Great Scot September 2018 Gt Scot_154_September_online | Page 32

News
Scotch’s relationship with
Tiwi College prospers
As part of Scotch’s Indigenous Partnership Program, our friends from
our partner school, Tiwi College, located on Melville Island in the Northern
Territory, arrived on Saturday 26 May at 6.30am, looking forward to an
exciting week.
Having made the long journey down to Melbourne, and finding the air
temperature 25 or so degrees colder than Tiwi, 16 Year 7, 8 and 9 boys,
accompanied by Mr Aaron Semmens (Senior Teacher, Young Men’s
Class) Mrs Claire Semmens (with baby Bella-Mae), Mr Anthony (Lenny)
Puruntatameri (Teacher’s Assistant), Mr Tim Vea (Family Group Home
Parent), Mr Dion Apuatimi (Senior Student and Cultural Ambassador) and Mr
Fraser Sutherland (‘17 — last year’s Perelberg Award winner) stepped off the
overnight flight from Darwin.
Our guests were billeted by Scotch families in pairs. Now in Year 9, six
of the Tiwi boys had been to Scotch on previous trips but most had not,
and many had not been to Melbourne before. Within hours, the visitors were
first at Scotch and then at AFL football matches in Melbourne, with all of the
group attending the Hawthorn v West Coast match at Etihad Stadium on
Sunday. It was wonderful that Hawthorn star, Cyril Rioli (‘07), was able to sit
with our group, in the stadium, as he was injured and unable to play.
The Tiwi visitors performed a traditional smoking ceremony at School
Assembly on Monday morning, and attended many classes with Year 8
buddies through the week. In addition to their time at Scotch, our guests
enjoyed visiting the Melbourne Indigenous Transition School, the Korin
Gamadji Institute, the National Sports Museum at the MCG, Government
House, the Richmond Football Club, the Melbourne Football Club (where
they attended training and a reconciliation morning tea with the team), the
Essendon Football Club, Bounce (with their hosts) and a thank you dinner on
the Wednesday evening at Scotch. The week at school concluded with the
annual Tiwi College v Scotch 7A football match.
Thanks to the Year 8 host families for extending their hand of friendship,
hospitality and respect, which are the foundations that underpin our
longstanding partnership with Tiwi College. We look forward to a group
of Year 10 and 11 Scotch boys visiting Tiwi College in September and
welcoming the Tiwi students back to the Quad next year.
Having observed the conversations and playful interactions, mostly
around the flagpole at drop off and pick-up, usually involving a football
and plenty of enthusiasm and laughter, it was obvious that the relationship
between our two schools is very healthy.
TONY GLOVER — INDIGENOUS PARTNERSHIP PROGRAM
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Great Scot Number 154 – September 2018