Newsletter, Term 1, Friday 1 March 2024

Clean Up Australia Day • Sunday 3 March, 9am Eastern Hill Lookout
Kindergarten commences 5-day schooling • Week commencing 4 March
Year 1 Excursion to Noreuil Park • Monday 4 March
Australian MTB Interschools @ Thredbo • Monday 4 March - Friday 8 March
BIPSA Junior Swimming Carnival in Wagga Wagga • Wednesday 6 March (selected students)
Preschool Welcome Picnic • Wednesday 6 March, 4pm
International Women’s Day Breakfast • Thursday 7 March, 7am BOOK HERE
BISSA Senior Swimming Carnival in Wagga Wagga • Thursday 7 March (selected students)
Year 11 Parent Teacher Interviews • Monday 11 March (book via Parent Lounge)
Year 11 Parent Information Night • Monday 11 March, 6.45pm in the JET
NAPLAN • Wednesday 13 March - Monday 25 March
Pupil Free Day (Albury Gold Cup public holiday) • Friday 22 March
Scots Equestrian Interschool Challenge • Saturday 23 March and Sunday 24 March
Year 3 Camp • Tuesday 26 March - Wednesday 27 March
Year 10 Vaccinations • Wednesday 27 March
Junior School Easter Hat Parade • Thursday 28 March
Good Friday • Friday 29 March
Easter Monday • Monday 1 April
Whole School Cross Country (K-12) • Tuesday 2 April, Albury Wodonga Equestrian Centre
RAS Junior Netball Trials in Wagga Wagga • Thursday 4 April (selected students)
Years 7-11 Camps • Tuesday 9 April - Friday 12 April
Year 12 Retreat • Wednesday 10 April - Friday 12 April
Term 1 Ends • Friday 12 April
ANZAC Day March, Dean Street • Thursday 25 April
Years 7-10 Parent Teacher Interviews • Monday 29 April (book via Parent Lounge)
Boarders Return • Monday 29 April from 1pm
Senior Study Centre Opens • Monday 29 April (details to come)
Term 2 Commences • Tuesday 30 April

I feel so incredibly lucky to have started at Scots at a time when the campus will be transformed for the first time in decades, with the completion of our Senior Study Centre and the start of our new Junior School. After many years of planning both of these very exciting projects will become a reality very soon.

Very excitingly, after some initial planning obstacles, our Senior Study Centre will be finished in the next few weeks ready for occupation at the beginning of Term 2. I have been fortunate enough to have inspected this incredible structure a couple of times now and really love the new building, with the finishing touches being made in the coming weeks.

The SSC has been designed to give our Year 11 and 12 students a wonderful home in which to study and hang out. It consists of a large study area which can accommodate 80 to 100 students for study and exams. It has a common area with a kitchen and eating spaces and, in addition, there is a large, quiet study area surrounded by smaller breakout spaces for individual and small group sessions. The building is predominantly for our Year 11 and 12 students but also will be used by our Boarders for their evening prep.

We look forward to showcasing our new Senior Study Centre to boarding families as they return on Monday 29 April (more details to follow) and then to the broader school community at our Open Day on Friday 3 May.

Our next exciting building project, for which we are currently finalising plans, is our new Junior School. We are in the final stages of meeting with the architects and landscape designers to complete all the details. We are aiming to have all the plans completed by the end of June when we will put the project out for tender. With all things going well, we hope to start construction in the second half of the year with completion in 18 months.

Both of these building projects are incredibly exciting and are the biggest capital investment in the school in decades. They will greatly improve the school experience for your children and signifies that we are embarking on a period of significant investment in the future of Scots.

With excellent current and future enrolments, growing confidence in Scots and being in a sound financial position it is time to bring to fruition many of the dreams that many people have had for the School for many years. I am so excited to be able to ensure that these lofty dreams become a reality over the coming months and years and I can't wait to show you all the new buildings, starting with the Senior Study Centre next term!

Last Friday, our Year 3-6 students were very excited to represent their house and year levels in this year’s swimming carnival. With house colours flying and voices at full volume, the atmosphere was set for a great day of swimming. Many students were competing in a carnival like this for the first time.

Congratulations to Wilson House for taking out the Junior School Swimming Carnival Cup for 2024 and to all our age champions. We look forward to seeing them and their peers compete in the upcoming BIPSA Competition in Wagga Wagga on Wednesday 6 March.

I would also like to extend my thanks to the many parents and grandparents who attended the carnival and cheered very loudly on the day. Your presence at our special events is very much appreciated! Photos from the day have been posted on the Photo Gallery in the Scots App and Scotty.

Our Assembly every fortnight is another special event where we celebrate the achievements of our many talented students and love to have parents and grandparents in attendance. We started this term with a strong focus on being ‘ready to learn’ and the efforts of the students have been outstanding. Next week we will focus on ‘respect for our environment’. Wilson House is currently in the lead of the Junior School House Points Challenge.

I would like to thank all of the parents who attended the Parent-Teacher Interviews this week. This year we have trialled a new format and I would really appreciate your feedback on the change.

We have NAPLAN fast approaching for Years 3 and 5 and timetables can be accessed on the Scots App.

I have received many questions about the Easter Hat Parade and would like to clarify that hats are to be constructed at home, and we will have the parade in the Chapel Hall. While it feels like it is far away, it will be upon us before we know it. Please join us at the parade to see students showcasing their wonderful creations on Thursday 28 March from 9am.

Scots will be running an Auskick program next term. Details regarding this will be provided soon.

In the Senior School assembly this week, I compared the experience of being at school to a Taylor Swift concert. Of course, the students are the star performers. Their friends are the backup dancers, supporting them when they get puffed or they need a costume change. Teachers and Learning Support are the band, making sure the music keeps going, keeping the star on the beat. The Stage Coordinators, School Nurse and School Counsellor are the security, making sure they are safe. Professional Services and the Maintenance team are the backstage crew, making sure the performers are able to be, and do, their best. Parents/families are the roadies, getting the star set up with the right stage and helping them get places, both figuratively and literally.

The purpose was to remind students that they have the privilege of choices and they get to decide how they make the most of their ‘stage’. Below is a short excerpt:

‘The fans or the audience are like your future, what you are rehearsing for. Sometimes they are right there, you can see them, other times they feel like they are a distant idea.

The point is that we all have a role to play and we are all important to the show. You are all different types of performers, but it is your show. As the star you get to choose how you perform, so the choice to put in the extra work to really get that high note, the choice to sometimes let your backup dancer be front of stage, the choice of which song to sing.

Today we get to celebrate the choices of some of the stars, those who have chosen to add to their performance by service to others, through leadership and through supporting others. We get to celebrate some of the leaders in performing arts, SRC and peer support.

So whatever song you choose to sing, whatever way you choose to perform, know that the audience will buy tickets and will arrive.

Your stage is set.’

An opportunity or ‘stage’ the students had this week was to work with study skills experts, Elevate. Students from across the school spent time working on skills of study, including time management, exam preparation and note-taking. The feedback from students was excellent with 100% of Year 12 students saying they thought it was time well spent and 98% of Year 10 students saying that they would recommend the session to their peers. This excellent feedback was consistent across all year levels. This work will be further supported by Learning Mentors and classroom teachers.

The 2024 Prefect group is continuing to make their mark on the stage; congratulations to Maddie Hayes, our Academic Prefect, who organised and facilitated an excellent Trivia Night for staff and students. It was a wonderful night, students really got into the spirit with some very creative table themes - check out some of the photos later in this Newsletter or on the Photo Gallery in the Scots App and Scotty. The Trivia Night is well and truly a fixture on the Scots Senior School calendar now.

The House Captains did a wonderful job at encouraging house spirit at the 2024 Senior School Swimming Carnival. It was a great day with some wonderful results. Thank you to Mr Tim Kennedy for his excellent and professional organisation. You can see photos of the action on the Photo Gallery in the Scots App and Scotty.

It is hard to believe we are halfway through the term; we have some excellent academic and community events coming up. I encourage the regular checking of Scotty by students and families to ensure that opportunities are not missed and our ‘stars’ have everything they need to make the most of their ‘stage’.

Scots Class of 2023 students shared their tips and tricks for surviving and thriving in the final two years of school with current Year 11 and 12 students recently.

Tegan Forge, Mia Ennis, Xy Beale, Chloe Watson, Fraser Bennett, Raiden Niesner and Kai Taylor returned to the scene of their toughest year at school but also their greatest triumph for two informative sessions as part of career preparation session for our senior students.

Each student had their top tip, but the underlying message they all conveyed was: Be organised, refine how you study, use your teachers’ knowledge as they are your best resource and keep a healthy work/life balance.

They shared with the groups their 2024 plans for study or work and how they reached their decisions.

Tegan will study for a Bachelor of Secondary Teaching at ACU in Melbourne and recommended students use an electronic countdown app to take the pressure off managing deadlines.

Mia will study animal science with a view to transferring to vet science at CSU in Wagga. She said it was possible to maintain a part-time job while studying, although having employers who would be flexible enough to allow time off during exams was crucial.

For Xy, her career path was not mapped out until she was head-hunted by US universities offering her sporting scholarships. She has settled on a full-ride at the University of Virginia and will study for a bachelor of science education. Her top recommendation was to get a healthy amount of sleep so you can study effectively.

Chloe spent most of her year thinking about courses at universities where her friends were enrolling until she realised she needed to do what was best for her, not follow her friends. So, she’s enrolled in Agricultural Science at Wagga. Her top tips were: don’t follow your friends and do heaps of early entry university applications to take the stress out of the exams.

Fraser chose engineering at Monash because he was “pretty good at maths and science” and he’d heard the pay was pretty good! He agreed that routine and using your teachers as a resource were imperative, but he also recommended stopping to take it all in and enjoy it because Year 12 passed so quickly.

Raiden will study a Bachelor of Science majoring in physics with the aim of becoming an astronomer. His study pathway was a very last minute decision and he encouraged students to look around at all the different universities and niche courses on offer. He hadn’t heard of the option he ended up choosing until quite late in the process. He also reiterated the value of being organised and getting some exercise to break up study blocks.

Kai will spend 2024 far from family and friends, on a cattle station in the Northern Territory. His top tip: Even if you don’t know what you want to do (like him), talk to people and take opportunities to try something new when they are offered. He admitted moving to a station 200km north of Alice Springs where he knows no-one is daunting but he’s game for the experience.

He encouraged students to “get your head in the game” early and keep a level head throughout it all. The one thing he is going to miss most about turning up to school every day is the daily opportunity to catch up with his mates.

Performing Arts at Scots has opened 2024 with a flurry of activity – music ensembles, dance classes, production rehearsals and debating teams are all underway. We have had a great number of new students signing up across all areas and groups are busily preparing for the many opportunities they will get to perform and compete this year. We welcome Mrs Stacey Hartwich to our production team as Director of Senior Musical. She is already making a great impact on this year’s senior production Freaky Friday – don’t miss this one!

This week we recognised the outstanding contributions of students to the Performing Arts programs, announcing the Performing Arts Captains and Leaders for 2024. Congratulations to all recipients, we look forward to seeing your leadership in action this year!

Music Captains
Junior Orchestra – Isolde James
Junior Choir – Isaac Kunde and Evie Smith
Cantabile - Isabelle Martin
Chorale – James Morris
Senior Choir - Freya Gniel
Senior Orchestra - Poppy Millgate-Kimball and Eila Thornton
Hazelwood - Zoe Coughlan
Jazzgang - Oliver Baitch
Adelines - Freya Gniel, James Morris, Matilda Tainton, Matilda Player

Dance Captains
Junior Dance – Jasmine Fowler
Senior Dance – Ellenor Pretty

Oratory Captain
Senior Oratory - Madelaine Hayes

Pipe Band Leaders
Pipe Major - Liam Nicolson
Pipe Sergeant - Jonathan Coe
Pipe Corporal - Bianca Sparkes and Saxon Coffey
Drum Sergeant - Damon Wright
Drum Corporal - Storm Tanuvasa
Lead Tenor - Arifa Rizvi

Odin Cooper (Year 12), Callum Cooper (Year 12) and Jack Clancy (Year 11) created history when their Ovens and Murray Under-18 water polo team won gold at the Australian Youth Water Polo Championships in Brisbane in the January school holidays.

It was the first time an O and M under-18 boys team had claimed the top gong at the prestigious national titles.

It could be said Odin, Callum and Jack cruised to victory if such a thing is possible in the aggressive world of water polo. They were undefeated throughout the competition and dispatched Perth Tritons 16-5 in the grand final.

“Most of us have been playing together since we were in under-12s so we know each other really well,” Odin said. “And, we have some pretty good players.”

Callum endorsed his twin brother’s viewpoint: “We all play in the men’s A-Grade competition at the weekends so we know exactly where each other is going to be in the pool. In previous underage categories at nationals, we would be playing with some new players, but it really does make a difference when you play week in, week out with the same players.”

Odin and Callum were top-age players so will move into the next category if they continue playing water polo beyond this year. Jack, on the other hand, has another year left in under-18s - as he does at school.

Odin’s specialty as a defender and Callum’s unerring accuracy when taking the shot at goal earned them regular places in the starting six line-up. Jack was one of the team’s goalies, and his hand/eye coordination and strong legs stood him in good stead against the older opposition.

“It’s a very physical sport,” Callum explained. “Your fitness is a big factor, especially when you go up against bigger opponents. You end up with plenty of bruises and scratches in water polo because basically, you can do whatever you like underneath the water.

“If you get caught doing anything illegal you get “kicked out” and if you have three kick-outs in a game you’re out of the game. But it’s not uncommon to get kicked out, it’s sort of part of the game.”

Callum has been clocking up the kilometres as part of the Victorian state team for the past couple of years and is hoping to continue with that level of competition once he goes to uni next year.

All three players will combine again in April when they vie for the NSW state championships in Sydney.

2024 Scots Interhouse Swimming Carnival

Well done to all the students who participated in events at the Swimming Carnival. The House spirit was outstanding, especially during the relays. There was high energy at novelty events, as well, with plenty of students earning points towards the House Pride Cup. There were seven records broken throughout the day and we crowned Wilson House as Champion House.

Champion House

Wilson - 2274 points
Robertson - 1828 points
Simpson - 1783 points
Sellars - 1772 points

Age Champions

Girls 12 Years Champion - Harriett Nickolls
Boys 12 Years Champion - Oliver (Ollie) Mathews
Girls 12 Years Runner up - Grace Buckley
Boys 12 years Runner up - Ryan Johnstone
Girls 13 Years Champion - Amelia (Millie) Glover
Boys 13 Years Champion - Oscar Kennedy
Girls 13 Years Runner up - Chloe Lewin
Boys 13 Years Runner up - Stirling Marshall
Girls 14 Years Champion - Winnie Monaghan
Boys 14 Years Champion - Thomas Mack
Girls 14 Years Runner up - Camilla Crapp
Boys 14 Years Runner up - Archie Ross
Girls 15 Years Champion - Izabella (Izzie) Barber
Boys 15 Years Champion - Seamus Bready
Girls 15 Years Runner up - Charlotte Packer
Boys 15 Years Runner up - Hector James
Girls 16 Years Champion - Grace Adams
Boys 16 Years Champion - Finn McDonnell
Girls 16 Years Runner up - Phoebe Packer
Boys 16 Years Runner up - Benjamin (Ben) Pendlebury
Girls 17 Years Champion - Adelaide Hiscock
Boys 17 Years Champion - Bill (Billy) Butko
Girls 17 Years Runner up - Poppy Kettlewell
Boys 17 Years Runner up - Oliver Hutchins
Girls Senior Champion - Madelaine (Maddie) Hayes
Boys Senior Champion - Odin Cooper
Girls Senior Runner up - Freya Gniel
Boys Senior Runner up - Callum Cooper

Records that fell on the day:

Boys 13 Years 100M Freestyle: Oscar Kennedy 1:09.28
Girls 13 Years 100M Freestyle: Millie Glover 1:12.29
Boys 14 Years 100M Freestyle: Thomas Mack 1:09.13
Girls 15 Years 100M Freestyle: Izzie Barber 1:05.27
Boys 16 Years 100M Freestyle: Finn McDonnell 1:04.65
Boys 18 Years 100M Freestyle: Callum Cooper 1:07.17
Boys 12 Years 50M Freestyle: Ollie Mathews 44.58

We look forward to the Scots Swim Squad representing the school at BISSA Swimming on Thursday 7 March in Wagga.

Congratulations to the Year 12 leadership group, whose diligent work behind the scenes ensured smooth event coordination and high student participation. Their enthusiasm and exemplary leadership set the scene for a positive day. I would also like to thank the staff for their unwavering support, as well as the Maintenance and Dining Hall teams who helped make the day a success.

The Junior School Swimming Carnival was an exciting event where students had the opportunity to showcase their swimming skills in a variety of races. It was a great chance for them to have fun, build teamwork and develop their swimming ability. Our carnival on Friday 23 February was highly successful and it was so great to see the team spirit and every student trying their best!

Congratulations to all the prize winners.

Age Champions

8/9 Years Champions: Percy Ross and Hattie Clark
8/9 Runners-up: Leo Mensinga and Olivia Hanna
10 Years Champions: Duke Maloney and Abi Waller
10 Years Runners-up: Ardan Magaharan and Ethel James
11 Years Champions: Alby Clark and Scarlett Skidmore
11 Years Runners-up: Ted Heijse and Gracie Ross
12/13 Years Champions: Sam Mack and Abbey Kennedy
12/13 Years Runners-up: Conan Maloney and Darcy Baird (equal), and Isolde James.

Champion House

Wilson - 2274 points
Robertson - 1828 points
Simpson - 1783 points
Sellars - 1772 points

In an exciting Week 2 fixture of the Douglas and Wiburd Shields, The Scots School Albury hosted Shellharbour Anglican College for two gripping cricket encounters. The matches showcased outstanding sportsmanship, skill and competitive spirit from both sides.

In the Douglas Shield game (Year 11-12 students) Shellharbour won the toss and elected to bat first. Tilly Tainton (Year 11) and Ollie Corbally Stourton (Year 12) started strongly, bowling accurately in their first spell, putting early pressure on the Shellharbour batting lineup. However, Shellharbour soon gained momentum with a brutal batting display, amassing a formidable total of 399 runs. Despite the efforts of Ollie and Billy Butko (Year 11), who both ended up with two wickets each, we struggled to contain Shellharbour's relentless onslaught.

It was always going to be an uphill battle chasing such a big score. However, our players showed resilience and determination throughout their innings. There were notable contributions from Ollie who scored 62 stylish runs; Taylor Brown (Year 11), who added 35 runs and Ethan White (Year 11), who ended up with 22 runs to his name. Despite their best efforts, Shellharbour proved to be too strong in all facets of the game, ultimately securing victory.

In the Wiburd Shield (Year 8-10 students), Shellharbour once again won the toss and opted to field, putting Scots into bat. The opening pair, Henry Tainton (Year 9) and Rollo Nickols (Year 9) got off to a strong start, reaching a promising 50-run partnership without losing a wicket. However, the Scots middle order faltered, losing several quick wickets. Despite the stumble, Flynn Semmen's (Year 9) late efforts were instrumental in pushing the team's total to 103 runs, giving them a target to defend. Henry led the scoring for the day with 33 runs, supported by Rollo's contribution of 21 runs.

With an air of belief, Scots embarked on defending the modest total with determination. Some early breakthroughs were crucial, and Cooper Glass (Year 9) and Fergus Monaghan (Year 10) rose to the occasion, delivering exceptional performances with the ball. Cooper's spell yielded impressive figures of four wickets for just three runs, while Fergus contributed with two wickets for nine runs. The fielding unit complemented the bowling effort admirably, building pressure with exemplary catches and sharp ground fielding displays. The pressure persisted through the bowling changes, Harry McDonald's (Year 8) accuracy was pinpoint, clinching four wickets for only one run. Meanwhile, Rollo's left-arm spinners added to the pressure, securing a crucial wicket. This collective bowling and fielding effort saw Shellharbour bundled out for 19 runs - an outstanding achievement against such strong opponents.

The Wiburd Shield team has now made its way into the final four of this prestigious competition. We are waiting on other results to see who we play in our next fixture, a very exciting time for our young cricketers!