End of an era!

Winter sports have finished up for the term, the boys played their last games and had their last training sessions. Some were encouraged to continue practicing after seeing the below footage..

Final meal at Claremont Kebabs as a group before term ends and boys head home to reset for exams.

Menu: Meat boxes with chips and an Ice tea or soft drink..

Denzil and the year 12 group welcomed another House into the boarding environment to see what “life is like on the inside”. Mr Mumford said his boys were blown away with the night routine in terms of study for the boarders.

Sam announced the  winners from the football tipping competition and the Year 12’s had their last Clan sit down together. Mr Wilkinson acknowledged their efforts over the year in terms of how the group made a significant contribution to the way Boarding life is at Scotch College.

Denzil’s Family made the journey down from Marble Bar to see him represent Residential Life for one last time on the big stage. Great to see OSC’s Spencer and Cam together with Courtney and little George as well as proud parents/grand parents Grant and Wendy.

Last check ups from our resident Nurse Fiona. How will Lachy Wray survive??…

You would think these boys had finished their last assessment!!

Having a day out at Rottnest Island is one way to relax over the weekend.

Kane and Josh represented the state in Cross Country during the mid term break in Wollongong, NSW. Great experience for both boys and this assisted them in seeing success at the Inters where two very proud Parents (Lance and Robyn) saw Kane take out the 3km Mens Open event. Watch him fly home to secure his win and help Scotch to claim the Allcock Cup for 2019 from Hale and the rest of the PSA.

The Lion and the Impala..

The boys at their final Inter-house Athletics Carnival.

Who is going to make Mr Keatch’s coffee next Term!!! Dammit

And to think, 12 years of study has come down to one last assessment, you seriously would not have slept in for that moment would you boys!!

Good Luck in your break and think of our IB students still sitting exams in the Boarding House during both weeks of the break.

It’s getting to the emotional end of the year and I have been very lucky to be involved in your son’s development over the last few years and wish everyone a safe journey until we meet again to say a final farewell from all of us at Scotch College.

Take Care

Mr Keatch

This year we had a variety of equipment that was put together through phone calls and negotiations from Denzil Brooks and Liam McCreery. They included:

• John Deere Machinery (Tractors).
• JCB Machinery (More Tractors).
• RFDS stand (plane cockpit for boys to look around).
• Petting farm for the JS & MS boys.
• Coffee stand from Standin’ Room.
• Lambs on the spit for the MS and SS boys.

The day was an opportunity for our Boarding boys who come from our regional areas to showcase their lives and what living in a farming/regional community means to them.

When we finished counting the money raised over two socials and the Ag day fundraiser we were able to hand over $3000.00 dollars to the Royal Flying Doctors Service.

Vidigami link to all Ag Day photos

The boys started this journey in Year 10 with the Keys for Life program, which looked at getting your L plates and driving.

Year 11 saw the boys go on the PARTY program at RPH and the consequences of making a poor decision on drugs and or alcohol.

Year 12  the boys participated in the City After Dark tour in Northbridge/Perth. It is designed to take young adults about to leave school and venture out into the pubs, club and restaurant scene for a walk through Northbridge/Perth with an off duty police office. It gave the boys an insight into what the Police see and deal with on a nightly basis from Friday to Sunday as well as what not to do to end up in the night watch or RPH as a guest speaker for the P.A.R.T.Y program.

The night started in Northbridge looking at CCTV cameras positioned around the place and how to use them in an emergency. We had dinner at one of the food courts, then headed out of Northbridge and across the street to Perth CBD. The night ended back at the train station and credit to the boys they were well behaved.

Agriculture Day

Barista Course

This has drawn a lot of interest and given the boys exposure to doing something different during their time in boarding.

Captain of Boarding Denzil Brooks went out and bought a suit especially for the event looking the part.

Kane Kennedy also donned a black skivvy with some gold bling around his neck to dress for the part. The boys did another great job at looking after their partners and word on the street was one of the boys was pretty chuffed and on his best behavior as his girlfriend from PLC was also walking down the aisle opps I mean the red carpet with her Rooster AKA (Tom Cleland). As always your son scrubs up well for these events.

The boys have hit the ground running and after a marathon effort are ready to go home and recharge for what will be a defining moment, academically, next term.

What have they been up to over the last 11 weeks:

Inter House Swimming Carnival

Bibbulmun Track End to Enders 2019

Well done to the following Boys who have completed 1003km from End to End.

Toby Egerton-Warburton

Kane Kennedy

Liam McCreery

Denzil Brooks

Tom Cleland

Sam McConachy

Levi Waters

Angus Cullen Falconer

And Mr Ledger

Year 12 Ball

It was pleasing to see all the boys make the effort to attend the pre-ball function at the Cottesloe Civic Centre.  A big thank you to Danni McCreery for taking the photos and the parents who made a massive effort to make it from all over the State and over seas.  It was a great way to start the evening and meeting spot for the boys, partners and their families.

Barista Course

This term we introduced Paul from “Stand’in Room” to come and share his knowledge of running a small business and the art of pouring a great coffee. The boys were pleasantly surprised at what he had to say and show them when it comes to coffee. It has become a highlight for them during school hours as the boys have a right of passage to stand behind the counter and pour a coffee during their breaks.

To the parents, if you are in town and want a great brew, mention you are a Scotch parent and you only pay $3.50 for a coffee..

Cross Country

Well done to all the boys competing at this year’s Cross Country. Kane “Roo” Kennedy came an impressive 2nd place for year 12. Well Done Champ!

Year 11/12 Social

This was another event that the boys got behind and supported. The social was at MacKellar Hall and over 220 students from around the boarding community attended. The night raised money for the RFDS with over $1000 kick starting this campaign off.

Leaving Boarding

Thanks Jack for being apart of our Team over the last few years. I will miss your mischievous behavior that you brought to this group. The Tutor system will be down one student each night, but I’m sure you will drop in or come and stay when Mum has had enough and in need of “time out”

Seriously, Good luck with your final year of study and on behalf of the year 12 group I wish you all the best.

Study Plan for the Break

After having conversations with parents and boys about creating study plans and how to maximise their break prior to exams next term, I have added these tips and tricks from neuroscientist Dr Jared Cooney Horvath, University of Melbourne to assist and help to gain a better perspective of study habits while the boys are back in your care.

Tips and Tricks to boost your Year 12 score over the break!

Study smarter not harder, with tips for students and parents from an educational view.

We think that one sure way to boost your final year school scores is to study harder: losing the next couple weeks of your life to textbooks and note-cards, but a better way to boost your scores is to study smarter.

As Year 12 school students across Australia go into their exams, here are some tips & tricks to help you get the most bang for your study buck.

Tips For Students

Stop reviewing – start recalling

Many people believe if they repeatedly expose themselves to a piece of information, it will eventually sear itself into memory. This is why most study sessions are filled with re-reading text books, re-watching lectures, and re-copying notes.

Here’s the problem: repeatedly reviewing content does not lead to better memory.

If you want to build deep memories, you must focus on recalling information. The more you access a memory, the stronger it will become.

This means focus less on cramming info into your brain and more on pulling information out of your brain. For example:

• Use flashcards that require you to recall facts.
• Use practice quizzes to force you to call-up information.
• Summarise complex ideas into single sentences and share/discuss these with others.

Mimic the exam environment

Space it out

“Cramming: it feels so right. What better way to learn material than to spend six straight hours reviewing and recalling it”

Unfortunately, this age old sentiment may do more harm than good.

Sleep, sleep, sleep

It might feel like wasted time, but sleep is the only way to ensure new memories are permanently stored within your brain.

If you do not sleep, you will not remember: simple as that.

Tips For Parents

Involve yourself . . .but not too much

Sometimes, parents think it best to leave their children alone during final year exams study period; why add to their stress levels?

Unfortunately, this well-meaning sentiment may do more harm than good. 

When parents are completely absent from the study process, children may feel overwhelmed, isolated, and ultimately unable to effectively learn material.

The answer, however, is not to over-involve yourself. When parents control study and solve problems for their children, learning also suffers.

The key is to:

• focus on helping your children stay motivated and positive during studying
• Be your child’s sounding board, let them summarise ideas for you, and help them recall material by quizzing them.

Done in a loving and supportive manner, this will help create a calm and safe environment that can diminish study stress and boost exam performance.

Help construct a schedule

Help your child develop a study schedule that is easy to adhere to and effective. A common schedule involves, each night, studying one subject for 20 minutes, taking a 5-10 minute break, then studying a different subject for 20 minutes.

By helping your child develop and stick to a clear routine (without nagging), you will not only improve their self-efficacy and sense of agency, but also their learning.

Embrace error

Errors, blunders, stuff-ups…this is how we learn. Each mistake serves as a clear signpost to guide us down the learning paths we most need to travel.

As you help your child study, embrace each error they make. The more mistakes they make now (and the less judged they feel), the fewer mistakes they will make come exam time.

Enjoy the Break and take care