scotch Issue 156 reports February 2013 Holidays over ? Why not... holiday at home! urbanhabitats country|coast|city building great homes urbanhabitats.com.au|08 8373 1731|construction|development|design Contents Principal's Report 4 - 5, Council Update 6 - 7, Early Learning Centre 8 - 9, Junior School 10 - 11, Middle School 12 - 13, Senior School 14 - 17, Boarding Update 18 - 19, Development Report 22 - 25, Straight Scotch 26 - 35. Scotch iPhone App Important Dates 31 January Term 1 Commences 8 February P&F Welcome to 2013 Picnic - Torrens Park Campus 13 February Principals Invitational Cricket Match 14 February Middle & Senior School Swimming Carnival - Unley Swimming Centre 15 February P&F Junior School Picnic - Mitcham Campus 20 February Welcome to the OC’s: Class of 2012 - Edinburgh Hotel 21 February New Parents Dinner – Barr Smith Theatre 22 February Year 9 Parents Get Together 23 February Back to the Boatshed Fundraiser 6 March Junior School Tour - Mitcham Campus 11 March Adelaide Cup Public Holiday 13 March Junior School Swimming Carnival (Years 1-2) 13 March Middle & Senior School Tour - Torrens Park Campus 14 March Junior School Swimming Carnival (Years 3-6) 15 March Torrens Park Campus Athletics Day 15-16 March South East Field Days, Lucindale - visit us there 21-23 March Summer Intercol vs Pulteney at Scotch College 24 March One Dégustation 29 March Good Friday 1 April Easter Monday Published by 6 April Head of the River and Head of the River Dinner Scotch College 9 April Junior School & ELC Carruth Road Torrens Park SA 5062 T: 08 8274 4333 F: 08 8274 4344 Grandparents’ & Grandfriends’ Day www.scotch.sa.edu.au 12 April Term 1 Concludes Editorial Sarah Freeman 29 April Term 2 commences [email protected] Designed and Printed by Term Dates Openbook Howden Design & Print www.openbookhowden.com.au Term 2 Monday 29 April – Friday 28 June Photography and Articles Term 3 Monday 22 July – Friday 27 September A big thank you to everyone who collaborated to create this edition of Scotch Reports. Special thanks go to Richard Blinco, Brian Charlton, Term 4 Monday 14 October – Wednesday 11 December Dave Scott and everyone who kindly supplied photographs for this publication. Cover Photo 2012 Speech Night. Our inaugural Yalari graduates Shannon Ponter & Peter Ah Sam with Principal Tim Oughton. 3 Principal's Report 01 Principal Swap Evokes Zest! At the end of Term 2 in 2012 Heather and I as sports teaching assistants and, similarly, To “walk in someone else’s began a real journey of discovery – we were Scotch receives four Gordon’s graduates to shoes” in another educational to swap places with Hugh and Yvonne Ouston assist with our boarding and sports programs. setting is both a challenge and from Robert Gordon’s College in Aberdeen, This has been working so well for five years an opportunity; challenging in the school where Hugh is Headmaster. that Hugh and I believed it might be valuable that so much is unfamiliar (even Now, 4 months after the completion of the for the two Heads to do a similar thing for the accents!) but also providing exchange, I have been able to reflect on a school term. With the support of both the opportunity to explore new just how valuable and successful the project Governing Councils and Senior Management, systems and practices. Without a has been and, most importantly, how such we initiated what is believed to be the first doubt, both Hugh and I learned a relatively simple idea has refreshed and “Principal Swap” between Australasia and the much from each other’s schools reinvigorated my passion for Scotch, in United Kingdom. and we have assimilated plenty of particular, and enthusiasm for education The rest is now history and I food for thought. It was incredibly in general. The idea was born out of the can state, unequivocally, that this rewarding to be able to share exchange of graduate students between our our thoughts and impressions respective schools. Each year Scotch sends has been the most stimulating back in Adelaide over five days four Year 12 graduates to Robert Gordon’s professional learning that I have in October. ever undertaken. 4 ...I have been able to reflect on just how valuable and successful the project has been and, most importantly, how such a relatively simple idea has refreshed and reinvigorated my passion for Scotch, in particular and enthusiasm for education in general. 02 03 New strategic opportunities for both schools unseasonally cool summer (the wettest arose out of our conversations and already recorded!) and the quality of life in the north some have been put into practice. I was east of Scotland is as good as any place that I particularly impressed by the high academic have lived. Perhaps my Scottish ancestry had standards demanded in the Scottish a little to do with my affection for the land of Qualifications System and the methods many fine malt whisky and haggis! schools were using to regularly monitor and Tim Oughton report on student achievement. Their target Principal setting and tracking of individual student achievement was most effective and is something that we will incorporate into our new digital Learning Management System 01 Heather & Tim with the Robert Gordon's College Captains in 2013. Craig Brownhill & Caitlin Reece We made many friends in Aberdeen; the 02 Tim & Heather in the "heather" warmth and generosity of the Aberdonians during their time in Scotland more than compensated for the rather 03 Tim with his Robert Gordon's colleagues. 5 Council Update 01 This is my final report as Chair of Council of his enthusiasm. Tim and his wife Heather are Projects such as the new Rosevear Governors at Scotch College. As previously a real team who are now part of the Scotch Boarding precinct are only advised, from 1 January 2013 the new Chair community. Tim is also well supported by possible through the continued is a current parent, Raymond Spencer. My his Senior Management Team and the very philanthropic support of the position on Council is being filled by Old capable and dedicated staff of the College. Scotch community. Collegian and current parent, Andrew Freeman An example of the strategic vision of this The Council has also overseen (‘80). Mr Freeman is also a current member of Council was the balanced and forward and supported our dedicated the College’s Finance Committee. The Council thinking decision to expand and improve our educators in the development consists of a dedicated team of volunteers who Boarding facility in tough economic times of our curriculum. The Council donate their time and significant expertise when many other businesses were being encouraged Tim to take to the College and our wider community. conservative. After careful analysis and sabbatical leave in 2011 and These talented people are not only diverse but planning, the Rosevear Boarding Precinct was supported his decision for strategic in their thinking and as a body rank successfully opened with full occupancy in a Principal Exchange with equally with a top-notch Board of Directors. January 2011. This was arguably the biggest Robert Gordon’s College as key The 2012 Council team is pictured above and project ever undertaken at Scotch since our strategies to further develop our for more information please go to their profiles forebears decided to create this magnificent future educational offering. Many on the College website. College. This project not only delivered a of you would have met Hugh My 4 years as Chair have been very rewarding functional and vibrant building which set new Ouston during his stay as Visiting and it is pleasing to leave the College in standards for our boarders and has become Principal. Our staff and community such good shape. Tim Oughton has been the new benchmark for boarding facilities, have already benefited from this our Principal for 6 years now and Council is but also has been a commercial success ground breaking exchange. The delighted with his leadership, tenacity and delivering more than 40 extra students. College’s Executive will continue 6 02 04 03 to have a strong and forward thinking focus 20% of the College’s funding comes from various advisory committees. to ensure our educational offering remains State and Federal sources. Any reduction in Expressions of interest can be leading edge and world class. Scotch is proud the real levels of funding support from the sent to the College’s General to be a leader not just in how we deliver our government has a direct impact on the fees Manager Finance & educational offering but also in ensuring that the College must charge. In recent years Administration, Trevor Johnson our educational offering is designed to meet the College has taken significant steps to ([email protected]). the challenges of the future and prepare our contain the College’s operating costs and I wish the College and the Scotch children to be leaders when they venture from we will continue to look for cost efficiencies community well in the future. Scotch into the wider community. that do not compromise the quality of our educational offering. While our recent fee Ross Haslam (’63) Another strategy related to our Chair of Council (2009 - 2012) educational offering and the well-being increases have been by necessity higher than we would like, they have been at the lower of our people, is the appointment of 01 2012 Council of Governors - end of increases by our competitors. As part Andrew Monk to assist our College Back (L-R): Principal Tim Oughton, Executive in the provision of leadership of the Council’s ongoing strategic review of Philip Paterson, Peter Tulla (’83), and support in the continued our operations, there will be a review of the Phil Camens (’76), Chris Codling College’s organisational structure in the first (’60).