Newsletter, Term 1, Week 2, Friday 10 February 2023

2024 Scholarship ACER testing • Saturday 11 February

PAT testing, Whole School • commences Monday 13 February

Year 1 and 2 swimming program • commences Monday 13 February

Universities Roadshow for Year 11 and 12 • Wednesday 15 February

Equestrian Training Day • Thursday 16 February @ 4.30pm

City2City Fun Run • Sunday 19 February

Senior School Swimming Carnival • Tuesday 21 February @ 9.30am. Albury Swim Centre. All welcome

Ash Wednesday Whole School Chapel Service • Wednesday 22 February @ 9am. All welcome

Junior School Swimming Carnival (Years 3-6) • Friday 24 February @ 11am. Scots Pool. All welcome

Junior School 3-way conferences • Monday 27 February @ 3.30pm. Booking link will be provided

Beginnings

The start of the school year can be a tumultuous time, organising uniforms, getting into routine and, of course, that apprehension around what will the year bring? However, in my first weeks at Scots I have seen a vibrant community, excited about returning and hopeful of what 2023 may bring.

It has been a pleasure to start my Scots journey alongside the Year 7s and our 30 new students in Year 8-11. A big welcome to all the new families, I look forward to getting to know you better over the coming weeks. One of our first events designed to welcome families to 2023 at Scots is our Welcome to Scots evening on Friday 17 February. Starting at 3.30pm, families will be invited to join their child’s Learning Mentor for an information and introduction session. This will be followed by refreshments in the quad and an opportunity to meet other key staff and the Executive Team. We are looking forward to seeing many of you there.

To continue the theme of beginnings, the Year 12 student leadership group was formally inducted during a ceremony on Wednesday 8 February. It was a joy to see such a fine group of young people stand before their teachers and peers and make a pledge to lead with respect and to demonstrate a deep concern for justice, peace and understanding. Already, many of the prefects have knocked on my door to share some ideas for initiatives this year. It is sure to be a busy and inspirational year with captains Zara Hiscock, Fraser Bennett and this prefect team at the helm.

As with all beginnings, there are endings. In our opening assembly we had the opportunity to celebrate the success of the 2022 HSC class with the presentation of a dual ATAR medal to Mitchell Russell and Georgia Miller. In their speeches, they mentioned the hard work they undertook to succeed and acknowledged their support network, families, teachers and friends as a measure of their success. Congratulations to Mitch and Georgia, and the whole class of 2022, we can not wait to see what you do next!

Before we welcomed the students back, staff had the opportunity to begin the year with some professional learning. Included in this was a continuation of our commitment to the Design for Deep Learning framework and the whole school pastoral approach of The Resilience Project. New staff were also welcomed: in the Senior School we have Ms Pope, Ms Dowling, Mr Kennedy and Ms McNamara. Ms Neilson also was welcomed back.

Term 1 is destined to be a busy term; starting with the Senior School Swimming Carnival on Tuesday 21 February, which will be a wonderful event to highlight and celebrate Scots’ Community spirit; watch out for the staff versus student event!

A big thank you to the Scots Community for making me so welcome, this incredible support has made this beginning so much easier. I look forward to getting to know you more over the coming months.

2023 Year Parents

Thank you to the 2023 Senior School Year Parents listed below:

Year 7 • Renee Passalaqua, Olivia Ellis and Alison Essop
Year 8 • Lisa Barry
Year 9 • Julianne Toepfer and Jane Butko
Year 10 • Tracey Woodhouse
Year 11 • Still seeking interested parents
Year 12 • Cate Burke and Anna Watson

Janine Haymes • Head of Senior School

If Janine Haymes had to choose the perfect next step in her illustrious teaching career, it would read exactly like the job description of her new position as Scots’ Head of Senior School.

After spending three years at the Australian International School Hong Kong and a teaching career spanning 17 years, Janine has found in her new role the perfect marriage of her two educational passions - pastoral care and academic care.

And, she feels she has the skill set to bring it all together.

“We have so many wonderful things happening here at Scots and I feel like I can help bring it all together with framework and procedures,” Janine said. “I’ve had a lot of experience in both areas and they are both real passions of mine.”

Janine was Head of English and then Deputy Head of Secondary at AISHK, a school of 1000 students offering the dual curriculums of NESA HSC and the International Baccalaureate program. She was involved in the academic inspection process to maintain the school’s IB registration and developed various academic programs for diverse student groups.

While in Hong Kong, she worked with the Association of Independent Schools NSW to develop a wellbeing framework specific to her international school - challenges that faced international families, additional challenges they faced during COVID and how the uncertainty of a changing world impacted their lives and learning.

“During Covid we acknowledged we needed to be more proactive with our wellbeing program; there was more urgency to it and I have to say, we made huge gains,” Janine said.

“One of my proudest achievements was the choice to prioritise and build an authentic student voice.

“In the past we have talked about student voice with leaders and members of the Student Representative Council, but it’s always operated within the framework that we wanted; the way the school wanted. We need to empower the voice of our young people

“An example of this in Hong Kong, was when we opened the floor for all students, where they could have a safe place to express their views, we found that what they wanted was a Student Support Diversity Club.

“This was a safe space for students to express themselves on racial, gender, sexuality and place-in-the-world issues.

“Our job as educators is to recognise, model and teach that there are many ways to be in this world.”

Janine began her working life in human resources.

She always knew she wanted to be a teacher but at the ripe old age of 17 when she finished high school in Wangaratta, she recognised she didn’t have the confidence to stand up in front of students and command respect. In fact, the very thought of it terrified her.

After completing her BA at the University of Melbourne she spent five years in the corporate world in HR, both in Melbourne and London. With this grounding she finally returned to uni to complete her teaching degree.

Following the birth of her now teenage twins, Janine moved into leadership roles, including Head of Languages and Acting Head of Secondary on the Border before taking up her international role.

Janine already has set some lofty goals for herself since joining Scots but she’s quick to confirm her priority is to meet and know students and families and to understand the nuances of the Scots culture; to demonstrate to the community her commitment to the school and to build transparency and clarity about Senior School goals.

In returning to Australia, Janine has returned home and Scots is already feeling very much like home, too.

What a great start to 2023!

It is with great excitement that we welcome all our Junior School families to the 2023 academic school year. I would like to formally welcome all our new students, which, of course, includes all of our Kindergarten students who have embarked on their educational journey here at Scots. One of the great joys has been starting the new year with parents on site and we aim to include families in all of our activities this year. Today was one of our first events with many families joining us as we inducted our Junior School Leaders for 2023.

Scots offers many opportunities to engage students in activities outside the classroom and I look forward to sharing these with you at our Welcome to Scots information session next Friday, 17 February. Also, to keep abreast of events, co-curricular and learning initiatives, don’t forget to download the Scots App.

I hope you will join me in welcoming our new Junior School staff members: Mrs Rhiannon Dunlop (Year 1), Mrs Erin Newton (Year 2) and Miss Katie Smith (Year 3). They have made a wonderful start to the year, along with all of our returning staff.

In the first two weeks of school, each class has focused on developing a shared understanding of what it means to be a Scots learner. We know that students learn best when they feel safe and have strong relationships with their peers and teachers. Once our students are settled into their routines and they understand the expectations of the school day, the focus will turn more to academic capabilities and understanding. Teachers will work with students to understand their strengths and weaknesses and help them set personal goals for the year.

Our teacher meetings with families will be in Week 5 this term but parents will have the opportunity to meet teachers and tour the class rooms in Week 3 as part of our Welcome to Scots event. Classrooms will be open from 3.30pm to 4.30pm and parents are invited to tour their child's classroom and meet their child's teacher.

I would like to extend a huge thank you to those who have agreed to be our Year Parents this year. They are:

Kindergarten C: Sophie Sirr | Kindergarten B: Andrea McNair
1M: Monique Acton-Adams | 1CD: Amanda Robertson
2S: Piper Ryan |2N: Kylie Skidmore and Jess Ceeney
3S: Lizzie Pope | 3B: Kristy Franco
4M: Jessica Boniface (temporary) |4L: Sarah Mathews
5T: Felicity James | 5Z Tari Chinguwa
6Herbert: Asher Baker | 6Hanna: Sascha McCorriston

Many have already started communicating with families through 'My Groups' on the App. We are working to streamline communications as much as possible and deliver as much as we can through the App and through Scotty.

The whole school will begin PAT testing next week and I have shared further details regarding our use of this assessment tool on Scotty. These tests are used to inform our teaching practice and to ensure that we are catering for all of our students.

It has been wonderful to have met many families already, but I look forward to getting to know all of you over the course of the year.

"Without continual growth and progress, such words as improvement, achievement and success have no meaning”. Benjamin Franklin

Term One is off to a cracking start, the buzz around the boarding precinct is palpable with new and returning boarders alike getting into the swing of a new year. There is always a period of Professional Learning for staff at the start of each year but the real joy in the work we do comes with the interactions we get to have with your wonderful kids.

These interactions were highlighted with the positive response to the boarding activities weekend this first weekend. The kids were great and seemed to really enjoy the activities with games in the ISC on Friday, a colour fight (it was supposed to be a colour run but Albury turned on winter in summer, again) on Saturday and trivia on Saturday night.

I do think the clear winner from the weekend was the 40m-long slip-and-slide on Sunday. The kids had an absolute ball.

On a personal note, I thoroughly enjoyed my first start-of-year experience at Scots. Thank you to all the wonderful boarding staff for their assistance over the first two weeks and for their ever-present support moving forward. Here’s to another great year of boarding at Scots.

Tim Kennedy has so many plans to implement as Scots Head of Sport, that it’s exhausting even discussing them!

But he’s also a realist – with a two year-old daughter and a senior coaching role at Tallangatta footy club – so he is strategically looking at where he can make the biggest impact immediately and what he needs to target with a longer term action plan.

He has taught in England, Wodonga Middle Years, Cheltenham Secondary College and Tallangatta Secondary School and been involved in high level football and cricket his whole life. He played cricket professionally in the UK and suited up for Wodonga Bulldogs (including a premiership) and the Caulfield Bears, where he was captain for three years.

What Tim brings most to the Head of Sport role, in addition to his teaching, organisational and professional sporting expertise, is passion.

He is passionate about coaching and providing students with opportunities to extend themselves. He is passionate about football and wants to ensure Scots has strong representation in local football competitions like the AWJFL and he is passionate about providing pathways for students from grassroots level sport right through to elite level.

He already has met with our student leaders and wants to support them to build their coaching and leadership skills so that they can help drive growth in sport. He can see a point where the older students will run a lot of the co-curricular sessions for the younger students, mentored by some of the many professional coaches in his extensive network of contacts.

He is planning to tweak some of the programs currently in place but is not preparing to make wholesale changes just yet. He plans to visit other schools which have rolled out successful elite sporting programs and academies. His former school, Cheltenham Secondary College, had an affiliation with St Kilda AFL Club so he’s familiar with the benefits of club affiliation and will investigate ways to build that locally.

He’s also keen to nurture our elite athletes and help them navigate the crossover of school and their rigorous training schedules; as well as identify younger students who could benefit from a more structured approach to school and elite sport.

It’s a big task but his enthusiasm gives confidence that it will happen strategically, methodically and with the involvement of the whole school community. Keep an eye out for his communiques and expect to be swept up in his plans.

We welcomed several new staff members at the start of this year. Keep an eye out for them and extend a warm Scots welcome when you see them.

Erin Newton – Erin joins Scots as an Early Year's specialist and will teach in the Junior School. She brings vast experience in literacy and numeracy research. Erin is already a valued member of the community with her own children at Scots.

Rhiannon Dunlop – Rhiannon joins as a classroom teacher for Junior School, with significant leadership experience in primary school settings. Rhiannon also is a current Scots parent and will be familiar to many in the community already.

Katie Smith – After many years of being involved in our school community across both classroom and sporting activities, we are thrilled to have Katie join us as a Junior School Classroom teacher for 2023.

Stephanie McNamara – Stephanie is returning to Scots after a year teaching at a local school and will teach Mathematics and Science.

Tammy Neilson - Tammy will return to Scots to teach Japanese, after 12 months at Melbourne Grammar School.

Amber Pope – Amber joins the Senior School team in teaching Humanities. Amber has taught in Canada, England and China before coming to Australia in 2017. Bringing with her a wealth of experience, Amber has taught at schools in Melbourne and most recently at a local High School.

Simon Goss – Simon will take on the additional responsibility of teaching Stage 5 Drama, bringing 35 years of experience in the classroom and a wealth of experience in the dramatic arts space, including time at NIDA.

Jane Dowling - Jane has recently moved to Albury from the Snowy Mountains and will teach English in the Senior School.

Inclusive Education Learning Assistants

Changes to Roles

Congratulations to the teachers who have assumed new roles in 2023.

Megan Dickins adds the role of PYP Coordinator in the Junior School to her current remit as Head of Pedagogy. Megan has embedded Design for Deep Learning across the school and recently presented as an expert at the AIS Conference.

Jane Mackinlay has been appointed Stage 5 Leader (Years 9 and 10). Jane joined us last term and has a strong background in student wellbeing and much experience with middle years learning.

Sarah Bowman moves to the position of Head of Department for English and Languages Other than English (LOTE). Sarah is an astute and compassionate leader with a compelling desire to champion the learning of students.

Jim Papas will take on the role of Head of Department K-12 for Technology and Applied Studies (TAS), Design and Technology (DAT), Visual Arts and Vocational Education and Training (VET). Jim is a highly experienced leader with a clear vision for the Technology area and has already commenced some innovative programs since joining us earlier this year.

Nathan Tainton has been named our new Head of Department for Mathematics and PDHPE. Nathan’s vision, skill set, passion and determination will allow him to both refine and further develop our Mathematics and PDHPE programs.

Sarah Rae has been appointed as the Careers Advisor. Sarah has a clear strategic plan for the development of our careers program from Years 7-12 and has already joined the Riverina Careers Hub Planning Committee.

These teachers will be well supported by the existing senior academic leadership team, comprising:

Simon Goss – School Chaplain
Thomas Hartshorn – Head of Department for Science and Agriculture
Paula Gleeson – Head of Department for Humanities and Commerce
David Coughlan – Head of Department K-12 for Music & Drama
Trish Thomas – Leader of Inclusive Education
Rob Cowan – Head of Student Learning
Stewart Lucy – Head of Performing Arts
Roger Barrows – Stage 6 Leader (Years 11 and 12)
Melanie Davies – Stage 4 Leader (Years 7 and 8)

Salt of the Earth

The Romans used to have a saying: “Nil sole et sale utilius” - there is nothing more useful than sun and salt". If a legionnaire wasn’t performing his duties, he was said to be “not worth his salt”.

Homer described salt as a “divine substance”. Plato said salt was “particularly dear to the gods”. Salt has been used as currency at various times and locations throughout history.

Roman soldiers during the time of Jesus were given a ration of salt, or “salarium” - this is where the word salary derives. In the ancient world, salt was used to confirm contracts and friendship. The Polish still use the tradition of salt and bread during a wedding ceremony.

The covenant created by the people and God on Mount Sinai was known as a covenant of salt. In pagan Rome, a few grains of salt were placed on a newborn’s lips, eight days after birth, to chase away demons, a custom behind the now-discontinued practice of placing salt on a newborn’s lips during Christian baptism.

On March 12, 1930, Mahatma Ghandi began his historic march to the sea, in protest of a salt tax imposed by British colonial rule. Not only did villages come and listen to him, they joined in the march. They were inspired by Ghandi’s words, his vocal battle against this unjust tax, but also by the sheer spectacle of the march itself, with a river of people stretching back for miles. What began with only 78 people, ended with more than 60,000 marching.

The most symbolic moment came when they all arrived at the sea. Gandhi committed a decisive act: he calmly took some sea water, evaporated it to produce salt. Raising a handful of salty mud in the air, he said: “With this I am shaking the foundations of the British Empire!”

To appreciate what Jesus says about salt, we have to recall and remember the role that salt played in food preservation (used before refrigeration). The comment upon the image of light falls into two parts: in biblical tradition, Jerusalem was the archetype city, built on a hilltop, where the temple was illuminated, particularly during the feast of tabernacles. Jerusalem really was the light of the world.

The image then reverts to a more domestic scene: what one does with a lamp. The disciples would work and function as a light-giving lamp to a darkened world, not to draw attention to themselves, but to lead others to a closer and more intimate message of hope, through God’s Word.

If we count ourselves as Christians and advocates of proclaiming and building the Kingdom of God, this surely means that we cannot remain silent when faced with injustice; with anything that undermines the core precepts of the Gospels.

What, then, is our attitude and response to those in power who oppose the admission of refugees seeking asylum, seeking security, food and accommodation? To those who insist on capital punishment for violent crimes? To those who amass staggering personal fortunes at the expense of those who are destitute? Those who insist on the rights of individuals to purchase and use lethal weapons? To those who cannot bring themselves to respect the rights and dignity of others who may come from different cultural, ethnic or religious backgrounds? To those who refuse the right for others to express diversity in themselves?

Surely silence in situations like this a betrayal of the faith people purport to follow.

During the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus delivered a message designed to revolutionise the society in which he grew up. If we listen carefully to this discourse, our only authentic option will be to allow ourselves to be galvanised into becoming agents of justice, peace, reconciliation, compassion, and forgiveness.

If we fail to do that, our faith in Jesus Christ will become bland and ineffective, inspiring and encouraging no one. The light of faith will flicker and be extinguished. There is an important place for prayer and worship in our lives. But it must be matched with real, authentic action. This challenge may shake us to the core, but our lives really will be full of flavour and light. In fact, we would be worth our salt.

School Captains • Zara Hiscock and Fraser Bennett

Our Senior School Leaders were inducted in a special ceremony on Wednesday in the Chapel Hall. Congratulations to the following students:

Senior School Leaders
School Captains: Zara Hiscock & Fraser Bennett
Boarding House Captain: Alexandra Jackson

Senior School House Captains
Robertson • Jemima Dunstan & Mia Ennis
Sellars • Alexander Newman & Tegan Forge
Simpson • Rory Hamilton & Charlotte Brodley
Wilson • Olivia Maguire & Eliza McIntosh

Senior School Prefects
Agriculture • Chloe Watson
Wellbeing • Lara Diffey
Arts • Madeleine Steer
Chapel • Amelie Pimlott
Environment • Ava Christie
Sports • Charles Ledger
Sports • Audrey Adams
Academic • Lily Lamond
Social Justice / Equity • Lylah Ellao
Community Service & SRC Liaison • Mackenzie Semmens
2nd 23rd Battalion Student Ambassador • Imogen Ziebath
Library • Emily Borrell
Diversity & Inclusiveness • Bianca Blackberry
Assembly & Secretary • Georgia Scholz
Junior School • Mia Wadsworth

Junior School Leaders

Junior School Leaders were inducted in their own special ceremony today. Congratulations to all involved:

Junior School Leaders
Junior School Captains: Harriet Nickols & Sam McDonald
Prefects: Kaitlyn Gissane & Patrick Sirr
Chapel Captains: Sophia Martin & Patrick Mugisha

Junior School House Captains
Robertson: Max Harrington & Arabella Smit
Sellars: Amelia Glover & Alexia Franco
Simpson: Reuben Case & Lucy Kilgour
Wilson: Smyan Hegde & Charlotte Hyde

Senior School Swimming Carnival

Parents are invited to share in the excitement and energy of our Senior School Swimming Carnival on Tuesday 21 February from 9.30am at the Albury Swim Centre.

Students have been encouraged to enter at least one event at the carnival and wear House Colours so the day is set to have a festive atmosphere. There is limited permanent seating at the pool so for a more enjoyable day out, parents should bring their own folding chair, sunscreen and water. The canteen will be open.

Students have been asked to arrive at school at the normal time wearing full PE uniform (with House Colours encouraged) and will be transported to the pool by bus.

If your child is planning to swim, they need to put their entry in early as no entries will be accepted on the day. Students have been advised how they can submit their entries, but if your family has any queries about entries or if they intend to wear Aquablades or other racing swimmers, your child should contact Head of Sport Mr Kennedy or Mr Coughlan.

Programs will be available on the day or from the Senior School reception from next Thursday.

Medallions, trophies and final point scores will be presented to winning students in the Indoor Sports Centre at Scots around 2.45pm on the same day.

Junior School Swimming Carnival - with Nash Clark

Junior School parents of students in Years 3-6 will have their chance to watch the action and join the festivities of the Junior School Swimming Carnival on Friday 24 February from 11am at the Scots Pool.

Parents and friends can watch the action from the grandstands outside the pool fence or bring their own folding chair. The space outside the pool has limited shade, so don't forget your hat and sunscreen.

Students will receive information about their events and parents can collect a program from the Junior School office. Activities are expected to finish around 3pm.

Students from Kindergarten to Year 2 have an opportunity to participate in their own swimming carnival later in the year.

Years 1 and 2 swimming program - with Nash Clark

Students in Years 1 and 2 will participate in a swimming program starting next week in the Scots Pool. The timetable is as follows:

Monday 13 February: 9am to 11am
Wednesday 15 February: 9am to 11am
Thursday 16 February: 9am to 11am
Monday 20 February: 9am to 11am
Wednesday 22 February: 10am to noon (due to Ash Wednesday Service)
Thursday 23 February: 9am to 11am.

Monday Night Netball

Monday night netball kicked off this week at JC King Park. Scots has eight teams participating and it was great to see so many participants competing hard, displaying high skill level and having fun. A big thanks to all the families for their efforts in getting registrations completed at short notice. Special mention to those parents who helped with scoring and well done to our fantastic coaches for their guidance on the night. Looking forward to a great season!