Great Scot December 2017 GreatScot_152_Dec_Online | Page 20

Middle School
Ms Katrina Stalker – Head of Middle School
Rewards and experiences enrich
the Middle School journey
MS KATRINA STALKER
HEAD OF MIDDLE SCHOOL
As Term 3 came to a close, the Middle School
commenced an inter-form athletics competition,
which included many fine performances leading into
Family Day. Although some events were rain-affected
on a rather wet Family Day, there was healthy
competition between all the forms, with victory on
the day going to 8TL and 7TH by narrow margins.
However, the most rewarding outcome of the day
was the work the boys of 8PM did in running their
charity stall. The boys worked together to figure
out how to raise money for charity. They won a
Commerce project competition, which provided them
with the backing to run the stall, and they gave the
money the stall raised to Chipapa Community School
in Zambia.
While most of us were enjoying the first rays
of spring we had some boys still in the throes of
winter, competing in the Australian Interschools
Snowsports Championships. Thirteen Middle
School boys competed extremely well at the event.
William Maisano was first nationally for skier cross
individually, and second in the team event with
William Atwell and William Creswell (all of Year
7). The cross country team of Charles Heyburn,
Frederick Peterson and Oliver McNamara (all of Year
8) also came second at the nationals.
We have continued to run academic programs
to challenge boys this semester. Boys were involved
in coding, Informatics and debating, with many
excelling in a variety of academic pursuits. Andres
Buritica Monroy (Year 8) has been invited to the
Australian Mathematical Olympiad Committee’s
School of Excellence, a camp which trains students
showing potential in mathematics. This is a great
achievement for Andres. We also congratulate
Luis Chan, who has been invited to play in an
international chess tournament at the end of the year.
Earlier in 2017, Leon Fei (Year 7) won the
string section of the Music Society of Victoria’s
Hephzibah Menuhin Memorial Award. The winners
of the various instrumental sections (string, piano,
woodwind and voice) then met on 22 October to
compete for the 29th 3MBS Freemasons Victoria
Performer Award.
Competing against university graduate musicians
nearly twice his age, Leon played with incredible
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energy and focus – despite playing last and having to
sit backstage for many hours. Leon’s musicality shone
through, and the panel of judges deemed him the
winner. He also took out the ‘audience choice’ prize.
Leon travelled to Sydney in late November to vie for
the title of ‘2017 National Fine Music Network Young
Virtuoso of the Year’. It’s a wonderful effort by a boy
of only 13!
By the time this edition appears, we will have held
our inaugural parent information evening on building
successful relationships, aiming to support our boys
in a changing social landscape. This evening informs
parents of forthcoming programs run at Scotch for
Year 8 and Year 10 boys, as well as assisting parents
with the challenges of raising teenagers in the online
world. The Year 8 program, conducted in the last few
days of the school year, has been running successfully
for two years. It looks at healthy relationships, staying
safe and respectful online, and analyses issues such as
media and social messaging.
As the year draws to a close, we wish the Year 8s
well for the transition to the Upper School and the
opportunity this will create. It has been a privilege
being a part of their journey this year, and observing
their progress.
LEON FEI - PERFORMING AT THE 3MBS FREEMASONS VICTORIA PERFORMER AWARD
Great Scot Number 152 – December 2017