Week 9, Winter Term 2024
Dear Boarding families,
I hope you are all looking forward to a nice spring break with your sons at home. It has been a strange fortnight in Senior School in particular, with Year 10 expeditions and Year 11 and 12 examinations, the place has been eerily quiet. The Middle School Residence has been business as usual, however, the boys have been doing a number of fun activities in the day school. This week the Year 7s have had their Interdisciplinary Unit (IDU) week which is a big culmination of their MYP unit of inquiry. They have been on excursions to the museum, had special guests on campus presenting to them, and have done their presentations on Ancient Greece. The Year 8s have been working on their community project and the last few Friday afternoons during sport time, there has been an alternate programme such as RUOK week, drumming, meditation and art. Enough there to keep the boys busy and open their mind up to different topics and ways of learning!
I am looking forward to seeing parents on the final day of term as they come and collect their sons. I will be in the Middle School Boarding House for most of the day, or down at the Highland Games watching the boys have some fun. If you are in Perth to collect your sons, please feel free to catch me for a chat.
Friday is also the last day for our beloved House Mum, Pam Seaby. Pam is finishing up at the end of this term after around 17 years of service to Scotch Boarding. Part of that time has also included a seat on the School Council and Pam has also seen her son’s go through the school. Her husband Doug has also worked at Scotch in the Facilities and Grounds team for many years. To put it simply, the Seaby’s are part of the fabric of this College. Pam has dedicated her career to helping young boarders find their way during the turbulent time of adolescence, from childhood through to adulthood, and without their parents being as close by as they would like. I cannot think of a more noble career, and Pam has done it with the highest degree of integrity and commitment and always with a sense of positivity that brightens everyone’s day. We will miss her dearly and I urge parents to find the time to thank her personally. For those who are around, we will be cutting some cake for her at around 1pm in the Middle School Boarding House.
For our Boarding Parent Committee, we have a meeting planned for Tuesday 8th October at 3pm in the Dining Hall Annexe. It is a chance to catch up on the events of the term ahead, chat about some of issues arising in boarding, and to discuss how the parent body can work with our staff to support our boys in boarding. Although we have parents who volunteer as year group representatives, please know that all parents are welcome at these meetings.
Next term we have a busy start, with our Boarding Graduation dinner and March out in the first week. Please also note that the Middle School boys are set to return on the 7th October from 3pm and have school on the Tuesday whilst the Senior School boarders are set to return on Tuesday 8th October and will start school on the Wednesday. Another thing to note is that, due to this staggered start, parking is never easy for boarding parents on the Tuesday because the car park is full of Middle school staff cars. I have put in a request that we get special access to parking sports on that day, but I did want to warn families that parking might be an issue.
A quick reminder too that our current year 9s (next term’s Years 10s) have a Bibbulmun track walk in week 2 of term and our Year 8s also have their G.R.O.W.T.H programme running out of Moray early on next term, so the boys should travel back to school with some camp supplies such as cutlery, water bladders and hiking boots. The new Year 11s and 12s are set to head off later in the term.
We were lucky enough to head to Esperance last weekend and visit our families in that area, alongside PLC. Thank you to those that came to see us, it is always a highlight of my job, seeing our families in their own backyard and getting to see the wonderful places in which our boys grow up. Please always feel welcome to open up the invite of Scotch’s visits to the regions to any family or friends that you have that would be keen to hear a little bit more about Scotch, or boarding school in general.
I wish you all a fantastic break and wish the farmers well as the prepare for their upcoming harvest. I hope for some finishing rains, no frost, and no breakdowns!
Enjoy Spring Break!
All the best
Jordan
Year 12 Boarding Graduation Dinner
Year 12 parents need to book tickets to attend the Graduation Dinner being held on Thursday 10 October from 6:00pm. Please click on the link and follow the prompts. Please also register for your son.
Day School Leadership positions
A huge congratulations to the following boys on their Student Leadership positions within the day school.
Oscar Male – House Captain – Shearer
Mike Liu – Vice Captain – Ferguson House (Service)
Henry Dyke – Vice Captain – Keys House (Service)
Bryan Muller – Vice Captain – Ross House (Service)
Bryan is joining Boarding for Year 12 from Spring Term 2024.
Design and Technology
I happened to chance upon a selection of metal and wood work items that some of the Year 11 boarders had been working on. They are pretty amazing. I am very impressed with the standard of work. Well done boys!
Man of the Week
Congratulations to Mr Mecham for being Man of the Week in MSR. Well deserved as he is now leaving and heading to the SSR.
Congratulations also to Van Jasper in Blair Clan and Benji Martin in Stirling Clan on your ‘Man of the Week’ awards.
Around the Houses
It’s been a big couple of weeks in both boarding houses. David turned 19 years old during exams – congratulations David. Tarkyn had his birthday. Lots of Recreation options to choose from and boys leaving us for the last time.
Ben, Rishi, Riley and Dylan with Mr Stretch off for some fishing!
SSR
Some happenings around the Senior Boarding House.
Mr Stretch’s Sausage Roll Night
The boys really enjoyed making homemade sausage rolls from scratch. Big thanks to Mr Stretch for the great evening of bonding and cooking skills.
Inventive ways to get your phone!
On Sunday morning, some of the Year 9s were encouraged to spend time in nature and with the local wildlife and turn it into a photo competition to get their phones returned to them.
I feel they truly embraced the assignment and here is a selection of photos that the boys styled when they were told to ‘go outside and be with nature’.
| Key Dates | |
| Friday 20 September | Middle School Highland Games |
| Friday 20 September | Last Day Winter Term |
| Monday 7 October | Boarding for Middle School opens at 3:00pm |
| Tuesday 8 October | Start of Spring Term for Middle School |
| Boarding for Senior School opens at 3:00pm | |
| Wednesday 9 October | Start of Spring Term for Senior School |
| Thursday 10 October | Yr 12 Boarding Graduation Dinner
Tickets available through the calendar |
| Friday 11 October | Awards Assembly (Colours/Honours) |
| March Out |
Meet the Mentor
Kristian Leeson starts in Spring Term as Head of Middle School Residence.
