Week 10, Summer Term 2019
Next week sees the conclusion to a long and busy term and to be fair it is very hard to believe that it is only the end of our first for the year. There has been a lot happening and our boys, especially our new ones, have done extremely well to involve themselves in everything and we encourage them to stay focused over the next few days to end the term positively.
They are all looking forward to getting home and taking some time out and no doubt many of them will enjoy the chance to get into their own bed and enjoy a sleep in or two. We certainly hope you enjoy the break and have planned some family time together!!
Holiday Travel Arrangements
One week to go until holidays and we still have a few boys who don’t have their leave entered for next week. If you think this might be you can you please check ASAP!
Just as a reminder: When completing your son’s Holiday Travel Arrangements please use the ‘Holiday Travel Arrangements’ leave type. Please do not use ‘Overnight Leave’, ‘School Approved Leave’, etc. By using the ‘Holiday Travel Arrangements’ leave type it makes it easier for us to sort the leave and make sure we don’t miss anyone.
For those requiring us to arrange transport to either the airport or train station please use the following template within the notes section:
Transport Required: Yes/No
Flight/Train Number:
Flight/Train Departure Time:
Time required to be at Airport/Train Station:
Does your son require an Unaccompanied Travel Form? Yes/No
Is Transport required upon return? Yes/No
Flight/Train Number:
Flight/Train Arrival Time:
NB: Please remember that boarding boys have been given permission to leave the College from 1pm (school finishes 3.25pm) on Friday. However, if they are leaving after school then they are expected to attend all of their remaining classes.
If you are having connection issues then please contact Michelle or Jan and they will enter the details for you.
School Departures
In previous terms the respective Schools Student Services team have been rather frustrated with boys leaving school at times not specified within their leave details. The school has access to the REACH system and use this to monitor the boys departure and quite often have boys coming to them in the morning when their leave stipulates that will be departing later on in the afternoon.
To try and ease their frustration we are asking that you please check your leave again to see that the time you have stipulated is the time you are still planning to collect your son, if not, can you please make the necessary changes. Of course we understand that things change last minute and if this happens we would appreciate it if you could please either give the Middle or Senior School Student Services a ring to advise them of any changes.
Thankyou Denyse
As there is no guarantee as to when next week’s newsletter may be released, we thought it was timely to thank Denyse Houston for stepping into the Year 9 House Parent role for this term. She has fitted in seamlessly and the boys and staff have all appreciated Denyse’s professionalism and attention to detail. It has been fantastic to have Denyse as part of our team and even though she finishes in this role she will still be available to come in and cover for any of the House Parents in the future so will not be lost to us entirely.
While saying farewell to Denyse, we welcome back Fran next term, and she is very eager to return to her role. She has been very open with us in letting us know how much she has missed the boys and working here and is very much looking forward to coming back!!
Boarding Houses in Use Over the Holidays
All three Boarding Houses are being used by outside organisations over the Holidays so it means that the boys have to completely pack up their rooms before they leave for the break. Each boy is being provided with two boxes to store their gear in and we ask that anything extra be taken home over the break.
Flu Vaccinations
Flu vaccinations for Boarders will be carried out in the Health Centre on Thursday, May 16th at a cost of $26. The cost will be added to your son/s account.
Please fill out the consent form which can be found under Forms in this Newsletter, and email to HealthCentre@scotch.wa.edu.au.
8’s and 9’s Bib Track
On Sunday our Year 8 and 9 boys depart very early for their first Bib Track walks of the year. The Year 8’s will either be starting at The Hills Discovery Centre in Mundaring or Randall Road and finishing at the reverse destination. The Year 9’s will begin at either Balingup or Collie and as per the Year 8’s finish at the reverse destination. We wish the boys well for their walks and look forward to welcoming them back on the Wednesday.
Due to staff illness we have had to perform some changes to the staff walking with the groups next week so for your information the staff walking with each group are;
- Year 8s: Shawn Brogden and Rochelle Gaudieri
- Year 9.1: Jacob Miolin and Dusan Vojvodic
- Year 9.2: Sean Mecham and Marcus Wilkinson
Year 11 and 12 Scotch Social
This Saturday night it is our turn to host a Boarding Recreational Activity for the WA Boarding Community and so it is with great excitement that we welcome the Year 11 and 12’s from other Boarding Schools to our social. Grant Bennett, Chris Stretch and Ashley Keatch have been busy planning the event over the past month or so and we are expecting 200 to 250 students on Saturday Night. The social starts at 7pm and concludes at 9:30pm.
Worlds Greatest Shave
Last Monday our Year 12’s combined with the girls from PLC to participate in the Worlds Greatest Shave. With a large contingent involved from the Residential Community this fundraising opportunity has certainly grown in stature over the past few years and with the amount of money that has been raised, in excess of $95,000, is proving to be a very good way for our students to contribute to a great cause.
Not only have the boys raised a significant amount of money but it means they wont have us hassling them about their haircuts for a while!!
Senior School Residential Parent Student Teacher Interviews
Next Friday is the Parent Student Teacher Interviews for the Residential Students. If you have booked well done and we look forward to seeing you there, if you haven’t then there is still time. To book an appointment with a staff member then please check your email that you would have received that has your own personal booking details, or look out for the reminder email that is being sent today. If this doesn’t work for you then you can also email or ring Petra Turner (08 9383 6825) who can assist you.
Boarding Parent’s Dinner
The increasingly popular Boarding Parent’s Dinner is locked into the calendar for Thursday 11th April, the night before the boys all leave to go home for the holidays. You would have received your invitation by email last week. If you have missed it, the invitation and purchase of tickets can be accessed on the Scotch College website under ‘Book a Scotch Event’. The Dinner starts at 6:00pm and concludes at 9:00pm. The cost per person is $55 and is BYO. Parking is available near the Dining Room with a short walk to the Chapel lawn where we begin our evening. This event is a great night for all involved within the Residential Community.
Year 11 and 12 Exams and Work Experience
As much as we want the boys to enjoy their holiday break we would like to remind them that arriving very quickly in week 2 next term will be the exams for the ATAR boys and Work Experience for the Alternative Pathway gents. So while it is important to take some time to recharge the batteries it also important not to spend too much time off the books and to plan a study routine that allows them to reconnect with the work they have completed so far. Hopefully by doing this, it will take a little bit of the pressure off when they return next term, and not feel so overwhelmed by the amount of study they may have to cram in throughout those early weeks.
From Last Week
With Summer Sport finishing last week it gave everybody a chance to have a week to recuperate and catch their breath before we enter the final couple of weeks of the term. This term has been a long one as we enter week 10 and 11 and the boys are doing well to hang in there and work through to the finish.
No doubt the next couple of weeks will see a number of assessments be set and teachers will be asking for submission of tasks and assignments. It’s important that the boys remain focused and we will be working hard to keep them on track so they can complete the term in a positive way and that way they can enjoy their two week break!
Senior School XC
Last Monday was the Senior School Inter House Cross Country Carnival and on a great day for running we had over 650 students complete the 3km course. From a boarding perspective we had a couple of great runs with Kalib Dempster Park (Year 9) and Kane Kennedy (Year 12) both coming home in second place. All up a great day, well attended and supported by the boys.
From a nostalgic point of view Keys House were the winners!!
Year 7/8 Sleep Over’s
Over the past few weeks the Year 7 and 8 boys have been exchanging sleep overs with some of the day boys. The initiative has been that a boarding boy invites a day boy for a sleep over in the Boarding House and then the day boy returns the favor by having the boarding boy over to their house. This initiative has seen some new relationships formed and created different dynamics within the boarding house which has been a good distraction for the boys as we edge closer to the holidays.
Senior Boys “Boarding Try Out”
Our Residential Life Captain Denzil Brooks announced at assembly this week a new initiative for Senior School students who would like to join our Boarding Boys for dinner and Prep one night a week. The idea is about opening up the Boarding House to the day boys so that they can gain a brief insight to the advantages that the boarding boys have in regard to living on site. We are limiting the number of boys who come in each night and are being careful to ensure that this initiative does not distract or disadvantage our own boys prep routine.
Birthday Cakes
When it comes time to celebrate birthdays we are more than happy to help you where we can and birthday cakes are an easy way to do that. Over the past few years we have had parents contact us asking to supply cakes for their sons and we can certainly do this with the help of the catering department. To provide some clarity we have been happy to cover the cost of cakes and donuts (or anything else Kim can think of) to celebrate birthdays for the Year 7 and 8 boys, and for boys in Year 9 and above we can organise the cake through the dining hall, with the cost being charged back to the family. If your son is in Years 9 to 12 and you think they would like to celebrate their birthday with a cake then please contact your House Mother.
Head of the River
Congratulations to our Scotch crews who rowed in last Saturday’s Head of the River. Our Year 10 boat performed very well with a solid win and all other crews performed as expected on the day which is a tremendous effort. The favorites were always going to be difficult to beat and so for the boys to hold their nerve and finish where expected is a sound result. Great time for a break and look forward to next season!!
Year 7 Boarding Scholarships for 2020
Next year the Scotch College Foundation is funding 4 Boarding Scholarships for boys entering the College at Year 7. Each scholarship equates to a 25% reduction from the College’s annual tuition fees (approx $7000) and remains in place for the duration of the boys time in boarding. There are eligibility requirements in place for the award of these scholarships and further information can be obtained by contacting our admissions team. If you know of any families who are considering Scotch for their son’s education then please feel free to forward this information on to them.
Winter is Coming
Autumn term is just around the corner and this coincides with a change from summer to winter uniform. To make this process easier you can organise a time for your son to visit the uniform shop, so he will be prepared when he returns next term. This also means that the new clothing can be taken home so that name tags can be applied. We would certainly appreciate if this is something that you can do prior to the holidays, because having all the boys purchasing clothing upon their return, places significant pressure on our staff to then organise how the clothing gets labeled before it enters its first laundry cycle.
If you need assistance with booking an appointment then please either contact your House Mother or the Residential Life Admin Office.
We hope you all a great week end.