Newsletter, Term 4, Week 4, Friday 29 October 2021

It has been a wonderful week of celebrating our Year 12s, who had their last day of formal schooling yesterday.

While our Final Chapel and Final Assembly were not the “in-person” occasions we all had hoped for, I think we can be grateful that we were able to send the Year 12s off to their study break with a fitting celebration of their time here at Scots.

During the final Assembly yesterday, I spoke about the uncertain year our Year 12s have endured. I know that some of them may, at times, have thought the Final Assembly would never come. It certainly appeared that way as HSC exams were shifted, finish dates were extended, lockdowns were on again and off again. It has been tough on them, and I for one, am amazed at their resilience, their grit to keep going and their determination to make positive out of the challenges they have met.

Our Class of 2021 is unique. The first to have endured COVID from Day 1 of Year 12, they are now part of the ‘new norm’. While this year has been oh so stressful it has equipped them with the knowledge that they can and will get through the challenges and the unknown.

I hope our students will place firmly in their memory banks, their final days and the great times school and Scots has given them. Moments like the competitive and hilarious swim sports, the Footy trophies, the musical masterpieces and performances, the gross dissection classes in science and those aha moments in maths. The laughs with teachers (and sometimes the tears), the camps and trips, the sleepovers, Girls Night In, Movembers and Moovembers, the clean-ups and fundraisers. School has been so much more than just the classroom.

I wish our Year 12s well for their exams, which are looming in a couple of weeks. I encourage each student to give it their best shot and remember they will always be a part of Scots, part of our community and part of our family.

Good luck Class of 2021!

December and beyond

We are all looking forward to the day when we can have our parents, grandparents and friends of the School back on our grounds to share and celebrate our fantastic school community.

We are hoping that day will be Wednesday 1 December.

If restrictions permit, we will hold our Junior and Senior School Final Assemblies, Speech Night, Grandparents Day and Carols with as much fanfare as we can muster! We hope to welcome everyone back on campus in a show of defiance to COVID-19, which has disrupted almost all our events in some way this year.

Of course, we will always comply with the NSW Health guidelines and safety recommendations and abide by any restrictions in place at the time. We will keep you informed of any changes in restrictions - cross your fingers!

Year 6 Exhibition - a celebration of learning

Next week, our Year 6 students will be putting the finishing touches on their exhibition presentations and assessing their own learning, and that of their peers. But what is the exhibition you might ask? Well, it is seen as the penultimate evidence of student growth and development in their final year of the IB Primary Years Programme. It is an amazing experience both for students and the community and incorporates all aspects of the PYP philosophy:

The Essential Elements: PYPX incorporates the essential elements of the PYP, (which are now a part of the three pillars- the learner, learning and teaching and the learning community) including the values of the PYP and gives students the chance to develop and display the attributes of the IB Learner Profile. It will give the children the chance to demonstrate their skills, their knowledge and gives them a voice to make a difference in the community and/or world.

Student Agency: Teachers and mentors act as facilitators throughout the journey. You want much of the decisions to be made by the children themselves.

Collaboration and Community: The Exhibition unites the students, teachers, parents and other members of the school community in a collaborative experience.

Student Groups: The students are grouped according to similar interests/issues that they wish to explore further with their inquiry.

Mentors: Volunteers come from a pool of teachers, family, local community members and experts. They can be assigned to particular groups randomly or based on their expertise tying in with the groups’ specific inquiries. They work as facilitators, supporting the group with their schedule of work, mediating discussions, decisions and assisting with research and interviews.

Reflection: Students reflect upon their journey across every step, more than just what they’ve learned about. It is an ongoing self-assessment of PYP skills, peer assessment & group reflection. By the end of the journey, students are expected to reflect on their whole experience.

Assessment: Most assessment within the IB PYP is integral throughout the learning process and the PYPX provides an authentic means for assessing student understanding, skills and agency. Students are also required to identify curriculum outcomes that link to their field of expertise and highlight the transdisciplinary nature real-world learning, linking core subjects such as English and Maths, to Science, Technology, History and more.

Celebration: Traditionally, the PYPX celebrates the transition of learners from primary to secondary education. But in fact, the entire journey through the PYPX is a celebration. This year, we are looking forward to sharing this journey at our combined Grandparents Day and Carols event. More information to come soon!

Life@Scots - Drop-off and collection routines

With a number of new families in our community and constant changes to routines due to COVID-19 restrictions, this is a timely reminder about our before and after school routines in the Junior School.

BEFORE SCHOOL

8.20am-8.45am: Drop-off time - supervision of students in the yard commences. Students are encouraged to get their temperature checked before getting themselves organised for the day.

Parents are to use the Kiss and Drop Zone for quick drop-offs (see instructions here) or park on Young St in designated areas if you need to walk your child to the gate.

AFTER SCHOOL

After school pick-up update.

3.00pm-3.15pm: Kindergarten to Year 2 students to be collected from the pedestrian gate. Again, parents are to use the Kiss and Drop Zone for quick collection (you must remain in your car) or park on Young St in designated areas if you need to walk your child to the gate.

3.00pm-3.20pm: Parents of Year 3-6 students are encouraged to use the internal ‘dirt’ carpark on Young St to collect their child/ren. You may only enter the gates during this time.

3.20pm-3.35pm: Parents can collect remaining students from either the kiss or drop zone (Kindergarten-Year 2), Young St or those who have entered the internal car park.

Pedestrian traffic - we ask that parents and students only cross Young St at the traffic lights on the corner of Young St and Borella Rd.

With the support of the school community, we have worked very hard to ensure the safety of all in accessing the campus.

Many congratulations to the students below who have been named the 2022 Sport Ambassadors.

Previously known as Sport Captains, the nominated leaders will work together to develop all aspects of school sport and not just their specific sport Portfolio. The key role of a Young Ambassador is to support Scots Sport locally and to influence five aspects of school sport:
1. Co-curricular sport provision
2. Links to community sport opportunities
3. Opportunities for competition
4. Celebration of student achievements in sport, including newsletter contributions
5. Leadership opportunities for young people

In the first instance, the nominated leaders of Football, Netball, Basketball, Equestrian, Hockey and Tennis will form the group of Ambassadors. These roles should not be confused with the role of captain of a team or squad in the competitions that we enter. We will still have the traditional captains in the other sports (Shooting, Swimming, Athletics etc.)

The Sport Ambassadors will have a pivotal role within the school and wider community. They will act as role models and leaders of other young people. They also will reflect the views of other young people and will influence and shape decision-making in sport.

Becoming a Sport Ambassador is a great way to develop new skills and build confidence. The program will help develop the young people as leaders in sport and motivate and inspire others to become involved in sport.

The Ambassadors will promote, assist and support the delivery of sport at Scots, while also having responsibility for a sport.

The Scots Sport Ambassadors program will benefit the school by:

Encouraging the school to self reflect and continuously improve in sporting provision
Placing young people at the forefront of the decision making and planning of PE and sport in their school
Helping the school to increase young people’s opportunities and engagement in PE and school sport
Help the school to put PE and school sport at the heart of their planning, practice and ethos
Recognising and celebrating successful PE and school sport models

Our 2022 Ambassadors are:

Baxter Golden • Basketball
Billy Dunstan • Cricket
Georgia Miller • Football (AFL)
Hannah O'Reilly • Hockey
Holly Rapley • Equestrian
Lara Lambert • Volleyball
Paris Weller • Basketball
Sean Flanagan • Tennis
Seth Hokanson • Chess
Sophie Carr • Netball
TBC • Snowsport
Tom Sparks • Football (AFL)
Will Devere • Sporting Shooters

Thirty-nine students were involved in the International SpaceCRAFT Exploration Challenge hosted by Scots during the recent school holidays, from 20-25 September. Of the 39 students, 27 were Scots students and 12 were from other schools in the region. The local group was part of an international contingent of 180 students from Australia, the USA and Egypt who participated in the challenge run by former NASA Astronaut, Dr Gregory Chamitoff.

The experts who taught the students and who answered their questions included astronaut Dr Gregory Chamitoff; astronaut and former space shuttle pilot, Gregory 'Box' Johnson; NASA/JPL propulsion engineer, Todd Barber; Mars City Design founder Vera Mulyani and Robotics Technologist at NASA/JPL, Dr Ben Morell, who went to pre-school at Scots!

As part of a mission team, students designed spacecraft, navigated to another planet, landed their vehicle, built a planetary habitat and explored a new planet to find resources in order to sustain human life!

Students learned from subject-matter experts including astronauts, scientists and engineers, who are directly involved in ongoing missions, as they competed with other teams for the best mission design. They created their own concepts using an online virtual reality platform called SpaceCRAFT. SpaceCRAFT provided a high fidelity simulation of the universe, including real planetary data from NASA/JPL and correct physics for models of space and planetary environments.

The event also made the news, with an article in the Border Mail and spots on Prime 7 News three times.

All students from Years 4 to Year 11 did very well and should be proud of their accomplishments. During November participating students will be presented with certificates, mission patch and magazines outlining the event.

Some highlights included the following students selected for awards from a field of 180 students:

Ammar Syed - Most Alien Planet award

Maddie Merritt - Spirit award, given to the student who showed the most positive attitude and spirit during the live sessions

Interstellar Travellers - Third place for Best Mission Design, Elementary Division. The team included: Ryan McGregor, Ben Shiao, Sevastien Tecksingani, Joshua Sandral and Patrick Sirr.

Many more of our students were in the running and came so close to the top three in their division. Well done to all students who participated.