PRINCIPAL first and foremost by a spirit that ‘ assumes positive intent ’.
Ultimately we want a workplace where people feel supported to grow and be the best version of themselves . We are exploring new opportunities for supporting staff professional growth and believe that ultimately , students will benefit when our staff are flourishing and our reputation is genuinely known as the best place to work . I must say I had a staff member tell me only last week that since joining Scotch , she has regained a love for her subject and that she now works in the best team . This is a wonderful story that we want replicated right across our community .
SOCIAL MEDIA / COMMUNICATION – MOBILE PHONES
its timetable and began teaching subjects in one semester instead of throughout the year . Will you be adopting this curriculum approach into Scotch ' s education system , and if so , how soon ?
I don ’ t think it is ever wise to arrive in a new context and simply dump everything that worked in one location and expect it to work in another . With the community , I will start to learn and work collaboratively to understand Scotch ’ s specific needs , challenges and opportunities . I am committed to ensuring all boys are challenged and engaged . I want all students to have a sense of purpose about what it is they are doing and I do believe that the community , including OSCA , can play a key role in this space .
2 . How will you continue to foster great teams of staff and teachers surrounding you , and import more excellent resources from outside ?
I like that the question refers to the importance of teams . As I said earlier I love to build successful teams . All Scotch staff are part of the Scotch team and I want to ensure that this team is united and high performing . Ultimately this is about the culture that we build here at Scotch . Our culture should be supportive and caring . A place where debate or healthy conflict is encouraged , and staff are allowed to respectfully disagree with ideas and have their voice heard . Our culture should be one where people ’ s actions are judged
1 . Given the universal use of social media by organisations , schools , companies and individuals in today ’ s world , how do you explain the school ’ s decision not to use these platforms ( to share news , goings on , student activities and successes , etc .) and do you see this changing in the ( near ) future ?
This is an area we will be targeting in the coming years . We will have an online portal for our community that better supports engagement and communication . Watch this space !
2 . I would like to ask if the school will consider banning the use of mobile phones at all times during school hours for Years 7-12 ? This would align with government school policy and policies at other nongovernment schools . As you are most likely already aware , banning mobile phone use in schools has been found by recent studies to be beneficial to students in many ways .
This is certainly a hot topic in today ’ s schools – understandably so . I would like boys to have a voice on this topic . Often people say that boys need to learn how to manage the impulse to constantly look at their device and therefore schools should allow students to keep their phones . However , I see adults who are unable to manage the temptation to constantly look at their phones , so why do we expect young people to manage this impulse amid everything else they are juggling ? I do also worry that this is yet another
distraction for teachers to manage . This is a topic I am interested in exploring with the boys and staff .
3 . In these modern times technology seems to permeate every part of our children ’ s lives . Access to unsavoury content on the internet is relatively easy for youngsters via a plethora of digital devices . What steps does Scotch take to safeguard our boys
8 Great Scot Issue 168 – May 2023