Dear Boarding Families

I wish you a Merry Christmas on my final newsletter for the year. It has certainly been an action-packed fortnight in boarding, but that’s how we like it! We also have some significant events coming up to finish off the term, especially farewelling some of our valued staff members as they move on to different pastures in 2023.

Families have recently been informed that Mr Richard Hales and Mrs Fran Hannington will not be continuing next year as they move on to different opportunities. I have also recently spoken to Mrs Wendy Garreffa, who has been a House Mother with us for 6 months in the Senior Residence and she will not be continuing next year. Wendy has other commitments on her plate at the moment and has decided that she needs to spend more time with her family, especially her school aged children for those before school and after school moments. Luckily for us, Wendy will continue to care for our boys in her role within the Health Centre at Scotch. It will be sad to see Wendy go, but I fully understand and support her reasons. Families will have a chance to say goodbye to Wendy, Richard and Fran on Tuesday 6^th December as they come to Perth to collect their sons. We are having a low key afternoon tea for Middle School families as they come to collect their boys from 4:30pm so that parents can come and see Fran and stay for a cup of tea. The Middle School boys will have dinner in the house before heading to their Valedictory Ceremony. On the same day, from 5:30pm, we are having a barbeque on the steps of the Senior Boarding House to say farewell to both Richard and Wendy. I realise that Senior boys finish school the next day, but I am hoping that enough families will be around Perth to take the opportunity to share a meal with us to end the term. For those that can’t make the 6^th, Wendy and Richard’s last shift will be on Wednesday 7^th so there will be a chance to see them there. Finally, Sophie de Jonge who has been working with us this year as a live-in mentor in the Middle School Residence, and most recently also been working in Boarding Admin this term, has made the decision to return to her native Netherlands at the end of the year to pursue her career at home. Sophie has done an amazing job this year and she will also be missed. I would like to thank all of these staff members for their time at the College.

On Thursday evening this week, we celebrated our annual Christmas dinner in boarding. This was a good chance for us all to get together and share a special meal. It was also a chance for us to say farewell to our staff in front of the boys and to give them a small gift as a token of our appreciation. The boys all enjoyed the spread put on by the catering staff and we invited special guests such as our Headmaster Dr O’Connell and Mrs O’Connell, Mr Burt and Mr Gill, our Health Centre staff and our Laundry staff. It was a great evening and a fitting way to ring in the holiday season!

Last weekend was one of our marquee days of the year, which is our annual paintballing activity! It was a rare ‘closed weekend’ for our boys as we encourage all boys and staff to get involved. It was a fantastic day enjoyed by all. There were the inevitable stories that came out of it, which is exactly what the day is about, creating shared memories. The big day on Saturday created a buzz around our community that lasted for the entire weekend which was really nice to see.

On Sunday of last weekend, we also had a couple of big events. Firstly, in the morning, all our boys who had signed up to complete their Recreational Skippers Ticket went down to the Scotch boatshed for their practical examination. I am pleased to say that all boys passed and they all had a good time. The instructor made a particular mention of how pleasant all the boys were to work with, which makes us all incredibly proud!

Orientation day was also last Sunday and Monday. All incoming families came to the boarding house on Sunday afternoon to meet up with each other and the staff. We organised some games in the afternoon, shared dinner and then the boys had sleepover in the boarding house that night. We had 17 Year 6s with us and 3 Year 7s who will enter Year 8 next year. We also had two Year 8 boys who will start in the Senior School next year. Our current students were incredibly welcoming and kind to the new boys and it was a fantastic experience for all. The boys then attended school the next day to experience life as a Scotch student and meet their teachers for next year. They were collected on Monday afternoon, hopefully feeling positive and well prepared for next year.

This week on Monday and Tuesday the Senior boys competed in their final Clash of Clans for the year, a game of softball on the ovals. On Monday the new Yr 10s battled it out and Stirling won 6-3. On Tuesday we had a game planned for the Yr 11s and the Yr 12s but the big brave boys decided it was too hot!

Last Wednesday our boarding management team had our annual strategic planning day. It was an inspirational day, where our staff has the chance to review our practices and to suggest and plan for new ideas and initiatives.

Some of the critical questions that prompted discussion and planning included

• How do we best partner with our parents to create shared goals and experiences?
• How do we best develop strong connection and recognition with our day school?
• How do we best develop a strong academic culture in our boarding students?
• How do we best develop 21st century skills – Resilience, Adaptability, Emotional Intelligence, Creativity in our boarding students?

We also spent a considerable amount of time looking at our Bibbulmun Track Programme and the ways to best develop that as a genuine Rite of Passage programme, which will be a big focus for 2023.

Next week we are looking forward to seeing families as they come and collect their boys for the long break. Some of our international boys will be heading home. I would like to make special mention of our international boys from China who will be returning home to see their parents for the first time since the pandemic began in January 2020, almost three years ago! It is an incredible story of resilience from both our boys and their parents that they have had to endure this hardship and we can only hope that they have felt well supported during this time by our boarding community and their wider Perth network of friends and family.

I wish all our boarding families the very best over the Christmas break and look forward to a new year of successes, challenges and shared stories in 2023!

All the best

Jordan

Christmas Dinner

Skippers Ticket

Alex and Dan went down to the Boat Shed with the Skipper Ticket boys. They sat the Theory and Practical test and everyone that went, passed in one go. Congratulations and drive safe!

Clan Announcement

The Year 8s have been allocated to their 2023 Boarding Clan, Stirling or Blair.

Paintball

It was a great day for some paintball, please see some really cool looking boys below. The Year 8s joined their new clan teams Stirling or Blair and the boys played against each other with Year 7s, mentors, Andy and Sean join their teams.

The Chicks have Hatched!

The little chicks get a lot of love and cuddles from the Middle School Boys in the mornings before school.

Goodbye’s

When the boys heard that Fran was leaving, they wrote down notes for her to read the next morning. I’m sure a lot more hugs and nice words will be shared with our leaving staff.

Clan Games

The senior boys played softball on a lovely afternoon.

Secret Santa

In the Middle School House, we had a lot of thoughtful presents being unwrapped. Boarding Captain Lochie had also organized secret santa for the Senior House.

Perth City

The Middle School House went to the city per train, they went for a walk, a play around and had a lovely dinner at the BamBamboo restaurant.

XLR8 Obstacle Course

The boys loved the Obstacle Course, it was a good day for it. They raced each other, played around and had some chats with the girls.

Games on the Ovals

With the good weather, the senior boys enjoy playing all sorts of games out on the ovals after school. Almost every day there will be a group playing soccer, handball or whatever they might like!

Orientation Day Sleepover

The new 2023 boarders came over to their new home last weekend. Lots of smiles when playing pool, table tennis, dodgeball and lots more! They also joined in with the morning workout routine..

Special Mention

Lynton has a real talent and love for basketball. Every single morning he goes to school half hour early to play basketball. It is incredible to see how much time and effort he puts into getting better.

Dear Boarding Families

I hope you have enjoyed the past fortnight, no doubt working hard and looking to the finish line, whether it be for harvest or for the end of school! The boys certainly do feel the length of this term given that there is no mid-term break and there is often a lot of excitement and business back home. This year, PLC trialled an unofficial mid-term break for boarders. School and boarding were still open but there were no assessments allowed on either the Friday or the Monday so that the boarders had a chance to get home if they wanted to. I think this is a great idea, however, there are difficulties with it being implemented at Scotch due to our PSA fixtures.

We have quite a few events on the horizon in the next fortnight that I want to let parents know about. Firstly, we are planning a Barbeque on Tuesday 6^th December 5:30-7:30pm for Senior School families. It was initially going to be a Year 12 function, but we have decided to expand it to include all senior boys and parents. It is the evening before the last day of school for the senior schoolboys, so we are hoping families will be up in Perth to pick up the boys the next day. The Middle School boys and parents will have Middle School Speech night that night. The barbeque will be a relaxed atmosphere and a good chance for parents and boys to say a final farewell to Mr Hales, who leaves us at the end of the year. Please let us know if you are coming to the Barbeque and register via the following link: https://calendar.scotch.wa.edu.au/event/5510471

Next week at our boarding assembly on 23^rd November, the Year 8 boys will be informed of their Senior School Clan. We will announce whether they move to Blair Clan with Mr Mellor, Mr Wood and Mrs Seaby or Stirling Clan with Mr Montgomery, Mr Ninkov and Mrs Garraffa. It will be a special part of our fortnightly assembly. A follow up letter will be sent to Year 8 parents the next day.

On Wednesday 24^th November, the Year 12s have organised an event to get the day boys down to the boarding house called “Bring a mate to dinner”. The basic plan at this stage is that each of our Yr 12 boarders invites a friend to stay behind after school and hang out as a boarder for an evening. We will have some activities in the afternoon, dinner together and then activities for the first half of prep before the day boys get collected and everyone gets some study time after 7pm. I think it’s a great initiative and hopefully a successful experience so that we can open it up to other year groups in 2023. This will be our pilot project! It is great to see the Year 12 boarders’ council coming up with ideas to showcase the joys of boarding to the wider community.

Next weekend on 26^th November we have our annual paintballing rec activity for the boys and it is one of our few ‘closed’ weekends. I ask that parents discuss this with the boys and support the event. Tell them it’s a chance to shoot their teachers! The boys always have a great time. They will be allowed Leave on the Sunday 27^th or even that Saturday evening if they need to.

On the Sunday 27^th there are also a few things happening! It is Orientation day for our incoming boarders including a sleepover experience in their 2023 boarding house. Our incoming Year 7s will come to the boarding house on Sunday afternoon and sleepover before having a day at school as a Scotch boy the next day. They will meet their teachers and spend time in their classrooms for next year. Our current Year 8s will also have their first sleepover in the Senior House on the Sunday evening and then have a similar orientation experience in the senior school that day. They will get to meet their house head and other important people as they prepare for senior school next year.

As you can tell, we love being busy in boarding! If you were to look inside the Middle School boarding house this week, you would see that their latest pet project is about to hatch! The Middle School boys have been incubating eggs for the past three weeks and the word on the street is that they are due to hatch this Sunday! The chickens have homes already booked and there is plenty of excitement building the house in anticipation for hatching day. A big thank you to the Chadwicks for the eggs and the Coopers for the incubator!

Our Senior House is a bit quiet at the moment as we have two year groups out on the Bibbulmun Track. For our Year 12 cohort, this is their second last walk before they get to Albany next term! Mr Mellor, Mr Gill and I were fortunate enough to have a zoom meeting with Dr Arne Rubinstein this morning to discuss our Bib Track programme and how important is to us. We have engaged with Dr Rubinstein to consult with us throughout 2023 to continue to strengthen this programme for us as a key Rite of Passage. Dr Rubinstein is the founder and leader of the Rites of Passage institute and a preeminent thinker in this area, it was a real privilege to meet him. He will be visiting us in person next week as he is over in Perth for a conference. I encourage parents to visit his website and to read his book “The Making of Men”. We are using his theories on Rites of Passage to help inform and develop our Bib Track programme. To have him agree to work with us in person is extremely exciting!

Last weekend Dr O’Connell, Mr Mecham and I had the pleasure of travelling down to Albany to visit families in the region and to attend the Albany Show. We had a great time and enjoyed catching up with our current families, Old Scotch Collegians and prospective families who are keen to find out what Scotch is all about. Dr O’Connell also hosted a lunch in Kojonup on the way down to Albany which was a good opportunity to connect with our families in that area. A big thank you to all of those who made an effort to see us and to recommend us to others.

I wish families all the very best over the next few weeks and look forward to hopefully seeing you in person at the end of term.

Jordan

Year 7 on Bib Track

In the past few weeks different year groups went on Bib Track. The boys share tents, enjoy the amazing views, campfires, cooking food and enjoy each others company. Mia went with the Year 7s and took the amazing photos below.

Year 8s on Bib Track

Year 11s on Bib Track

Year 12s on Bib Track

Jett, Harrison, Azhar and Lochie at Coalmine Beach, Walpole.

Volleyball

Well done to our volleyballers who competed in the Volleyball High School Beach Competition.

Clan Games

After dinner, the senior boys organised and played their Clan Games. Tactics were discussed and the boys had a good night.

Perth Aqua Park

The Middle School House went to the waterpark in Baldavis. It was a bit cold but the boys enjoyed themselves. We saw front flips, back flips, “chasey” and a lot more!

The Egg Incubator

The eggs are laid out in the incubator, ready to hatch on this weekend!

Afternoon Tea with Waffles, Fruit, Biscuits and Croissants

New Year 10 boys playing basketball

This Morning in the Middle School House

Boys fixed up the Christmas tree, some of the boys tried a two minute meditation with Fran and Sean showed us his medals that he won with Karate back in the days at the National Championships.

Perth Zoo and the Movies

A few weeks ago the Middle School went to the Perth Zoo and movies. A Rainy but good day!

 Here’s what your sons have been up to in boarding:

New Year 10

• We welcomed Jordy Bowden (Kalgoorlie) into Blair Clan. Jordy’s smile can almost be seen from Kalgoorlie.
• Boys enjoyed Recreation activities:
  • Ice Skating on Friday 14^th October
  • Driving Range @ Wembley Golf Course Saturday 15^th, 22^nd, 29^th October & 5^th November

• • Cottesloe Beach Run on Sunday 16^th, 23^rd, 30^th October & 6^th November
  • BBQ and Games at Senior School on Friday 21^st October
  • Black Adam Movie at Event Cinemas Innaloo on Saturday 22^nd October
  • Karrinyup Shopping Centre Visit on Sunday 23^rd October
  • Fish & Chips with PLC in Fremantle on Friday 28^th October
  • Halloween Disco at Aquinas on Friday 4^th November
  • Perth 4WD Show on Sunday 6^th November
  • WBBL Scorchers v Strikers @ Lilac Hill on Sunday 6^th November

• The year 9 boys continued with their fortnightly activity entitled “Circle Convos”. Run by Reverend Gary van Heerden. We heard from John McGinniss.

• Boys completed the Swamp Oak to Harris Dam leg (5 days, 98.8km) of the Bibbulmun Track from Sunday 16th to Thursday 20^th October. I had the privilege of walking this leg with the boys, as a clan. I was so impressed with the attitude, effort, comradeship of this group of boys! I loved being out there with them, and both myself and Mr. Johan Schroeder had an absolute ball. The boys have only one more compulsory walk before the Bib Track becomes optional. The next leg will see them go past the halfway point from Kalamunda to Albany. More photos are available via vidgami.

New Year 11

• We welcomed Rylan Firth (Dubai), David Shen (China) and Donnacha Spencer (Hong Kong) into Blair Clan. The three boys have provided much value and involvement into many of the school and boarding activities so far.
• Boys have begun their final courses of study with a vast array of choice, covering International Baccalaureate, ATAR and the Alternative Academic Pathway (AAP). I am fully supportive of boys choosing courses that are enjoyable and challenging to them, individual choices are important as is each boy achieving at their “own” best.
  • Some have started classes off campus as part of Vocational Education and Training Certificate courses. Needing to organise their time in order to catch public transport to and from their education centres. Further improving their life skills.

• Boys enjoyed the following Recreation activities:

• • Ice Skating on Friday 14^th October
  • Golf @ Cottesloe Golf Course on Saturday 15^th, 22^nd, 29^th October & 5^th November

• • Driving Range @ Wembley Golf Course Saturday 15^th, 22^nd, 29^th October & 5^th November
  • Cottesloe Beach Run on Sunday 16^th, 23^rd, 30^th October, 6^th November
  • BBQ and Games at Senior School on Friday 21^st October
  • Black Adam Movie at Event Cinemas Innaloo on Saturday 22^nd October
  • Karrinyup Shopping Centre Visit on Sunday 23^rd October
  • Fish & Chips with PLC in Fremantle on Friday 28^th October
  • Perth 4WD Show on Sunday 6^th November
  • WBBL Scorchers v Strikers @ Lilac Hill on Sunday 6^th November

• I spent Friday the 21^st of October with Jordan Owenell in Bunbury, and Saturday 22^nd at the Brunswick Show for Scotch on the Road. It was great to see the Pipe band performing. Well done Oli Wandel.

• We celebrated Keion’s Birthday with a special cake and treats courtesy of the Mongoo family. Keion made sure to share these with his friends and the staff on duty!

• The boys have now completed their “Tomorrow Man” program, completing Module 6 (Write Your Own Code). I encourage you to speak to your son about what they are experiencing within the program. Their maturity in the Tomorrow Man workshops so far has been impressive, and that is why we (Scotch) have been asked to be a part of a one off pilot, where the boys will be involved in one session of the “Tomorrow Woman (Her Code)” with the aim for participants to gain a deeper understanding of the complexities and challenges of being a woman in 2023. This is scheduled for late March 2023. The Objectives:

• Explore the current female stereotype and expectations placed on young women in today’s society.
• Understand the challenges + impact of these narrow and unrealistic expectations.
• Build empathy for and understanding of the female experience.
• Identify actions to support women in their lives and at school + the ways to become a strong ally to women

New Year 12

• Boys enjoyed Recreation activities:

• • Driving Range @ Wembley Golf Course Saturday 15^th, 22^nd, 29^th October & 5^th November
  • Cottesloe Beach Run on Sunday 16^th, 23^rd, 30^th October, 6^th November
  • BBQ and Games at Senior School on Friday 21^st October
  • Black Adam Movie at Event Cinemas Innaloo on Saturday 22^nd October
  • Karrinyup Shopping Centre Visit on Sunday 23^rd October
  • Perth 4WD Show on Sunday 6^th November
  • WBBL Scorchers v Strikers @ Lilac Hill on Sunday 6^th November

• The boys attended my house for a BBQ dinner on Friday 12th October. The second time these boys have been guests at our place. Some great conversations.
• 

Year 13 (Leavers 2022)

• I would like to start by thanking all the boys for being so welcoming to me in my new role.
  • Special Thanks to Tyler Messina in his role as Clan Leader (Vice-Captain of Boarding). Not an easy role, but Tyler has made strong contributions to many of the activities within boarding (Assemblies, Clan games, Ag Day etc..)
• The final Boarding Dinner was a great night, it was nice to see so many family members present, and it was an honour to speak to and about the boys. My final quote, attributed to Patrick Johnson from his chapter (#23) entitled “My Life’s Voyage in the book Growing Up Aboriginal in Australia centred around the quest for Kaartdijin (the Noongar word for knowledge).

“Don’t fear the unknown. We are the creators of our own destiny. We can empower ourselves through education and knowledge to determine our own paths. Choose a life you want for yourself, and lead by example to empower yourself and the next generation.”

• Well done to the remaining WACE & IB boys who have been going about their business with dedication over the last four weeks. Best wishes for the future!

Academic Achievement

It was very pleasing to sit in assembly in October and hear the names of our boys who are making the most of their academic opportunities. Well done guys!

https://home.scotch.wa.edu.au/senior-school/2022/10/14/student-achievements-14-october-2022/ 

Australian Mathematics Competition
Congratulations to:

• Mike Liu, Xavier Risinger, Jate Vanasin who achieved a Distinction
• Shunta Numano who achieved a High Distinction.

Engineers Australia Certificates of Excellence

Congratulations to:

• Shunta Numano

Vocational Education & Training Certificates

Congratulations to:

• Coen Livingstone & Tyler Messina for achieving a Certificate II in Hospitality
• Jahlil Haji Noor-Fuller, Coen Livingstone & Sam McGinniss for achieving a Certificate IV in Business

Certificate of Academic Excellence

Congratulations to the following students on achieving a Certificate of Academic Excellence for Semester Two.

Year 9

These students were presented with their award at Senior School Assembly on Friday 28^th October.

https://home.scotch.wa.edu.au/senior-school/2022/10/28/student-achievements-28-october-2022/

• Mike Liu
• Oscar Male
• Xavier Risinger

Co-Curricular Colours & Honours

These students were presented with their awards at Senior School Assembly on Friday 14^th October

https://home.scotch.wa.edu.au/senior-school/2022/10/14/co-curricular-colours-honours-14-october-2022/

Congratulations to:

• Coen Livingstone who was awarded Honours for Football.

Coen Livingstone, Year 12 Alexander House
Coen debuted in the 1^st XVIII Football team in 2021. He made a significant contribution towards the College winning the Alcock Shield in both 2021 and 2022, earning Colours each year.

His developed skills and confidence over the past year saw Coen elevated to the State 18 Football team, where he played several games as a younger squad member.

Coen finished 2022 with a rating average of 4.67 out of six, including two best on ground performances. An untimely injury early in the season resulted in Coen missing games for the state side. This impacted upon his count in the Cyril Hoft Medal for which he would otherwise have been a competitive contender.

Coen dominated games in the air against key opposition players. He was the dominant ruckman in the competition and with his agility and competitive nature, at times he followed up his own ruck taps to win clearances. In the forward line, his powerful marking created set shots and he ably brought other forwards into the game.

Coen is a deserving recipient of Honours for achievement in Football.

• Tyler Messina & Kody Waters who were awarded WR Dickinson Colours for Leadership

PSA Sport

• Congratulations to:
  • Jayden Clarke who made his 1^st V Basketball debut against Guildford in the opening round of the season.
  • Oliver Wandel who made his 1^st VIII Tennis debut against CCGS in round 3.
  • Jensen Westerman who has been appointed Vice-Captain of the 1^st VI Volleyball team.
  • Jaezari Wynne has also been a member of the 1^st V Basketball team.
• We have had plenty of boys filling the various sports, with many playing in 2^nd’s teams for Basketball, Cricket, Tennis and Water Polo as well as many boys training and competing in the Swimming team and Rowing crews.

 Other News

Blair Clan Teams Meeting

 I have scheduled a new Year 11 Parent meeting is scheduled for Wednesday 16^th November, and I will plan to hold one more meeting this term for all parents. Probably mid Week 8.

Thanks

Andy

]]> https://home.scotch.wa.edu.au/scotch-boarding/2022/11/04/week-4-spring-term-2022/ Fri, 04 Nov 2022 05:51:27 +0000 https://home.scotch.wa.edu.au/scotch-boarding/?p=5428 Dear Boarding Families

It has been another busy and fruitful fortnight in boarding. Whenever I take the time to reflect on what we have done before penning this blog, I am always amazed at the amount of good experiences that our boys get to have and that they give us.

For example, this fortnight, one of the many things our boys went to was the T20 World Cup at Optus Stadium to see Australia defeat Sri Lanka! This weekend, they are getting on a bus heading to the Boddington Rodeo! This is on top of the various picnics, game nights with other schools, movies and as it warms up, a few beach runs. I know our new Year 10s are particularly loving their new-found freedom to go on Beach Leave for a couple of hours after school when they don’t have sport training. On top of this, we have organised for a group of our Year 11s and 12s to undertake their Recreational Skippers Ticket. We had so many boys who were keen that we had to limit the group to the senior years only. We will offer the course again next year for the Year 10s who missed out this time. Another wonderful opportunity for our boys is our Wednesday afternoon workshop skills classes run by Mr Van Ingen-Kal. Boarders who are interested in improving their woodwork, metalwork or design skills are invited to join Mr V. I have seen how boys make everything from toolboxes to skateboards in the workshop. These practical projects are a great opportunity for those boarders who love to work with their hands but perhaps didn’t choose design and technology as an academic subject at school. Because the Year 12 boys are now coming out of the course, we are quite low in numbers, so I would love for parents to encourage their sons to see me about this. We need a critical mass of boys to keep this course viable.

Our leadership group has made a good start. We are finalising some ideas and preferences for our Boarding Week in 2023 as well as getting our Clash of Clans games started next week. We are also organising the ceremony to introduce our Yr 8s into their senior clans later in November. Lochie Elliot our Captain of Boarding has also made his first speech to the whole Senior School Assembly which was great to see. Another initiative from Lochie is his “Bring a Mate to dinner” idea where all Yr 12 boarders will be encouraged to bring a day boy friend to boarding for an evening. His idea is for the day boy to join the boarder’s routine straight after school, see the boarding house and share dinner and prep with us before being picked up by about 8:30pm. The plan is then to give every year group an opportunity throughout the year to do this. It’s a great way to integrate our day school community into our boarding community and create shared stories. I’m sure that the Middle School day boys can not wait to give this a go so they can finally get to taste Mrs Hannington’s famous afternoon teas!

In our boarding assemblies each fortnight, we do a small but significant thing, which is to highlight some positive affirmations from the week and give credit to our boarders who do the right thing and live our values through their actions. I thought it best to let parents know this as well. We often pick one boy from each Clan who are noted by staff in our duty reports for standing out. This week we had the following boys acknowledged:

Middle School Clan – Joe Purser (Yr 7) For always doing his chores with no fuss, helping others, making sure he does an excellent job and not having to be asked. This week Joe did an excellent job of cleaning the kitchen.

Blair Clan – Jordy Bowden (Yr 10) Jordy has made a fantastic start to boarding with his attitude and his smile is already a feature in our community.

Stirling Clan – Oscar Zheng (Yr 12) Last week during the backyard cricket and barbeque, Oscar did a great job helping out on the barbeque and cooking up a storm for everyone and then cleaning up the barbeque as well. Well done Oscar!

Some big news from boarding with regards to staffing. I am pleased to announce that after a rigorous application and interview process, we are able to announce that Mr Steven Montgomery will be joining our community in 2023 as our Head of Senior Residence for Stirling Clan. Steven is currently a Director of Residence at Aquinas College, where he has worked for the past 6 years running Pinder Boor House, a boarding house of around 60 boys from Year 8- Year 12. Steven has a wealth of experience in boarding and also as a Health and Phys Ed, Outdoor Ed and Humanities teacher. Steven, his wife Paula and their two children Indiana and Logan will be moving onto campus in December or January to begin with us in 2023. We are very excited about the Montgomerys coming to join us at Scotch next year and I realise the importance of our families having security in the knowledge that the process was thorough, but has now concluded. Steven will be joining us on 30th November for our annual Boarding Planning Day where his input into our 2023 plans will be welcomed. We will organise a time for Steven to meet families from Stirling Clan and the wider boarding community as soon as possible where I am sure you would like to welcome him in person.

Finally, I would like to wish all the boys who are going on the Bibbulmun Track next week and the week after all the best. The weather looks good and the landscape is always stunning, where else would you rather be in Spring than outdoors walking in the forests of WA! I will be travelling myself, not on the track, but down to Albany next weekend to host a function with Mr Mecham and the Headmaster. We will also be going to the Albany Show! We would love to see you at our function, please have a look at this link for further information. If you are in the Kojonup area, the Headmaster is also having a lunch with families at the Black Cockatoo Café from 12pm on the way down on Friday and more information can be found here

All the best

Jordan

Middle School Community Projects

The Year 8 Boarders presented their Community Projects during the Showcase on 4th November. The boys have done incredibly well and all came up with their own Community Service ideas. Brodie has raised $1000 for the Cancer Council, where others got involved in cleaning up or helping out Conservations around Western Australia, or Jake creating audio books for kids who might not be able to read yet or another great example from Will volunteering at an elementary school for nearly two weeks during his School Holidays. Declan raised an amazing amount of $2000 for Blaze Aid, please scroll down to see him at the Middle School Assembly.

Middle School Assembly

At the Middle School Assembly we had four 2023 Year 7 Boarders in to introduce themselves to our MS community. Declan had a guest speaker from Blaze Aid come in to accept his cheque for $2000 as a part of his Community Project.

Bagpipe Band

On the left picture you can see Oli, who went down to Bunbury with the Bagpipe band to perform at the Brunswick Show. The right picture shows Wes and Brodie’s their band during their morning practice that they both attend twice a week.

Brodie, Declan and Sim at their Cricket Game

T20 World Cup at Optus Stadium

Some of the Senior Boys went to watch the cricket game in the Optus Stadium. They saw how Australia beat Sri Lanka by 7 Wickets on October 25th.

Ben, Kieran and Joe Cleaning up Around Scotch

Year 11s on Rec Activities in Fremantle On the Weekend

Bobtail Nigel is back in the Lake Claremont Reserve

Boarders Enjoying the Yummy Dessert

Please find the dining hall menu from the past month in the right column. The Churros dessert is definitely a popular one!

Left Picture is Ollie doing some extra homework in the morning and the Right picture is Keion and his Birthday Cake!

It has been a whirlwind start to the term! There is plenty of excitement around our community as the seniors begin a new academic year and the boarders get back onto their PSA sport in the sunshine.

The term started for all Mentors and Senior staff with an excellent Professional Development course delivered by Tracy Hart on Youth Mental Health First Aid. Tracy worked to tailor the course to a residential context, which was very helpful. For many of the senior staff it was a refresher to a course that we complete every two years but for the younger staff, many of whom are studying teaching as a career path, it was an excellent experience. It also helps develop a cohesion and consistency amongst our staff. We have a wonderful and diverse group of staff in our boarding community, all of whom are dedicated to the care of our students. We have a group PD at the beginning of every term to discuss a variety of topics in boarding. I thought this one was particularly noteworthy.

With regards to staffing, we have begun our journey in earnest to replace the irreplaceable, Mr Richard Hales. Parents would know from last term that Richard informed us of his plans to move to Tasmania at the end of the year to be with his wife Denise and commit his full attention to their B&B estate, Tamar House. Richard and Denise bought the property 6 years ago and have been working towards this for a long time. We will miss Richard greatly however, we are very happy for him that he has made the decision to move to Tasmania and on to this next phase of his and Denise’s life. We have advertised for the role of Head of Stirling Clan and we expect to make an announcement in the coming weeks.

We have been lucky to welcome a total of eight new boys and their families this term! We have families coming in from Broome, Geraldton, Kalgoorlie, and Esperance and even Dubai, China and Hong Kong! I have been impressed with the way the boys have embraced boarding so far and also in the way that our current students have welcomed them into the fold. All new boys have been given a buddy, normally their roommate who have been more than happy to show them around both the boarding precinct and day school. The culture that we have at Scotch Boarding is very strong and our numbers continue to grow, which is a testament to everyone involved, including parents who advocate for us in their local communities. Last weekend Mr Mecham and myself travelled to Esperance and this weekend Mr Mellor and I are travelling to Bunbury. In early November Dr O’ Connell and I will travel to Albany. The purpose of these trips is to engage with families in their home towns. We love to see our current families and discover where our boys come from as well as Old Scotch Collegians who want to stay connected to the school and new families who may be thinking about Scotch as a good fit for their son.

The first week of Term was dominated by the changing of the academic year in Senior School and especially by the graduation ceremonies for the leaving Year 12s. We had a wonderful dinner for our Year 12s and their parents at the Freshwater Bay Yacht Club on Thursday night last week and then celebrated March Out on the Friday. The dinner was a fine celebration of the boys and they all spoke so well about each other. The respect that this year group has for each other was very evident and it is clear that they have made lifelong friends during their time at Scotch. We were blessed to hear speeches from Mr Mellor and Mr Hales during the evening, both of whom delivered poignant messsages to the boys. The boys presented the House with a windmill blade, all signed and with their country license plate numbers alongside their names which I think was a great touch. Those from Perth of international students also had their personal touch next to their names too. This tradition started three years ago and we are slowly building our windmill which will be an incredible feature for our lobby in the Senior House in a few years’ time. March Out was, as always, an incredible day, arguably the most special day on our calendar. This day was a particularly special one for Dr O’Connell as he shared that this was the group of boys who were in Year 1 when he started as Headmaster, so for the graduating boys who started in Year 1, they have shared their full Scotch journey together.

The first week of term is also special for our incoming Year 12s and we have had a new leadership group start in boarding this term. Lochie Elliot (Captain of Boarding), Jett Sibosado (Vice Captain – Stirling), Jensen Westerman (Vice Captain – Blair) and Kaymus Brierley (Vice Captain – Middle School Residence) have all made an energetic start to the term and we have had a planning session to discuss everything from our Buddy Up programme with the incoming Year 7s next year, to Boarding Week, Recreation, Clan Games, year group bonding, and everything in between. The boys put in an incredible amount of work to their leadership roles and I look forward to working with the entire Year 12 cohort as we lead boarding over the next twelve months together.

Last Friday we also had a number of our indigenous students perform at the annual Madalah Student Showcase, including Tim Jorda one of our boarders. The boys worked hard to rehearse for the event and performed to a 200 plus people crowd at the crown ballroom. We are very proud of our boys and they represented the College with distinction. Mr Spratt, Mr Mellor, Mr Gill, Mrs Seaby and Mrs Garreffa were all able to attend the event.

Finally, I would like to wish all the farming families the very best during harvest. I know in many regions this has already begun and in other places, final preparations are being made. Im sure all the boys will be pining for home once the work starts because they would love nothing more than being there with you when all the action is happening. Mr Mecham and I were lucky enough to get on a header over the weekend and a huge thanks to the families in Esperance for hosting us.

All the best

Jordan

Year 10s on Bib Track

The Year 10s continued their Bib Track journey through the Dwellingup and Collie Area. They walked from the Swamp Oak to the Harris Dam.

Year 12s Farewell Dinner

The Year 12 Boarders at their Farewell Dinner at the Royal Freshwater Bay Yacht Club.

Santa and Sid Going to Year 12 Celebrations after March Out

Scotch on the Road – Esperance

Jordan and Sean went to Esperance and met up with past, current and future Scotch families.

Middle School Residence Morning Exercise

In the Year 7/8 house we have a new tradition of running a laps, running stairs, doing a wall sit, plank or whatever the boys might come up with as part of our morning routine.

Year 10s Iceskating

Year 7 and Year 8 Pools Social With MLC

Year 9s at the Perth Royal Show Featured in the Paper

The Blair Clan having Breakfast with the Mellors

Full day of activities: Bounce, Lunch and to the Movies

Year 7 and Year 8 PLC Social

Sydney Star Chad Warner in the Middle School Residence

Chad came to the Boarding House and after chats, pictures and signatures, Chad kicked a footy with the boys outside.

Fran celebrating her Birthday in the Year 7/8 Boarding House

See the picture of the yummy cake for Fran’s birthday and zoom in to Kieran’s hand to see our newest edition to the house..

Meet the Mentor