Year 10: Summer Term 2019
Welcome to the “Big House”. For some of the boys and their parents who have or have had older brothers, this change is not a big one. But for some the sheer size of the place is unsettling. Initially there was a significant amount of excitement, but as the term has progressed the pattern of the day or week becomes routine. That said there have been times when phones have been removed because the routines were not followed.
Developing independence in young men takes time. Some restrictions have been loosened since they were in Year 9, especially regarding leave on the weekend to the city. The boys carry phones and have the ability to communicate if something about their leave has changed, e.g they missed the train. I encourage them to ring myself or the House, as over time this builds trust, which enables the boys to apply to go further and for longer.
Prep time is now two hours which is a very long time for some, and not long enough for others. In Year 10 the boys are mostly in their rooms, but their doors are “chocked” open, and a staff member is usually out on the landing. Some are making good use of the tutors, while others are using the small group tutor room. However for some, “You can lead a horse to water…..”. I do encourage the boys to read if there is spare time.
Recently we had about half of the Year 10’s sit at least one of the ULNA Maths, Reading and Writing components. In preparation for this we spent a significant amount of prep time in preparation for these assessments. I’d like at this stage to thank Mrs Libby Muddle, Head of Academic Support, who came down to the House to help out. It became apparent to me as a result of this that our boys need to read a deal more to develop comprehension, written expression and spelling. Something that playing “spacies” does not develop.
Unfortunately, a few weeks ago Tiarell Niki, a Year 11 indigenous student who left Scotch last year, passed away. This hit our community very hard. The timing also coincided with the shootings in Christchurch. Reverend Gary van Heerden, the new Chaplain led a very emotional service in the chapel on the Sunday evening. While many of us were very upset by these events, I was impressed with how supportive the boys were of each other and myself. While grieving is painful, and this was obviously a testing time, the community support was appreciated.
As the Summer Term comes to a close, we can look back on an eventful term. Recently the Cross Country was held, and I commend Darcy O’Halloran who finished as the top boarder in 12th position. But for me there is a lot you can tell about a young man and how they did in the Cross Country. Not so much in where they finished but how they compare to last year. Are they willing to really push themselves outside their comfort zone. Darcy’s improvement was 34 places better than last year, while Ben Nixon at 35th improved by 12 places. Both Luke Marshall and Harvey Ellis also improved. For some of the boys who have arrived at Scotch more recently, I cannot yet make this comparison, but I will continue to monitor Cross Country over the coming years.
We have also had some other significant achievements amongst the Year 10’s this term;
- Terry Zhou was a member of the Year 9 and 10, and Year 11 and 12 Scotch “Have some fun” Maths competitions which finished 2nd and 1st respectively in the State wide competitions.
- George Purser and Kye McCreery have just finished a very successful rowing season for the Year 10 crews.
- Brenton Macauley, Raquell Bin Rashid and Max Mead’s 10A basketball finished undefeated in the recent PSA season.
- Jack Zhang is the lead French Horn player in the Scotch PLC orchestra that played at the Quarry amphitheatre in Bold Park one Sunday night.
Unlike the Junior Houses recreational activities are more random. Although recreational activities have been on offer the boys are very slow to sign up and activities are canceled due to a lack of numbers. Last week I got the boys to fill out a questionnaire about what they wanted to do. The highest polling activity was going to the movies and yet when It was offered only 4 boys signed up. That said, aside from the movies we have run outings to the Wildcats Basketball (twice), Scorchers Cricket, and St Mary’s Barbeque on the Beach. I was also very grateful to Luke Marshall’s family who hosted a party for Luke and the Year 10’s at the start of the term. We have also booked a breakfast at the Ocean Beach Hotel on the last week of the term.
I have encouraged the Year 10’s to take up the Duke of Edinburgh Award scheme. They do most of the requirements, such as doing a sport, and going on an expedition through Scotch. There are volunteering opportunities as part of the community service aspect of the award also available through Scotch. I commend the eight boys who took up the opportunity to volunteer to be waiters at the Scotch Ball, and those who assisted on the night of the Inter School Swimming Sports. The Duke of Edinburgh award is well regarded if it appears on someone’s curriculum vitae during the process of applying for a job.
In conclusion I wish all families an enjoyable and well-earned break.
More Photos
To view more photos of the boys, please click on the following links.
School Photos: https://au.vidigami.com