The Roar - Issue 24 Term 3 2025

Contents

Head of College - Mr Richard Ford

As a co-educational school, we love the opportunity that we have to provide the whole family with a community they can be part of that reflects the co-educational nature of the world into which students graduate. In addition, we value the opportunities our students have to participate in a range of events, particularly through HICES (Heads of Independent Co-educational Schools).

This week, students were part of two HICES events, Junior School HICES Athletics and Senior School HICES Music Festival. Our athletes shone in their respective events, and of particular note were the achievements of Leanna Klower, Isabella Carter, Peggy Hunter, Ella Hunter, Chelsea Abel, Patrick Lenehan and Nicholas Lenehan.

Equally impressive were the performances on Wednesday evening in Sydney Town Hall of thirty of our musicians. These students had been accepted through audition to combine with over 400 student musicians in a diverse array of ensembles and choirs. Following a few days of intensive rehearsals while away on camp, the staff involved managed to inspire in students an evening of breathtaking performances. Thank you to all staff who were involved in supporting these two HICES events.

Another important partnership the College has is with Yachio Shoin School. The sister school relationship dates back to 1992, and for the third consecutive year post-COVID, we welcomed this week 41 visiting students. Thank you to Mrs Denise Nelson for her coordination of this visit and the work Mr Adams is doing to prepare for our reciprocated visit this coming holidays.

For Junior School students, today was a wonderful celebration of books and the adventures books take us on. Thank you to Mrs Davis and Ms MacKay for their organisation of today’s activities and the Book Week events that are still to come. Year in and year out, it is terrific to see so many Junior School students enthused about books!

This coming Saturday, the ISA 1st XI soccer team are heading to Sydney to play in the grand final at Macquarie University. Remarkably, last weekend the College’s 1st teams across Rugby, Hockey, Netball and Soccer all had a win. The soccer win was particularly exciting for the students as it reflects the significant growth and development of the team since it entered the ISA competition for the first time last year. This weekend, we also wish our musicians well on Sunday as they compete in the State Band Championships.

Mr Richard Ford
Head of College

Chaplain

I’ve bought and sold a few cars in my life. Almost without exception, I’ve sold them for less than what I paid for them. Usually, I’ve sold them because I no longer wanted the car’s problems to be my problems! Yet despite those problems, I’ve managed to write ‘creative’ advertisements, which probably exaggerate the car’s strengths, whilst conveniently ignoring its troubles.

We do it selling cars. We do it selling houses. And often, we do in the way we present ourselves. We choose which parts of the truth we want others to see. Naturally, we hide or ignore our flaws because we’re ashamed, embarrassed or insecure. This tendency to patch over and paint our flaws – to use the car metaphor – is deeply human. We do it because the rejection of others is painful. But is there a way to find freedom from this need to deny the less positive aspects of who we are?

One of the most remarkable things about the message of the Bible is its complete honesty; God sees who we truly are – even the things we hide from others. And yet instead of condemnation, God offers complete forgiveness through Jesus.

One aspect of our College value of truth is this idea that we might all grow to be people who are honest about our mistakes, aware of God’s grace and willing to extend that same grace towards others. I imagine that a community like this would be refreshingly different, in a world where we’re too easily tempted to put on false pretences, act judgmentally and avoid genuine connection. May God help us to continue to grow to be that community.

 

Senior School

Yachio Shoin – Japanese Visit
We welcomed our visitors from Yachio Shoin on Wednesday. Our Year 10 students got to meet in person the ‘buddy’ that many had been communicating with via email and other electronic platforms over the past weeks. It was such a joy to see new connections being made and stories being shared between the students. Along with the 41 students, we also welcome Mr Amakawa and Mr Midorikawa. These gentlemen are teachers of English and Japanese History.

After lunch together, the Year 10 students led tours of the Senior School campus, then the students enjoyed some games in the sports centre and card games in the Aikman Hall. The evening was filled with a dinner with our boarding students and a trivia competition.

For the past three years, we have so looked forward to welcoming our visiting students, and long may we continue this relationship. We, too, look forward to visiting Yachio Shoin in October.

Just this week, a student asked me, “Why do we have this school visit, and are they coming again next year?” The questions are not uncommon as one might think. Many of our students wonder why we go to such efforts to create opportunities for our students like this. The answers are very simple… It is about creating connections, it’s about showing empathy, it’s about gratitude, it’s about learning, it’s about being hospitable, and it’s about kindness and so many other reasons. These are things that cannot be learnt from a text, a video or purchased. They need to be experienced.

Human connection is one of the most powerful tools in reducing depression and other mental health conditions. To hear more on this, I encourage you to listen to an Imperfects podcast (The Importance of Connection – Johann Hari’s tips – TRP@HOME)

Father’s Day Gratitude Breakfast
We remind the dads that on Friday, 5 September, our annual Senior School Father’s Day Gratitude Breakfast is on, and all are invited. Please RSVP (details sent via Operoo and social media) so we can cater accordingly. This is a great morning for creating, building on and renewing connections within our school community. We look forward to seeing our dads and their children.

Mr Justin Adams
Head of Senior School


MTB club ride Orange

The Mountain Bike Club took to the trails in Orange over the weekend to experience some of the best riding in NSW. The group started with the “easy trail” called the trail of awesomeness, and the name did not disappoint, with lots of fun had. The less experienced riders stayed on this run, with those seeking more advanced riding moving onto higher difficulty courses involving steeper and narrower trails.

It was great to have some new faces along for the day. I want to thank the parents who helped shuttle students up the hill and made sure our kids learned how to navigate the challenges safely. The group is focused on preparing to ride at the Schools Championship in Wollongong at the end of the term. We will have a training ride again in a couple of weeks at Bathurst MTB Park.

Mr Luke Gillmer
HSIE Teacher


Sheep Team rises to the Merino Wether Challenge

Nine College Senior School students headed to the NSW School Merino Wether Challenge in Dubbo from 11 – 13 August, joining 600 students from 72 schools in the nationwide initiative designed to give students a practical, hands-on learning experience.

To read the full story click HERE

Junior School

Inter-House Athletics Carnival Results

House Point Score
Mawson: 611 points 1st
Booth: 586 points 2nd
Dunlop: 558 points 3rd
Cowan: 498 points 4th
Cuthbert: 467 points 5th

Age Champions
8 Years Girls: Audrey Middleton Champion, Aaliyah Minhajuddin Runner-Up
8 Years Boys: Brody Klower Champion, River Fardon Runner-Up
9 Years Girls: Peggy Hunter Champion, Isabella Carter Runner-Up
9 Years Boys: Oliver Reeks Champion, Archer Beaumont Runner-Up
10 Years Girls: Savannah Wilkinson Champion, Olivia White Runner-Up
10 Years Boys: Albert Johnston Champion, Ayaan Minhajuddin Runner-Up
11 Years Girls: Ella Hunter Champion, Chelsea Abel Runner-Up
11 Years Boys: Patrick Lenehan Champion
12 Years Girls: Amelia Craft Champion, Jemima Sellers Runner-Up
12 Years Boys: Thomas Roughley and Nicholas Lenehan Equal Champion

HICES Athletics Carnival
On Monday this week, the Scots All Saints College Junior School Athletics team travelled to Sydney to compete in the HICES Athletics Carnival. Congratulations to all the students for some wonderful performances.
Scots All Saints came second overall and first in the Points Aggregate competition.

Congratulations to Leanna Klower, who broke the HICES Shot Put record for 8-10 Years Girls with a throw of 9.56 metres.

Isabella Carter and Peggy Hunter were equal Under 9 Girls Age Champions.

Ella Hunter was the Under 11 Girls Age Champion, and Chelsea Abel was the Runner Up.

Patrick Lenehan was the Under 11 Boys Age Champion Runner Up.

Nicholas Lenehan was the Under 12 Boys Age Champion.

Use of School Play Equipment Before School (8:30 am) and After School (3:15 pm)
Students and their younger siblings are not allowed to play on the School play equipment before 8:30 am or after 3:15 pm unless they are being directly supervised by a teacher.

Sign in for Students Who Are Late to School
Any children who are being dropped off at school after 9:00 am need to please sign in at Front Reception before they go to class.

Mr Chris Jackman
Head of Junior School

Prep School

Prep Wattle

Prep Wattle has enjoyed many exciting experiences within their learning program this term.

We always love the songs and stories from Chapel each Wednesday, which is followed by fun movement activities at P.E.

This term we have been lucky to have had visiting occupations come to our school, and we particularly enjoyed our Dental Visit with Dr Theresa.

Learning through play is always a highlight. The Wattle students enjoyed programming Bee-Bot during ‘b’ week!

Sports

Sports Draw

It was an action-packed weekend for Scots All Saints College, with our grounds buzzing as we hosted the ISA Rugby and Football Semi Finals, alongside Hockey, Netball and Football round matches in local competitions.

Our First XV Rugby team wrapped up their season in dominant fashion with a commanding 32–0 win over St Patrick’s College – a fantastic way to finish the year. Meanwhile, our First XI Football team secured a thrilling 2-0 semi-final victory over Central Coast, booking their place in the ISA Grand Final against St Patrick’s College. We wish the team the very best this weekend as we look to take out the competition.

As the local season nears its conclusion, we extend our best wishes to all our Hockey, Netball, and Football teams as they push hard for spots in the finals.

Junior School Athletics Carnival

At last week’s Assembly, we proudly recognised our Junior School Athletics Age Champions from the recent carnival. Congratulations to all Age Champions and record breakers on their outstanding performances!

8 Years Girls: Audrey Middleton Champion, Aaliyah Minhajuddin Runner-Up
8 Years Boys: Brody Klower Champion, River Fardon Runner-Up
9 Years Girls: Peggy Hunter Champion, Isabella Carter Runner-Up
9 Years Boys: Oliver Reeks Champion, Archer Beaumont Runner-Up
10 Years Girls: Savannah Wilkinson Champion, Olivia White Runner-Up
10 Years Boys: Albert Johnston Champion, Ayaan Minhajuddin Runner-Up
11 Years Girls: Ella Hunter Champion, Chelsea Abel Runner-Up
11 Years Boys: Patrick Lenehan Champion
12 Years Girls: Amelia Craft Champion, Jemima Sellers Runner-Up
12 Years Boys: Thomas Roughley and Nicholas Lenehan Equal Champion

Records

Ella Hunter 11 Year Girls – 100m, 200m, 800m, Long Jump and High Jump

Chelsea Abel 11 Years Girls – Shot Put

Leanna Klower 10 Years Girls – Shot Put and Discus

Nicholas Lenehan 12 Years Boys – 800m, 1500m, Shot Put, Discus and High Jump

Patrick Lenehan 11 Years Boys – 1500m and Long Jump

Thomas Roughley 12 Years Boys – Long Jump

HICES Athletics Carnival

On Monday 18 August, 41 of our students represented Scots All Saints at the HICES Athletics Carnival. It was a hugely successful day with the College finishing second overall and taking out first place in the aggregate points – an incredible achievement!

Special congratulations to:

Nicholas Lenehan, Ella Hunter, and Isabella Carter were named Age Champions.

Leanna Klower, who set a new record in the Girls 8–10 Shot Put with a throw of 9.56m

An impressive 22 students have been selected to represent HICES at the CIS Carnival on Friday 5 September. We thank all staff and parents for their support and wish our athletes the best of luck at CIS.

Central West Schools Rugby 7s

On Thursday 14 August, our rugby teams headed to Apex Park, Dubbo, for the Central West Schools Rugby 7s Tournament, facing off against strong competition from across the region.

Our Under 14s and Under 16s boys and girls teams gave it their all, with several strong performances and well-earned wins. A highlight was our Under 16s Girls team, who drew their semi-final match, just missing out on a spot in the final.

The continued improvement across our teams over the past two seasons is a testament to the dedication of our students and coaching staff. The future is bright for Rugby at Scots All Saints.

Congratulations to all students on their commitment and achievements across a fantastic week of sport.

Mr Beau McClintock
Director of Sport and Activities

Book Buzz

Happy Book Week! We hope you enjoyed our book fair and book parade as we celebrated ‘Booking an Adventure’ together this afternoon on the Junior campus. Keep an eye out for photos of all the great costumes worn by our staff and students.

This week in our K-2 lessons, we continued our exploration of the CBCA shortlisted books. This week, we enjoyed Dave Petzold’s ‘’We Live in a Bus’. We had lots of fun sharing all the amazing adventures we’ve been on around Australia. Meanwhile, Year 5 spent a lesson immersed in the quality picture book ‘The Garden of Broken Things’ written and illustrated by local author Freya Blackwood. This beautiful story about the power of human connection was a real delight to share together.

Book Week will be celebrated on the Senior campus next week after our Year 12 Trials have been completed. See the flyer in this week’s newsletter for information on how students can get involved.

The Roar Recommends

Junior Campus
Younger Readers

We Live in a Bus by Dave Petzold

Older Readers

The Garden of Broken Things by Freya Blackwood

Senior Campus
Junior Readers

Eleanor Jones Can’t Keep a Secret by Amy Doak

Senior Readers

The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han

Happy Reading!

Mrs Angela Davis
Head of Library Services

Events & Announcements

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From The Archives

Vale David Cam

Former staff and students of The Scots School have been saddened to learn of the passing last weekend of David Cam. David was the Computing Studies Teacher and IT Manager at The Scots School for three years from the beginning of 2002 until the end of 2004.

David originally studied Agricultural Science at Sydney University. He was also involved in the Australian Army, where he attained the rank of Major. His military knowledge served him well as Officer in Charge of The Scots School Cadet unit. His time at Scots coincided with changes to the management of Cadets at the School. Past students have remarked during the week that David’s cadet camps were fun because of his good nature and ability to make them interesting.

Information Technology was also changing very rapidly. The internet was growing in usage, speed, and the number of bytes to be moved about. The equipment needed to do this was expensive, and sometimes a cash-strapped small school had difficulty keeping up. However, David’s good humour and patience are remembered by his colleagues as well as his hard work in keeping the network going. His classes were remembered for being enjoyable and productive.

Our condolences go to David’s wife Christine, his children and family.

Mr Andrew Maher
Archives

Photo 1: The Scots School Cadet Corps, David Cam at the 2003 Ceremonial Parade.

Photo 2: The Reviewing Officer for the 2003 Ceremonial Parade was Major Chris Boucher (left), with The Scots School Cadet Corps officers, and David Cam (right).

Photo 3: David Cam and Tim Richards officiate at the 2002 Scots Championship Swimming Carnival.

Calendar

Friday 22 August
Trial HSC Examinations
Yachio Shoin Visit

Saturday 23 August
ISA Winter Sport Finals

Sunday 24 August
State Band Championships

Monday 25 August
Senior School Book Week
Year 10 History Vietnam Dusted Off

Tuesday 26 August
Senior School Book Week

Wednesday 27 August
Senior School Book Week
WAS Athletics Carnival Dubbo

Thursday 21 August
Senior School Book Week

The latest Term Dates can be found on our website HERE

SS: Senior School   JS: Junior School

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