Dear Boarding Families

I hope that you all enjoyed a restful break with your sons over the holidays and you are well prepared for the term ahead. I know that our farming families will be gearing up for harvest to begin soon, although by all accounts, perhaps a slightly later start this year. I am sure that the boys will be crossing their fingers that they get home in time to get involved! Before all of that, however, we have a busy term ahead!

This term we have begun a new academic year in the senior school. It is amazing to see how fast these boys grow up. It seems only yesterday I was teaching my year 8 humanities class and last week those same boys are coming into my Year 11 leadership workshops! Time seems to fly by! It has been lovely with the new academic year, to welcome new boys to the school, and this term we have 6 new boarders starting with us from a diverse range of backgrounds. They have made a good start and our boys have been very welcoming. Later this term we have an orientation day to welcome the 22 new boys coming into year 7 next year.

The first week of term was dominated by the outgoing year 12s having a final week of examination handback and graduation ceremonies before heading to March Out on Friday, their last official day as a Scotch student. We had a lovely dinner on Thursday night for the leaving year 12s and their parents at Claremont Oval.  The boys all gave short speeches on each other, and it was lovely to hear their heartfelt messages to their friends about growing up together and also share some very funny stories and anecdotes. The boys also gave each other and some of our staff some gifts to remember and we also presented each boy with a small gift. A special thankyou to Noah McCreery who decorated a windmill blade to present as a gift to the house. March Out was another very special day for the College, with beautiful weather and a huge crowd out to see the boys. The whole school from pre-K to Year 12 were all present to wish the boys well as they embark on this next stage of their lives. I was lucky enough be asked to help give out some OSC ties to the graduating class and it was pretty special to watch the ceremony alongside my four-year-old who is at Scotch Kindy, who I am sure wants to be in the pipe band one day!

As we have now started Week 2, classes in Senior School have begun in earnest and boys have officially assumed their new leadership roles. On Wednesday this week it was their first Boarding Assembly and it was good to see them get off to such a good start. Cambell and the boys did some planning on the Monday and came up with an agenda for the meeting as well as a bit of a plan for some events coming up this term. We celebrated Men of the Week, did a sports report, presented our new boys with their clan t-shirts, and gave a heads up on a few upcoming events as well as a new initiative by Henry Dyke to have a “Joke of the Week!” to start us off!

This term coming up the boys have organised a barbeque on 25^th October for the whole house to start off the term. It coincides with the Founders Day dinner in the dining hall that night after the naming ceremony of our two boarding houses. Our Boarding Houses have been named in honour of two significant figures in the school’s history. The Senior House has been renamed “Syme House” in honour of former Headmaster Andrew Syme, who commissioned the building of the new Boarding House, opened in 2003. The Middle School Residence has been renamed “Robinson House” after the School’s longstanding architect Leigh Robinson.

The boys are setting up a Secret Santa again this year, where everyone will be given a boarder to buy a small gift for someone else. The boys will be allocated their person in the next week or so and as the Christmas trees go up in the houses, we can start to place gifts under the tree. This is a great community-building activity and all staff and students get involved. The boys will be expected to spend around $10 to buy a gift for someone else.

This week our (new) Year 10 boys are on Bib Track, including a couple of our new students. On Sunday, we have another two groups heading out on the bibby. Mr Mecham will be walking with the group and Mr Montgomery will also be out running backup. Please feel free to contact me or Theresa regarding the day to day running of the Senior house.

I wish all families a wonderful fortnight ahead and please let me know if you are spending time in Perth this term so that I can try and thank you in person for your support over the past 5 years. I have spoken to parents at our parent committee meeting and I know that it will be difficult to all get together for an end of year function given it is such a busy time of the year in November and December, so hopefully we can catch a moment or two throughout the last term.

All the best

Jordan

Year 12 Boarder’s Graduation Dinner

We had a wonderful dinner with staff, parents and the leaving Year 12 boarders.  Everyone had a wonderful time at the Claremont Football Club.  There were some great speeches by the boys, and a farewell to Pam Seaby for her 17 years of service to boarding.  A huge thank you to Jo Macnamara for taking charge of the table arrangements and floral displays.  Thanks also to Jane Wandel, Natalie Hammond, Naomi Purser and all the wonderful families able to donate wildflowers and regional display items for the night.

March Out

The weather was perfect for March Out this year.  Here are some photos of the Yr 12 leavers marching out with their Houses for the last time.

The Pipe Band did a magnificent job in the heat and the boys looked relieved to take their headdresses off.

New Leaders and New Boarders Breakfast

Mr Montgomery and Mr Mecham took the 2025 Leaders and New boarders out for breakfast at the Teebox this morning.

Man of the Week

Congratulations to the following boys:

James Irving – MSR

Felix Munro – Blair Clan

Cambell Johnston – Stirling Clan

New Year 10 Bibbulmun Track Walk

Mr Montgomery went out on Monday to meet the new Year 10 boys walking from Swamp Oak to Harris Dam near Collie and brought some extra treats with him to enjoy after an early barbecue dinner.  Ms Guy was on hand to make sure everything was running smoothly.  The boys appreciated the warm meal and seemed to be in high spirits.  Well done on your achievement boys.

Around the Houses

It’s been a very busy couple of weeks for Mr Leeson and his wife Georgia and baby Charlie.  On Fridays, they take a few boys out for a catchup at the TeeBox in Claremont.  Dallas and Heath have been busy with their community project and some of the boys hit the beach on Sunday morning for rec.

The Nicky Winmar Cup was held on Sunday last week and a big congratulations to all the boys that got to play.  Jarra and Kazeem both did well with a win to South Fremantle.

Happy Birthday to Zach who turned 16 and is a foot taller than Mr Mecham.

House Mother Theresa had the MSR boys over for some pancake making in our makeshift kitchen in the Senior House.  The boys loved the experience and especially enjoyed eating the pancakes and playing Jenga with John.

Meet the Mentor