Newsletter, Term 3 | The Scots School Albury

Pipeband Showcase • Friday 30 August, 6.30pm Chapel Hall

2024 HSC Music Showcase • Tuesday 3 September 6.30pm, Chapel Hall

Junior School Questacon Science Show • Wednesday 4 September

2024 HSC Industrial Technology and Visual Arts Showcase • Thursday 5 September 6.00pm, Chapel Hall

Year 11 exams • Monday 9 September to Friday 13 September

Year 5 Camp • Wednesday 11 to Friday 13 September

Year 10 Dance • Wednesday 11 September, 6.30pm

Scots Fair Online Auction Closes • Friday 13 September 11.59pm

Scots Fair • Saturday 14 September, 3.00-6.00pm.

Sports Assembly • Monday 16 September, 2.20pm, Chapel Hall. Parents Welcome

Henty Field Days • Tuesday 17 September to Thursday 19 September - Scots Site B31

Year 11 University Experience in Melbourne • Tuesday 17 to Friday 20 September

Jump Rope for Heart, Junior School • Friday 20 September

2026 Scholarships Applications close • Wednesday 25 September

Year 12 Final Chapel • Wednesday 25 September, 9am Chapel Hall

Year 12 Final Assembly • Thursday 26 September, 2.20pm Chapel Hall

Junior School Grandparents' and Special Friends' morning • Friday 27 September, 9am. Please register HERE.

Last Day of Term • Friday 27 September

Year 7-10 Parent Teacher interviews • Monday 14 October

First Day of Term • Tuesday 15 October

HSC Exams commence • Tuesday 15 October

New Head of Junior School

It is just over a week since I, very excitedly, announced the appointment of Mr Chris Todd as our new Head of Junior School for 2025. Chris was a standout choice from a highly-competitive field of experienced school leaders. We had more than 30 excellent educators from international, metropolitan and local schools interested in the role. It was particularly pleasing to see the strong interest from local primary Principals and Deputy Principals - an indication that Scots is enjoying a very positive reputation in the local community.

Chris is another excellent example of someone who has returned “home” to the border after 20 years of being away. He grew up in the area, completed his schooling in Wodonga and has many connections, family and friends in the region. So, he has an excellent understanding of the importance of Scots in the Albury area and broader local region. After his appointment was announced, Chris and I met for a detailed tour of our campus and his excitement and enthusiasm for his new role was contagious. We will continue to meet regularly for the remainder of this year so that Chris is well-prepared for taking on his new role.

I can’t wait for you all to meet Chris in the next few months as I’m sure, once you meet him, you will understand why he was chosen as our new Head of Junior School.

New Junior School building tender

After almost a year of meetings with architects, consultants and project managers, the plans for our new Junior School building have been completed. The plans were put out for tender last week and the interested tenderers now have six weeks in which to complete their tender submission. The successful tender submission also will determine the actual cost of the building. The building project has been planned in two stages but we are hoping for a very competitive costing to allow us to build Stage 1A and Stage 1B concurrently. Once a decision has been made, we will share this information with the Scots Community.

A Break Ground ceremony is planned for Friday 25 October.

Friday 25 October also is our Giving Day. Members of the Executive Team, our Board and the Scots Foundation will reach out to members of the Scots Community, both past and present, asking for donations to contribute to the construction of the new Junior School. Giving Day will culminate with our Foundation Fundraising Dinner on Friday evening at Din Dins. We hope many parents will give generously on Giving Day and attend our Foundation Dinner to support our fundraising efforts.

A new Junior School is long overdue and so incredibly necessary to ensure that our youngest students receive the very best education possible. We are creating a visual display of the new building which will be exhibited in the current Junior School Reception.

This is an incredibly exciting time for the Junior School, with a new Head of Junior School being appointed and the long-awaited building coming to fruition.

Year 12 Trial Exams

Congratulations to our wonderful Year 12 students who have completed their HSC Trial Exams over the past two weeks. I have been very impressed by the Year 12 students’ dedication and commitment to their studies.

I have thoroughly enjoyed working with this cohort of incredible young adults. After this week, the Year 12 students will receive their feedback from their Trial Exams and continue to be supported in their preparation for their HSC Exams which commence on Tuesday 15 October. With only 19 days of school remaining, the Year 12 students will begin to mark their 13 years of schooling with many celebratory events such as the Year 11 Farewell to Year 12 Dinner, their final Chapel Service, final days of classes, their last day fun event and the parent-led Year 12 Cocktail event. I hope the Year 12 students and their families enjoy the coming month and the festivities planned to celebrate the conclusion of their time at school.

Scots Fair

I look forward to seeing you all at the Scots Fair on Saturday 14 September. We have had phenomenal interest in Tuff Nutterz, a new and exciting addition to the Fair, which we are hoping will draw a large crowd to the fair. Thank you in advance to the many families who have so generously donated items and their time in so many different ways.

I have never experienced the Fair but I have been told this is one of the highlights of the calendar.

We are hoping for a very successful Fair with money raised contributing to the building of the new Junior School.

I’ll see you all there. Let’s all pray for good weather!

Book Week celebrations

Reading is Magic - Book Week 2024
The theme for book week this year had its usual flair for imagination and creativity, and encouraged children to embrace the magic of reading. It was wonderful to see so many of our families at the Book Week Assembly. Also, I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of our parents helpers who facilitated the Book Swap on Friday. Our students had a wonderful day.

Many thanks to Ms Alley McKeon for all her work organising visits to the Albury Library and special lunchtime activities for this year's Book Week Celebrations.

Reading strategy
Mr Hemphill, Mrs Dickins, Mrs Byrt and Mrs Newton presented to families on Friday about how we now teach reading in the Junior School. We are looking to have as many opportunities as possible to share our teaching and strategies with families wherever possible.

Year 6 in Canberra
Our Year 6 students spent the start of this week in Canberra learning all about our national capital. They have arrived back buzzing about the wonderful experiences they have shared. Our Year 5 students are eagerly anticipating their own camp in a few weeks.

One of the greatest privileges working in Education is getting to know young people. Over the last few weeks, I have had the great privilege of spending time with our aspiring Year 11 leaders as they work through the Prefect application process. A point of focus for leadership at the School had been making processes more transparent for staff, students and families. The Prefect application process has had a significant overhaul in order to build transparency and student voice.

Earlier this year on the Year 11 camp to Anglesea, Mr Hemphill and Mr Patching spent time with the students consulting about the new process. The students were keen to streamline the process and to ensure that voting remained an integral part of the process. They even decided that teacher notes should be worth two votes, because in their words, ‘teachers often see the bigger things that we may miss’. I know that voting can be a contentious approach and often seen as a ‘popularity vote’, however, I believe we should trust our young people and based on the discussions I heard from students, students used their votes wisely; they voted for ideas they see as important and they voted according to their experiences; it was not about their perception of ‘cool’. As a school we have encouraged this approach through open dialogue in Learning Mentor groups and reiterating the responsibilities one has in a democratic society.

The process was clearly laid out in a document which was shared with students and families in Term 2. Mr Hemphill, Mr Patching, the LMs and I have all spoken to the students about the challenges of such a process. We have been impressed by how our young people, sometimes in their disappointment, have celebrated the success of their peers. Often when having those difficult conversations with amazing young people, who at that moment have not reached their desired goal, I have been blown away by their generosity and the way they have acknowledged the contributions and strengths of their peers.

As with any new approach, it is not perfect; already we have areas that we know we need to improve. We will spend time with all Year 11 and staff to gather feedback on the process to ensure we continue to get better.

Also, over the past two weeks our Year 12s have been busy undertaking their Trial Examinations. Over the coming weeks they will start to get back subject results, this can be a difficult time with many highs and lows. I know that it is also an excellent opportunity; the growth and development that our young people achieve between Trials and the HSC Examinations is truly remarkable. I know that with the support at school and at home, Year 12 2024 will use this opportunity and continue to strive towards their academic goals. I look forward to sharing this very special time with these very special young people.

There are many ways you can be involved in the Scots Fair on Saturday 14 September.

Volunteer your time for a School Stall

We need adults with a current NSW RSA to serve in the Hospitality Marquee, we need people to prepare, cook and serve at the canteen and we have a myriad of other tasks with which we’d love your help. See our list of parents on Scotty who have already put their hand up to coordinate a stall or activity. Please consider what you might be able to offer and get in touch with the designated parent on the CONTACT LIST.

Donate to themed hampers

Coordinator of the Silent Auction and the Raffles, Jane Cavagna, is requesting your help to fill specially-themed hampers. She asks that your donations fit the themes: Beauty • Gourmet Food & Wine • Summer Fun • Gardening. Please leave your donation at the Junior School or Senior School Reception by Friday 30 August. For information contact contact Jane at janecavagna@gmail.com

Donate to Preserves & Lemonade stall

Stall coordinator Nikki McIntosh is seeking donations for the preserves and lemonade stall. Please contribute jars of jams, relishes, sauces, chutneys, pickled fruit and veggies, dried citrus or spice mixes (such as taco mix). Please label each item with its ingredients and the date it was prepared. Donations can be left at the Senior School reception. For more information contact Nikki at nikkijack1@optusnet.com.au

Donate to Bake Sale

Stall coordinators Cate Burke and Karen Smythe would like everyone to get baking! They are looking for donations for the Bake Stall and will soon send home a box or bag which can be filled with home-baked goodies and delivered to the Bake Stall from midday on Fair day. Please label each item with the ingredients. For more information contact Cate Burke at catherinerosedesign@yahoo.com.au or Karen Smythe at kazandstu@mac.com

Host a market stall

If you, or someone you know, is interested in hosting a market stall on the day, contact Emma Ried at eried@scotsalbury.nsw.edu.au or register directly HERE.

Bid in the online auction

We have a fabulous list of online auction items being offered in the weeks leading up to the Fair. The online auction will be open until 11.59pm on Friday 13 September (no extensions). Auction items include a pizza oven, wood heater, Apple AirPods, wine and dining vouchers, wellness vouchers and a bundle of uncirculated Australian $1 bills for the collectors among us. The auction is open to all, so please share with your friends and family - the aim is simply to raise as much money as possible. Check out the auction items and start bidding HERE.

We are hoping to continue adding items as they come in, so if any businesses would like to donate a voucher or goods, please get in touch with marketing@scotsalbury.nsw.edu.au

Bring your family and friends

Admission to the Fair is free. Payments for rides, food, activities and attractions (excluding Tuff Nutterz) can be made on the day, preferably via Eftpos. Stalls requiring cash - for example the Boarders will run a Chocolate Toss which requires a coin to participate - will facilitate an Eftpos/cash exchange.

Test yourself on Tuff Nutterz

Australia’s largest inflatable obstacle course will be on Gillespie Oval! Pre-purchase your tickets to Tuff Nutterz using the links below. Time slots will be in 1 hour blocks and we envisage heavy demand throughout the weekend, but particularly during Fair time.

Saturday 14 September Tuff Nutterz Booking Links

3pm-4pm Booking (very limited tickets remain)
4pm-5pm Booking
5pm-6pm Booking
Public link for all other booking times

Pre-purchase a Hospitality Package

Get in early and pre-order your hospitality package of Gourmet Cheese boxes, wine or beer. Then, collect from the Hospitality Marquee on Fair Day. All alcohol must be consumed within the Hospitality Marquee and its designated area. Only patrons over the age of 18 (excluding current Scots students) will be permitted into the Hospitality Marquee and its designated area (no children permitted). Proof of age must be produced if requested by Security. Pre-order your Hospitality Package HERE.

Pre-purchase a Playful Plasters pack

For those who cannot make it to the Fair but still want to support the fundraiser for our new Junior School, you can pre-purchase a Playful Plasters pack to complete at home. Pre-purchase closes 11.55pm on Sunday 8 September. Collection of your Playful Plasters pack is available before and after the fair. Buy now for a gift or to get creative at home. Pre-purchase your Playful Plasters Pack HERE.

Frequently Asked Questions

As we prepare for this fantastic event, we have received feedback that people need more information concerning stalls and what’s happening at the Fair, so we have created a list of Frequently Asked Questions to help answer some of your queries.

Get in touch

If you have any questions, please see your Year Parent or email the Marketing Team at marketing@scotsalbury.nsw.edu.au

Families consumed 280 egg and bacon rolls, 240 juices, 36 litres of full cream milk, 3 litres skim milk, and 2 litres each of soy, oat and almond milk in nearly 200 coffees and 140 hot chocolates as we celebrated the start of Father's Day with breakfast in the Quad.

Boarding students worked industriously on the barbecues to keep the egg and bacon rolls coming and our photographer, Maddie, captured many of our families celebrating their dads. See the photo gallery on Scotty. Our breakfast culminated with some Dads staying on to Walk & Talk around the oval as part of an initiative from student Duke Wilkerson's Year 6 Exhibition project on Men's Mental Health.

Later, Junior School students were able to purchase a special present for Dad at the Father's Day stall run by some of our parent community.

It all added up to a great way for our students to say "Thanks Dad!"

We are excited to announce that Senior School Learning Assistant Leesa Clift has won the NSW Teaching Assistant of the Year and is in the running for the National Award which will be announced next week during National Teacher Assistant Appreciation Week.

Leesa, who joined Scots in January 2020, has made an outstanding contribution to teaching and learning at the School. She has continually demonstrated a commitment to staff, students and their families. She has a fantastic ability to create positive relationships with any student, and in doing so, helps students reach their educational and personal potential.

A challenge for many Scots students, who travel up to two hours each way to school or miss significant school time due to high level sporting commitments, is finding the time to address their learning needs or their organisational and planning skills. Leesa has recognised this area of need and works with students in small groups or individually to help them plan out their week, upcoming assessment and due dates. She records this information and distributes it to the student, parents and teachers.

Through her efforts, she has reduced the anxiety and feeling of being overwhelmed that our struggling and busy learners often experience around homework and assessment tasks.

Before lessons, Leesa will meet with teachers to discuss the learning intentions and support strategies for that lesson. She will also source extra resources for students who may need them. Post lesson, Leesa provides active feedback to teachers and the Inclusive Education team on student progress, keeping detailed and meticulous notes which allows each student’s progress to be effectively tracked.

We wish Leesa good luck for the National Award next week!

National Teacher Assistant Appreciation Week

At Scots, we are very lucky to employ 18 Learning Assistants (teacher assistants) to support our teachers and young people. Our Learning Assistants perform a range of duties across our school including reading and maths intervention, working with individuals and small groups both inside and outside the classroom, running Homework Club and providing assessment assistance in the Senior School. Our Learning Assistants are hardworking professionals who always provide their absolute best to support our students and staff, and we are very appreciative of all that they contribute to our school community.

Next week is National Teacher Assistant Appreciation Week, where we will celebrate the contribution of all our Learning Assistants.

Georgie Cardile (Year 9) and her brother Ollie (Year 7) starred in a nail-biter as their NSW team took out the National Under-16 Junior Mixed Polocrosse Championship in Chinchilla, Queensland, in June.

It was a huge honour for Georgie to captain the youthful NSW team to victory and very special to have her brother Ollie alongside her.

The team had convincing wins against Queensland and Victoria in the round games but was fiercely challenged when playing Victoria in the final. After giving away a solid lead of 11 goals in the first half of the game, NSW had to fight back and was still six goals down when Ollie and his two teammates went in for the last chukka (final period of the game).

But Ollie, playing in the No.1 position for a full four chukkas and whose job is to throw the goals, threw seven goals in the final six-minute chukka to put NSW up by one goal with just seconds to spare. Georgie also played the full four chukkas, but she played two chukkas in the No.1 or No.2 position (attack positions) and then had to switch to play as a No. 3 (defence) to try and stem the flow of goals from the opposition.

It was an epic victory and Ollie was named the overall competition’s Best Number 1 in the Junior Mixed category.

It was also the realisation of a long-held dream for Georgie, who watched her brother Ollie play at the 2022 Ballarat Polocrosse Nationals as an Under-12 player. She decided there and then that she would aim to make the NSW team for the 2024 Nationals. With dedication, thousands of kilometres and lots of hard work, her selection into the team was a good example of how you must set your dreams high and chase them wholeheartedly.

Polocrosse is an exciting game; some might describe it as a cross between Rugby and Netball on horses. It is very fast and requires great courage, horsemanship and rider skill. A team comprises six players – two groups of three riders. One group will play the odd chukkas - first, third, fifth and seventh period of game time - and the other group will play the even chukkas (second, fourth, sixth and eighth chukkas).

The National Championships are held every two years, sometimes even at the Albury Wodonga Equestrian Centre. The last time the titles were played in Albury was 2016 and the next championships, in 2026, will be played in the Northern Territory.’

During this year’s National Science Week, our Senior School Science students and staff embraced the theme, Species Survival - More Than Just Sustainability, by welcoming the Junior School to the Science Centre for an exciting week of hands-on practical learning.

Each year group from the Junior School engaged in unique activities, thoughtfully designed and led by our talented Senior School students and dedicated Science teachers. These activities provided younger students with an opportunity to explore key scientific concepts while connecting them to real-world issues related to species survival.

Our youngest learners, the Preschool students, explored the world of colour with Mr Hartshorn. They discovered the science behind light and colour through activities like splitting light and creating colour wheels.

Kindergarten students, guided by Stage 5 elective students and teachers Mr Hartshorn and Miss McNamara, explored the question, “What is a scientist?” They got hands-on with fingerprinting and learned about centrifuging and they were delighted to observe chickens hatched just hours earlier.

Year 1 students learned how materials change and grow, led by Year 7 students and teachers Mr Barrows and Mr Leverett. They used hand lenses to examine animal species models, deepening their understanding of how living things grow and change.

Year 2 students, with the guidance of Year 8 students and teachers Ms Rae and Ms Robertson, explored the different types and forms of energy. They engaged in exciting experiments like designing Robocopters, which introduced them to concepts of energy detection and use.

Year 3 students dived into the importance of healthy ecosystems with Year 9 students and teachers Miss Workman and Mr Hanna. They learned about animal adaptations through a creative “Mixed-Up Animals” activity, which highlighted how living things depend on their environments.

Year 4 students investigated the forces at play when energy is transferred, transformed and manipulated. Under the guidance of Year 10 students and teacher Mr Leverett, they raced balloon-powered cars, learning about the principles of motion and energy transfer.

Year 5 students, with the help of Earth and Space elective science students and Mr Hartshorn, explored natural selection. They investigated how beak shape and size adapt in birds due to their diet, giving them a deeper understanding of how living things adapt to their environments over time.

Finally, our Year 6 students faced the challenge of a Forensic Science Escape Room, created by Forensic Elective Science students and Miss Workman. This immersive experience allowed them to use scientific techniques to solve puzzles, offering a fun and educational conclusion to their visit.

The week was a resounding success, showcasing the collaborative efforts of our high school students and staff to inspire and educate the next generation of scientists. It was a true celebration of the wonder of science and the vital role it plays in understanding and protecting the world around us.

Albury Wodonga Eisteddfod
Performing Arts students participated in the Albury Wodonga Eisteddfod with great success earlier this term. It was amazing to see students from Kinder to Year 12 represent Scots for dance, singing and instrumental music, competing against other schools in our local community. We have received outstanding feedback from adjudicators and event organisers for the quality of performances, level of student participation and the manner in which our students conducted themselves throughout the events. A big thank you to all the staff who prepared and supported their groups, and a huge congratulations to all the students on their amazing achievements!
Results:
Scots Dance
K-1 Dance – 3rd
2-3 Dance – Highly Commended
4-6 Dance – Highly Commended
Senior Dance – 3rd

Scots Instrumental Ensembles
Junior Orchestra – 3rd
Senior Orchestra – 1st
Jazzgang – 1st

Scots Choirs
Infants Choir – 1st
Junior Choir – 1st
Cantabile – 2nd
Senior Choir – 3rd
Chorale – 1st
Barberlines – 1st

Music Festival

The Music Festival is an annual highlight of the Scots calendar, showcasing all the choirs and instrumental ensembles offered in the co-curricular program. This year's theme, Bon Voyage, was a celebration of music about places, cultures and travelling. The festival highlights and celebrates the journey of our hard-working musicians, from their beginnings in the K-2 Infants Choir to the traditional farewell of our dedicated Year 12 cohort, capturing the essence of students' growth and achievements in music at Scots.

Congratulations to the following award winners, who were recognised at Music Festival for their outstanding contribution to the co-curricular music program:

The Ingrid Morgan Junior School Award for Musical Contribution - Isolde James
The Gay St Clair Choral Award - Georgia Murphy
Barbara Tasker Award for Music Excellence - Vinul Herath
The Lyn Potter Award for Junior Musician of the Year - Isabelle Martin
Ingrid Morgan Choral Award - Freya Gniel and Daniel Steer
Clan Lamont Encouragement Award - Flynn Semmens
The Clan Lamont Cupt for Most Improved Drummer - Ewan Douglas
The Kent Hilton Pipe Band Award - Liam Nicolson and Damon Wright
Hazelwood Music Award - Neve Harris
Music Faculty Award for Musical Contribution - Zoe Coughlan

Infants Production

The 2024 Infants Production is underway with script writing, song selection and choreography being chosen to celebrate this year’s theme - all about food! The production is set to be filled with energetic and funny songs sharing how food connects us with family and memories. We'll learn that food is about more than just taste and nutrition - and that potato chips go with everything! Look out for this one coming on 19 and 20 November.

Oratory

It is wonderful to see increasing numbers of students from Years 7-10 participating in the Debating season. Scots has fielded two Junior School (Years 5-6), two Junior Secondary (Years 7-8) and one Middle Secondary (Years 9-10) teams in 2024. Both Middle Secondary teams, the Junior Secondary B team and the Junior School A team have made it through to the knockout rounds, a huge achievement for their effort!

We sadly farewell Madelaine Hayes as Oratory Captain as she is now finishing Year 12. Maddie has been integral to the growth of the Oratory program, working hard to support students in the junior teams and leaving a wonderful legacy. We thank her for her ongoing commitment to growing the Debating program at Scots and wish her luck for future Oratory endeavours!

We look forward to another big season in 2025!

Wakakirri Dance

In Week 2 of Term 3, 19 secondary students travelled and performed at the Wakakirri National Story Dance Festival, Australia’s largest Performing Arts event for schools. The dance festival provides a platform for students to express their thoughts, ideas and aspirations through the art of storytelling and dance. Our students travelled to Canberra to compete and were recognised for their outstanding performance with the following awards:

Storytelling Award for Story Theme and Concept
Ensemble Award for Group Dance
Ensemble Award for Choreography
Lead Cast Award for Performance in Dance
Storytelling Award for a Great Minimalist Production Style
Spirit of Wakakirri Award

Congratulations to all students involved and a big thank you to Scots parent and dance teacher Chantelle Hutchins for all her effort in preparing the students!

Sam Mack produced a poster, which is part of the 'action' process for his Exhibition.

Our Year 6 group had our final presentation of our Exhibition research project on Monday 19 August. Exhibition is an inquiry into our topic of choice under the same central idea of “Exploration, interests and passions inspire learning and actions”.

All students were able to develop our own lines of inquiry, leading to a diverse range of unique topics.

They had the opportunity to engage parents and other students with the interactive element and knowledge in discussions at the stalls. In the end, Exhibition showcased hard work, determination and resilience.

This was a powerful experience because it helped our students develop critical thinking, collaboration, and communication skills.

Year 7 AFL Gala Day • Girls

Congratulations to our Year 7 boys and girls who participated in the Year 7 AFL Gala Day on Wednesday 7 August. The boys were unstoppable, going undefeated all day and clinching the Grand Final against Trinity with an impressive 37-point victory. The girls also had an incredible day, remaining undefeated in their pool games. Their Grand Final against Trinity was a thrilling contest, with our girls narrowly missing out in a nail-biter by just 1 point. Their courage and determination throughout the day were truly commendable and they should be immensely proud of their efforts.
Girls Scores:
Game 1- Scots 24 defeated Xavier 16
Game 2- Scots 9 defeated St. Pauls 6
Game 3- Scots 22 defeated St. Francis 12
Grand Final Scots 21 defeated by Trinity 22
Best Players: Sophie Barton, Ruby Cardwell, Iris Johanson, Elisabeth Klingner, Lucy Kilgour, Hattie Nickols, Millie Glover.

Year 7 AFL Gala Day • Boys

The drought has broken. After a few years without a major win, the boys have won the carnival in a very impressive performance. With parents providing support from the sideline and student helpers, we had a fantastic day. In particular, I would like to acknowledge the contributions of Sam McDonald (Field umpiring), Billy Whitfield (Goal umpiring), and Fergus Monaghan (runner/water).

Pool A had the strongest teams and the results for this pool were:Game 1: Scots 5.8.38 defeated St Francis of Leeton 0.1.1 Game 2: Scots 4.3.27 defeated Trinity College 3.3.21Game 3: Scots 9.4.58 defeated Xavier 1.2.8 Grand Final: Scots 8.4.52 defeated Trinity 2.3.15

There were numerous goal kickers, including multiples from: Tom Toepfer, Will Glass, Ollie Cardile, and Will Hogan. The boys were strong all round the ground, but the key to our success was the strong midfield of Cardile, Case, Toepfer and Glass. The strong rebounding defence of Ollie Matthews and Ryan Johnstone was inspirational. Will (Jesse) Hogan had a very strong presence up forward and served as a focus all day.

Four shortened games of footy, but a very big day. The boys should be proud of their efforts on and off the field. Their positive sporting attitude and maturity were outstanding. - Peter Schneider, Coach

Snowsports Achievements

We are thrilled to acknowledge the outstanding achievements of our Scots Snowsports athletes who have recently competed at the Regional Competition at Falls Creek and the State Championships at Perisher. With an impressive 79 students participating at regionals, 38 students progressing to state and 12 students advancing to nationals, their hard work, skill, and determination have led to some incredible performances.

We wish our 12 athletes all the best as they prepare for the upcoming national championships. We are incredibly proud of their achievements and look forward to seeing them continue to excel.

Music

Year 12 School Captain and Musician, Daniel Steer, participated in the inaugural Geoffrey McFerran Young Victorian Piano Competition – Regional on Sunday 18 August.

The adjudicator was David Lempriere-Laughton (graduated Juilliard School New York with a Master of Music Degree and is a Fellow at Trinity College London).

Daniel performed Russel of Spring, becoming a finalist for his Heat, and both Russel of Spring and the Barcarolle for the Final. Daniel won the competition and the adjudicator was exuberant in his praise for Daniel and his performance, remarking on his excellent musicality, dexterity and poise.

Congratulations Daniel!

Sailing

Stirling Marshall (Year 7) was recently selected for the 2024/2025 Victorian State Optimist Development Squad. Stirling heads down to Albert Park Lake in Melbourne each weekend for training with the top Optimist sailors from around Victoria.

Water Polo

Congratulations to our Year 6 boys, Duke Wilkerson, Tait Bartlett, and Will Brooks, who proudly represented Victoria at the 2024 13 and Under National Water Polo Development Carnival in Hobart in July.

The boys experienced top-level water polo, benefitted from exceptional coaching and gained valuable learning experiences. Sharing this journey with close friends from Scots made the experience even more memorable.

In girls water polo, Millie Wilkerson (Year 9) has been selected to play for Victoria in the 15 and under girls water polo team in the National Championships next month.

In a revamped format, only one team per age group from each State has been selected to focus the national competition on high performance. Millie made the team after trials in July. The titles will be held on the Gold Coast from Thursday 26 September until Monday 30 September.

Basketball

We would like to extend our best wishes to Maisey Player (Year 8), Thomas Mack (Year 8) and Thomas Toepfer (Year 7) as they head to the High Performance Basketball trials at the Snake Pit in Illawarra.

These students will be participating in four intensive 2-hour trials, testing their skills and perseverance at a highly competitive level.

Maisey also was selected as the only top age under-15 female Albury-based representative player to attend the NSW U14 Talented Athletes Program (TAP) camp in August with basketball NSW. It was a three day camp in Sydney attended by only 50 girls from metropolitan and country organisations.

Tennis

Madison Kelly (Year 6) was runner up in the Women’s Senior B4 singles at the Australian Blind and Low Vision (BLV) National tennis championships at Melbourne Park In July.

Madison is now ranked No.2 in Australia for B4 women’s singles, B4 women’s doubles and junior singles (mixed).

What a Snowsports season it has been for our Scots students. Nearly 80 students competed at the Regional Snowsports Competition at Falls Creek, 38 at the State Championships at Perisher and next week, 11 will go on to represent Scots at the National Titles.

At Regionals, Scots competitors won 42 gold medals, 29 silvers and 16 bronze. What a haul!

We had 38 competitors at State Champs with the following results:
Primary Co-Ed Overall Ski Championships – 3rd
Alpine in Division 5, Ardan Magaharan – 3rd
Ski Cross in Division 5, Ardan Magaharan – 1st
Ski Slopestyle in Division 1, Jimmy Shannon – 3rd
Ski Slopestyle in Division 2, Sara Butko – 2nd

Good luck to the competitors for Nationals.

Full results can be found here: https://www.interschools.com.au/results/

School Snow Trips

Unfortunately, we have had to cancel all of our School snow trips due to poor or dangerous conditions.

Everyone who registered and paid to attend the Junior School Snow Trip, the Senior School Snow Trip or the Boarders' Snow Trip will receive a full refund.

We are working with Humanitix to have these refunds processed over the next week or so. Please be patient while we work to make this happen as quickly as we can.

Olympics
During the Olympics, the library showed events at lunch and recess. Junior school lessons also focussed on Olympic events and countries.
Chess
The Senior chess team narrowly defeated Kooringal High School in July and progressed through to the semi-finals of the NSW JCL in August. Oliver Baitch and Billy Stewart played exceptionally well to hold out their opponents, Billy, especially, in a very tight match.
We then travelled up to Wagga to meet Yass High School. Unfortunately, we don’t seem to travel well and are not as strong "on the road". Oliver was the only one to win his board.
Congratulations to Aston Lau, Ammar Syed, Billy and Oliver along with Ty Salter and Oscar Kennedy who have played a great season of chess this year.
We have one more match to play for the Albury Chess Club local trophy early next term.
Book Week
Book Week was a fabulous success with great participation from the whole school population in the various activities and, of course, the dress up day. The Junior School parade was adorable and thank you to Oliver Baitch and Poppy Milgate-Kimball for coming along to judge the best costumes.
Senior school prizes were awarded to: Oliver Baitch, Max Haymes, Audrey Haymes and Poppy Smith.
Staff also got into the swing of it with many brilliant costumes. The Inclusive Ed department (and Ms Ross) helped make the Very Hungry Caterpiller, which is now on display in the library. The PE department also did well as Magic.
Book Week Albury Library visits
As part of the Book Week celebrations, each class from Kinder to Year 3 visited the Albury Library and Museum for a story and activity. This was a great excursion that the library provided to showcase the finalists in the CBCA Children’s Book of the Year.
Book Fair 2024
The Book Fair at Scots has started and will run for two weeks. All students will be able to access the Book Fair in the first few days to write their wish lists. Wish lists will go home with a pre-payment instructional form. Parents can then log on and purchase books. If books are purchased, please write the receipt number and amount paid clearly on the form. This form MUST be returned to the class teacher or to the Junior School office for orders to be processed.

From next Thursday, Classes also can access the Book Fair to purchase items such as pens, pencils, erasers and posters. These items can be purchased with cash only on the day ($1-$10). A wish list for these items will also go home but these cannot be purchased online. It will be first come, first served until we run out starting with Kinder and moving up. Book orders will be packed this week and sent home OR reordered, if need be, to be delivered later. Students and parents will be notified. The Book Fair leaves Scots on Thursday 12 September.

Hosting a book fair is a wonderful way to celebrate reading and earn valuable resources for our school. Last year’s fair helped us purchase over $1500 worth of books from Scholastic for our library, so your support with this event will be very much appreciated.