Mrs Maria Hodges
Head of Junior School Scotch Odyssey Pastoral Care is of the highest priority at Scotch, and it underpins all we do in the Junior School to ensure our students’ wellbeing is nurtured and supported. The relationships between teachers and students is key in facilitating self-esteem, social skills and ensuring our children feel valued and safe. In turn, this leads to the best holistic approach to academic, social and emotional growth. Recognising and praising children when they have made a great choice is one way we acknowledge effort and build confidence. For example, we want to acknowledge and reward children when they are persevering, demonstrating effort or resilience in a situation, or supporting a friend. The Scotch Odyssey is an initiative that works to reinforce these skills and encourage children.
Jax Jayasinghe and Reid Warrick (Year 3) on their way to collect their Fergus stickers in their diaries
Embarking on an Odyssey Meet Fergus. He is new to Scotch Junior School this year, and he wants to take his new Scotch friends on an odyssey throughout Scotland to discover the amazing land of the Scots. Boys can journey through Scotland by working hard inside and outside the classroom to earn paw-print stamps in their Junior School diary from Fergus. Each time they earn six paw prints they arrive at the next destination on the map. Fergus and I add a sticker to the boys’ diaries at each destination. There are 15 destinations in the Odyssey and thus 15 stickers to collect. Those who complete the Odyssey can travel to Headmaster Dr O’Connell’s office to receive a very special treat, entrusted to him by Fergus.
18 | junior school
