We are all aware of the dangers of smoking, thanks to decades-long campaigns from health institutions, doctors and anti-smoking organisations; but we are only in recent years coming to terms with the impact e-cigarettes, or vapes, are having on our youth.
Vaping has become a serious issue in most high schools throughout the nation and at Scots, sadly, we are not immune. We take this issue seriously due to the negative health effects vaping can have on our young people, who are often unaware of the risks associated with the practice.
Vaping is the act of inhaling a vapour produced by an e-cigarette or electronic vaporizer. The vapour can contain nicotine and other substances and may exposes users to chemicals and toxins which are harmful to health. In fact, the Department of Health’s Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) arm announced last year, that from 1 October 2021, consumers would require a prescription for all purchases of nicotine vaping products, such as nicotine e-cigarettes, nicotine pods and liquid nicotine, including products purchased both in Australia and from overseas.
The devices are small and can be easily hidden in a pocket or bag. The most popular disposable vapes resemble large USB sticks or highlighter pens.
The sale or supply of any e-cigarettes or e-liquid to anyone under the age of 18 is illegal in NSW.
We must remember that we all make poor choices in our life at some point; and when the School acts in a disciplinary nature, it is acting on the child’s choice, not the child. Our job is to educate; our students need to know there are boundaries, and consequences if they ignore them. As part of our efforts to educate students about vaping, we have teamed with Murrumbidgee Local Health District and the Police Liaison Officer to present an information session for Years 7-10 next Wednesday. Students will hear about the health and legal implications associated with vaping and vapes.
One of the ways you, as parents, can be on the front foot with this endemic, is to talk about e-cigarettes with your child and prepare yourself with the facts.
KEY considerations for talking about e-cigarettes: K: Know the facts or where to find them from a reputable source E: Engage on the topic in a relaxed and easy way. Use the cues around you, a note home from the school, a person using a device, a story on the news as the way into the conversation and the way to keep talking about it ongoing. Y: You know your child, communicate with them in ways that work for you and allow you to provide them with the right information to make healthy decisions.
This week we welcomed our Year 11 and 12 students back into the classroom following a fortnight of exams. Over the course of the week they have received their results and much feedback will be provided in class. Students in Years 7 to 10 also are busy finalising assessments. I would like to remind parents that we offer Maths and English assistance every Wednesday afternoon from 3.30pm to 4.30pm and students should utilise this offering to assist with the completion of assessments.
This week, seven students received Scots Merit Certificates at assembly. These are awarded to students after they have been recognised three times for outstanding learning in the classroom. I would again like to congratulate:
Lily Baranyay Lacey Smith Amara Steele Oliver Baitch Zoe Coughlan Madeline Perkins Lylah Ellao
Yesterday, we welcomed students from many other schools to Scots for the North East Language Teachers Japanese Speech Contest. Well done to all students who participated.
On Friday next week we will welcome our 2023 Year 7 Students for a day of fun at our annual Footy Colours Day. All students will be involved in the House activities in the afternoon on both of our ovals. Don't forget to order your pie. ORDER HERE
From Head of Junior School • Matthew Boundy
Year 6 Exhibition - the future is clearly safe in our children’s hands
Using the UNESCO Sustainable Development Goals as inspiration, this year's exhibition highlighted the amazing transdisciplinary skills of our Year 6 students. Focusing on communication, research, collaboration, self-management and social skills, each group's presentation gave an insight into the world these students wish to grow up in, one that they can influence and change through their own actions.
Congratulations to all our Year 6 students for what they achieved throughout this process. We look forward to seeing their passion for social action and entrepreneurialism continue throughout their secondary years. A special thanks also to the broader community who supported them as teachers, mentors and experts in their field.
Help Tom Jurevics in his efforts to provide care and support for Ukraine families as they endure the devastation and displacement of war.
View the image here for ways you can help. And watch Tom's VIDEO as he expresses his heartfelt concern.
Life@Scots - Morning drop-off and supervision
With the sun beginning to rise a little earlier and students enjoying time to play with each other before school, it is important that we remind families of our morning routines.
8.00am - cocurricular activities begin e.g. choirs, orchestra, tennis etc. 8.20am - a teacher is on duty, supervising the tennis court and classroom courtyard areas. The playground and oval are out of bounds. 8.45am - the music plays and classes begin.
While we understand there may be a need for an early drop-off, we ask that parents resist the need for children to be left at school prior to 8.20am, as there is no formal supervision during this time.
From our Chaplain • Simon Goss
Chapel Services next week
The Junior School next week will hear about Mary and Martha, two really good friends of Jesus (Luke 10:38-42). In this story we see Mary sitting with Jesus and spending time with him, while Martha stresses over the work she’s doing. Martha gets frazzled over Mary’s apparent lack of effort to help out.
I love remote control cars. I am still learning to use this one, but if I get good at it and I keep running this car around, I can make it do some cool tricks and burn outs. But eventually the battery is going to run flat, and I may need to recharge them.
Having holidays is like that. We work all term and for the most part we really enjoy the learning and the time we spend with our teachers and friends. But eventually we start getting tired and we need to recharge our own batteries. And that’s the time we can come home and rest.
The story of Mary and Martha is an interesting reminder to slow down. When my daughters were little, they would get up just before sunrise. The three of us would quickly run into the kitchen. I would put the kettle on, make three cups of tea, and then I would lift my daughters up onto the kitchen bench just underneath our window, and together we would just watch the sun come up, sitting in awe and wonder of the gift of each sunrise.
What’s wrong with Martha’s frenzied pace and trying to get Jesus to light a fire under Mary? The problem is that it misses the heart of discipleship, in which we do not first and foremost serve Jesus, but that he came to serve us.
Mary’s better way is, as the Wiradjuri people would call, yindyamarra: to sit gently, politely and respectfully. And just like Mary in this story, we need to sit back and just be present for each other.
From Head of Pedagogy • Megan Dickins
“Creativity is intelligence having fun.” Albert Einstein
Educational research is showing that creativity isn’t just great to have, it’s an essential human skill — perhaps even imperative in our technology-driven world. Giving students work that involves creativity results in higher order thinking skills such as problem solving, critical thinking and making connections between their learning.
The learning progression we are using at Scots includes five dimensions of creativity. They are:
Economic and social entrepreneurism
Asking the right inquiry questions
Pursuing and expressing novel ideas and solutions
Leadership to turn ideas into action
Leveraging digital
In Year 7 History students were asked to develop their own inquiry questions about an Ancient Civilisation and compare that aspect of society to the modern world. They were then asked to leverage digital and present their ideas in the form of a picture book appropriate for a Year 6 student.
Year 8 Visual Arts have been researching different habitats within the Riparian Zone. In their visual diaries they drew a tree on a riverbank and labeled at least 10 species of animals that can live in various parts of the tree including the roots. This research and visual representations formed the basis for a clay vase.
Building a Positive Community
With the cooperation and support from a child’s family and our community, the School can provide the best education and help equip them with the skills required for a fulfilling adult life.
The above infographic details the main ways in which we can build a positive community.
We welcomed 13 new students to our school community this term and we are experiencing strong demand for places throughout the school for next year. We are already immersed in planning for timetabling and staffing to accommodate this growth.
In order to accurately reflect our staffing needs and to understand our capacity to accept new enrolments into certain year levels, it is important that families who know they will be leaving our community let us know as soon as possible.
Withdrawal of a student must be notified in writing to the School - either to the Principal or Enrolments Officer Emily Britt. A term’s notice is required. If a term’s notice is not received, a term’s fees may be charged in lieu.
If you have younger children not yet enrolled, please get your applications in as soon as possible; or if you know of other families looking to enrol, please let them know that places are filling fast.
From the Library
It’s been a busy time in the library with senior exams, Book Week and finally, Book Fair.
Book Week was a fun week considering we had Year 6 exhibition and exams on at the same time. The Dress-up Day and parade in the Junior School was fabulous with so many students (and possibly parents) putting a lot of effort and creativity into their costumes. A huge thank you to Mrs Sarah Bowman and Library Captains, Lana Martin, and Lucy Barr-Smith for their help with organising this event.
The Book Fair was extremely successful with the School securing around $750 in commission for new books for our library from Scholastic. Thank you to everyone who contributed, especially Mrs Jane van der Vliet (Library helper) who helped to pack orders.
- Alley McGhee
Scots Highland Games • call for volunteers
The Scots Highland Games will be on Saturday 11 March 2023 and promises to be a fun-filled Scottish-themed evening that will set Scots apart from all other schools in the area.
We are calling for volunteers to join our organising committee to make this event spectacular.
An evening Military Tattoo featuring pipe bands, horses and dancers will be the main feature of the day but we already have some great plans for supporting aspects. Around the castle erected on Gillespie Oval, we will have:
Third party paid stalls, including food vendors
Some parent-led stalls, with a Scottish theme (based on our most popular stalls from this year's Fair)
Traditional Scottish competitions such as Tossing the Caber, which will attract a group of strong athletes who travel to these sorts of competitions all around Australia.
Medieval role play competitions (such as sword fighting.)
Parent-led whacky races themed with a Scottish twist
Hospitality tent
Pipeband competition
If you would like to get involved, please send an email to marketing@scotsalbury.nsw.edu.au and we will be in touch.
Preschool art night
Join us for an evening at the Scots Preschool. Take the opportunity to peruse unique artwork created by our Preschool children, take home some goodies from the silent auction and enjoy a light supper with other Preschool families.
$30 per person. Light supper included, BYO refreshments
We have a wonderful team of Inclusive Education Aides who work in our Junior and Senior Schools. Their key role is to support student learning and wellbeing under the guidance of the Leader of Inclusive Education, Trish Thomas and Inclusive Education Junior School teachers, Erin Baxter and Lucy Turner.
Their role is incredibly varied and includes implementing structured literacy and numeracy intervention, contributing to the planning, delivery, and support of students in lessons, organising and preparing materials and resources, and supporting students with their homework and assessment tasks after school in the library.
Australian Teacher Aide appreciation week was from 29 August to 1 September. We had the opportunity to thank our hardworking Inclusive Education Aides by sharing morning tea together.
HSC Showcase
2022 HSC Showcase
Join us to celebrate our Year 12 Visual Art, Design & Technology and Industrial Technology students and to view their major design projects.
Alistair Todd Chapel Hall Thursday 15 September 2022 6.30pm-9.00pm
Wellbeing Week
Next week, Week 9, is wellbeing week in the Junior School.
Students will participate in daily activities focussed on health and wellness: individually, as a class and as a whole Junior School.
Students will participate in Mindful Monday - which will include walking meditation, STOP mindful activities and five finger breathing.
On Tuesday, it will be Random Acts of Kindness day where students will be encouraged to do five acts of kindness at school and home. Wear bright accessories this day.
On Wellness Wednesday, students should wear PE uniform for the day to participate in yoga and mediation.
Thankful Thursday will be when students have a chance to reflect on aspects of their life for which they are thankful and Friendship Friday is Footy Colours Day and when students will be encouraged to connect with a new friend in their House.
Tournament of Minds success
A Scots team of Patrick, Will, Jobe, Sophia, Alexia, Lucy and Nina picked up second place at the Tournament of Minds interschool competition last weekend. Over five weeks, the students had to solve a STEM based challenge, under a strict criteria, and present their solution to a panel of judges in Wagga Wagga. Schools from throughout the Riverina participated in the competition, with a total of six schools within the Primary STEM Division.
Our team represented Scots with great pride, impressing the judges with their team work, humour, and creative thinking.
Congratulations team members, you should all be so proud of your achievement.
- Lucy Turner
Student achievements
Jericho's poem highly commended
Jericho Ellao, Year 9, has been highly commended for his poem The Kingdom of the Overworld in a national literary competition, Minds Shine Bright. Jericho wrote about a fantasy world where he was held hostage and had to use his confidence to escape, associating neatly with the competition theme of Confidence.
It’s not the first success the Year 9 student has had in writing competitions; he picked up a second place in the 2021 Write Around the Murray for his short story and was a finalist with a poem in the River of Stories competition. For the Minds Shine Bright commendation, Jericho received prize money of $100.
Minds Shine Bright is an arts business based in Melbourne committed to supporting the arts and writers. The competition was open to all writers across Australia and attracted some international entries as well. The competition was based on literary merit. The qualities judges were looking for in winning entries were clarity of expression, structure and flow, originality, audience engagement, universality and resonance.
THE KINGDOM OF THE OVERWORLD
Beyond the light-polluted cities, Amongst the stormy skies Slumbers ceaseless voids of perilous realms, And within, a kingdom lies; Fields of stardust, and cloudy plains, Stars in perpetual bloom, Amongst the foreboding side of the eclipse Encased by folds of twilight gloom
The kingdom lies upon a cloud With a gold and silver whirl, Seas of air, do I dare To venture within the kingdom of the over-world. I was lost, in the tumult, the eastward lands of earth which sundered far from my home I needed to return, before the collapse of dusk Before the armies of Gourmou will grow
The sun had journeyed beyond the edge of the world, And obscurations arose from light, A melodious breeze hummed a hollow song, And I perceived the first-star aflight; A vertiginous illusion formed within the wind-swept fogs, Thither, sundered the star from the cloud Tumult beat thunders amidst the eastward lands And the world amid elvish wars did enshroud
Distant roars from the looming clouds Subdued the everfalling flame of bloodshed As squamous creatures soared beyond The clouds nevermore a fiery red; And from the haar arose a creature, Clamouring among a silver breast, Ere could I flee, I plummeted on its back, And a white dragon commenced its quest
My cold ears like a flute for the piercing wind, My hands gripping its ivory horns, The lightning-like emerging trees, And beyond the downpour, a dark cloud mourns; The storm is unleashed, it convulses with sheets of rain, It heavens with a sob and a sigh, For within the dark there is a light, And so we continue to fly
Fuming tempests of dark clouds, gyre and writhe, crying amidst the skies caterwauling tone The light of the skies was vexed within a crestfallen nightmare And within the evenfall ether, we rome The storm is pierced by beams of the sun, And casts of blues replace the greys, The sky is clear, and something appears Within the heavens of the dire day; I’ve ne’er a glimpse within this part of the ether, But I am curious as to what lies within the skies, The dragon alights on the nearest cloud; But I am caused to agonize
In this dismal dimension of vast voided seas, I lied in vexation above a canyon of astrality But something arises in the form of a palace Which broke my sorrowful agony ; I dragged my gaze to a kingdom white, With a gold and silver whirl, For now my days immortal With the kingdom of the over-world
Beyond the light-polluted cities, Amongst the stormy skies Slumbers ceaseless voids of perilous realms, And within, a kingdom lies; Fields of stardust, and cloudy plains, Stars in perpetual bloom, Amongst the foreboding side of the eclipse Encased by folds of twilight gloom
The kingdom lies upon a cloud With a gold and silver whirl, Seas of air, My kingdom fair; My kingdom, of the over-world.
Snowsports success
Congratulations to Archie Ross (Year 6), Gracie Ross (Year 3), Brock Holder (Year 10), Alexander Smythe (Year 10) and Ethan White (Year 9) who are competing at the Snowsports Interschools National Championships at Perisher which conclude this weekend.
They qualified through great results in the regional and then State Championships. We look forward to hearing their results.
Debating success
Scots’ teams have had continued success in Debating this term, this time in the Australian National Virtual Debating competition (ANVD). A Year 10 team, led by Oratory Captain Maddie Hayes and featuring Will Rogers, Harvey Correll and Hamish Whiteside, have recorded wins in successive weeks against Avondale School and Wharoonga Adventist School. Our Junior team, featuring Amy Hayes, Isabelle Martin and Kirsten McLennan, had a win against Fresham School earlier in the term. The final debate on our calendar is the second Year 10 team who will debate Wyong Christian Community College today.
In the ANVD competition, teams receive their topic only an hour before the debate begins. They sequester themselves in the Boardroom, and can only use technology (laptops and mobile devices) to assist in their preparation for 15 minutes. The rest of their hour-long preparation time is spent pulling apart arguments, writing speeches and anticipating rebuttals. Debates are run and adjudicated over Zoom, and the teams receive detailed feedback from adjudicators after the results have been announced.
All our teams have improved their speaking and rebuttal skills this term. We look forward to participating in the ANVD competition and, hopefully, in more in-person regional debates in 2023.
- Sarah Bowman
Hockey news with Doug Agar
Congratulations to our Under-12 Hockey team which had an impressive win in their first finals match last weekend. Having finished second on the ladder, Scots had an impressive 4-2 win over first-placed Wodonga. They await this weekend’s results to see who they will play in the Grand Final on Saturday 17 September at noon.
Both of our Under-14 teams will have to navigate an elimination match tomorrow if they hope to make their respective Grand Finals. Under-14 Boys eventually went down 4-2 to a very strong CR United side having taken the game to them for most of the match. Under-14 Girls lost 1-0 in golden goal extra time to top-of-the-ladder Falcons in a game where Falcons’ strength of numbers on the bench made the difference in the end. Under-14 Boys will play Falcons at 10.15am after our Under-14 Girls play Norths at 8.30am.
Please get down to Albury Hockey Grounds to support your teams.
Vale Dr Victor Karaffa
Scots Hockey Club were saddened to hear of the recent passing of former parent, committee member, President, but most of all supporter, Dr Victor Karaffa. Even after his formal connections to the club ceased a number of years ago, he was still present at a number of games and was always eager to know how the club was doing. His memorial service will take place at 6pm on Friday 16 September at St Matthew’s Church in Albury.
