Boarding

Mr Jordan Owenell

Boarding

Scotch Boarding has had a fantastic start to 2021. There is a real vibrancy around the community, and our new structure is working well.

The term certainly got off to a strange start in our first week. No sooner had we concluded our orientation weekend for our new boarders on Sunday, than Premier Mark McGowan announced the COVID-19 lockdown, and we asked all our boarders to return home! Thankfully the boys were all back on deck in week two and raring to go.

At the start of this year, we realigned our boarding houses more closely with our sub-schools. We now have two distinct residences for our boys, a Middle School Boarding House for boys from Years 6 to 8 and a Senior School Boarding House for Years 9 to 12. We have divided Senior School Boarding into two ‘clans’, with each having boys from Year 9–12. We have named our Clans after two of Scotland’s most famous castles, using the symbolism of castles to represent boarding. Our two Clans are Stirling and Blair, and I urge our community to look up the history of these wonderful Scottish castles. Old Scotch Collegians would be familiar with a vertical boarding system from back in the days of Brisbane, Anderson and Keys Houses and, I am sure, could appreciate the friendly rivalry that comes out of it. We have been able to strike up a new trophy for our Clash of Clans competitions normally held on a Friday night or Sunday afternoon, alongside a barbecue, throughout the term. These competitions are organised and run by the Year 12 boys, and, so far, we have enjoyed mini golf, volleyball and indoor soccer. The atmosphere for these friendly competitions is always good, and the staff have enjoyed being able to step back and watch the older boys lead the way.

Regarding Middle School Boarding, we have been very excited about our new refurbishment project in the Middle School House. The living space is transforming into a more open-plan space, which will be incredible for our boys. We are also rebuilding our downstairs bedrooms to slightly increase our capacity and provide a more modern facility. The building project is set to conclude in July, and the boarders will move into their new home in Winter Term.

I have thoroughly enjoyed getting out on the road and visiting families in their local communities. It is one of my favourite aspects of the role, and I encourage all current families and Old Scotch Collegians to keep an eye out for when we are visiting an area near you. Headmaster Dr O’Connell and Richard Hales recently made Scotch’s annual trip to Albany, visiting families and celebrating our Year 12s completing their Bibbulmun Track journey. I recently visited Manjimup and Frankland River and look forward to visiting families in the Wheatbelt, Pilbara, Mid West and Kimberley in the coming months. Our boarding families in the Mid West and Wheatbelt are particularly in our thoughts in the wake of Tropical Cyclone Seroja, which has affected so many.

Scott Galipo at the Katanning Agricultural Show

Middle School boarders on their first day of school

Mrs Mia Sullivan with Year 7s Jack Smith and Oliver Keamy in the Middle School Boarding House

We wish our community all the very best in recovering from the cyclone’s damage and hope that this year’s seeding and harvest have not been too adversely affected, not to mention the damage that has been done to properties. Please reach out to the College if there is anything that we can do to help.

I also want to make a special mention of our international boarders. Some students in our boarding community have been unable to visit home since January last year and have shown incredible resilience to be away from their family for so long. I feel for the parents who have been unable to see their sons. One small token that we have been able to do this year is to celebrate Chinese New Year as a boarding community and hear from some of our students about their home life and traditions. This was an initiative from a couple of our students themselves, which was fantastic to see. We invited our local Chinese community members to a special dinner and presentation – a real highlight of last term. I would like to formally extend my gratitude and support to our international families. Finally, I am excited to announce that we have recently appointed a new Indigenous Student Programme Coordinator. Mr Micheal Spratt joins us, having spent five years at Wesley College helping to facilitate their programme. Micheal is a former boarder himself and recognises the challenges that many of our boys face living away from home and the wonderful opportunities our College offers boys from regional areas. Micheal is a fantastic young man who will make a significant impact on our programme and in the lives of our young Indigenous students.

I thank our staff for all the work they do to enrich the lives of our boys and the countless hours they put into their work. We have a great boarding community at Scotch, and we look forward to exciting times ahead.

This year in the Boarding community has been very different from past years.

We have decided to go with a totally different structure and have shifted the Year 9 boarders into the ‘big house’. We now have two Clans, led by Mr Mellor and Mr Hales. James Holtham is the leader of Blair Clan, run by Mr Mellor, and Darcy O’Halloran is the leader of Stirling Clan, run by Mr Hales.

The Boarding leadership group has been putting in a lot of work for the boys to have the best experience possible. So far this semester, we have held a lot of fun activities and games, not only by ourselves but with fellow schools so the boys can build a better connection with peers and people from other schools. Events included a Chinese New Year dinner, barbecues with Presbyterian Ladies’ College, quiz nights and more.

However, the most interesting activities would have to be the Clash of Clans events, which take place between the two Clans. So far, we have had three clashes, with mini-golf and soccer going to Stirling Clan and, more recently, volleyball, which was won by Blair Clan.

This year so far has been amazing and will only get better as it goes on. The younger boys now feel more aligned, closer and more comfortable with the older boys. This is what we wanted, as it builds a better connection between the younger and older years and highlights how inclusive we are as a boarding school.

Brenton Macauley Captain of Boarding