MIDDLE SCHOOL
MS KATRINA STALKER HEAD OF MIDDLE SCHOOL
A FOCUS ON WELLBEING AS THE BOYS RETURNED TO SCHOOL
It was a very special day when cheerful Year 7 voices could be heard around the central bench in the Quadrangle once again . After experiencing Term 3 and much of Term 2 in remote learning , as they returned to Scotch on Monday 12 October to resume their classes with their peers , the boys were full of excitement . The Year 8s returned two weeks later , re-establishing the vibrant ambience of the Quadrangle classrooms . Some of the boys struggled with remembering to wear a mask , but they were overwhelmingly very grateful to be back at school .
While most boys coped exceedingly well with the remote learning environment , helped by the diligent care provided by their form and subject teachers , clearly this was a struggle for some , and these boys received extra in-class support in both English and Mathematics classes .
The focus for the boys ’ return was very much about their wellbeing , and on helping them to re-establish friendships and the rhythm and expectations of learning in a classroom . The transition , understandably , was not an easy path for some of the boys as they rejoined us at school , but , as testimony to their resilience , they soon settled happily into normal routines .
Various activities were organised to help this settling-in process , including a treasure hunt organised by School Captain , Will Dixon , and an inter-form sport competition . The Man Cave organisation once again delivered its excellent program to Year 7 and Year 8 in November , which focused on helping the boys to connect ( and reconnect ) with each other , and to support others in their journey through adolescence to manhood .
The Year 8 Big Ideas lectures resumed , aiming to broaden boys ’ minds and alert them to the need to show understanding and empathy , with a powerful presentation on the deplorable effects of the Holocaust . In a slightly different format from other years , the Respectful Relationships Program was delivered in Term 4 , covering features such as the dangers of
Good nature , adaptability and resilience were in evidence
stereotyping , appropriate use of the internet , and legal issues surrounding inappropriate usage .
Although there were many aspects of the Middle School program which the boys could not experience because of the pandemic , we take pride in the efforts of our staff , and particularly in the goodwill and camaraderie of our boys , that important aspects of our social and pastoral program goals were beneficial in helping boys as they prepared for the end of the year .
Despite the challenges of ‘ real world ’ competitions , many boys shone in the remote world . Christopher Lim ( Year 8 ) achieved a perfect score in the CSIRO Bebras Challenge national coding competition . Joseph Pan and Witter Onggara ( both of Year 7 ) were placed second in Victoria in the Years 7 to 9 division for their concept of using AI for the collection of data after a natural disaster . Gevin Kankanamalage ( Year 7 ) was awarded a bursary in the creative writing section of the Victorian Science Talent Search .
The Debaters Association of Victoria season went online in 2020 , and a team of challenge debaters from Year 8 – Ned Sutherland , Sami Samiee , Geoff Liu and Tom Farrer – with Marcus Wong ( Year 9 ) formed a team to debate at D grade level . They made it to the finals from the Wednesday evening series , which was particularly impressive given that they were largely a Year 8 team in a Year 9 competition .
Our plans for next year have included a transition webinar for the boys of Year 7 , 2021 . Will Dixon hosted the online event with Hugh Hasker ( Year 8 ) and Hamish Heine ( Year 11 ) answering the wide range of questions posted by the boys we look forward to welcoming to our School next year .
It has been quite a year , to say the least ! We congratulate our boys on their good nature , adaptability and the resilience they have exhibited , both in remote learning and on their return to the Scotch campus .
12 Great Scot Issue 161 – December 2020