There is more in you than you think

Kurt Hahn is a man who has a great educational legacy, particularly in citizenship and character education. Hahn's quote, 'there is more in you than you think', inspired his approach to the development of young people and led him to a career that included being the Headmaster of Gordonstoun in Scotland, establishing the Duke of Edinburgh's International Award, Round Square, Outward Bound, and United World Colleges. His legacy is certainly reverberating at Scotch College!

Undoubtedly you have sent your son to Scotch to take as much from the diverse opportunities as possible and to get out of their comfort zone, to realise that there is more in them than they think! It When we engage our students as a part of the outdoor education or sporting programmes we expect they will be physically challenged and when we ask them to speak in front of large groups or to take part in house debating, we expect that they will need to overcome fear and anxiety and control their emotions. In both cases we hope that they are building their resilience and ability to adapt to uncertainty and unusual situations, ensuring they are prepared for the realities of life. When we ask them to collaborate or work in a team on their Community Project or in a musical performance, they are creating interpersonal skills and developing emotional intelligence and through our Service and Exchange programmes we aim to build empathy and a sense of purpose. Of course our academic programme develops rigour, tenacity, perseverance and conscientiousness while dealing with disappointment too. In all of these instances, simply going through the motions and sticking to what is safe is not what our College is about and we hope that by building experiences and opportunities that put our boys out of their comfort zone, they are realising there is a lot more in themselves than they may have realised.

Below are a few opportunities to get outside their comfort zone that your son may be interested in. Please contact me if you'd like more information or visit the website.

Year 8 (2019 Year 9s) - Woodleigh School invites schools in the Australasia and East Asia region to a Regional Conference for students in Year 9. The conference will take place from arrivals (in Melbourne) by 1.00pm on Sunday 7 April 2019 through to departures after 2.00pm on Thursday 11 April 2019.
Woodleigh's conference team is busy planning and organising a diverse set of activities around the theme of Gen Z: Mind Shifters. The conference will encourage students to realise that the personal choices they make in their lives has an impact on others and the environment. Delegates will explore self-awareness, empathy and compassion for others through a variety of conference activities and provide opportunities for students to act with direction and purpose to make a difference in the world.

Year 11 and 12 – Abrolhos Islands Adventurous Journey, 12-18 April, 2019. This tour has been designed to support the requirements of The Duke of Edinburgh's International Award and will focus mainly on the Skills and Adventurous Journey, whilst promoting the experiences below:

Maritime history and archaeology – the students will explore the 'Shipwreck Coast' and the maritime history of Western Australia and will have the unique opportunity to dive on the Batavia shipwreck.
Exploring the importance of plankton and coral communities in the marine environment – the students will be immersed in this coral atoll and learn about the characteristics of coral communities.
Management of marine resources – students will learn about the Western Australian rock lobster industry, regarded as one of the best managed fisheries in the world, and visit a pearl farm.
SCUBA diving - students will complete the theory and practical component of their PADI SCUBA, including preparation prior to the trip.

Year 10 and 11 – 2019 Round Square International Service Big Build Projects in Morocco and Borneo.

Participation in a Round Square International Service Projects is a great way for students to develop an understanding of the types of problems faced by communities around the world through a hands-on experience. RSIS project participants work in a truly international team, developing skills and attitudes for leadership, global citizenship and community engagement. Packed with challenging adventure and cultural awareness opportunities, the project programmes are designed to ensure that students have an exciting, experiential and holistic learning experience.

RSIS Big Build Morocco takes place from 6 - 19 July 2019
RSIS Big Build Borneo takes place from 7 - 20 December 2019

Remembrance Day thanks…

A big thanks to Stuart House and Brisbane House for selling poppies in aid of Remembrance Day. The poppies raise funds for the Cambridge Rotary Club and are donated to services to recently returned servicemen and women. The boys also went above and beyond and sold poppies in Claremont Quarter after hearing that the Claremont branch of the RSL was unable to. Well done and a big thanks to the boys in Brisbane and Stuart.

A few other reminders below. Please visit the website for more information.

All Abilities Cricket started on Friday 26 October. It runs every week from 5.00pm at Creswell Oval (Claremont Nedlands Cricket Club). All welcome.

Boardies Day is on Tuesday 4 December. All Scotch College students (ELC through Year 12 plus staff) are encouraged to wear boardshorts with their uniform or work clothes. This will raise funds and awareness for water safety as we enter the summer months.

Disabled Surfing Australia is putting their first event on for the summer at Leighton Beach on Saturday 1 December 2018. There is no PSA sport that day so we encourage everyone in the Scotch community to get down to Leighton and learn what it is all about. The community atmosphere is electric and the joy for all involved is contagious!

Volunteers required from 6.30am until 2.00pm at Leighton Beach Fremantle

Registration at 9.00am with a 10.30am cut off followed by a pre-event safety briefing at 9.30am. Barbeque and presentations at 1.00pm with the event wrapping up at approximately 2.00pm.

More details at the website.

Christmas Appeal - Uniting Care West

All boys are encouraged to support the Appeal. There is a Christmas tree in the DC where donations can be left or alternatively with House Heads and Homeroom teachers. See poster below for what to donate.

Finally, a huge congratulations to Matthew Simich (Shearer House, OSC 2017) who was awarded his Duke of Edinburgh's International Gold Award a couple of weeks ago. Matthew received his award from our new Governor, The Honourable Kim Beazley AC and can be extremely proud of his efforts in achieving such a prestigious award, started by Kurt Hahn over 60 years ago!

ICEA Classic - The ICEA Classic will run on 24 November at Cove, Cottesloe. The Classic has become entrenched in the local surfing scene and is a great example of the reconciliation taking place amongst the younger generations. ICEA is headed up by OSC Tom Joyner and this year's event promises to be as big as ever.

See the website for more details.

Mr David Kyle
Director of Service and Citizenship