UPPER SCHOOL
MR TIM RAYNER HEAD OF UPPER SCHOOL
STEPS ON THE WAY TO A BRIGHT FUTURE
TWO DIVERGENT BUT SIGNIFICANT EVENTS OCCUR EACH JUNE
ABOVE : SCENE FROM THE YEAR YEAR 12
12 DINNER DANCE
This year we have welcomed three new Heads of House to our Upper School . Ms Piva , Mr Karakoussis and Mr Evans all bring with them the experience and care to fulfil their important duty . Since its introduction , some 13 years ago , a number of teachers have held this position , but all have done their upmost to ensure the boys in their House have thrived .
There is no one template for each House . All have slightly different approaches , and yet there is a fierce loyalty to their House from the boys which , when channelled , can lead to some exceptional experiences and outcomes , such as the House Choral Competition or Family Day , occasions which bring out the very best in the boys .
Now moved in the calendar to June , the Year 12 Dinner Dance takes boys and staff out of school to a venue where all are allowed to shine , at least sartorially ! It is one of the final steps before leaving Scotch and embarking on a new adventure . The energy and excitement at the event are always palpable . Chatter between groups of young people is incessant and when the time comes to dance , well , good luck in finding a spot on the dance floor , although the much older heads , the teachers , take some persuading .
Our new venue , Centrepiece , at the Tennis Centre , has proven to be a great move , with up-to-date facilities and space . Four hundred and fifty teenagers need space and , as befitting our young folk , a suitably grand red-carpet entrance , heralded by two Scotch pipers . The year video is shown and much like Cannes , opinions are proffered as regards its quality and content . Photo opportunities and selfies abound along with sessions on the dance floor . It ’ s hard to put a value on such a
night in terms of wellbeing and connectedness . It ’ s also one of those nights when the adults in the room realise just how much they have aged !
The antithesis of the Dinner Dance also occurs in June . All students studying a Units 3 and 4 VCE subject have to sit the General Attainment Test ( the GAT ). According to the Victorian Curriculum Assessment Authority ( VCAA ), who oversee the test , ‘ it is a pen-and-paper test of general knowledge and skills taken by students in the course of completing their senior secondary studies .’
There are several purposes behind the test . One is to ensure that VCE assessments are accurate and fair , data from the GAT being used to assess the students ’ academic ability and to ensure they meet standards . Another is to act as a safety net in case a student is unable to sit one , or several , of their final examinations , usually due to illness . In this case the data from the GAT is used to help derive a final Australian Tertiary Admissions Rank ( ATAR ) score .
Such is the importance of the GAT , the VCAA has now extended its length from one to two examinations , both occurring on the one day . Other than looking at and practising previous examination papers , there is not much more a student can do to prepare , although it ’ s fair to say our boys as a whole tend to do their best and take the task very seriously .
It ’ s a mammoth task to organise , and Mr Hawkins , our VCE Coordinator , has to manage numerous external invigilators as well as ensuring papers and rooms are ready . However , the effort is worthwhile , as sitting the GAT allows our students to be assessed fairly . That ’ s particularly reassuring to know .
www . scotch . vic . edu . au Great Scot 23