Week 4, Summer Term 2023
Dear Boarding Families,
I hope that you have all enjoyed the fortnight and many of you would have had a chance to have seen your sons and touched base over the last weekend or two. The boys have settled in remarkably well and it has been a testament to our community spirit.
Last weekend was one of the marquee weekends for our Year 12s, the Scotch Ball. Our boys dressed up to the ‘nines’ and brought their lovely ball partners along to the School to have a night of fun. We held a relaxed pre-ball event for the Year 12s and their parents on the lawn of Royce House where we had a chance to gather as a boarding community and take some photos before all the boys and their partners moved on to other events before the ball. It was very special to gather as a group because many of these boys have grown up together and their parents have shared the boarding journey with each other. As the boys headed into the ball, the Yr 12 boarding parents and myself enjoyed a dinner together at a local restaurant, a rare time that all parents are in Perth at the same time, so it was great to gather together and catch up.
The year 12 ball night was followed up on Sunday with a flurry of activity of a different kind, as some of our middle School boarders started dropping like flies with positive cases of Covid 19! It certainly made for a busy next few days as 15 boys over the next three days took some time out of boarding. I am happy to say that that the situation stabilised quickly, and we haven’t had many positive cases since. I am extremely grateful for the way in which parents and carers responded and came to collect their boys. Although the emergency rules and regulations around Covid have largely gone, in our boarding environment it is still important that we are vigilant with any infectious illness and in this case, home care is critical to stop the spread. Our boys have been fantastic in getting RAT tested each day before school and we have been able to curb the spread. This has not just been an issue in boarding, however, there has been a spike in cases throughout the day school as well. Once again, I thank our boarding families for their positive attitude and good grace when dealing with situations like this.
Throughout the first few weeks the boys have been busy with some exciting rec activities. Last weekend the Middle School boys took a trip together on the train into Fremantle and had a walk around the markets and the fishing boat harbour. This is a great way for the younger boys to get a glimpse of city life in a safe group, but also to learn the skills of public transport and navigating the city and as they grow older, they will confident to be more independent in this regard. Boys have also been able to interact with boarders from other schools in various activities and enjoy venues such as “Bounce” which is everyone’s favourite trampoline land, ten pin bowling, mini golf, the cinema, and this weekend the Yr 11s and 12s are going ice skating with the girls from Santa Maria! This week we also had a catch up between our Yr 12 boarders’ council and the PLC boarding prefects to discuss the year ahead, specifically the boarding ball and our respective boarding weeks at school, PLC’s boarding week is in May and Scotch’s boarding week is in June.
I emailed all parents and spoke to all boys last week about a catering review that we are undertaking at the College for our boarding menu, alongside our catering company Chartwells. I thanks parents for their feedback so far and encourage other parents who may have forgotten that there is still time to send me an email so that I can collate the feedback. We will also be forming a committee of interested students to go through the menu and to give suggestions about their favourite dishes that they would like to see.
This next week starts to get busy with some outdoor education! Our Year 8s have been snorkelling this week, as have a few of our Year 11s, our Year 9s are about to go off on the annual Rottnest Camp next week and the year 7s are preparing to go to Moray. Importantly, this Sunday we also have 4 of our Yr 12 boarders embarking on their final expedition on the Bibbulmun track, walking around 130km from Peaceful Bay into the Southern Terminus of the Track in Albany. It is going to be a very special long weekend next weekend as the boys walk into Albany to the sound of the bagpipes and I am very proud of these boys for showing the persistence and completing a remarkable challenge. In particular, congratulations to Harrison Hammond who has managed to walk every single step of the way from Kalamunda to Albany to complete the track from end to end. I am sure that when the boys look back on their time at school in 10 or 20 years, the experiences on the Bibbulmun Track will be one of their lasting memories. I encourage all parents to urge their sons to persist with the track, whether they’re going to become an ‘end to ender’ or not, the values and benefits of walking the Bibby far outweigh the challenges of missing a few days of school twice a year! We hope to get these boys out in nature, bonding together through shared stories, disconnecting from screen time, and learning the value of pushing through a challenge and completing a task that is difficult. There are a lot of parallels that can be drawn between our Bibbulmun Track programme and the journey of life in general and the programme is designed to be a Rite of Passage from boyhood to manhood that our boarders are lucky enough to participate in during their years at school. Even if your son has missed a leg or two over the years, there is no reason to quit the track just because he won’t officially become an ‘end to ender’. Each expedition is unique, and the programme as a whole is what is important, not the certificate at the end. This week Lochie Elliott our Captain of Boarding addressed the assembly with a similar message and I have copied Lochie’s speech to Friday’s assembly below.
In the next few weeks it is also time for me and some of the team to get out on the road as well, a good chance to meet our current families in their own backyard. Next Friday I will be hosting an evening in Albany before the boys walk in the next day. We will be at Due South from 6:30pm-8:30pm and rumour has it the Headmaster is a chance to make it as well. All are welcome and please feel free to invite a guest on our behalf, whether they are past parents, OSC, or families looking for a school in the future.
The week after Albany, we will be heading south again to host an event in Katanning with PLC before attending two days at the Wagin Woolarama. I would also love to spend some time visiting families at their homes whilst I am there, so please feel free to get in touch if you are around that weekend but not coming to the Woolarama.
Finally, I wanted to update families about our House Parent position. We are currently interviewing candidates and hope to make a decision in the next few days. Mrs Seaby has done an outstanding job in the Middle School House this term with Mr Mecham but we have been without a House Parent in the senior house, which, try as we might, has been noticeable. I hope to have that situation resolved as soon as possible and I thank parents for their support and patience at this time. The House Parent is such an important member of the team, but such a hard job to fill. I continue to urge our families to spread word of mouth to any interested people and let me know if you have someone that would be a great fit for our community.
I wish all families the very best over the next couple of weeks and look forward to seeing you either around campus or out in the Great Southern as a tour around over the next two weeks!
Jordan
Year 12 Scotch Ball – Boarding Pre’s
More Ball photos will be made available on Vidigami in the coming weeks. Here is the link:
Vidigami Yr 12 Ball photos 2023
Assembly Speech by Lochie Elliott
Good morning school,
First, I would like to say a huge congratulations to all the boys in the swim team, but most importantly to the boarders that made it. Traditionally, boarders are not known to be the best of swimmers, and this year we have all of 5 boys who made it. So well done to;
Ben Brierley
Rhama Evans
Van Jasper
Alexander Wallace
and Myself for this great achievement, however, we can do better. I know there are some keen swimmers in the boarding house and all it takes is a couple of trainings. So next year boys, get out of your comfort zone and get down to training, the hard work really does pay off. Hopefully then, we will have more boys in the team and a better culture around swimming amongst boarders. Good luck to everyone else on the team and I hope it’s one to remember.
The Bib track – it’s a unique experience that only the boarders get to take part in – and it is now a fantastic tradition at Scotch. First, here is a brief history about the Bibbulmun. The track, 1000km long from Kalamunda to Albany, was officially opened in 1988, and since then, it has become one of the world’s premier long-distance hiking trails, attracting thousands of visitors each year. The track passes through a variety of landscapes, including forests, coastlines, and heathlands, and is named after the Noongar people’s Bibbulmun nation, who originally inhabited the area. The trail has also been recognized with various awards for its environmental and cultural significance, including being listed as a National Landmark by the Australian Government.
Now, next week, 4 of our year 12 boarders will take part in the final leg of the treacherous journey, the last 135km of a 1000km trail. It’s a huge national achievement, however, the end to ender certificate or pride of walking every step isn’t everything that the bib has to offer. As some would say, it’s not the destination that counts, it’s the journey. Now, I am sure most of you would have heard some stories about what goes down on the track from our year 12s, and that is where the value truly lies. It’s the memories you make, the friendships you kindle, and the character or resilience that you build along the way, not the certificate at the end. Because it is such a small group finishing the track, comprising of myself, Jett Sibosado, Harrison Hammond and Azhar Sgro, it makes it even more special and our own.
Harrison, however, will be the only true end to ender if he completes this last section. Nonetheless, the more boarders that continue the better, whether you have missed a section or come late to Scotch, it seriously is one of the most unique and terrific opportunities that Scotch boarding has to offer, it would be a shame to leave school with the regret of not continuing on, with such an amazing program.
Therefore, I wish the other three boys walking with me next week good luck, and I encourage you to cherish these last moments on the track.
Now to finish, I shall leave you with this one quote by Misty Copeland:
“You can start late, look different, be uncertain, yet still succeed.”
Thank you
3 on 3 Basketball Competition – Friday 10th March
One for the boys – here is the link: 3 on 3 Basketball
Middle School Residence
Congratulations to Wes Cooper, Riley Raffan, Joe Purser and Oliver Risinger (All Yr 8) with their awards after Middle School Assembly.
Middle School Recreation
Some more photo’s of boys enjoying making new friends at boarding.
Middle School Table Tennis Tournament
Terrific win by Fletcher Braddock who beat Oliver Risinger in the final.
Mid Term Break – Friday 3rd March to Monday 6th March
Thank you to those that have already entered Holiday Travel Arrangements for your son’s. A reminder that leave for Mid term break needs to be put into Reach no later than Monday, 27th February.
The boarding houses will be closed on Friday 3rd and open from 3:00pm on Monday 6th.
When you enter leave it is from Thursday 2nd March through to Monday 6th. Please use Holiday Travel Arrangements when selecting the type of leave.
If your son is travelling over the break, you must send through flight, bus or train tickets to Boarding.Admin@scotch.wa.edu.au
Please add all the ticketing details to Reach, as this helps with our transport arrangements to get boys to the airport, bus and train stations on time.
Below are the instructions on how to enter leave into the Reach Leave Management System, please also email if you have any questions regarding Reach or leave entries.
2023 Boarding Photography Competition
It’s on again!! Your chance for photographic fame and glory. The due date for entries is Friday 28th July 2023. Get snapping!
Meet the Head of Residence – Stirling Clan
Scotch Boarding contacts