Scotch Reports Issue 174 (April 2019)

Rising to the Challenge
Over the Christmas break, my family and I
were kidnapped by the Mafia. We managed
to work our way out of a locked cage,
through a reinforced metal door and into
a sitting room decked out with codes and
hidden messages. Trying every trick we
could think of, we finally managed to break
through into the final room. The time ran
out; we didn’t escape.
Naturally, I am referring to the Newton
family’s experience of an Adventure Room
on Rundle Mall, where we were challenged
to escape from the Mafia in 90 minutes.
My Vito Corleone imitation was not called
for, no-one made me an offer I could not
refuse and there was no sign of El Chapo.
But what a fascinating insight I had into the
problem solving and leadership skills of my
kids. New environment, new challenge, new
angle on the Newton psyche. And the stars
of the show were not the ones I would have
anticipated…
Challenges bring out the best and the
most surprising things about our students.
Discomfort zones are all over the College
as we try to develop self-reliance,
teamwork and project management skills
in our charges. We shine a light on every
part of their characters so even the least
confident learn something of themselves.
A case in point is last year’s academic
results which placed us once more
among the elite performers at SACE. We
are so proud of Matthew Giddings, the
single top performer in the state. These
students showed just what a community
of superb Year 12s can do, supported by
knowledgeable staff, when faced with one
of the most difficult challenges of their
school life.
There are many reasons for the impressive
ATAR scores Scotch graduates achieve,
but I am not alone in my belief that the
delivery of our wellbeing programmes,
and the authentic culture of care for each
individual, are two big reasons we continue
to see improvements in this area. Our Year
12s have, for some time, achieved results
above expectations and have done so
with real calm and focus. In my 30 years
of teaching, I reckon the methods, as well
as the outcomes, complement each other
here better than anywhere.
I feel it is also fair to posit that one of
the reasons students in general endure
serious mental health issues in study and
around exam times (and increasingly at
university), is because they have little sense
of the purpose of this energy and stress,
beyond an entry on their CV. Note that in
the UK, one in three first year university
students shows symptoms of mental
health problems, and the number of new
recruits to tertiary education reporting
psychological disorders has increased by
73% in 4 years (The Times).
There is little focus on the why of
education. Experts and those on the
ground alike tend to focus on the what and
the how. They take the why for granted,
leaving many students bemused and
ill-directed. Our wellbeing and service
learning programmes in particular have
played a key role in exploring what it is
all for, and I am confident that another
cohort of Scotchies has departed Scotch
with a sense of purpose, equipped to be
the world’s next group of problem solvers
and leaders.
A centenary is yet another challenge, to
which we have risen thus far with aplomb.
A range of infrastructure projects over the
break, many supported by the magnificent
P&F, presages a major building period
in the College’s life. We are seeking to
honour this wonderful school with a set of
plans to transform the Junior and Senior
programmes, supported by excellent
facilities. You will hear more anon (and
may already have an inkling of what we are
trying to achieve), but I am convinced that
Scotch will rise to the challenge of taking
our offer and our campuses to new levels in
the coming two years or so. These projects
will make an impact well into the future and
well beyond South Australia.
The College’s voice will also be strong in
our centenary celebrations. We did not
know how popular the notion would be
of inviting Old Collegians to send us one
hundred stories for one hundred years.
We need not have worried. Once more,
this remarkable community exceeded all
expectation and fed us tales of such depth,
meaning and range that the next Scotch
Reports will give way to the telling of those
special stories.
All of this is not just about 2019. I ponder
what they will say in 2029, when the
cognoscenti, the perceptive and the
insightful look back on this moment of
Scotch’s life. Here is what I hope they
will say…
That to ignore an opportunity to take the
College to another level of sophistication
and impact, to take for granted its current
position in terms of brand and reputation,
to bury its talents of gold in the ground
rather than investing in new and innovative
resources, to pass up the chance to do
something spectacular - this would have
been a betrayal of 100 years of history,
blood, sweat, tears, planning, intelligence
and educational calling.
The College, I hope they will say, made
the most of their opportunity. It assessed
its talents and abilities, was true to its
values, celebrated is specialness, shared
its culture and values, and set out on a
journey to write the name of Scotch more
prominently in the Australian public’s
imagination. They were a beacon to any
that seek to push the bounds of what a
school should do.
Our aim is to inspire those who believe
that there is far more to education than
passing exams or winning sports fixtures –
important as they both are. It is a privilege
to work with a senior team, with teaching
and non-teaching colleagues, and with a
Council and set of Committees who believe
in this great vocation.
It is also humbling to be at the helm of
a College in such a strategically strong
position and to oversee a school with such
heart, such resolve and such vision. Quality
oozes out of every pore of this place and as
the team faces this challenge, so we rise,
we answer, and we deliver.
JOHN NEWTON
Principal
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