Great Scot September 2018 Gt Scot_154_September_online | Page 24

Middle School
Ms Katrina Stalker – Head of Middle School
An exciting time of transition
in Middle School
MS KATRINA STALKER
HEAD OF MIDDLE SCHOOL
BOTTOM LEFT: YEAR
8 TEAM BUILDING
EXERCISES. BOTTOM
RIGHT: CELEBRATING
SPORTING
ACHIEVEMENTS
24
We conducted our annual Year 8 Outdoor Learning
Program at Toolangi and Eildon during Term 2. As
often happens, the weather turned rather wet and cold
for this event, but the boys met the challenges of rafting
on the Goulburn River in good humour and camping
under canvas with resilience. They came through trust
and nerve exercises very well on the high ropes and
abseiling course, and were challenged to question their
views on minority groups within our society.
The learning program is designed to build
on the core skills we cover in class, of teamwork,
communication and thinking strategies in an outdoor
setting. It is an experience on which the boys will reflect
in years to come.
The talent in each form was on display in the public
speaking component of the inter-form competition.
Ronan Ahl won the Year 7 competition with Tej Verma
coming a close second. Max Kaiser won the Year 8
competition with Hudson Schwarz second.
Congratulations to the Year 7 Da Vinci Decathlon
team for qualifying for the state finals. Accolades
should also go to Tom Farrer (Year 6), Thomas
Kluckow, Jonathan Harper and James McGrath (all
Year 7) who won a bronze medal in the under 14 teams
All Schools State Cross Country Championship; and to
Jagga Smith (Year 7) who was selected in the Victorian
under 12 Australian Football team.
There will be a new shape to the Middle School
from the beginning of 2019, with the Form Teacher
playing a more significant role in the academic care of
each boy in Years 7 and 8. From next year, the Form
Teacher will remain with the boys throughout their
two-year journey through Years 7 and 8, and will be
YEAR 8 OUTDOOR LEARNING PROGRAM – RAFTING ON THE GOULBURN RIVER
the primary person charged with the responsibility of
guiding each boy in the form through the academic
and social challenges of the middle years of schooling.
The Form Teacher will have oversight of the
academic care of each boy in his or her form, ensuring
he is well known and nurtured throughout the course
of his time in Middle School. Most importantly, the
Form Teacher will become the first point of contact
with the School for boys and parents. Year 7 boys will
have a team of teachers, as they do now. However, in
Year 8, although the Form Teacher progresses with his
or her form, so remaining the core pastoral unit, there
will be far greater mixing of boys across the timetable.
This will create diversity and a new dynamic within
subject classes and help to ensure boys interact with a
greater number of boys within their peer group. This
mimics the Year 9 experience.
As part of the restructure, the Heads of Years 7 and
8 have been replaced by a Coordinator of Operations
(Middle School) and a Coordinator of Transition
(Middle School) and Deputy Head of Middle School.
We are very fortunate that Mr John Prior, Head of
Year 8, and Mr Tony Glover, Head of Year 7, have
enthusiastically agreed to undertake these new roles,
and will bring their vast experience and knowledge to
the roles to ensure the success of the change.
The Head of Middle School role will also change,
and will focus more on developing the boys’ voice
within the Middle School; but it will also continue to
promote resilience and respect within our programs.
It is an exciting time of transition which I am sure the
boys will embrace.
Great Scot Number 154 – September 2018