Headmasters Reflections

Sometimes we are so busy with the day-to-day activities of a school that we seldom give ourselves the chance to reflect on bigger picture issues. Over the coming weeks I will be working further on compiling information and feedback regarding the College's 20:20 Vision. This task will shed further light regarding the major themes that may well shape our next five-year plan.

While there will be lots of material to review, a basic starting point for our next strategic planning phase is to reaffirm what must be a priority; to maintain our College as a leading, non-selective independent school for boys, founded under the ethos of the Uniting Church in Australia. It is also imperative that we continue to maintain and build upon our traditions. Furthermore, we must build upon the already strong sense of community and all it can offer our boys after they finish school.

At the time of writing this article, I was watching and listening in horror as reports about the Paris terrorist attacks were being played out in the background of my Albany motel room via the world media outlets. The night before I had hosted a gathering for the Scotch community of the Albany region who had either attended Scotch College, with attendees being graduates ranging from a 1947 through to a 2007 or were planning on attending our College. Reflecting on the evening's conversations about the College I couldn't help thinking that more than ever we have to prepare our boys to graduate into a more complex and global world.

The need to position our boys locally, nationally and globally is just one of the central reasons why we have positioned Scotch as an International Baccalaureate (IB) and Round Square school. As we plan for our next phase of growth and development, it will provide an ideal opportunity to ensure that the whole community understands what being an IB and Round Square school means. In particular we must ensure we all understand the Why? What? and How? of our core strategic pillars; Teaching and Learning, Community and Alliances; Spirituality and Growth and our new pillar of Finance and Governance.

The new 20:20 Vision plan will provide us with a perfect time to reaffirm the best of our traditions while ensuring we set a future path which is outward looking, creative and challenging. We must ensure we avoid becoming a victim of our own success. When you fail, the first thing you intuitively ask is, "What went wrong?" When you succeed, the first thing that comes to mind is, "I was right, and I can do it again."

In order to avoid complacency we must continue to evolve no matter how successful we may have been throughout our history.

Dr Alec O'Connell

Headmaster

Unlocking Global Politics

As the new Year 11 cohort of International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme students commenced their studies this term, within the Individuals and Societies subjects there was a new potential.

Global Politics is the latest offering by the International Baccalaureate and the fourteen Scotch College and PLC students being taught by Mr David Kyle will become some of the first students globally to sit examinations in the course in 2017.

The Global Politics course explores fundamental political concepts such as power, liberty and sovereignty in a range of contexts and at a variety of levels. It allows students to develop an understanding of the local, national, international and global dimensions of political activity. The course is designed for students to be consistently engaging with case studies that they can use to aid their understanding of course theory. Two initial case studies have been introductory lessons into the disputed islands of the South China Sea and the proposed Trans Pacific Partnership, both of which are hugely topical and pertinent to all Australians.

As evidenced by courses at universities around Australia, courses in international relations, global politics or security studies have become increasingly popular in recent years. There are a range of reasons for this and Mr Kyle said, "the course is a real blend of the many subject areas that make up the humanities and, combined with the excitement of such an intertwined 21^st century world, we are able to study relevant material that really interests our students."

The students have already been lucky enough to have a guest in from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. Claire Elias, a local Perth girl, has recently returned from New York where she worked as a part of the Australian delegation to the UN Security Council. Claire had also worked on the bid to become a temporary Security Council member and was able to explain the process leading to this commitment and what a career in the area of Global Politics may look like.

The course continues the IB theme of assisting students to develop international mindedness and a broader awareness of differing perspectives.

Mr Peter Allen

Director of Teaching and Learning

Community and Service

Homeless Connect Day Preparation

The Year 11 IB Diploma students spend a full day last week assisting Volunteering WA and the City of Perth to prepare facilities for the annual Perth Homeless Connect Day. Russell Square in Northbridge once more became the focus for services to the homeless of the city. This is the sixth year that Scotch boys have helped to set up the service areas ahead of the event - which this year supported around 1000 people in need. Many professionals volunteered on the day and for some homeless people this is the only opportunity they have to access services we take for granted. People in need had access to medical and dental professionals, beauty therapists and a host of agencies dedicated to alleviating poverty and connecting the disconnected in our society. Boys helped sort boxes of donated food and racks of clothing and worked with other adult volunteers to arrange furniture for agencies and providers.

Tanzania Fundraising Stall the Cottesloe Village Carnival

The Scotch/PLC Tanzania Expedition 2016 group ran a stall in Napoleon Street during a Saturday recently as part of the Cottesloe Village Carnival. The stall provided information on the current project in Matipwili Village in Tanzania - building a Trade Training Centre. There was also an opportunity to purchase olive oil, gift cards, mounted photographs and chopping boards, to assist fund the project. The group of boys and girls who will be going to Tanzania in July next year worked throughout the day to promote the project and sell the merchandise. It was great to see so many of the Scotch community come by and support the cause.

Merchandise sold in support of the Matipwili Trade Training Centre build is now available for sale in the Scotch Uniform Shop.

Year 10 boys will have an opportunity to support the project in Tanzania by purchasing tickets to a social or Ngoma (Swahili word for dance or drum) with Presbyterian Ladies' College Year 10 girls planned for Saturday, 28 November. Tickets can be purchased here.

John Hughes Big Walk

A group of senior boys recently volunteered to help run the John Hughes Big Walk in aid of Princess Margaret Children's Hospital. They worked on both the Saturday before the event and on the Sunday of the event itself. It was great to see these boys set about assisting independently and in their own time.

Christmas Collections

The UnitingCare West Christmas appeal has now commenced and the Senior School is participating by collecting non-perishable food and new toys. These can be brought to school and deposited in the boxes that have been made available in House Head offices. We are hoping for a large collection this year. Anderson House is also putting together Christmas hampers for needy families with children attending Balga Senior High School.

Middle School and Junior School are also collecting for UnitingCare West, but the focus of the collection this year will be on refugees. Boys are asked to pack a shoe box with:

• Something to wear
• Something to play with
• Something for school
• And something for hygiene.

These will be distributed to refugees arriving in Perth.

Mr Bill Cordner

Director of Community and Service

Music Department

Instrumental Music 2016

Over the last few weeks, emails were sent to a variety of family groups advising of the enrolment procedure for learning a musical instrument in 2016. Please note that the enrolment process is an online system that utilises Parent Connect logins. For new Scotch families without a Parent Connect login, an alternative weblink has been provided.

All 2016 Music Department information and enrolment links are available via Home.Scotch > Student > Music or directly at https://my.scotch.wa.edu.au/music.

I encourage everyone to take a moment to peruse the Music Department website as it has been recently updated, and contains a wide variety of information about Music at Scotch College in addition to enrolment processes.

https://my.scotch.wa.edu.au/music

Many of the events listed above are supported by FOSM. If you would like to join the Friends of Scotch Music (FOSM) - a group of parents who enthusiastically support the work of boys and staff in the Music Department, the process is very straight forward via the FOSM email below. FOSM meets once or twice each term with all meetings beginning at 7.00pm. Meetings go for approximately one hour, and are held in the Senior School Music Room with everyone welcome. Please consider becoming involved in the FOSM Parent Support group as an excellent way to support your son and the Music Programme at Scotch College. The next FOSM Meeting is to be held Monday, 8 February 2016.

Contact Details

The Instrumental Programme is administered by the Senior School Music Department and all queries should be directed to the Music Administrator, Julia Robinson (9383 6841) music@scotch.wa.edu.au. Alternately, please contact Mr David Coughlan, Head of Music, via email DGCoughlan@scotch.wa.edu.au or phone 9383 6842.

If you wish to become more involved in supporting the Music Department by receiving information about the work of FOSM, please contact FOSM@scotch.wa.edu.au.

Mr David Coughlan

Head of Music

Raven Winter Edition

The following are congratulated on their wonderful contribution to the Winter edition of The Raven. Please go to the Scotch homepage and find The Raven icon and enjoy a read and/or view.

Tom Lavery (Year 12 Leaver, St Andrews),

Vaughan Chin (Year 12 Leaver, Ferguson),

James Richards-Adlam (Year 10, St Andrews),

Leigh Ryan (Year 12 Leaver, Keys),

André Stanley (Year 12 Leaver, St Andrews),

Benjamin Corser (Year 12 Leaver, Ross),

Carson Dueck (Year 10, Stuart),

Connor Porter-Wilkinson (Year 12 Leaver, Brisbane),

Michael Warnock (Year 10, Ferguson),

Campbell Williamson (Year 12, Brisbane),

Connor Meerwald (Year 12, Stuart),

Daniel Trainer (Year 12 Leaver, Ferguson),

Eleanor Lammers-Lewis (PLC),

Folau Penaia (Year 12, Keys),

Henry Edwards (Year 12 Leaver, Ross),

David Honey (Year 12 Leaver, Ross),

Ethan Lundie-Jenkins (Year 10, Brisbane),

Hamish de la Hunty (Year 12 Leaver, Shearer),

Jy Kimpton-Plunkett (Year 10, Shearer),

Jack Fairweather (Year 12, Cameron),

Luke Hutcherson (Year 11, Alexander),

Poom Areecharoenlert (Year 12 Leaver, Keys),

Sasha Welch (PLC),

Matthew Burns (Year 12 Leaver, Anderson),

James Barr (Year 10, Alexander) and

Max Locke (Year 10, Ferguson).

Primary, Middle and Senior School students, if you have some good creative writing (with a maximum word limit of around 1,000 words), send it to jjweeda@scotch.wa.edu.au. It will be edited and then there is a good chance that it will be uploaded to The Raven.

Dr Jeannette Weeda

English Teacher

Parenting Ideas

To further support the Scotch community, the College continues to subscribe to Parentingideas, a leading provider of parenting education resources to Australian schools. Scotch parents can access parenting advice on a wide range of topics and themes such as;

Life skills for children

Kids, school and learning

Social challenges and

Children and behaviour.

Follow the link to access the Parenting Ideas Magazine. http://www.parentingideas.com.au/Parent_Magazine.html

Also have a look at the attached article - The many faces of independence

Ms Shauna Lipscombe

Psychologist

Uniform Shop

Holiday Opening Times

There will be appointment-only opening days for new boys during the holidays. Please contact the uniform shop for details (uniform@scotch.wa.edu.au).

The Uniform Shop opening hours for the general school community during the holidays are as follows:

Summer Holiday Opening Hours (9.00am - 12.00pm and 1.00pm - 4.00pm)

• Wednesday 27 January
• Thursday 28 January
• Friday 29 January
• Saturday 30 January
• Monday 1 February

Normal trading hours resume on Tuesday, 2 February 2016:

• Tuesdays 8.00am - 5.00pm
• Thursdays 7.30am - 11.30am
• Fridays 7.30am - 11.30am

Secondhand Exchange

The Uniform Shop accepts all current items of uniform for resale. All items should be clean. Blazers must be dry cleaned and in good condition. A frayed cuff, worn elbows, very old crests, rips and tears on blazers make them unacceptable for resale. Items will be purchased from you outright as long as they are in good condition and the shop is not overstocked. Bathers, hats, socks and restricted sportswear are not accepted for resale, but will be donated to charity if handed in.

Year 12 Blazers

Year 12 blazers are available for sale. Because of the unknown nature of the overall size of Year 12 boys and to avoid disappointment, it is recommended that you come in for sizing as soon as possible.

Basketball shorts on sale

The basketball first team has a great new kit and so the firsts' basketball shorts from last season are on sale for $20 (GST inc). They are available in a variety of mens sizes.

Head of Junior School

True Risk Takers

"He who is not courageous enough to take risks will accomplish nothing in life." - Muhammad Ali

On Remembrance Day the boys of the Junior School joined boys from the other two sub schools on the top oval for our whole School service. The boys listened as the names the 76 young Scotch men who died in World War I were read out. These were 76 of the 420 risk takers from our College who were prepared to put their life on the line for King and Country. The boys stood and listened as the piper played and solemnly honoured the fallen in the one-minute of silence. The debt we owe these men and the many more who died to bring freedom to Europe is immeasurable, lest we forget.

In our third year of our leadership programme for our Junior School, 46 boys from Year 4 nominated to be leaders in our School. Each boy prepared a well-constructed speech. They confidently told the boys and parents why they felt they had the qualities needed to be an effective leader. We heard about the compassion they have for the other boys and about their enthusiasm for the role. They spoke passionately about their love of Scotch and their desire to proudly represent the School and their house. They articulated the pride they have in being considered for a leadership role and their desire to work with their fellow students to make their School even better.

I was very impressed with the boys and the confidence they demonstrated while taking the risk of nominating for a position they may not get. Their efforts are the beginning of a journey where I hope they will see the value of serving others because it is the right thing to do. On a day where we heard of the risks boys of our School have taken in the past because they felt it was right thing to do, we saw some of our youngest boys demonstrate a willingness to serve.

On the evening of Wednesday November 11, six boys from the Junior and Middle Schools represented the College in the Inter-School Spelling Bee at Perth College.

Year 4

Alasdair Orr

Arnaud McVicker

Year 5

Henry Vaughan

Emanuel Radici

Year 6

Milan Narula

Gregory McVicker

It was a tough but exciting competition, and all of our boys demonstrated their superior spelling skills, with several finishing in the top five. The standard of spelling was amazing, with the boys being asked to spell words that would challenge most adults. Emanuel Radici was flawless in the Year 5 competition, winning overall after coming second in the Year 4 competition in 2014. Well done to all the boys for representing their College so brilliantly.

Mr John Stewart

Head of Junior School

Primary Years Programme (PYP)

Teaching and learning goals for 2015

In 2015, the Scotch College Junior School staff focused their teaching and learning goals around the concept of assessment for learning. Although this may appear somewhat generalised, it was in fact a calculated, methodical and, at times, a complex twelve months of ongoing collaborative planning and staff professional development.

The goal was divided up into four parts, one for each term (listed below with their definitions). Although in practice the parts are interconnected, it was important to first clearly define, explore and build deeper understandings independently before reconnecting as part of a whole system for 2016.

The four parts were:

Learning Intentions: a lesson, or series of lessons, that tell students what they should know, understand and be able to do.

Success criteria: helps teachers to decide whether their students have in fact achieved the learning intention. Importantly, the success criteria also answer the same question from the point of view of the student: How will I know whether I've achieved the learning intention?

Formative Assessment: (clear, concise and immediate) feedback provided for successes and areas for improvement, referenced against the Success Criteria. It is important to align supportive comments with the Success Criteria and the Learning Intention so the focus remains on the learning.

Differentiation: A differentiated curriculum is a programme of activities that offers a variety of entry points for students who differ in abilities, knowledge and skills. In a differentiated curriculum teachers offer different approaches to what students learn (content), how students learn (process) and how students demonstrate what they have learned (product).

Mr Warwick Norman

Junior School Dean of Teaching & Learning

Art News

Celebrating boys and culture.

The Year 2 boys are currently engaged in an inquiry for How We Express Ourselves. The central idea is "Celebrations may strengthen cultural and national identity." During art classes, the boys have built on their previous knowledge of building kites, to create their own carp windsock (koinoboru), used to celebrate Boys' Day or 'Children's Festival' during the month of May in Japan.

The boys are exploring the effects using fabric dye on fabric, with gutter lines drawn to act as a force field; stopping the spread of the dye and keeping the colour inside the scales. It has been fun watching the boys play with ideas and the media, and discovering different effects handling this new medium. Soi Kato's mother has been helping in Art and it is fortuitous that Ayako can actually write the boy's names in Japanese, so she will write these on the boys' kites. We will fly them en masse outside the Art Studio to help promote and celebrate the identity of boys and Japanese culture.

Ms Karen Sabitay

PYP Visual Arts

Performing Arts News

Over the past few weeks we made an important discovery - the Year 4 boys are secretly Hip Hop Dance Superstars! The boys have brought amazing energy and focus to their Performing Arts lessons as both 4C and 4R prepare two different dances. They have been refining their moves using the elements of dance as a guide. These include Body ('What' your body can do), Energy ('How' we use our body), Space ('Where' the body moves) and Time ('When' the body moves). We've also had a special focus on noticing the 'finer details'. Thanks to our iPads, we are able to video our rehearsals and replay them for critical analysis. The boys have been able to give each other excellent feedback and I have been very impressed with how positive and constructive their comments have been. The boys will be performing their dances at 2.40pm on Thursday 26 November, so watch this space for more information.

Miss Phebe Samson

Performing Arts Teacher

Friendly Schools and Families

Why Friendly Schools?

Healthy Students Learn Better

Michael Fullan, a leading expert on education change, states the three priorities for education change should be numeracy, literacy and well being (Evidence for Practice, p. 51). The Friendly Schools resources use the strengths-based approach that focuses on what creates positive health, rather than emphasising risk factors or causes of ill health.

In terms of what that looks like when dealing with covert bullying behaviour, rather than seeking to punish the behaviour, the Friendly Schools program identifies strategies to help schools to reduce the likelihood of it happening in the first place.

Mr Warwick Norman

Friendly Schools and Families Coordinator

French

Bonjour! I hope that everyone is enjoying Spring Term and the approach of summer. Year 4 have been discussing the kinds of things we do in our spare time - whether it be during summer holidays, on the weekend or after school. We have a collection of eight pastimes that the boys have been learning about, along with the verbs 'jouer' (to play), 'aller' (to go) and 'aimer' (to like). One of the ways the boys practice their vocabulary is by using "The magic bag". Small props that represent each of the pastimes are placed in the bag and the boys must reach onto the bag and pull out a prop to answer my question "Qu'est-ce que tu fais?" (what do you do?). They are getting very good at telling me in French what they do, the most popular one is "je joue le foot" - I play footie! I have included some pictures of 4R and 4C using the magic bag and also using their iPads to work on pastimes games on the linguascope app. Why not ask your son "Qu'est-ce que tu fais?" this weekend, and see if he can tell you.

Madame Vinton

French Specialist

Physical Education News

The Junior School Boys have been working and training hard in Physical Education the past few weeks. Alongside our swimming programme, the boys in Year 3 and 5 have been doing a fitness unit. This entails the boys finding a base fitness in a range of activities from the beep test, to the amount of push-ups they can do in a minute, and also how long they can hold the plank. The plank is a test of the boy's core strength and some of our boys in year 3 have been displaying excellent strength in this area. The Year 4 boys will be undertaking a cricketing skills unit in the next few weeks on the back of a visit from the cricket ambassadors at the WACA. Our Year 1 and 2 students are totally immersed in their swimming as they continue to improve their skills for the much anticipated Aqua Fun Day at the end of Spring Term.

Mr Scott Whiston

Head of Junior School Physical Education

Junior School Resource Centre

Reading for pleasure puts children ahead in the classroom

Last week I was reading with interest an article discussing the results of a longitudinal study in the UK of the positive benefits to children who read regularly. Whist this was not new information, it did provide evidence.

Children who read for pleasure are likely to do significantly better at school than their peers, according to new research from the Institute of Education (IOE). The IOE study, which is believed to be the first to examine the effect of reading for pleasure on cognitive development over time, found that children who read for pleasure made more progress in maths, vocabulary and spelling between the ages of 10 and 16 than those who rarely read. (IOE 2013)

The researcher, Dr. Sullivan notes that reading for pleasure had the strongest effect on children's vocabulary development, but the impact on spelling and mathematics was still significant. "It may seem surprising that reading for pleasure would help to improve children's math's scores," she said. "But it is likely that strong reading ability will enable children to absorb and understand new information and affect their attainment in all subjects." For those interested here is the link to the full article; http://www.ioe.ac.uk/89938.html.

My observation is that reading for pleasure for many boys seems to decline from about Year 4, onwards. This aligns with a common age that parents stop reading to their children, as children have become independent readers - but are they comprehending what they read? I would urge all parents to build a small amount of time reading aloud with their sons each day or every second day. This may involve reading to your child just before bed, whilst waiting in the car for a sibling; reading aloud during dinner preparation (if boys are able to chop/stir etc as you read OR they could read to you); downloading audio books from the library to listen to on long car trips etc. It all adds up and is so valuable to your son. If you find the right books that you both enjoy, there is the added benefit of conversation around reactions to the characters and plot.

Happy Reading

Mrs Kathryn Salt

Junior School Teacher-Librarian

4C News

The 4C boys have hit the grounding running this term. They were honoured to present an item at the Grandparents' Day assembly. The theme of this item was 'The things we love about grandparents, ' and the boys did a great job showing how special grandparents are to us all. They are enjoying our new unit of inquiry, ' How the World Works'. The boys have been learning about different inventions and have examined the impact that they have had on mankind. They are currently researching famous inventors and will be writing a biography. A highlight of this term was the wonderful speeches the boys presented to the Junior School students and staff. They have had a fabulous year and should feel very proud of their efforts.

Miss Olivia Creagh

Year 4C Teacher

Important Dates to Remember

Preparing Boys for Life

It is sad sitting here writing my Thistle article this weekend with the end of the school year only three weeks away, and thinking this is how we started the year, with the tragic news of terror attacks in France. In between, globally, and Australia is included, we have had a steady, daily news feed of human atrocity. As an educator and as a father I wonder and worry, what kind of world do we need to be preparing our students, our children for? The events that have occurred in France this year are not acts of nature; this is human behaviour. It appears we are on the edge of a world where boundaries and agreements that we may have felt existed, no longer do. Respect for the sanctity of life, respect for individual and societal rights, and respect for conventions, organisations and people that bring safety and security appear shaky at best in many places.

Each year we have students who after 12 years of school, measure themselves in preparation for the next phase of their lives against WACE examinations. A significant amount of time, attention and focus is on this group and this event.

Each day though we highlight, encourage and measure boys across the School against these College Mission statements:

Integrity: adherence to moral and ethical principles; soundness of moral character; honesty.

Service: acts of helpful activity; assistance and support; to do someone service.

Stewardship: using talents, abilities and resources in a responsible and honourable manner.

These are the behaviours and the qualifications that citizens of our changing world still need, aren't they?

I was very proud of our Scotch students and the wider Scotch community over the weekend when I witnessed 80 boys and parents participating in the charity event Tim's Ride. The Pipe Band piping the riders off at the start and the strong bank of maroon in the peloton was heartening and uplifting. These actions and contributions are more than the 8 curriculum areas we assess and grade students on. Actions such as this; where we are prepared to think about others and give of our own time and energy to help someone and pay our respects. This is the mindset we will need for our changing world.

Mr Richard Ledger

Head of Middle School

News from 8K

Miss Kotai and the boys in 8K are very happy to welcome Harry Rand and Bradley Lawrence into our class, who are exchange students from Scotch Oakburn, in Launceston, Tasmania. Exchange hosts - Liam Peters-Smith and William Smith-Gander, have been doing an excellent job of introducing the boys to their peers, teachers, Heads of Middle School and other Scotch personnel. The partnership with Scotch Oakburn College is a Round Square initiative and it is the only Tasmanian school to be a member of the Round Square association of international schools. The boys are a wonderful addition to our class and have settled in well. We look forward to hearing more about the boys and the similarities and differences between the two colleges.

L - R: Scotch Perth: William Smith Gander, Scotch Oakburn: Bradley Lawrence, Scotch Perth: Liam Peters-Smith, Scotch Oakburn: Harry Rand

After having completed a comprehensive analysis of the play Compass by Jessica Bellamy, the boys in 8K will be embarking on a new creative project in English. This will involve creating an original script and survival guide on 'How to survive Middle School' - imparting some words of wisdom for the upcoming students moving into Year 8. We are looking forward to working together to write, direct and perform these original pieces of drama.

Miss Gabrielle Kotai

Teacher 8K

Scotch Triathletes in Full Swing

The Scotch College Triathletes have been training hard recently in the lead up to their competitions. The main one being the State School Championships that were held on Friday 4 November. Scotch College was represented well from Year 6 to Year 11 and were pitted against some of the most elite competition going in School Age division. Notable mentions must go to the 12-13 individual category where Rupert Currie finished 3^rd and Jack Jagger 4^th. The teams category also did remarkably well with the team of Tony Ghiselli, Lewis Crump and Max Mumme taking second spot. Our other teams were very successful but were unable to accrue points for the School. The Tri squad also went on to compete in Tim's Ride on Saturday and were exposed to a very important message concerning road safety. The boys learnt a great deal from riding in a peloton. The following morning the skills were tested in the Leftbank Triathlon where the team again raced individually. Special mention must go to our first timers: Jaxon Hayden, Zaide Moxham and Sam Hector. The boys completed their first Triathlon and have already been hooked. We wish Jack Jagger and Matthew Khowira the best of luck as they look to qualify for the WA team. Thanks must go to the parents for their ongoing support. We look forward to our Narrogin country trip.

Mr Lawrence Felgate

Triathlon Coach

Ride2School Initiative

We promoted two Ride2School days last week and had 97 rides to school over those two days. This was great support but the comments from the students: "Can we do this more often?" was evidence this was not just great on the traffic reduction front but also enjoyable from the student perspective. We are currently designing new bike racks that will have a prominent place in the Middle School precinct and with support, hope to run a rider education course once a year. My thanks to Miss Emilie Perrot for the inspiration and motivation to coordinate the Ride2School initiative.

Mr Richard Ledger

Head of Middle School

Middle School Christmas Appeal

Throughout Spring Term Middle School will be taking part in the Uniting Church Syrian Refugee Appeal. In each Homeroom class, boys will be divided into groups of four. Each boy is responsible for getting one of the items numbered below:

1. An item of clothing e.g. Hat, socks, underwear.

2. Stationary or something for school e.g. Simple to read English book

3. Some small toy (not old, broken or damaged)

4. Something for health e.g. Toothbrush and paste, comb and brush. (something that will not leak!)

Each group will require just 1 shoebox that they fill with the 4 items. Groups can put in additional items if they wish. The Community and Service Club will provide the wrapping paper once the boxes are filled.

In addition Middle School will also be taking part in the Uniting Church West Christmas Appeal. Students are also asked to bring 1 item of non-perishable food for the needy of Western Australia this Christmas.

We appreciate your generous support with our Christmas Appeals.

Mr Peter Tresise

Middle School Community & Service

2016 School Musical Auditions

The Drama Department are pleased to announce that we have secured the rights to The Addams Family, a musical that debuted on Broadway in 2010. This will be the first musical in over 10 years and we would like to offer students in Years 8 - 12 the chance to audition for this exciting show. This means that boys that are currently in Years 7 and 8 can audition. Our season will run from Wednesday 15 June - Saturday 18 June 2016.

Auditions will take place in the Foundation Theatre on Wednesday 18 November and also during the following week on Monday 23 November from 3.30pm.

Please assign yourself an audition time by signing up in the foyer of the Foundation Theatre. You will need to prepare a short piece dialogue, spoken by Gomez Addams, flamboyant patriarch of the family. A copy of the dialogue is available from the daily notices. You will also be asked to sing a short section of a song you are familiar with - the National Anthem or our school song would be fine.

Any queries, please ask Mr Andrews or Miss Payne.

Miss Emma Payne

Middle School Drama Teacher

Year 8 Creative Writing Workshop

Excellence Awards

Important Dates in Spring Term

We are shaped by our past

As the country paused to reflect on the sacrifices made by Australian service people during World War I as part of our national Remembrance Day on 11 November, all boys from Year 1 to Year 12 gathered on the top oval in the Senior School for a moving service. As part of this service the names of Old Scotch Collegians and teaching staff that gave the extreme sacrifice in World War I were read. It is difficult to listen to these names without imagining how the parents of these boys would have felt on learning of their son's sacrifice. For a group of our current Scotch boys these names had heightened meaning.

One hundred years to the day after Australian and New Zealand troops landed on the shores of ANZAC Cove, Bailey van der Zanden (Year 11, Ferguson) and Harry Jones (Year 12, Alexander), stood silently amongst thousands of visitors at a sombre and moving dawn service at Gallipoli. Two weeks earlier, 30 Scotch boys accompanied by Mr Bradley, Mr Hindle and Mr Bennett visited the war cemeteries, monuments and trenches on the Gallipoli Peninsula. It would have been sobering to stand in silence on the same ground that, 100 years earlier, was the scene of a fierce battle between young Australian, New Zealand and Turkish troops.

It is important for our boys to remember the qualities of the ANZAC spirit of loyalty, courage, mateship and pride that were used to overcome adversity 100 years ago are the same qualities that we draw upon today to meet the challenges that lie before us. The examples are numerous and include the boys who walk the full length of the Bibbulmun Track or those who played in the Firsts Rugby team or rowed in the First VIII to lift the Brother Redmond Cup and the Challenge Cup respectively.

Boys and visitors to the School are encouraged to take time to stop and read the names of those listed on the honour board hanging in the front reception of Collegians' House to remember the Scotch Boys before us who gave so much so that we can now demonstrate their same qualities on the sporting field, in the classroom and in rehearsal, not at war.

Dr Rob McEwan

Head of Senior School

Duke of Edinburgh Award

On Wednesday, 21 October, Ryder Ethelston (OSC 2014) received his Gold Duke of Edinburgh Award, from Her Excellency The Honourable Kerry Sanderson AO at Government House. Ryder attained his award in late 2014 when he was in Year 12 but, as he is studying in Melbourne, was unable to attend a presentation until now. The College sends him a big congratulations. Any boy who is looking to complete their Duke of Edinburgh Award is encouraged to see Mr Kyle. Those boys already completing the award are encouraged to keep working hard to achieve their goals.

Mr David Kyle

Duke of Edinburgh Coordinator

Junior Mathematics Olympiad WA

Congratulations to William Steinberg (Year 7, Bruce) for achieving the second highest score in the individual competition of the Western Australian Junior Mathematics Olympiad. This is an extraordinary achievement considering he was competing against over 500 students from Years 7, 8 and 9 in completing 12 challenging mathematical problems. The future for Scotch in such competitions looks very bright with the ability shown by William and the other boys taking part.

Miss Joanne Fletcher

Mathematics Teacher - Mathematics Enrichment Coordinator

2016 School Musical Auditions

The Drama Department are pleased to announce that we have secured the rights to The Addams Family, a musical that debuted on Broadway in 2010. This will be the first musical in over 10 years and we would like to offer students in Years 8 - 12 the chance to audition for this exciting show. Our season will run from Wednesday 15 June - Saturday 18 June 2016.

Auditions will take place in the Foundation Theatre on Wednesday, 18 November and also during the following week on Monday, 23 November from 3.30pm.

Please assign yourself an audition time by signing up in the foyer of the Foundation Theatre. You will need to prepare a short piece dialogue, spoken by Gomez Addams, flamboyant patriarch of the family. A copy of the dialogue is available from the daily notices. You will also be asked to sing a short section of a song you are familiar with - the National Anthem or our school song would be fine.

Any queries, please ask Mr Andrews or Miss Payne.

Miss Emma Payne

Drama Teacher

Careers Information

2016 Overseas Forum Opportunity Year 11 Students

The IE University in Spain is inviting motivated, open-minded Year 11 students who are socially aware, want their voices heard and are comfortable around those from different cultural backgrounds to apply to attend the Junior Advisory Board conference from 11-16 April, 2016 in Madrid and Segovia, Spain. All flights, food and accommodation will be covered by IE University. Daniel Bloch (2014 Leaver) represented Scotch in 2013 and found the experience very rewarding. Interested students should contact Mr Frusher at Scotch for further information and contact details for Daniel Bloch.

C.A.S. HAWKER Scholarship

Applications for C.A.S. Hawker Scholarships open on Monday, 7 December 2015 and will close on Friday, 8 January 2016. This generous scholarship is valued at up to $45,000 over three years. Selection is largely based on personal qualities and demonstrated leadership as well as academic ability. Undergraduate and post-graduate Hawker Scholars are able to attend a range of Australian educational institutions. Further information about the C.A.S. Hawker Scholarship and an application form are available at www.hawkerscholarship.org.

The Robertson Scholars Leadership Programme

Each year, two talented Australian students are selected for the unique opportunity to complete and undergraduate degree at one of the leading academic institutions in the United States; Duke University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

The scholarship provides for:

• A four year scholarship, including tuition, fees, room and board
• Unique access to the academic and extra-curricular offerings at both universities
• Three summers on domestic and international experiences
• Leadership and professional development opportunities
• Extensive community of Robertson Scholars, alumni and staff

Australian selections are organised through UNSW. For more information about the selection process and to access application forms, visit www.scholarships.unsw.edu.au.

University Information

Notre Dame University

Notre Dame University is still accepting applications for Semester 1, 2016. Applications can be made directly to the university and do not incur an application or late fee. Please contact the Prospective Students Office on 9433 0533 to make an appointment for a campus tour, to receive course and application advice or to be sent an application pack. Application forms are also available from Mr Frusher at Scotch.

Notre Dame also offers alternative entry programmes to undergraduate studies at Notre Dame. These courses are available to students who did not reach the minimum entrance score for university in their ATAR and also to students who completed Year 12 but did not undertake ATAR subjects.

Foundation Year

A one-year bridging course that builds the confidence and skills required to successfully undertake university study.

Notre Dame Tertiary Enabling Programme

A full-time, thirteen week (one semester) alternative entry programme that is available each semester. For further information contact Notre Dame University.

Curtin University

Curtin University is offering a UniReady Enabling Programme in 2016. This course is designed for students who wish to enter Humanities or Business degrees at Curtin and did not get the required ATAR or did not do WACE examinations. The programme is one semester full time or two semesters part-time and is also available online. Applications for Semester One are now open and can be accessed via the Curtin website.

Curtin University Twilight Tours

Gain a glimpse of the Curtin campus by attending a Twilight Tour. Twilight Tours are for interested prospective students to gain a glimpse of the Curtin campus and facilities after hours. To provide an insight into studying at Curtin our Student Ambassadors will show attendees some of their favourite spots on campus as well as where they study and take classes. Prospective Student Advisors will be on hand to provide advice and answer questions about applying to Curtin.

Register on-line at www.curtin.edu.au/twilighttours.

UWA Faculty of Architecture, Landscape and Visual Arts

Students entering Year 11 or Year 12 in 2016

The Faculty of Architecture, Landscape and Visual Arts introduces senior school students to architecture, landscape architecture, integrated design, urban design and visual arts at UWA, over 4 days in the January school holidays.

The Studio finishes with an exhibition of all students' work on Thursday, 21 January, and parents are welcome to attend. The exhibition will run from 2:30pm - 3:30pm in the Faculty's Cullity Gallery.

For more information visit www.alva.uwa.edu.au/community/studio/

Enrolments close Friday, 25 December 2015 and places are limited.

SAE (Sound Audio Engineering) Perth Campus Open Day, 30 January 2016, 10.00am - 1.00pm

120 Roe Street, Northbridge, WA

Discover your creative potential at SAE Perth Open Day.

During the day, absorb everything SAE has to offer with tours of their new campus and facilities, course presentations and studio demonstrations, student showcases, live music and much more. Chat with staff and lecturers one-on-one to have all of your questions answered.

Thinking about a career in Animation, Audio, Design, Film or Games? SAE Creative Media Institute turns thinkers into doers.

Ph: 08 62174100

Email: perth@sae.edu

January Preparation and Revision

ATarget will be conducting preparation and revision programmes at Christ Church Grammar School and Hale School from 18-23 January 2016. These will include study skills, essay writing, subject revision and introduction and familiarisation with their new 2016 subjects. Go to www.atarget.com.au for further details and registration forms or phone 9486 1377.

Mr Peter Frusher

Careers Adviser

Senior School Important Dates

Scotch Auxiliary

Our Middle School Family Afternoon was held last Sunday afternoon on the School grounds down at the Gooch Pavilion. Thank you to all the families who came along to help celebrate the year.

Upcoming Events:

Middle School:

Year 8 Graduation Breakfast - Tuesday 8 December, 7.30-8.30am, Middle School Quadrangle.

Senior School:

Valedictory Dinner 2015 - Friday 27 November, 6.00pm, Dickinson Center.

For more details on these events and to purchase tickets please visit the Scotch College website www.scotch.wa.edu.au and click on the "Book a Scotch Event" icon.

Coffee Mornings and Get-togethers:

New Year 10 - Wednesday 2 December, 9am, 136 Forrest St, Peppermint Grove.

New Year 11 - Friday 27 November, 9am, The Shorehouse (previously The Naked Fig).

New Year 12 - End of Year Drinks, Friday 20 November, 6.30-9.30pm, Gooch Pavilion. Please bring a plate to share, BYO drinks and glasses.

Our Year Representatives look forward to seeing you.

Valedictory Dinner 2015

Plans are well underway for the Valedictory Dinner. We are pleased to have received many offers of help from our new Year 12 parents to assist at the workshop, set up and evening.

Current Year 12 parents are welcome to pop in and see how the preparations are going. Set up for the dinner will commence at 11am, Friday 27 November, in the Dickinson Centre.

Mrs Carissa Paganin

President

Parents' Association

The new Scotch College Parents Association 2016 Committee held their first meeting on Wednesday 11 November 2015.

We now also welcome Abby Fry to the Secretary position and I look forward to working with her during 2016. Bourby Webster from the Perth Symphony Orchestra presented her Term 3 'PLAY WITH US' report to the PA.

Our major funding initiative in 2015 was to fund a whole of School "Immersion" music mentorship programme with the PSO consisting of a number of collaborative concerts, mentoring and share the chair programmes across the School. It also included an ensemble performance at the 2015 Welcome BBQ back in January.

A number of exciting funding initiatives have been approved for 2016 - with a technology focus - watch this space for more details over the coming months.

The PA also funded three new Pacer sailing boats to complement a similar number funded by the School and was pleased to be part of the "blessing of the fleet" by Reverend Lewis on Friday 13 November 2015.

Save this date - a Welcome BBQ will be held on Sunday 31 January to welcome all families (particularly new parents) to the start of the school year. This event will be free and will include refreshments, soft drinks and a sausage and salad bun. It will take place on the Middle School Quadrangle from 4.30pm - 7.30pm on Sunday 31 January 2016.

Mr Ian Knobel

President

Pipe Band Parents Support Group

Thank you to the Scotch community for your support of the Scotch College Pipe Band during 2015.

Christmas Fare

Back by popular demand, we are offering Christmas treats such as fruit mince pies, shortbread, Christmas cakes and much more.

Also available, great stocking fillers, coffee mugs and the new Scotch luggage straps (good for school tours) to name a few of the items. Please view your email sent last week for details and some photos.

Orders close midnight tonight and can be placed via www.flexischools.com.au

PBPSG Meeting

Please join us for our last meeting on Thursday 19 November at 7.30pm in the Senior School Pipe Band Room.

All welcome.

Founders Day Marching

Come along to watch a wonderful tradition where Old Scotch Collegians join and play with the Scotch College Pipe Band.

8.30am on Friday 20 November at the Gooch Pavilion.

Mrs Mandy Perrignon

President

PBPSG@scotch.wa.edu.au

Mike Hirsch Cricket Skills Clinic

Summer holiday cricket coaching clinics to be held at Scotch College, both indoors and on the field. See here for more details.

The Bright Spark Market

An ideas market to showcase your innovative ideas and/or products. See here for more information.