Dear Boarding Families

Welcome back to Scotch for an exciting Winter Term. I hope you all enjoyed a break in the holidays and that the boys were able to contribute around the house with some jobs. This is always a testing start to the term because boys have been back home for so long that they find their rhythm at home, and then when they return we have homesickness to deal with all over again! However, it’s all a natural part of it, and we are very happy to have them back with us in the boarding house.

Holiday Break

There was a lot going on during the holiday break, with Year 10s going north for the expeditions and Year 9s heading over to Melbourne for their ski trip. We also had our Taigh orientation camp for our incoming students who start Year 7 in 2025. Those year 6s will now have a weekly online meeting with Mr Valentine throughout Term 3 and Term 4 so that they are well prepared to come to Scotch next year.

Scotch on the Road

This term is a big term of travel, as we take ‘Scotch on the Road’ to Mingenew and Dongara, Dowerin, Newdegate, and Esperance. Unfortunately, we are not heading to Karratha for Fenaclng this year, but we will be there next year. We would love to see you at our events and to visit our stall at the Field Days. I also love to visit families at their homes whilst we are in the regions to get to know more about where the boys come from and to build connections with families, so please let me know if you are keen to take visitors whilst we are in your area! Please also feel free to invite families that you know from your area who might be thinking about boarding school for their sons to come and visit us and chat about Scotch. Our best advocates are our current parents!

SPIRIT Award

We started off the term with a very special awards night, our annual SPIRIT Award. This is arguably our most special night in boarding, with the boys nominated for the SPIRIT Award based on character traits. Many of our boarders are worthy of nominations for this award and it is always a challenging task for our staff to pick just 4 per year group to nominate. SPIRIT is an acronym that stands for Sparkle, Passion, Imagination, Resilience, Integrity, and Tenacity. The award was forged in honour of OSC Lachy Higham, a boy from the Gascoyne who tragically lost his life whilst on his station during summer holidays around 15 years ago. Each year, Lachie’s parents Chris and Tim and sister Daisy come to Scotch to present that award. This year, in light of the tragedy that recently struck the Aquinas community, and the effect it has had on a lot of our boys, the speech made by Chrissy Higham seemed particularly relevant. In essence, she encouraged the boys to have fun and to be safe. It is so important that the boys live their life with sparkle and verve, and also with integrity, grit, and compassion. Days like this really bring us together as a community. A huge congratulations to all of our nominees and to our eventual winner, Ollie Wandel, Yr 12.

Round Square Exchange Programme

We have welcomed a few exchange students to our boarding house this term and it’s a great time to remind families of these opportunities for our boys. We have Owen joining us in Year 10 from the Athenian School in California. We also have Toby and Will joining us from The Southport School in the Gold Coast. We also have four Year 8 boys who have the opportunity to do a two week exchange in the Gold Coast. Scotch College is part of a network of schools under the banner of Round Square. We offer domestic exchanges in Year 8 and international exchanges in Year 10. There are many school all over the place that the boys can go to and I encourage parents of boys in Year 7 and Year 9 to have a look into these opportunities for your sons. We are always happy to host exchange student in the boarding house, especially if it means that some of our boarders are getting these wonderful opportunities to spread their wings.

Laundry

This term we are looking to review our laundry service in order to make sure we are getting the very best service for our boys. In my observations, the laundry service is not working as well as it should be and some of our boys have fallen into bad habits. We have now locked the rooms in the boarding house and asking that all boys use the laundry service. A very important reminder to all parents that all clothes need to be labelled. We have found that one of the main issues with the boys not getting their washing done properly is because they are not labelling their clothes, then they stuff their t-shirts and other things in their jocks and socks bags. Which means that they are not getting washed and dried properly, and the bags are bursting open in the machines and then there is lost property, which makes the boys lose trust in the service. It’s becoming a bad cycle, pardon the pun! Please make sure all boys clothes are labelled and then House Mothers will work with boys and laundry staff to ensure we get the best service.

Catering

This term we are also looking at our catering options for the boys and reviewing our menu. We are looking into what the boys are getting for recess in particular and how the canteen is able to service both our Middle School and Senior School boys. In particular, we continue to look at whether or not it can be an option for boys to order their lunch from a few options and whether we can provide more individualised choice. At the moment it is difficult, for example, for a boy to have an MYO option of rolls or sandwiches in our current canteen. Our middle school canteen doesn’t have a separate section for boarders, so if they want more choice, it means they have to line up each time with the days boys, which is something we are trying to avoid. We also have boys a bit slow in the mornings and perhaps missing breakfast, but then expecting a large meal for recess, when it is designed as a snack. We need to find the balance.  Our catering staff do a fantastic job and are always open to feedback, so I am working with them closely over the next little while to review our menu.  The menu is attached below.

Academic Tracking

This is a very important term for our boys with regards to their studies. We have examinations for senior boys as well as finalising subject selections. As part of our Academic Programme in the Senior School Residence, we offer subject-specific group tutoring sessions, where students can receive academic support. Please see the Group Tutoring roster for Winter Term using the link below:

Boarding Group Tutoring Roster_Winter Term

We will continue to communicate and reinforce the availability of this support at Clan Meetings with the boys and Assistant Heads of Residence Mr Wood (Blair) and Mr Ninkov (Stirling) are available for parent contact.

A reminder, too, that the School provides OSC tutoring each afternoon in the Senior School library where boys can access free tutoring from 3:30pm-5pm every Monday-Thursday.

For Middle School academic tracking in boarding, boys are provided with guidance on how to organise themselves and plan their studies as well as subject specific tutoring. We also have a numeracy focus on Monday nights with Mr Watson. We have tutors on each evening Monday-Thursday to help them with their assignments and to help build study skills. Our Assistant Head of Residence, CJ (Year 8s) and Mr Van Ingen-Kal (Year 7s) are there to help Mr Mecham academically track the boys and are points of contact for classroom teachers to ensure that boys are getting the right direction in their study.

Mrs Seaby

I have both sad and exciting news, in that Mrs Seaby has informed me this week of her intention to retire. Whilst this is very sad news for us given her phenomenal service over a long period of time, I think it an exciting time for Pam as she moves on to her next phase of helping more around the farm and looking after her beautiful grandchildren. I am still discussing with Mrs Seaby when parents can get an opportunity to thank her.

I also want to make sure parents are aware that Mr Mecham will not be around for the final week of term as he will be in New Zealand with the Year 10 expedition. This will mean that parents may not get that traditional last day of term to thank him for looking after the boys. I know a lot of parents will be down for the last day of term for Highland Games and then end of term pick up. Please keep Monday 19^th August drop off after the long weekend as a day that you can stick around in the boarding house and say an early goodbye to Mr Mecham and possibly Mrs Seaby as well.

Bibbulmun Track

This term we have our Middle School boys going out on the Bibbulmun Track from 26^th – 30^th August. This is after the long weekend, so boys have a chance to get their supplies from home before heading out. I am excited to announce that we have joined forces with Notre Dame University to do a longitudinal study on our Bibbulmun Track Programme, exploring how the boys engage with the track, both from a fitness perspective and also how they engage with our Rites of Passage programme on the track. We are asking boys to complete a survey before walking this next section of the track and do a few fitness tests in order to get a base level of fitness.  We will also survey the boys after they have completed the expedition. This will continue for the next few journeys so that we can best investigate the impact that the Bibbulmun track programme is having for our boys. Parents will be sent a consent form for their sons to participate in this study, we hope that you can support this programme.

Key Dates

Monday 29 July – Friday 2 August                        NAIDOC Week

Monday 5 August – Friday 9 August                     Yr 9s to Moray (Last group)

Thursday 8 August – Friday 9 August                  Mingenew Midwest Expo and Function

Friday 16 August – Monday 19 August                 Mid-Term Break

Thursday 22 August                                                 Middle School Athletics Carnival

Friday 23 August                                                       Senior School Athletics Carnival

Monday 26 August – Friday 30 August                 Year 7 & Year 8 Bibbulmun Track

Wednesday 28 August – Thursday 29 August     Dowerin Machinery Field Days

Friday 30 August                                                      Boarding Father / Son function at Gooch Pavilion

Sunday 1 September                                                 Fathers Day

Monday 2 Sept – Wednesday 4 Sept                      Yr 10 Exam period

Wednesday 4 Sept – Thursday 5 Sept                   Newdegate Machinery Field Days

Monday 9 Sept – Friday 20 Sept                            Yr 11 & Yr 12 Exam period

Friday 13 Sept – Sunday 15 Sept                            Esperance Function / Farm visits

Sunday 15 Sept – Friday 20 Sept                            Year 10 Expeditions South

Friday 20 September                                                Middle School Highland Games

Friday 20 September                                                Last Day Winter Term

 

I wish all families a wonderful weekend ahead.

All the best,

Jordan

Spirit Award

Photos from the awards evening with Chris and Daisy Higham.  Congratulations Oli Wandel on your SPIRIT Award.

Mid Term Break

The mid term break is coming up in Week 4 so boarders can leave on Thursday 15 August and return from 3:00pm on Monday 19 August.

Please make sure that you enter leave in Reach under Holiday Travel Arrangements and send a copy of any bus, plane or train tickets to Boarding.Admin@scotch.wa.edu.au

Below is the attachment on how to add leave if you are still unsure.

Taigh Programme

In 2024 The Taigh programme is commencing its third year at Scotch College. The final weekend of our midyear break saw 18 boys and families come to the middle school boarding house for the now annual Taigh Orientation camp. Boys and their dads stayed over for the night with the fathers in dorms downstairs and the boys together upstairs. Mr Valentine introduced the boys to the tech for the programme and then it was a busy and enjoyable 24 hours of investigations, moviemaking, and the race-around-Scotch task. This year’s group in The Taigh includes 7 brothers from either 2022 or 2023 Taigh programme. We also enjoyed a wonderful gathering of boys, siblings, mum and dads for dinner on the Friday night with a group of 65 attending the event. The Taigh has commenced in week one of term 3 with some memorable writing and photos about views from favourite windows at home.

2024 Naidoc Week Assembly

The Indigenous Programme saw Friday start with a smoking ceremony while the Houses marched and then dancing and didgeridoo at Assembly from some of our boarders and Mr Spratt.

Around the Houses

Birthdays in the Big House

Rhama Evans

It was announced that Rhama Evans, who plays for Brigades FC in Geraldton, is the recipient of the Colts Rising Star Award – Clem Bray Award and CBH Group Colts Championship All Star.  Congratulations Rhama!!  Very proud of your efforts.

 

Try a Trade

OSC Tutoring

 

Meet the Mentor