go to school.

Cheru is one of the 844 million people worldwide who still do not have access to clean drinking water. For those people, the average distance that they walk each day in the search of drinking water is 6 km. To access water, they often have to dig for it or find surface water sitting in puddles, dried river or lake beds. The water Cheru collects is dirty and it makes her and her family ill and causes many illness and diseases including cholera, typhoid, hepatitis and dysentery.

The search for water is a lifesaving task but one that at the same time can put their lives at risk. In developing countries, each person services on an average of three liters of water per day. This is for washing, cooking, cleaning and drinking. In Australia we average 340 liters per person per day and can be confident that our water is clean and safe to drink.

844 million people worldwide do not have access to safe and clean drinking water. What does 844 million people look like? Such a large number it is hard to comprehend especially for young children. To give you an idea, 844 million is equivalent to the population of Australia times 34. It is also equivalent to the population of the following countries combined: United States of America, United Kingdom, Australia, France, Germany, Spain, Turkey, NZ, Poland, Italy and Portugal.

On Friday 18 May the children from Pre-Kindy to Year 5 took part in a 6 km Walk for Water. The 6 km Walk for Water is an annual appeal lead by World Vision where people around the world walk 6 km, which is the average distance children in developing countries have to walk to get access to clean water. The funds raised will go towards supporting the work of World Vision which will help communities in developing countries around the world to gain easy and safe access to clean drinking water so that they can lead healthy lives. The actions of our Junior School children on Friday gave them an opportunity to reflect on the plight of people around the world and to do what little they could to help.

Following our walk, we gathered for an assembly where we talked about why the walk was important as well as the plight of Cheru and other children around the world. The boys were extremely engaged in the assembly. They asked some wonderful questions and thought hard about how they could make a difference to the lives of these people.

There will be further opportunities this year for us to support the work of World Vision and their efforts to bring clean drinking water to people around the world. We hope that our Scotch College community will support those actions and help us to change of lives of children like Cheru.

Mr John Stewart

Head of Junior School

International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme (PYP)

PYP Evaluation

The Junior School has just completed our three-day Three Programme evaluation visit. We enjoyed the opportunity to share our PYP journey with the Evaluators.

The Evaluators had three days to conduct interviews, observations, tours and formal meetings with College Council members, the Headmaster, teachers, parents and students.

Thank you to the four Year 5 and 6 boys; Alex Hudson, George De Prinzio, Ben Flynn, Charlie Bowles, Calum Cameron, Oliver Cooper, Jared Hutchinson, Abel Algie, Charlie Roads, Nicholas Zhao, Heath Arbuckle and Lachlan Cairns - who all shared their knowledge and own experiences of life as PYP students with the Evaluators.

I would also like to thank the parents who met with the Evaluators to share their perspectives with the Evaluators. Thank you to Rachel Cook, Gavin Cox, Rose De Prinzio, Andrea Knox-Lyttle and Rebekah Manley.

We will receive a formal report in a few months time to help focus our action plan for the next five years. We will share the results of the Evaluation report with the School community in coming newsletters.

Mr Warwick Norman
Friendly Schools and Families Coordinator

Year 2F News

The Year 2 boys had a busy and enjoyable Summer Term. The highlight being our first Year 2/ Year 12 collaboration, where the boys, big and small, challenged themselves to build a tower out of spaghetti and marshmallows in order to support the weight of an egg.

Another major event involved meeting the awesome Jacqueline Harvey, the author of, 'Kensy and Max'. Many of the boys wanted to become authors or spies following the presentation as she was fantastic!

We hit the ground running in Autumn Term with preparation for our Mother's Day assembly. The boys were excited to present a special poem and song for their mothers, while a slide show featuring newborn photos and current photos of boys with their mums, certainly surprised them on the big screen. We aren't sure how many dry eyes there were on the day!

We hope all the mums loved their hand drawn key-rings and a big thank you to our pre-service teacher Olivia Jacobsen, for working with us so tirelessly to have them ready for the special day.

Mrs Tara Fowles
Year 2 Teacher

Performing Arts News

Performing Arts lessons have continued with a lot of enthusiasm and joy in the Junior School this term. The boys have shown outstanding commitment and dedication in their creative pursuits. Boys in Year 1 have been demonstrating their ability to discuss and implement a variety of musical elements like little rock stars; the Year 2 lads have just performed a beautiful tribute to their marvelous mums whilst truly grasping the concept of 'music for a purpose'; boys in Year 3 and 4 have gone tribal, creating and performing primitive dance sequences that tell a story. Finally, the Year 5 boys have been working steadily towards their goal of creating and performing the best musical ever and what fun we have been having! Their efforts have been made all the more impressive given how incredibly busy they have been of late. The highlight of my week was receiving a video from the beautiful Mrs Roche of the 5A lads practising the musical songs during their Visual Arts lesson - just divine!

Miss Phebe Samson
Performing Arts Teacher

From the Head of Middle School

Did you attend the Scottish Banquet on Saturday evening? This bi annual event is held by Scotch Parents and as was the case last Saturday another brilliant evening. Whilst it is a night of dining and dancing and an abundance of kilts, it is also fun look back at some of the Scottish culture that forms part of our history. If you have the chance to attend one of these banquets in your time at Scotch I can assure you it will be an enjoyable evening.

Looking at other cultures, particularly those we live or intersect with is important. Last week I spent 3 days in the remote Aboriginal community of Barunga in the Northern Territory. Barunga community is about 80 kilometres south and east of Katherine on the Arnhem Land Road and has 80 students in K-Year 10 in its school. During the day myself and the 2 other visiting teachers worked in the classes with the students and their teachers and in the afternoon, we kicked the footy, walked the community and helped the students with words and music for songs they were writing for the forthcoming Barunga Festival. At night we slept beneath the stars in swags.

The purpose of the visit was to identify an Indigenous community that would be interested in an annual student exchange visit: ie a group of 12-16 Scotch boys living, learning and working in the community for a week and then playing key role in helping host a reciprocal visit to Perth from that community. The opportunity to immerse into an indigenous community and the region's geography and to explore the connection between these two aspects for a week would be a rich learning opportunity for our students.

We all have our own values, lifestyle and culture. Last week was a reminder about the richness to be found in experiencing someone else's values, lifestyle and culture. An Indigenous Community exchange opportunity is a project we will continue to develop and hopefully make available for Middle School boys from 2019.

Mr Richard Ledger
Head of Middle School

Safety In Numbers for 7.4A

This semester, the 7.4A Homeroom class has becoming increasingly familiar with our Middle School Science laboratories. Lessons held within the labs are always popular and not just because they choose their seat or because they get to wear a tie-dyed lab coat!

The opportunity to conduct hands on investigations in a state of the art, purpose-built laboratory is keenly appreciated by all, especially when it comes to the practical phase of an experiment.

In anticipation of several upcoming tasks, our focus this week has been how to safely use a Bunsen burner. Following several demonstrations and theoretical lessons, the boys were required to complete a practical assessment, where they were required to collaboratively demonstrate the ability to correctly set up, light and dismantle a Bunsen burner. I have never seen boys so keen to complete an assessment!

Whilst it was pleasing all boys passed the practical assessment, I was most delighted with the manner in which they conducted themselves during the task. The leadership and teamwork demonstrated was a testament to just how far this group has come regarding their collaborative skills.

Watching boys developing the confidence to safely use a Bunsen burner is a fantastic process to witness and I look forward to seeing 7.4A utilise their skills in our upcoming experiments.

Mr Andrew Arbuckle
7.4A Homeroom Teacher

8.4F's Road to Glory

Rafael Nadal's words of wisdom could not be truer; "The glory is not winning here or winning there. The glory is enjoying practising, enjoy every day, enjoying to work hard, trying to be a better player than before."

This term in Physical Education, the stars of 8.4F are enjoying their road to glory, developing their skills, strategies and tactics in Tennis. Through a variety of game based activities, students are not only trying to become better players, but also better communicators. From providing feedback to their peers on their technique, to communicating on the court with their partners during game play; boys are developing and putting their decision making and communication skills to the test. Part of becoming a better player is learning how to handle close calls on the court. With no third umpire technology available, students have to communicate and collaborate effectively with their peers to reach a decision. The values that guide these decisions include integrity, respect and honesty; the values of a true sportsman.

Miss Rochelle Gaudieri
8.4F Homeroom Teacher

Headmaster's Commendations

Important Dates in Middle School Autumn Term

From the Head of Senior School

The importance of our Approaches to Learning - May 2018

The Australian Government established the Review to Achieve Educational Excellence in Australian Schools (the Review) in July 2017. Mr David Gonski AC chaired the Review, supported by an independent panel of experts drawn from different states, school systems and sectors. This review has become known as Gonski 2.0. Dr O'Connell highlighted some of the key recommendations from this review in his reflections in our previous edition of the Thistle.

The review states that "School education must also prepare students for a complex and rapidly changing world. As routine manual and administrative activities are increasingly automated. More jobs will require a higher level of skill, and more school leavers will need skills that are not easily replicated by machines, such as problem-solving, interactive and social skills, and critical and creative thinking".

The Review Panel recommends placing increased emphasis on teaching general capabilities in the F-10 (Foundation to Year 10) Australian Curriculum. Within the Australian Curriculum the general capabilities are;

Literacy, numeracy, ICT capability, personal and social capability, ethical understanding and intercultural understanding. A capability encompasses knowledge, skills, behaviours and dispositions. Students develop capability when they apply knowledge and skills confidently, effectively and appropriately in complex and changing circumstances, in their learning at school and in their lives outside school.

As you will have identified from the list of general capabilities above, these correlate well to the Approaches to Learning (ATL) and IB Learner Profile we as a College incorporate into our Teaching and Learning and across the College as an IB World School. While we are not specifically delivering the Middle Years Programme in Year 9 this year (and within Year 10 in 2019), these very valuable capabilities are still being incorporated and, in the case of the ATL, being explicitly taught in Year 9 and will be taught in Year 10 in 2019 as a part of our new teaching and learning programmes.

The ATL being incorporated in the teaching and learning programmes in the Senior School support the notion that skills-based education carries increasing relevance to good teaching practice and in preparing our students for a world where knowledge alone will be insufficient to ensure success. Mrs Cara Fugill, Dean of Teaching and Learning in the Senior School, recently attended a BankWest Curtin University Economic Forum on the future of work in Australia with a number of students. In a presentation to staff she elucidated that the change from a manufacturing economy to a service economy in Australia means we need to prepare our students for a different tomorrow. One where people will change jobs more regularly, with as many as 30% of employees changing jobs every 12 months. A future where people are likely to have five to seven career changes in their life time and where social and leadership skills will become increasingly more important as automation rises. All this, and more, supports the College's commitment to teaching transferrable skills in thinking, self-management, research, communication and working in a social world in the context of their academic studies.

I look forward to working with you, my wonderful colleagues and your sons to see them best prepared for the challenges of our changing world.

Mr Dean Shadgett
Head of Senior School

Indonesian Tour 2018

Each Indonesian tour has ended up being a unique experience, even compared to such previous tours. This year's tour was no exception for Year 12 students Joshua Dyson (Ferguson), Thomas Nicholls (Shearer), Kieran Shine (Alexander), Richard van Uffelen (St Andrews), and Year 11 student James Jenour (Brisbane), as well as Dr Jonathan Tay and Mr Wilfred Liauw, who accompanied them on the journey.

Students spent the first week of the tour in the university city of Yogyakarta, where they participated in an intensive Indonesian language course at the Sanata Dharma University. They also had the opportunity to experience some of Indonesia's cultural and natural gems, including a Jeep tour at the foot of Mount Merapi, Indonesia's most active volcano, a visit to a permaculture farm, trying out silversmithing, and climbing up Borobudur Temple, a wonder of the ancient world. At the end of the week, students did an examination and gave a presentation in Indonesian on a current issue topic, in which they all did well. One of the highlights of our stay in Yogyakarta was the opportunity to meet and interact with many Indonesian people, which gave our students the rare, indispensable, and much needed real-life context for their Indonesian studies. At the closing ceremony, Kieran, Thomas, and Joshua presented the university with a pipe and drums performance.

At the end of the first week we flew to the busy megalopolis of Jakarta, the capital of Indonesia, to visit with our sister school, Al-Izhar. During our time in the city, our boys stayed with students from the school, some of whom we had met when they came to Scotch College last year. Our students participated in their school life, which included taking part in classes. They also had extracurricular activities after school such as making batik and traditional kites. In exchange, our students taught their new friends from Al-Izhar the games of cricket and handball. Our time with the students and teachers of Al-Izhar was not only a chance for our students to engage with life in Indonesia but also gave them an once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to establish relationships with new friends from another culture.

Each week and activity during the Indonesian tour afforded participants with a different experience, but all of them have served not only to improve their language skills and cultural understanding but have helped broaden their horizons both as a person and as a world citizen.

Dr Jonathan Tay
Modern Languages Teacher

Career Information

Careers Expos

The annual Scotch College Combined Schools Careers Expo will be held in the Dickinson Centre on Wednesday 13 June 2018 from 5.00pm - 7.00pm. Students in Year 10, 11 and 12 are invited to attend this Expo that will have representatives from all Western Australian universities and TAFE Colleges, Eastern States universities and many other private providers.

Year 10 to 11 Subject Selections

Parents and students are reminded that these selections are due in on-line by Friday 25 May and a hard copy to be handed in to Mr Frusher by the same date.

University Information

Murdoch University

Law and Criminology Information Evening - Wednesday 23 May

This is a chance for students to see how a Law or Criminology degree from Murdoch can help inspire the next generation

Community, Culture and Global Careers Evening - Wednesday 6 June

Discover how Social and Cultural Studies degrees can help you make a difference in the world.

The University of Melbourne - Thursday 14 June

The University of Melbourne will be holding an information evening: 'Meet Melbourne Perth' at the Hyatt Regency Hotel the evening of 14 June, between 6.30pm - 8.00pm, in the Grand Ballroom.

Representatives from the University of Melbourne will be giving a presentation on the night, to give students and parents a detailed introduction to all the things Melbourne has to offer. Students and their families are encouraged to come along and hear from university staff about:

• Courses and career outcomes, including the Melbourne degrees and graduate pathways
• Unique opportunities to enrich your degree such as studying a concurrent diploma or going on exchange
• Housing options, scholarships and student services
• Access Melbourne, our special entry and access scheme

University of Notre Dame Perth - Programme Info Evening - Wednesday 30 May

Whatever your aspirations, Notre Dame has a range of programs that are sure to suit your interests. You are invited to join attend this evening on campus to find out more at Studying at Notre Dame. Find out what makes Notre Dame unique, chat with our academics and students.

For further information please email future@nd.edu.au or call (08) 9433 0533.

Find out more here.

Curtin University - Pharmacy Info Evening Thursday 24 May

You are invited to attend a Pharmacy information evening or webinar, where you'll gain a unique insight into our accredited courses and the many rewarding career paths they can lead to.

Find out more here.

Year 12 Information

Year 12 Career Focus Breakfasts

Each year Old Scotch Collegians sponsor Career Focus Breakfasts where OSC members from various career areas attend a breakfast to talk about what their career involves, how they got there and offer to some helpful advice. These breakfasts occur each Tuesday in June from 7.15am - 8.25am at the Boarding House dining room annexe.

Year 12 students may attend as many breakfasts as they wish providing they have an interest in the career areas being offered on that day. To register for a breakfast, they need to complete the flyer emailed to them and return it to me. Please note that there will be a limit on numbers for each breakfast. Students from previous years have gained interesting career information, tips on appropriate university courses and have made a start to their networking contacts.

Please encourage your son to register for one or more of these breakfasts.

Year 12 Student Declaration & Permission

Please see the attached information document that pertains to ALL Year 12 WACE students. Mr Frusher will also be sending an email to all Year 12 students explaining how to complete this form. Please encourage you son to complete the form by the due date 21 June 2018.

Free Student Exchange Evening in Perth

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

Thursday, 24 May at 7.00pm

Adina Apartment Hotel

33 Mounts Bay Road, PERTH

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

Career Exploration

Students who are still unsure about career options are encourage to visit www.joboutlook.gov.au to discover more about daily tasks, skills needed, pathways and prospects for careers that they may aim for now or in the future. They are also able to take a Career Quiz.

Mr Peter Frusher
Careers Advisor

Important Dates in Senior School Autumn Term

Scotch Parents

The next Scotch Parents meeting will be held on Tuesday 19 June, at 9.00am in the Dining Room Annexe. We welcome all Scotch Parents. It is a great way to find out what is going on in the School and to meet other parents.

Year 11 Dance - Saturday 26 May

A reminder the Year 11 Dance will be held on Saturday 26 May in the Dickinson Centre. If your son would like to attend please purchase your tickets and return the signed permission letter as soon as possible.

Upcoming events

• Year 10 Parent Sundowner - Thursday 31 May

Please purchase tickets for this event by visiting the Scotch College website www.scotch.wa.edu.au and clicking on the "Book a Scotch Event" icon.

Ms Stephanie Debnam
President
Scotch Parents

Signed Sealed Delivered

In the world of popular music, it doesn't get any bigger than Queen of Soul Aretha Franklin and child prodigy-turned-superstar "Little" Stevie Wonder.

This show is not just hits but songs that tell their amazing life story and their legacy. And as we've come to expect from PSO productions, this will be about more than the music, with an historic guide through these artists' life changing cultural and political milestones.

PSO will be teaming up with the WAAPA Gospel Choir again following the sold out George Michael tribute Faith & Freedom in 2017, now over two nights due to overwhelming demand! They reunite at the Astor Theatre to perform the work of not one but both of these legends of soul, pop, funk and R&B.

Signed, Sealed, Delivered: the music of Stevie & Aretha
Wed 30 and Thu 31 May
Astor Theatre, Mt. Lawley
More info and tickets: http://perthsymphony.com/pso_event/signed-sealed-delivered/