Recently, I attended a professional development session on maximising communication in difficult situations. In essence, the session focused upon the art of listening and maximising listening as a strategic differentiator. Physiologically, most of us can claim that we are listening, but do we actually take on the message or give the speaker his or her due recognition? As part of the session we were asked to do an activity which I will share with you at the end of this newsletter as it is something parents could do with their boys or for that matter with each other.

As a young boy, I vividly remember hearing many pearls of wisdom and catch phrases emanating from adults in various social settings; gems such as 'Children should be seen and not heard' 'Have you thought about playing chasey on the railway line?' 'Take a long walk out and a short one back!' While all lacked philosophical and operational grounding, and no doubt mostly said tongue in cheek, the consequences of 'Children should be seen and not heard' has probably played out the most in our society.

At best it may mean that we miss out on some truly genuine insights into the hearts and minds of our youth; at worst we have now seen the outcome of years of not listening, where children who were the ongoing victims of abuse never truly had their voices heard. Listening and hearing are so important to making a great community better. In a couple of months, we will complete our once in five year whole of community survey. This is geared at listening and hearing from those who are involved with Scotch College in an attempt to ensure that we are on a journey of continual improvement.

So back to listening. In 2016, Jack Zenger and Joseph Folkman published an article in the Harvard Business Review on 'What Great Listeners Actually Do'. A read of this will surprise you in terms of what we think and assume represents good listening. For those who are interested in reading the article you can do so here. Over the last three weeks I have been holding lunches with our current Year 12s. The purpose is to hear from them as to how they are travelling with only two terms left in their schooling. Furthermore, these sessions have been designed to listen to their stories and to hear about their journey at Scotch College and what we do well and what may require improvement. Some of their feedback and insight has been enlightening and refreshing; this should not be surprising given these boys have spent a lot of their lives and waking days at Scotch College.

Back to where I started regarding an activity you could do with your son or with each other. This is a very simple activity. Ask your son, or your partner, an open-ended question, one that cannot simply be answered with a 'yes' or 'no'. By way of an example you could ask a question such as 'What really matters to you at school?' or 'What do you value most in your life?' Based on the initial response, you then need to continue to ask follow up questions to elicit more information. Set a time limit of 10 minutes. This may seem extreme but you will be amazed at the insights you will hear and the chance it gives your son or your partner to articulate their thoughts. It also requires the person asking the questions to truly listen and hear in order to maintain the activity's momentum. Remember if you are asking the questions, do not get caught up as if it is a conversation or get tempted to make judgmental responses about what you hear. Simply keep eliciting more in-depth responses until the 10 minutes is up. Good luck!

In closing I would like to congratulate the Performing Arts department for the recent Junior School music concert and wish them well for the upcoming Senior School production of the Wedding Singer. When I last checked there were some very limited seats left on sale. It is going to be a beauty so get your tickets as soon as possible to avoid disappointment. Also, well done to the Junior and Middle schools on outstanding Cross-Country carnivals. The attitude, commitment and effort from all boys is to be commended.

Have a great fortnight.

Dr A J O'Connell
Headmaster

IB Evaluation Feedback

In March of this year, the College participated in an International Baccalaureate Evaluation. This involved all of the College's stakeholders carefully considering how we implement the Primary Years Programme (K-5), the Middle Years Programme (6-8) and the Diploma Programme (11-12). The culminating event was a three day visit from an IBO evaluation team.

This week we have received the formal feedback on the MYP and PYP programmes. Through the leadership of our PYP coordinator, Mr Warwick Norman and our MYP coordinator Mrs Sophie Berry, I am delighted to report that we have much to be proud of as a College.

Within the Primary Years Programme, the IB evaluators commended us on areas including:

• The school is commended for ensuring the values of the PYP remain at the centre of all decision making.
• The school is commended for promoting and demonstrating respect, open communication and understanding between all community members.
• The pedagogical leadership team is commended for demonstrating service leadership and providing significant support, guidance and mentoring to staff in order to ensure effective implementation of the programme.
• The school is commended for ensuring that staff have access to professional development beyond the requirements and for implementing a professional development plan that strengthens teachers' understanding of the programme.
• The school is commended for ensuring that the librarian and the library team's active participation in regular collaborative planning meetings and for the ongoing support of the programme.
• The school is commended for enhancing the academic support programme to support students in the development of the PYP. The academic support team has spent considerable time researching and adopting new practices, such as the Extending Mathematical Understanding programme, which promotes an inclusive and evidence based approach to support for students and teachers.
• The school is commended for making optimal use of information technologies in teaching and learning situations.

Within the Middle Years Programme, the IB evaluators commended us on areas including:

• The school has established a culture of open communication across the school community.
• The headmaster and MYP coordinator demonstrate effective pedagogical leadership which supports the ongoing development of the programme.
• The school council has prioritised teaching and learning over capital works to ensure the ongoing development of the programme.
• The librarian's role includes responsibilities related to the development and support of the MYP.
• The school has implemented a range of strategies so that collaborative planning and reflection involves support staff as well as MYP teachers to enhance development of cross-curricular skills.
• The school is commended for the use of a range of technologies community resources to enhance teaching and learning.
• Learning experiences in every subject engage students in reflecting on how, what and why they are learning.
• Teachers in all subject groups regularly provide opportunities for students to participate in, and reflect on, the assessment of their work.

The Diploma Programme feedback is still forthcoming and I look forward to sharing this with our community when we receive it.

I would like to thank all of the College Council, staff, parents and students who contributed to the evaluation visit itself along with the work of the entire College prior to the visit itself. The IB evaluation is a rigorous process with rigorous standards that occurs every five years and only applies to schools who take on the IB programmes. The support we have from the community is sincerely valued.

I would also like to thank Mr John Stewart and Mr Richard Ledger for their leadership and support throughout the process, as the leaders of their respective sub-schools they do a great deal to drive the constant improvement of the teaching and learning programmes for our boys.

Mr Peter Allen
Director of Teaching and Learning

Aware and Honest

Many of our senior students have just completed their exams. Preparing for and sitting exams is challenging; getting the results presents a different type of challenge. We hope to do better next time, but we have to take conscious steps in order for that to happen.

For change to occur, firstly we need to be aware of our present circumstances. As Einstein said, it is insanity to keep doing the same thing and expect a different outcome. We must be aware of what got us to where we are and we must be aware of the possible paths before us. We must also be honest with ourselves about how hard we have worked and how smart we have been with our time. We must also be honest enough to admit when we need help.

Awareness is a key element of dealing with our emotions, and the emotions of others. Being aware of how we are feeling should then enable us to name those feelings. Putting a name to the emotion is a big step towards dealing with it. Research shows that naming a negative emotion lessens it. Our fears often lie at the bottom of our emotions. Naming and facing our fears is also important. Often, we fear being inadequate, or unworthy, or vulnerable. Exams can create the environment for such fears to take hold. Feeling inadequate or unworthy can make us feel ashamed and, that, in turn can lead us to anger. This process can then become a vicious cycle.

We have talked as a school, and will continue to do so, about the concepts of "fixed mindset" and "growth mindset". A fixed mindset is one where we are stuck doing the same thing and yet hope for a different result. In a fixed mindset, we do not believe we can change. In a growth mindset, we see mistakes as an opportunity to learn and grow and get better at something. With a growth mindset, we have agency over our future. Hard work that is targeted can make a difference. This is a paradigm shift in how to approach life.

At exam time, it is good to be reminded that "This is awful" does not equal "I am awful". Bad results do not make me a bad person. How terrible that we should ever define a human being by their performance in a set of tests. "I have failed this time" is not the same as "I am a failure all the time", and the two should never be conflated. Helping our boys to develop a growth mindset is critical to strengthening their resilience. We can do this by helping them to keep things in perspective. We can do this by getting them to think about their strengths (we all have them) and how we can build on these. We can do this by reminding them to be aware and honest about their preparation, attitude and effort.

The truth is that we are all tested every day. And each day, all of us fail at countless small things. Every interaction we have - from the moment we wake up until the moment we drift off to sleep again - is an invitation. It is an invitation to make the world a better place; to try harder; and to do things better next time.

SchoolTV

Parents will hopefully have seen some of the correspondence coming from both Senior and Middle Schools regarding "13 Reasons Why". I recently received a link from SchoolTV regarding the series and I thought it was worth sharing with you: http://scotch.wa.schooltv.me/wellbeing_news/13-reasons-why-special-report.

This is a special report, in the form of a 6 ½ minute video. It is actually a very succinct examination of some of the key issues related to the programme and the way it deals with the difficult topic of suicide. I urge you to watch it, particularly if your children have watched or intend to watch the show. Having a conversation about these issues can help to challenge some of the weaknesses of the series. It will also hopefully prompt a broader conversation about maintaining positive wellbeing.

You may also like to visit the general SchoolTV website: http://scotch.wa.schooltv.me/category-latest-newsletter. More recent editions cover topics from "Surviving Year 12", "Diet and Nutrition", Eating Disorders" and "Physical Activity and Exercise".

Director of Student and Staff Wellbeing
Mr James Hindle

Changing university requirements

The Australian National University (ANU), one of Australia's Group of 8 universities and highly regarded globally, will introduce new entry criteria as of 2020.

Students applying to ANU will be required to complete a survey designed to tell the admissions department about the 'whole person' and this is currently focused on co-curricular and service commitments. This is great news for students at Scotch where we know our students are extremely busy fulfilling passions and commitments in many areas as well as completing their academic studies. The new requirements are also designed to streamline ANU early entry, scholarships and accommodation qualifications.

ANU's website says, "We know students are more than just a score, we know they are passionate, we know they have unique skills, we know they gain experience through community service, volunteering, working part time, participating in school leadership, excelling in sports, gaming, performance, competitions and more.

We also know that sometimes life pans out a bit differently for some students, that they have to work hard, care for family, and face other challenges. So, we want them to tell us about that too, so we can get to know the whole person."

ANU's move is another move away from universities using the Australian Tertiary Admissions Rank (ATAR) as their sole indicator of a student's suitability for university, and a reflection of recent criticism. Of course, for every critic of the ATAR there experts who support its role and believe it is still the best method for Australian universities to choose their undergraduates.

Unlike schools in the United States, where university entry requirements are very focused on interviews, diverse applications, and co-curricular commitments, Australian schools are not as well placed to guide students through new processes and requirements. To an extent this should be the responsibility of the universities though overseas experience would suggest this is unlikely. With the huge number of co-curricular and service learning opportunities already available to them, Scotch College students planning on applying to ANU will be well placed. With the likelihood that other top universities will follow ANU's lead, the next step is for us to ensure our boys have records and evidence of their interests and activities, and that they are able to articulate what they do outside of the classroom. The International Baccalaureate already has a number of requirements in these areas and our delivery of the Diploma program means that we are well placed to assist all our students as universities change their admission requirements. Methods by which the College is already assisting students in showing their character outside of the classroom include The Duke of Edinburgh's International Award, the opportunity to be recognised for Community and Service by the School Curriculum and Standards Authority and with strongly guided reflection following the Year 10 Service Programme. We also award Colours and Honours based on commitment and excellence in co-curricular activities and extensive leadership opportunities.

Undoubtedly the ATAR is an important factor in judging a student's suitability for university but I can't help thinking that perhaps the quote below is testament that there is a lot more to our young people and it is pleasing to see ANU recognise this.

For more information, head to http://www.anu.edu.au/study/apply/new-admissions-for-2020

Ittima Cherastidtham from the Grattan Institute has been a particularly strong proponent of the ATAR. Read her article in The Australian here.

A card of thanks …

Below is a card that was recently received by the College. A big shout out to all the boys involved in making soup each week!

To the teachers and students of Scotch College,

For some 11 years I have been co-ordinating a fortnightly lunch for mentally ill people firstly in Manning, but now we meet in Como. I am able to access some food from Food Rescue.

Rainbow is a friendship group, run by Uniting Care West, and I usually have a group of 35+ people for lunch. I prepare most of the food.

Last lunch the group enjoyed some delicious soup which I was given by Food Rescue and the label on one container said "Vegetable Soup" made by Year 10 Community and Service Students, date made 23^rd March 2018, from Scotch College.

I wish to thank those students at Scotch College for such a brilliant community project. My participants thoroughly enjoyed the soup and wanted more, but they were delighted to be advised that Scotch College Students had cooked the soup. Many of my people live alone and are isolated, others live in a hostel which supplied the bare necessities, and all have no family. They were buoyed by the fact that someone cared about them.

Each Christmas many Rainbow people qualify for the hamper from U.C.W which I never know where the donations come from. In 2016 many of our hampers had a signed card in them from students in Year 3, Scotch College. It was remiss of me not to thank you back then, but it is nice to know where gifts come from. Congratulations to the School for having community programmes that enable students to realise there are people less fortunate than themselves and that their caring efforts are greatly appreciated. Como Rainbow was very happy to be recipients of your caring gestures. God bless you all.

Sincere thanks, kind regards

Bethlyn, lunch co-ordinator

https://home.scotch.wa.edu.au/community-and-service/project/food-rescue-soup-kitchen/

Teach for Australia

In the past two weeks our staff have hosted two Teach for Australia associates. In both instances the associates have taken a huge amount from their time at Scotch and I thank our community for embracing them and doing what we can to support the initiative. For the most recent report into Teach for Australia head to http://teachforaustralia.org/2018/05/25/our-impact-2018/.

Mr David Kyle
Director of Community and Services

Junior School Artist In Residence

Residential Life News

Ag Day

Our Residential Life Captain Sam Rogers and his leadership team held Ag Day version 3 on Wednesday 30 May. It was a free dress day for the Senior School with a gold coin donation being collected from all those involved, and boys were able to purchase lamb and gravy rolls, milk drinks and participate in tyre throwing competitions.

A display of wool and various types of grains were on show for boys to touch and sample.

We would like to thank the following businesses for contributing to our Ag Day celebrations;

• Bannister Downs Dairy for supplying 800 cartons of flavoured milk.
• Dyson Wool for providing a variety of wool samples.
• Jeremy's Butcher for the two delicious lambs that we cooked in the spit roast!!
• Elders for their diaries and jackets to the winners of the tyre toss!

We had a hugely successful day raising over $1300.00 for the Royal Flying Doctor Service and it was largely due to the generosity of the above businesses.

Click here to read the latest Residential Life news.

Mr Marcus Wilkinson
Director of Residential Life

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.

Uniform Shop

The Uniform Shop will be open on Monday 23 July (the day before Winter Term commences) from:

9.00am - 12.00 noon and 1.00pm - 4.00pm

From Tuesday 24 July normal term opening times will apply.

Opening Hours

Tuesday	8.00am to 5.00pm
Thursday, Friday	7.30am to 11.30am

Performing Arts

One of the joys that I have had this year is getting to know some of the boys in the Senior School through their involvement in the College Production - The Wedding Singer - which will be staged next week. Often we find that a natural consequence of involvement in co-curricular pursuits is the development of deeper relationships, both between students, between staff and between students and staff. It is much like being in a sporting team - the level of relationship held is greater than in the usual classroom environment. And it is a good thing, bringing many benefits.

There is so much to be gained from experiencing the fullness of school life whilst one has the opportunity. How boring to simply arrive at 8.30 every morning and leave as soon as the last bell goes. Anyone pursuing this strategy is missing so much. Speaking to some of the Year 12 boys during rehearsals confirms this. Some boys who had never been part of a production before but thought "I want to give this a go", "I want to experience what it's like to be in a production cast" have reflected on what a fantastic journey they have had and how much it has enriched their lives.

The Wedding Singer opens in just a few short sleeps. A number of students and staff have been working solidly since Spring term last year, rehearsing three times per week, outside of normal school hours and giving up their weekends. It all culminates in the shows, on stage, before a paying audience. For all involved, this is not the end and the end in itself is and was not the main goal. It is a significant part of the journey, but it is only one significant part.

Our Philharmonic Orchestra students are performing in their first recital series at St John the Evangelist Church in Fremantle this coming Saturday, 9 June. They have been part of a journey too in preparing for this event, experiencing the richness of playing music together, as a team, developing relationships and expanding their musical understandings. They will be performing alongside special guest and Scotch Alumnus Ashley Arbuckle (violin).

Some of our Pipers and Drummers will be performing at the Western Force home game on Saturday night, 9 June. What a magnificent opportunity as part of their journey, having committed to fully involving themselves in a co-curricular pursuit that many would otherwise not have the opportunity to take.

The exciting thing is, you, the Scotch College community of parents, family, friends and Old Scotch Collegians have an opportunity to be a part of this rich experience, to build relationships and to engage in the fullness. Book your ticket, come to the show, be at a performance. We invite you to be part of the journey.

For information of upcoming events see here.

Mr Scott Loveday
Head of Performing Arts

Building Resilience

"How many of us started something full of excitement and good intentions, and then give up permanently when we encounter the first real obstacle, the first long plateau in progress?" Duckworth 2017.

What is success? It is a trophy, a title? Is it a big house, a nice car? Accolades from your peers? Our children see the end product of effort in their successful role models. They don't see their efforts and failures.

So, what is holding children back? Some have a belief our talents or intelligence are fixed traits. They feel they cannot get better at something so they don't try. They may have a lowered resilience in the face of setbacks and a reduced recognition of the benefit of persistent focused effort. As parents, have we ensured that they face so little adversity they don't try? How do they learn to get back up if they are not allowed to fall down?

'Our only limitations are those we setup in our own minds.' Napoleon Hill 1937.

Luke McKenna from UPP talks about the three keys to building resilience. First is mindset for growth and growth for learning. Benjamin Baber sees the world not as 'the successes and the failures' but as 'the learners and the non-learners'. When we overemphasize talent, we underemphasize the effort, persistence and commitment it took to succeed. Hard work beats talent that doesn't work hard. But talent that works hard can do amazing things.

Second, Luke spoke about being aware of obstacles. He recommends the TOP method for smart goal setting. Set your target (T), identify your potential obstacles (O), and set your plan for overcoming those obstacles (P). His research indicates that using this approach, people are 60% more likely to stick to their plan.

We want our children to thrive through hard work and grit. They should be exposed to role models of failure and success. We want them to aim for continuous improvement and learn to set targets. To develop approaches and routines that become habit forming. To learn to delay gratification until the ultimate goal has been achieved and learn that mastery of any skills is only achieved through deliberate and repeated practice. Talent times effort equals skill. Effort times skill equals achievement.

The third key Luke speaks about is providing children with the tools in their tool kit they need to try again and succeed. We need to teach them how to build good relationships with others including adults and peers. To help them develop their independence and personal responsibility. To identify, express and manage their emotions. And to build their confidence by taking on personal challenges.

The world today presents expectations on children that can be higher than reality. By working to equip our children with what they will require to navigate the ups and downs and to learn to bounce back, we are preparing them for successes down the road.

Mr John Stewart
Head of Junior School

French News

Some of you may know that as well as being the French teacher here in the Junior School, Madame Vinton also runs the Sustainability Club on a Monday before school. Over the last two weeks, the Sustainability Club (a devoted group of five boys from Year 1 to Year 5, plus some very fine volunteers) have been preparing the garden beds and planting out our winter veggies. They were very stoic and hard-working on the day we spread the cow manure to prepare the beds and then everyone pitched in to get the sprouts, basil, beetroot and even a new passionfruit vine into the ground. The job isn't over yet, with capsicum, leeks and sweet potato still to go in next week. Thankfully some great rain over the weekend gave everything a good soaking in, so the plants should do well. Do take a look at the beds if you walk through the area between the dining hall and the Art Studio, we are very proud of our green fingers! Au revoir.

Madame Vinton
French Specialist

Year 1G News

The Year 1 boys had a very exciting start to Autumn Term and have immersed themselves into the wonderful world stories. We began the term with an excursion to the Claremont Library. Wilma shared with us the wombats she had made, terrific facts about wombats and the story 'Diary of a Wombat'. A very interesting fact we learnt was that wombats mark their territory with square-shaped poop! This is so they can find their way home as their sense of smell is poor. The square shape is so it doesn't roll away. Aren't they clever?

We had a visit from Mr Wells and our Year Five buddies and they shared with us the amazing stories they had written and created on book creator. We were so impressed and enthused by what we saw we began having a go at creating some of our own stories and books.

We limbered up ready to run the Inter-House Cross Country. The boys had to run 1000 metres which we worked out in math's is one kilometre. The training we had endured for weeks surely did pay off out on the field and as we learnt in Aesop's famous story 'The Hare and the Tortoise', we kept a steady pace.

We look forward to many more adventures!

Mrs Kristen Gray
Year 1 Teacher

Year 5L News

Understanding perspective and the misconceptions we can have about people in relation to disability, race and culture and gender was the focus of our most recent unit of inquiry. The boys celebrated their learning in our assembly by sharing some of the work that they had undertaken to discover what constitutes a minority group and how it is important to challenge stereotypes. Each of the boys created a digital children's book in order to put their thoughts and ideas into action. The boys enjoyed the opportunity to share their books with the younger students. They learned the importance of challenging ideas and finding ways to positively influence others in their thoughts and actions. They shared their vocal talent in a song entitled, "We are Australian'. The assembly was a reminder of the richness found in diversity and the importance of acceptance and embracing difference.

Ms Irene Louden
Year 5 Teacher

1G	Sebastian Kahl	1G	Darcy Bartholomaeus
1G	Jacob Little
3S	Alex Caporn	3S	Hamish Cooper
3S	Callum Kennedy
3W	Oscar Carey	3W	Xavier Fugill
3W	Berti Koth	3W	Eryn Richards
4C	Brenn Armstrong	4C	Alexander Griffin
4C	Matthew Hale	4C	Dane Morrison
4C	Oscar Zucal
4T	Thomas Houliston	4T	James Stephan
4T	Charlie Warden	4T	Jai Lyon
5A	Tom Clements	5A	Rafferty McDonald
5A	Lucas Marley	5A	Luca Wheeler
5L	Darcy Martin	5L	Reid Knox Lyttle
5L	Orlando Capobianco	5L	Charlie Barron
5W	William Arundel	5W	Nicholas Lovegrove
5W	Cameron Motherwell	5W	Philip Pizimolas

From the Head of Middle School

Can you have more than one winner in a race? Last week we ran our Inter-House Cross Country Carnival. The House Shield will record that Gordon House won the trophy and Tex Cross Year 6, Henry Feutrill Year 7 and Tane Hasler Year 8 all stood and received our applause for their great runs leading all in their year group to the finishing line. What the records will not show are the endeavours of the boys who ran near me, at the back of the field. Boys who find running physically hard, but through sheer determination, willpower and endurance, ran the entire distance, slowly, but without stopping, pushing on as it got harder and harder to eventually complete a distance they had not run before.

Many will see the Cross Country event just as a race and focus on the placing, or the number they get at the end. In some ways a bit like the ATAR. What we need to get better at is recognising the development of the attitudes, the mental capacity around self-belief and persistence and the transferability of these attitudes into other aspects of our academic, emotional and social lives as the really valuable placings from events such as Cross Country races, or even Year 11 & 12.

If I were to go into battle, start a new business, wanted to win a premiership or find a solution to a serious illness, the key attributes of the players I would recruit would be determination, persistence and a willingness to do my best for my team, no matter how long it took. People that do not look for excuses or the soft option. To the boys who ran their hearts out for their House, who produced a personal best, who pushed on rather than giving up when it got hard; congratulations, because regardless of your placing, if you did the best you could, in my eyes you were the winners too.

Mr Richard Ledger
Head of Middle School

Middle School Design

The Design team have been working hard this term on refining established programmes and starting some new programmes. In Year 8, students are now well into their work on their main creation assessment across the various Design areas with some very creative and interesting ideas developing nicely. The Year 8 Digital Design class have been designing their own electronic systems to aid a client around the home or garden. With three weeks left to create their prototypes, students have almost finished the building and now need to get their programming finalised. We have been using an Arduino microcontroller as the brains behind their new idea then additional sensors and outputs have been added to achieve the desired end product. The complexity of some of the ideas has been very impressive.

The first Year 7 Design rotations finished in Week 2 this term with a quick scientific evaluation of their CO2 dragster racing cars. Students test the cars speed, weight and various specifications to gain some data. They can then use this data to predict the speed of other cars based on its characteristics. This STEM based learning approach is now imbedded throughout the various Materials Design programmes in Year 6, 7 and 8.

Mr Edward Grant
Middle School Design

ILT Junior Big Day In

On Tuesday 9 May a group of Junior and Middle School students made their way across to PLC to participate in the Junior Big Day In technology conference. This was a great opportunity for a selection of our students to work with a wide variety of technology companies. Our group participated in sessions from Solar Buddies, F1 in Schools and Apple. The highlight for most of them was the Solar Buddies. This is a not-for-profit organisation that supplies solar lighting for students in energy poverty around the world. Each student got to put together a light along with a message for the student that will receive it.

"My highlight of the day was making the lights from solar buddy activity. This was my favourite activity because we got to help others by making the lights." Ambie Nicholls (Year 7.4A)

"I would like to see the kids in Papua New Guinea get their lamp and read the note that I wrote. I want to see their reaction and know how they feel." Fletcher McIntosh Year (Year 7.2H)

Find out more at https://solarbuddy.org/.

Mr Jared Faint
Middle School ILT

Student Achievements

Congratulations to Hugh Fellows-Smith (8.7B) who has been selected to perform in the Children's Chorus for the West Australian Opera's production of Carmen in July.

Important Dates in Middle School Autumn Term

Wednesday 6 June	Year 8 (8.2R, 8.4F & 8.6S) Humanities Excursion to Bathers Beach Fremantle, 12.30pm - 3.25pm
Friday 8 June	Year 8 (8.1T, 8.3O, 8.5M & 8.7B) Humanities Excursion to Bathers Beach Fremantle, 8.25am - 11.20am UnitingCare West Winter Appeal Last Day for Donations
Monday 11 June	Year 8.5M, 8.6S & 8.7B Moray Expedition Departs
Wednesday 13 June	UNSW Spelling Competition
Thursday 14 June	UNSW Writing Competition Year 6 Mums' Drinks, 7.00pm Elba Cottesloe
Friday 15 June	MS Assembly (students only) 11.30am MacKellar Hall Year 8.5M, 8.6S & 8.7B Moray Expedition Returns 12.00pm
Monday 18 June	Year 8 Food Design International Food Showcase 11.30 - 1.10pm MS Quad Year 7 Rugby match v Dulwich College Singapore 2.00pm
Wednesday 20 June	Free Dress Day - Gold coin donation to JDFC
Thursday 21 June	JPSSA Inter-School Cross Country
Friday 22 June	PSA Juniors Inter-School Cross Country Carnival
Saturday 23 June	Year 8 Mums & Sons Mini Golf 2.00pm Wembley Golf Course
Monday 25 June	Year 8 Food Design International Food Showcase 8.35am - 10.00am MS Quad
Friday 29 June	MS Assembly, 11.30am Dickinson Centre Year 7 Parent Function, 12.00pm Shorehouse Swanbourne Autumn Term Concludes

From the Head of Senior School

Anxiety

Anxiety is a normal and, to a certain point, necessary part of life. However, too much anxiety impairs performance.

The image below shows that performance does increase as arousal or pressure increases, but when this goes beyond the tipping point, pressure gives way to stress and anxiety which in turn impairs performance. There are some things you can do to assist yourself in dealing with the pressure that comes with completing assessments, especially in-class timed assessments such as tests and examinations.

Here are some hints and tips -

1. Know that you know what you know. Much of test or examination anxiety comes from a fear of poor performance. If you can test yourself adequately prior to an assessment and go in with the knowledge that you do know your stuff, you will find that your anxiety diminishes.
2. Symptoms of stress and anxiety can be worsened by changes in sleeping and eating routines, but they can be diminished by physical activities like walking, running or swimming. Stay involved in your sport training even during busy periods. Eat and sleep well.
3. If you're short of time, try focusing most of your time on the areas that need work rather than those you know and can remember well. This way you can cover more of the course material.
4. Avoid other frantic students. Beware of picking up on the concerns of other students as this can increase your own anxiety.
5. Replace negative thoughts such as "I'm going to fail this exam" with positive statements such as "I studied hard so I'll do well in this exam". Positive statements help reduce anxiety and increase confidence.
6. Try to focus on the task at hand. That is, focus on the activity of studying rather than on potential negative consequences.
7. Be organised. Start your preparation early.
8. Identify your areas of concern early in the term and ask for help. Often those who feel uneasy about assessments are those who have discovered that they have gaps in their understanding. By asking for help early you reduce these gaps and build your confidence.
9. Keep good notes and review them regularly. In subjects such as Mathematics, review by completing practice questions, not just reading over worked examples.

Reducing anxiety in the classroom immediately before the assessment.

1. Look over the whole test or examination to discover which questions you can do relatively easily and plan to do these first. Play to your strengths.
2. Examine the marking scheme of the assessment and allocate your time accordingly. Do not spend too much time on questions which are worth only a few marks. E.g. Spend 10% of your time on 10% of the marks. Plan your approach to the assessment.
3. Apportion your time based on where you can maximise your results. E.g. In an essay question it is much more difficult to gain those final few marks to get the perfect score than it is to begin the next essay question and secure the same number of marks more easily.
4. It may be helpful to set mini breaks at specified points during the assessment to close your eyes, relax your hands or do some deep breathing exercises. Even 30 seconds of relaxation can help reduce anxiety.
5. At all times try to focus on answering the questions rather than on the end result.
6. If you go blank and can't think of anything to write, go onto another question or another part of the exam. On an essay, jot down anything you can recall to stimulate your memory and get your mind working.
7. Ask for clarification if you're unsure about directions, procedures etc.

Please note: If you continue to feel that stress and anxiety are impacting upon your performance and you have done everything on the list above to assist in your preparation for assessments please speak to your parents, your teacher or your House Head. It may even be a good idea to discuss with Mum and Dad about talking to our College Psychologists, Mrs Shauna Lipscombe or Mr Jon Marginis, who will be able to offer some further advice and helpful hints.

Mr Dean Shadgett
Head of Senior School

Student Achievements

Campbell McAullay (Year 10, Shearer) has been selected to represent WA in the National Schoolboys water polo tournament being held in Perth, 21-25 May.

Harry Frodsham (Year 9, Alexander) and Conor Patton (Year 12, Ross) competed in the Royal Commonwealth Society's Speech and Leadership contest; Harry was a finalist in both speech and leadership categories of the Junior division and was given a special encouragement award; Conor won the leadership category for the Senior division.

Fremantle Highland Championships

Scotch A Team competed at the Fremantle Championships and came 1^st in Juvenile and 1^st in Grade 4, also 1^st in Best Dressed Pipe Band.

In the solo competitions.

D Grade Piping

2^nd Ryan Hodgetts (Year 12, Brisbane)

3^rd Alex Mallawarachchi (Year 11, Cameron)

C Grade Piping

2^nd Ryan Hodgetts (Year 12, Brisbane)

3^rd David Stulpner (Year 10, Cameron)

Open Piobaireachd - 2^nd David Stulpner (Year 10, Cameron)

Colours and Honours Summer 2018

For a list of all recipients see attached.

Important Rowing Dates in Spring Term 2018 and Summer Term 2019

Albany Rowing Camp

Thursday 4 to Monday 8 October 2018

A camp for Year 10, 11 and 12 boys (as per Spring Term) will be held again in Albany. This is a valuable preparatory camp - more information to follow in August. The camp is held in the latter part of the October holidays.

January Rowing Camp

Thursday 17 to Wednesday 23 January 2019

For all rowing boys Years 9 to 12. Year 11 and 12 boys attend the camp on a residential basis. Year 9 and 10 boys attend on a day basis. Year 9 boys will train from the Scotch Boatshed on 17 and 18 January then at Champion lakes for the remainder of the camp. Year 10, 11 and 12 boys will train at Champion Lakes.

Mr Grant Ford
Head of Rowing

Careers Information

Scotch College Combined Schools Tertiary Expo 2018

Students in Years 10, 11 and 12 are invited to attend the above Expo to be held in the Dickinson Centre at Scotch College on Wednesday 13 June 2018 from 5.00pm - 7.00pm. This Expo will feature university representatives from around Australia (Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Queensland and the ACT) as well as Defence Force Recruiting, Apprenticeships Australia, aviation colleges, Engineers Australia, Gap Year organisations, Education USA and many more. This is a great opportunity for students to gather more information about possible further education and training opportunities, prerequisite subjects for university courses and alternatives to university.

University Information

Notre Dame Early Offer Programme

Applications are now open

The Early Offer Programme carries personal and academic benefits for students looking to secure a place at university. If successful, a place is reserved at Notre Dame prior to sitting final exams, consideration is given for a place in the University leadership programme and consideration is given for an academic scholarship.

The selection criteria considers the following;

• Students who demonstrate exceptional personal or leadership qualities and are motivated to study;
• Students who are active members of their school, church, and/or community;
• Students who demonstrate a predicted benchmark ATAR of 93+ (Physiotherapy) 90+ for all other programmes.

Offers are based on Year 11 and 12 reports to date , application information, school recommendation and admission interview. There is no obligation to enrol at Notre Dame if the application is successful. Application booklets are available from Mr Frusher at Scotch. Applications close Tuesday 31 July, 2018.

Curtin University Scholarship Alert

Year 12 students can sign up for Curtin's free scholarship email service to receive an email alert whenever a scholarship that matches their criteria is open for applications. An email reminder will also be sent before applications close.

To subscribe, visit the scholarship website at: www.scholarships.curtin.edu.au/subscribe

Meet Melbourne in Perth

The University of Melbourne will be visiting Perth to talk about courses and career outcomes, residential options in Melbourne, internships, exchange programmes and scholarships.

Thursday 14 June 2018 6.00pm -8.00pm

Riverside Theatre

Perth Convention Centre Register at: www.futurestudents.unimelb.edu.au/perth

The Australian National University Information Evening in Perth

Novotel Perth Langley

221 Adelaide Terrace

Thursday, 28 June, 6.00pm - 7.15pm

Register here

The evening will include information about programmes that are offered at ANU and moving to the East Coast, and Canberra more specifically. Please go along with any questions that you might have. If you would like any further information or have any questions, please contact us at student.recruitment@anu.edu.au.

University of Sydney

While the University of Sydney is in Perth, they will be holding our annual Meet Sydney event, where students can come with their parents to discuss University of Sydney offerings.

As part of this event, there will be a Scholarship Workshop to assist students to maximise their chances of obtaining a scholarship. Any students looking to apply for scholarships may find it useful.

As it is a planned workshop with a trained facilitator, registrations are essential. The link is here: www.usydinperth.eventbrite.com.au.

College of Electrical Training Open Day

On Saturday 23 June 2018, CET Joondalup and Jandakot will welcome students, their families, electricians and contractors to find out about CET's diverse range of electrical and telecommunications pre-apprenticeship and post-trade courses at the annual Open Day.

This event is a great opportunity for high school students considering a career in the electrical industry to find out more about studying to gain an electrical apprenticeship pathway at CET. Electrical Group Training (EGT), the largest employer of electrical apprentices in the country, will be in attendance to speak with students about potential employment opportunities.

Click here to REGISTER YOUR INTEREST in attending CET Open Day.

Scholarships

Bond University

Scholarships applications for Bond University are now open! These scholarships encompass a range full-fee and part-fee tuition remission. These scholarships are awarded on the basis of academic achievement, sport, leadership arts and community enhancement.

For more information visit www.bond.edu.au/scholarships

Applications close on 31 July 2018.

Australian Institute of Quantity Surveyors Scholarships

AIQS offers a number of scholarships each year for Year 12 students who qualify for entry into a Quantity Surveying, Construction Economics, Construction Management (Economics) or other appropriate course at an AIQS accredited university in Australia.

The scholarship is to the total value of AU$3,000.

Applications close: 31 October 2018.

http://www.aiqs.com.au/imis/AIQS_Website/Careers_and_Education/Education/AIQS%20Scholarships/AIQS_Website/Public/Careers/Scholarships.aspx

UK & US University Applications for 2019

Year 12 students who are considering applying to overseas university commencing in July 2019 are advised to commence the application process sooner rather than later. The process can be quite involved and requires a lot of research in regard to courses and universities. Mr Frusher can be of assistance in this process.

US Sports Scholarships

Put those hard yards of training to good work by aiming for a US Sport Scholarship! If you love your sport and want to see if it can help you pay for a college degree, than visit this link to schedule a meeting with past student-athletes from Crimson Athletics.

Find out more - https://www.crimsoneducation.org/admission-support/sports-scholarships

Study in the USA - PSAT Testing

The PSAT/NMSQT (Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test) is a preliminary version of the SAT. Not only does the PSAT help prepare students to take the SAT or ACT, a great score on the PSAT can also open the door to National Merit Scholarships and other awards. With $180 million dollars in scholarships awarded to students that achieve high scores on the PSAT, how students perform on this exam can help them earn scholarship dollars that change the direction of their college planning. The PSAT is much more than a practice test, it is seen as an essential preparation tools for students who are considering future study in the USA.

The PSAT is fully aligned with the new SAT that made its debut in March 2016. The new PSAT, is two hours and 45 minutes long and tests skills in Reading, Writing and Maths.

Scotch College is now a registered test centre and will be offering students the opportunity to sit this test on Saturday 13 October 2018. The cost is $30 per student which includes preparation material, personalised feedback on test results and a suggested custom SAT study plan.

If students and/or parents are interested in finding out more about this test please contact Mr Frusher at Scotch College.

To purchase tickets please visit the Scotch College websitewww.scotch.wa.edu.auand click on the 'Book a Scotch Event' icon. Registrations will close on Monday 25 June 2018.

July Revision Programmes

Academic Task Force ATAR Revision Programme Year 11 and 12 subject revision, study skills, essay writing and exam preparation programmes will be offered at Churchlands Senior High and Perth College from Monday 2 July - Friday 6 July. The same programmes will be offered at Perth Modern and Rossmoyne Senior High from Monday 9- July - Friday 13 July.

Enrol on-line at www.acdemicgroup.com.au or phone 93149500.

Academic Associates ATAR Year 12 ATAR Enrichment Programme at UWA - Monday 9 July - Friday 13 July. You will receive academic extension in your ATAR courses with higher level exam questions, exam preparation workbooks, and small interactive classes with personal feedback.

Enrol at www.academicgroup.com.au or phone 9314 9500.

Academic Task Force Skills Development Programme for Year 7,8,9 and 10

Learning skills, Advanced Maths and Intermediate English, essay writing and Foundation Maths and English will be offered at Churchlands Senior High from Monday 2 July -Friday 6 July and at Rossmoyne Senior High from Monday 9 July - Friday 13 July.

Enrol at www.academicgroup.com.au or phone 9314 9500.

Careers Information

Information for parents is highly sought after when it comes to helping their children with their career choices. For that reason Myfuture has developed an Assist your child feature page containing links to the articles that provide tips and advice for parents and carers to assist their child with their career development.

Visit myfuture at https://myfuture.edu.au/

Mr Peter Frusher
Careers Adviser

Learners Permits and Driver Licenses - Proof of Address Documentation

This documentation is available upon request from the Headmaster's office. Please send emails through to the Headmaster's Secretary at Leanne.McCoy@scotch.wa.edu.au. Please allow at least two working days for the document to be prepared. It is preferred that requests are made during term time.

Important Dates in Senior School Autumn Term

Date	Event	Location	Time
Week 6A
Tuesday 5 June	Year 9 Canberra Tour Information Evening	PLC	7.00pm - 8.00pm
	WADL Debating Round 4 Week 2	Shenton College	7.20pm - 9.30pm
Wednesday 6 June	Year 10 Examination Period commences
Thursday 7 June	Year 11 Residential Life PARTY Excursion	SJOG Midland	8.30am - 2.30pm
	Cup Soccer Fixture - Scotch College v St Georges Anglican College	Home	4.15pm - 6.00pm
Friday 8 June	Senior School Marching (no Assembly)	Dickinson Centre	8.35am - 8.55am
	PSA Sport and Cross Country - Wesley College v Scotch College (Please check fixtures on home.scotch)	Away	1.30pm onwards
	Music Department Quiz Night	MacKellar Hall	7.00pm - 9.00pm
Saturday 9 June	Year 9 Bibbulmun Track catch up day
	PSA Sport and Cross Country - Wesley College v Scotch College (Please check fixtures on home.scotch)	Away	8.30am onwards
	Music Recital Series	St John the Evangelist Church	3.00pm - 5.00pm
	First XV Rugby Scotch College v Wesley College	NIB Stadium	5.30pm - 7.30pm
Sunday 10 June	Brisbane House Tree Planting		9.00am - 10.30am
Week 7B
Monday 11 June	The Wedding Singer Senior School Musical (full dress rehearsal)	Dickinson Centre	8.35am - 3.25pm
	Pipe Band Edinburgh Tour Information Evening	Pipe Band Room	6.30pm - 7.30pm
Tuesday 12 June	Year 12 Career Focus Breakfast	Dining Room Annexe	7.15am - 8.25am
	WADL Debating Round 5 Week 1	Shenton College	6.30pm - 9.30pm
	The Wedding Singer Senior School Musical (preview night)	Dickinson Centre	7.00pm - 9.30pm
Wednesday 13 June	Parent Support Group Breakfast	Dining Room Annexe	7.30am - 9.00am
	Careers Expo	Dickinson Centre	5.00pm - 7.00pm
	FOSM (Friends of Scotch Music) Meeting	Senior School Music Department	7.00pm - 8.30pm
	WADL Debating Round 5 Week 1	Hale School	7.20pm - 8.30pm
Thursday 14 June	The Wedding Singer Senior School Musical	Dickinson Centre	7.00pm - 9.30pm
Friday 15 June	Senior School Marching (no Assembly)	Dickinson Centre	8.35am - 8.55am
	PSA Sport and Cross Country - Hale School v Scotch College (Please check fixtures on home.scotch)	Away	1.30pm onwards
	The Wedding Singer Senior School Musical	Dickinson Centre	7.00pm - 9.30pm
Saturday 16 June	PSA Sport and Cross Country - Hale School v Scotch College (Please check fixtures on home.scotch)	Away	8.30am onwards
	The Wedding Singer Senior School Musical (matinee)	Dickinson Centre	2.00pm - 4.30pm
	The Wedding Singer Senior School Musical	Dickinson Centre	7.00pm - 9.30pm
Sunday 17 June	Year 10 and 11 Bibbulmun Track Expedition departs
Monday 18 June	Personal Project meetings all week

Scotch Parents

On Saturday 26 May the Dickinson Centre was transformed into New York City for the Year 11 Dance. The theme was "Only New York" and the DC looked amazing! The evening was a huge success. Scotch Parents would like to thank Fiona Smith-Gander who coordinated the event. Thanks also to the other committee members and all the Year 11 Parent volunteers who helped make the evening so wonderful.

Upcoming events:

• Saturday 23 June - Year 11 Fathers Trip to Moray
• Thursday 28 June - Year 12 Parent Evening
• Friday 29 June - Year 7 Parent lunch at The Shorehouse (Please RSVP to your class Rep)
• Wednesday 1 August - City Country Lunch (Location TBC)

Rugby Parents Support Group

The 1XV Rugby team is playing the Curtain raiser match at NIB Stadium on Saturday, 9 June against Wesley. The kick of is at 6:00pm - right before the Force game.

We encourage everyone to come along on the night and support our boys.

Mr Adi van Schouwen
Rugby Support Group

Friends of Scotch Music (FOSM)

Jazz Night - Ellington to 80's

The Annual Scotch College JAZZ NIGHT will be held on Friday 22 June. Tickets are $35 a head in tables of ten.

To purchase your tickets please visit the Scotch College website www.scotch.wa.edu.au and click on the "Book a Scotch Event" icon.

For further details please contact music@scotch.wa.edu.au.

Request for Parent Help with Jazz Night Set Up

If any parents are able to assist with the Jazz Night set up it would be fantastic . Any time you can spare between 12 noon and 4.00pm on Friday 22 June in the Dickinson Centre is greatly appreciated.

Please email FOSM@scotch.wa.edu.au for further information.

Mrs Louise Broun
Friends of Scotch Music

Pipe Band Parent Support Group

Thanks so much to Pipe Band parents and the wider community for supporting our biennial fundraiser, the Scottish Banquet on 19 May in the Dickinson Centre. The evening was a great success. Thanks also to our Pipe Band pipers and drummers who played throughout the evening and for selling the raffle tickets.

The transformation of the Dickinson into a Banquet Hall would not have been possible without Sue Moffat and Claire Howie.

There are many others to be thanked at our next Pipe Band Support Group Meeting on Thursday 21 June at 7:30pm, in the Pipe Band Room. Wine and cheese will be served.

Mrs Natasha Taylor
President
Pipe Band Support Group

Lionheart Camp for Kids

The Lionheart Camp for Kids are holding a bereavement programme to support grieving children following the death of a parent, sibling or significant family member. See flyer for more details.

Beehive Montessori Adolescent Program Musical

Sometimes the stories we have heard and read for many, many years have another side to them, an untold angle not heard before. The Real Story of Little Red Riding Hood gives us the Wolf's side of the story, with many familiar characters, some new twists and turns in the forest, and wonderful staging, magical lighting and musical surprises. Book by Judy Wolfman, Lyrics by David Reiser. Produced by special arrangement with Pioneer Drama Service, Inc., Colorado.

The Beehive Montessori School Adolescent Program presents their unique musical interpretation of this classic fairy/folk tale. The performance is suitable for all ages.

Tickets are available from The Beehive Montessori School Office, Curtin Avenue, Mosman Park, between 9.00am - 3.00pm Monday to Friday.

Adults: $10; Children and Seniors $5; under 3's are free.

For enquiries, call 9383 1283.

Performance dates and venue:

Wednesday 20 June; Thursday 21 June; Friday 22 June. Doors open at 5.45pm for a 6.00pm start, in the Beehive Montessori School Hall, Curtin Avenue, Mosman Park.

Door sales also available until sold out.