Community and Service

Year 10 'Mimates' Activity

One of the Year 10 service activities is 'Mimates' (Migrant Mates) involving visits each Friday afternoon by Scotch boys to the Intensive English Unit of Balga Senior High School. This unit within the school provides english language instruction to recently arrived migrant and refugee students. The visits are primarily about friendship and the students involved, spend time together in activities to increase language use and have fun. Occasionally, the Balga students visit Scotch to attend classes and tour the school. The photograph below shows the last group to visit at the end of last term.

The Year 10 'Mimates' activity and the Year 5 partnership with North Balga Primary School, also involving visits, serve to enrich personal contacts for students in all schools and work towards greater understanding of background issues.

Round Square Exchanges

A start has been made in creating the links between Scotch College and other Round Square schools globally to enable short-term reciprocal exchanges to take place. One Scotch Year 10 boy has already gone to Cornwall Hill School in South Africa and another to Birklehof School in Germany. This week, we will be welcoming two boys from the Inter-Community School in Zurich, Switzerland. Other exchanges are being arranged to Peru, USA, Demnark and India. While this is a small start, it is an exciting one for the College and promises to be a significant way to promote Internationalism and to further diversify the student population on our campuses.

Round Square Staff Opportunity

Senior School staff member David Kyle has been selected to become a Deputy Leader of a Round Square International Service expedition to Nicaragua in Central America. He was successful in applying for the position - advertised throughout all Round Square schools globally. His trip, which is fully funded by Round Square, will take place in December. David will have responsibility for managing a group of students from all over the world as they complete a service project building walkways with a community living in the rainforest. This will be a wonderful experience for David and no doubt he will come back with a better understanding of the Round Square organisation and the opportunities our membership will provide for Scotch boys.

Year 9 Mandarin Club

Currently there are two Round Square schools in China with more schools wanting to join. Year 10 boys in 2016 will be able to apply for exchange to one of these schools. Scotch is also in the process of negotiating a reciprocal visit in July next year for current Year 9 students to Middle School No 5 in Qingdao, Shandong Province.

While the possibility of visiting China may well provide incentive, all current Year 9 boys have an opportunity to learn Mandarin. The Mandarin Club runs at Tuesday lunchtime and a teacher supplied by The Confucius institute of UWA provided language instruction. Boys of any ability level from beginner to advanced are welcome to attend. Please see Mr Siekierka or Mr Rugg if interested.

Scotch Boys Volunteering

Periodically opportunities for volunteering are advertised through the Thistle, Daily Notices or assemblies. In the past these have included: assisting Rocky Bay run its 'Walk With Me' fundraiser; manning the stalls and fun run course at Swanbourne Primary School; and running the silent and floor auction at the 'Rafiki Ball' to raise money to enable surgical teams to visit Tanzania. Boys are called upon occasionally to help fill sea containers with donated goods, work with ARAFMI and to assist with Disabled Surfers events.

Volunteering activities such as these require boys to give up their own time to serve and the boys that respond are clearly putting others before self. All boys are encouraged to look out for the appeals for volunteers and to answer the call. While it is sometimes difficult to find the time, the partner agencies we work with are extremely grateful for help from Scotch boys.

Matipwili Project Movie Fundraiser

On Thursday, 13 November, there will be a showing of the movie 'Hector and the Search for Happiness' at the Windsor Cinema. This is to raise money to continue the work of building a Trade Training Centre for the village of Matipwili in Tanzania. While the project has been granted $30,000 from the Australian Government through DFAT, much more is needed to complete the facility. Our partnership with Matipwili village goes back 10 years and since the first visit in 2004, Scotch and PLC together have been improving teaching and learning facilities for the whole community. We are assisting to build the Trade Training Centre at the request of the village - to be able to offer trade skills to students and adults not able to access secondary education.

Your support though your attendance on November 13 would be greatly appreciated. Tickets can be purchased through Trybooking: http://www.trybooking.com/FYMG.

Mr W Cordner

Director of Community and Service

Fundraising - Cambodia Community and Service Tour

Scotch College Senior School students participating in the 2014 Cambodia Community and Service Tour will be selling Krispy Kreme doughnuts to raise funds for our project in Soun Sah Village. We plan to provide and install flagpoles (a government requirement), outside tables and seating, as well as play equipment for the primary school. There are two options: a dozen original glazed doughnuts for $21.00 and a dozen classic assorted doughnuts for $25.00. The assorted pack includes: 6 original glazed, 2 chocolate iced, 2 chocolate iced with sprinkles, and 2 strawberry iced. Students may place orders this week - Week 4: Monday 3 to Friday 7 November, while any parents or community members who would like to place separate orders can contact Kate Gooding by email (KGooding@scotch.wa.edu.au). Orders and payment must be received by Friday 7, 3.00pm. The doughnuts will be distributed in the Foyer of the Memo Hall after school on Monday 24 November.