Week 2, Summer Term 2024
Dear Boarding Families
Welcome to the 2024 school year! A special welcome to all our new families, and welcome back to all our families who were already with us last year. It has been lovely to see parents over the last two weeks as they have dropped their sons off and for those who have stuck around in Perth for a couple of extra days. It was lovely to welcome you all back into a newly refurbished entrance foyer in the Senior School Boarding House. The facilities team did a great job over the summer recreating the staff area and creating a good study space for our boys. I have included some photos below for the families who weren’t able to see it. Unfortunately for Middle School families, we couldn’t reveal the new playground as planned, however that should be finished before the end of term.
Andy Mellor – Head of Blair Clan
I have also had to write to families this week to inform you all that Mr Andy Mellor has made the difficult decision to step away from his role at Scotch in order to spend more time with his family. Andy will continue with us until the mid-term break at the start of March. After that, Mr Steven Montgomery and myself will share responsibilities for the families in Blair Clan whilst we go through a recruitment process. I will keep families updated. I would like to thank Andy for his service to the College and wish him well for his next chapter. Andy will remain a Scotch parent because his and Jodie’s two sons attend the College so he will remain connected in that way.
Parent Information sessions – Day School
In the past couple of weeks, there have been parent information sessions for the parents of Year 7, Year 8 and Year 9 boys. For those boarding families who were unable to attend, or perhaps one parent attended but the other couldn’t make it. There are links to the presentations here.
Scotch MS 2024 Middle School Parent Information Evening
Scotch MS 2024 Year 7 Parent Information Evening
Scotch MS 2024 Year 8 Parent Information Evening
The Year 9 presentation will be sent to you next week by Senior School and was unavailable to add to the Blog.
If you have any questions, please get in contact with your son’s Head of Year (Middle School) or Head of House (Senior School) and please feel free to include your sons boarding Head of Residence into that email correspondence to make sure we are all on the same page.
I also want to make sure parents of Year 8 boys are aware that there are parent/teacher interviews coming up so parents have the opportunity to meet their son’s PCG Teacher. This is an important touch point at the start of the year, the PCG teacher is a main point of contact in the day school, they will see you son at the start of each day at school and also teach them a number of lessons each day. If you are unable to make the meeting in Perth, please contact your son’s PCG teacher directly and arrange for an online meeting through Teams or a phone call.
Academic tracking in boarding
As the academic year gets underway, I would like to assure parents that we have academic tutoring available for the boys during prep time in boarding and if your sons want/need to access these services, please contact his Assistant Head of Residence to arrange for tutoring.
Stirling Clan – Michael.Ninkov@scotcjh.wa.edu.au
Blair Clan – Alex.Wood@scotch.wa.edu.au
Year 7 – Brent.VanIngen-Kal@scotch.wa.edu.au
Year 8 – CJ.Jackson@scotch.wa.edu.au
We are also trialling a new system of academic tracking by asking our tutors to complete online feedback forms from their tutoring sessions. These forms are emailed to Assistant Head of Residence and can be forwarded on to parents as required. Furthermore, Mr Michael Ninkov recently addressed all boarding students about study skills and organisation. Each boy was presented with a weekly planner and a blank assessment calendar that they can fill in and display in their rooms. We will be using Sunday prep time to focus on organisational skills. We ask that all boys are back from weekend leave by 5:30pm, in time for Sunday dinner and prep so that they can spend some quality time organising their week ahead.
Adventure World
Last weekend we took the boys to Adventure World. The boys had a fantastic time and were able to mingle with each other as well as many boarding students from other schools. It would have been nice for the boys to see friends from their home town who may attend different schools. We took all Year 7-10 students and it was great to see some Year 11 students opt to join us as well. The boys were well behaved and enjoyed the day. They were certainly exhausted on Sunday evening after the first week back at school and then a big weekend in boarding. This weekend is a bit more chilled out with regards to rec to give the students a chance to recharge their batteries.
Swimming Carnivals
This week we had both the Middle School and Senior School Inter-House swimming carnivals. This is the first chance for the boys to earn points for their house and hopefully have a bit of fun along the way. The first inter-school swim meet was last Friday and there will be another couple of swim meets coming up in the next two weeks. If your son has an interest in swimming, training is before school every day. There are also swimming squads that the boys can join all year round. The best person to speak to regarding swimming is Mr Ryan Steenkamp Ryan.Steenkamp@scotch.wa.edu.au
Chinese New Year
This week our community is celebrating Chinese New Year. This is a wonderful tradition that started in Scotch Boarding three years ago. Two of our Chinese students are leading the charge with regards to organising the event, we have decorations, quizzes and a special dinner planned for the evening. Dr O’Connell will be in attendance which is special and so will a large number of Chinese day students and their families. Many of our Chinese families are coming in before the dinner to help prepare dumplings with our catering staff. Congratulations to Mike Liu and Jerry Li for all their work on this event.
Yr 12 Ball
Next weekend is the much-anticipated Yr 12 Ball and I am looking forward to seeing our Year 12 parents in Perth for the big event. We have a pre-ball event down at the Cottesloe Beach Surf Lifesaving club and then the boys are travelling together to the ball. We have a booking for Year 12 parents to have a dinner together once we have gone and seen the boys and their partners enter the Dickinson Centre. If you haven’t yet RSVP’d to either event, please email Boarding.Admin@scotch.wa.edu.au and let Jan know.
Year 9 Rottnest Camp/ Yr 12 Bibbulmun Track
In the week leading up to the long weekend we have two year groups out on camp. All year 9s will go to Rottnest, which is one of the great camps in Senior School. It is a chance to get to know their House Head very well and to bond as a cohort. It’s an excellent time for our new students to make friends with the boys in their House.
In the same week, the Year 12 boys embark on their final Bibbulmun Track expedition. They will be walking from Peaceful Bay, through Denmark and into Albany. I have encouraged all boys to consider walking, whether they will be an “end-to-ender” or not. It is a great event to tick off in year 12 as one of the many “final times” that the boys will experience. For year 12 parents, I also encourage you to consider travelling to Albany for that weekend to see the boys come in and to share the celebrations as the boys complete their Rite of Passage by completing the Bibbulmun Track. We have a function planned on the Friday and Saturday night for the families that make a weekend of it down in Albany.
I wish all families a wonderful fortnight ahead and I thank you all for your support as you have trusted us to care for your sons in your absence, it is a privilege that we take very seriously. Please continue to stay in contact with us about anything concerning you son. We know the first couple of weeks are difficult as the boys adjust to our routines and miss their families. It might be worth having another read of our homesickness booklet, which we have attached here Homesickness Handbook 2024
Kind regards
Jordan
Middle School Residence
Welcome to our new Year 7 and 8 boys and families. We have a full house this year which is wonderful.
Our boys with their home room teachers.
MS Swimming Carnival
Congratulations to Robert house (Red) on winning this year. The boys had great weather for a day at the pool.
Senior School Residence
The Reception area and new prep/study room were refurbished over the holidays. The team headed up by Matt Luton did a fabulous job.
House Mothers, Kerry and Theresa keep a tight ship – work, rest and play!
SS Swimming Carnival
Congratulations to Cameron House, who by coincidence have only one boarder, won the Inter-House Swimming Carnival on Wednesday.
Clans
Welcome to our new clan members in their Blair and Stirling shirts with the Student Leadership team. Mr Montgomery addressing the big house at Clan Meeting on the steps of the big house.
Recreation
Some great photos from rec activities.
Marching
The first assembly of the year in Senior School with marching and the pipe band. We have boarders that are pipers and drummers. Captain of Boarding Rhama, on the right. Always a treat.
Swanbourne Tigers Football Club – early registration
The new registrar at Swanbourne Tigers Football Club, Genevieve Hohnen, has offered Scotch College boarding families the chance to register their son’s early.
This is the link to register:
Swanbourne Tigers early registration
If you would like to chat with Genevieve, please email registrar@swannytigers.org.au
Photographs
Thanks to Ivan (Yr 12) for taking great professional photos of rec activities, dinners and sports events for me to use.
Ivan is our official boarding photographer this year.