Building a toolkit for the future

Building a toolkit for the future

Head of Boarding Mr Jordan Owenell

The years that boys attend boarding school, typically from 11 to 18 years are so important in forming their identity as an adult.

It is a critical phase in their lives and the level of trust that is invested by our parents towards our staff is incredible. It is a responsibility that we take very seriously in boarding. Raising young men during their adolescence requires a multi-faceted approach. Most importantly, it requires a calm and patient disposition and a positive outlook. It also requires a commitment to active listening, to pick up on cues and to empower boys to be agents of their own destiny. This is not a stage in the boys’ lives where they react well to direction that ends in the phrase “because I said so”! You can, however, couch advice in the phrase “trust me”, but that trust needs to be genuine, and it is built over time. Luckily in boarding, we have time on our side!

At Scotch we take our boarders through a number of wellbeing initiatives that are aimed at character and identity formation. Our Middle School boys and our Year 9s engage in weekly conversation circles in the boarding houses, led by our school psychologists, where they address a number of topics in a safe and supportive space and they are encouraged to speak up and to support one another.

The boys discuss topics such as homesickness, bullying, how to be a good friend, and risk-taking behaviour such as vaping. They are presented with facts by experts, and they are encouraged to discuss the topics openly and respectfully. We have found that it is empowering for the boys and it brings them closer together.

In Years 10 and 11 the boys go through a series of workshops that we run in collaboration with an organisation called Tomorrow Man. Boys are led through topics on masculinity, both stereotypical ideas and emerging ideas, and then empowered to forge their own path forward. In Year 12 we focus on giving the boys life skills that can be helpful to them as they move beyond Scotch. We have run a workshop skills course this year teaching the boys basic carpentry and metal work skills. We have also engaged with a company called Student Edge who run online courses on topics such as finance management, leadership skills, aligning your purpose with your career, and the importance of EQ in the workplace. This term we are running a cooking course with the boys.

Our plan is to expose the boys to a wide range of ideas and experiences throughout their time in boarding that help them to be confident and true to themselves, to work hard, to be compassionate towards others and to expand their comfort zone by trying new things. We do this by working closely with parents and boys to build a trusting and respectful relationship.

Kalib Dempster-Park Captain of Boarding

It’s quite surreal coming to the end of my boarding journey.

Boarding has become such a big part of my life and I have loved my time here. At the end of holidays and long weekends I really look forward to getting back to the boarding house and seeing all my mates. I don’t think it can be overstated how close you become with some of the kids in the boarding house. They feel more like brothers than mates. Boarding has shaped me into the person I am today and has taught me a lot of valuable life skills. I’ve been so grateful to have the opportunity to lead the boarding community this year and I have really cherished the opportunity.

I would like to thank the whole boarding community on behalf of the boys for how everyone has dealt with such a unique year. Firstly, I would like to thank parents as COVID-19 has been unpredictable and it may have been challenging for some families to come and pick up their son if he became infected by the virus or a close contact. We all really appreciate the sacrifices the parents must make and without their dedication the boarding community may have been affected even more widely by COVID-19. I would also like to thank

the boys for the way they have approached this year. It hasn’t been a normal year and COVID-19 has thrown up a lot of challenges and made life in boarding very different. Even though restrictions can be frustrating it’s important we adhere to them as they are in the best interest of the community and keeping everyone safe.

Boarding has been an incredibly valuable experience for myself and my peers. The opportunity to come to Scotch and to help contribute to the culture of the School in its 125th year has been very rewarding.