Dear Parents,

The last two weeks have highlighted to me the depth of character and the quality of students this College produces. Conducting scholarship interviews, watching our separate Athletics Carnivals and joining a number of our Winter Sport presentations has shown not just dozens of wonderful examples of commitment and contribution, persistence and pure endeavour, mateship and respect but has also indicated the sheer number of boys right across the school who display these qualities.

Last week was a sea of colour across our playing fields as all three sub schools held their Inter-House Athletics Carnivals. It is one of the few weeks of the year that has the whole College, K-12, doing the same activity at the same time. When we combine the colour and range of events with great weather and the sensational venue we have it is one of the special feel good weeks of the year. I wonder who else could pull off three separate Athletics Carnival over four days, and add to this a Pipe Band performance on the Saturday, to the calibre that we do?

My grateful thanks to the hundreds of parents, grandparents and family friends who came down to the oval and watched, encouraged, cheered and congratulated their boys on doing their best regardless of place or the colour ribbon they earned, if any at all. The hush that surrounds the starters gun and the building wave of noise coming from the stands and the hill as the racers head to the finish line, it makes for a special atmosphere. Thank you.

This year the following Houses will have their names engraved on their trophy:

• Junior School: Bruce House, back to back to back: three years in a row.
• Middle School: Gordon House, back to back to back: three years in a row.
• Senior School: St Andrews House, ending a decade of Keys House dominance on the track.

During the week our Boarders gave up their Dining Hall to a series of Winter Sport Dinners. Mr Foster and I attended a number of Winter Sports end of season functions that celebrate the physical, social and emotional joy of playing a team sport. Speaker after speaker; student, staff, coach and special guests spoke of the satisfaction of being part of a team and the camaraderie that is generated and exists long after a season finishes and for our Leavers long after they leave school. One of the key messages to emerge from each of these evenings was aimed at our departing Year 12's: "if you have come from or belong to a sporting club, please return to it, if you haven't, please find one!" The benefit of team sport is not gained through reputations or records for wins or losses, nor premierships and medallions; it is the social networks and the qualities of trust and reliability cultivated in this shared activity that are the real benefits. To the parents in the supporter's groups, your behind the scenes work is not always seen, but without it we would not get close to offering the quality of experience we do for our students during Winter Sport. Thank you once again.

To round out an exciting fortnight I sat on interview panels that helped select the annual PC Anderson and the WR Dickinson Scholarship winners. These scholarships recognise the contribution of our two longest serving Headmasters and are awarded to Year 11 students about to start Year 12. They recognise the depth and breadth of a student's involvement in all facets of College life. It was the most difficult yet heart-warming task I have been involved with, listening to the stories, aspirations, perspectives and the grateful recognition of the opportunity to be at Scotch College described by each boy. Please join the College and the families of PC Anderson and WR Dickinson in congratulating the following boys on their selection for these Scholarships

• PC Anderson Scholarship: Stewart Wallace, Keys House
• WR Dickinson Scholarship: Jack Knobel, Ross House

Mr Richard Ledger
Acting Headmaster