Scotch College

Senior School staff leaving Scotch

Words: NEVILLE TAYLOR

Laurie Humphries

Coming from Wesley College, Laurie was appointed in 1984 as an English teacher at Scotch. In the ensuing 24 years, he taught English to Year 9 to Year 12, and for a brief period Year 9 History and Year 8 French.

Laurie quickly stepped into leadership roles at Scotch, becoming DAV Debating Co-ordinator (1991 and 1992), coordinator of Year 9 English (1995 to 2000) and Year 10 English (2002 to 2004); and since 1989 he has been Head of Fleming House.

Cricket occupied his summers at Scotch from 1989 to 2005, and then junior football teams became his winter sport interest from 1985 to 2000. Until 1995 Laurie worked with the canoeing group in the Adventure Program, and since 1996 he has been with Social Services.

Laurie rates his coordination roles, the development of the English curriculum, the compilation of the film glossary and the writing of units on Film Study as the academic areas that gave him most satisfaction. He has gained immense satisfaction coaching debaters, running canoe camps, coaching sporting teams – especially the Under 12A cricketers who were the 1989 Team of the Season. Laurie is looking forward to touring Europe early in 2008 and retaining contact with Scotch through replacement teaching.

Chris Appel

Chris Appel’s first teaching appointment was to the Mathematics Department at Scotch in 1993. During the past 15 years he has taught mathematics at all year levels and played a major role in the development of teaching teams at Scotch.

Chris was a Year 7 form teacher in his first three years, and then became Head of Forbes House from 1996 to 2000. For the period 2002 to 2004, Chris was Head of School House before becoming Head of Year 7/8 in 2005.

Chris has always been involved in swimming, being teacher-in-charge in 1999 and 2000; and football, where in recent years he has been an assistant coach of the First Eighteen. On joining the Scotch staff, he became a member of the Scotch College Cadet Unit, was Second-in-Command for the years 1996 to 2000, and ended his time with the unit in 2004.

Being Head of Year and his interactions with students and staff are rated as his most satisfying achievements at Scotch. Chris moves on to take up the role of Head of Middle School at the Brighton campus of St Leonard’s School.

Heather Lacey

Coming from the VCE School of the Council of Adult Education, Heather was appointed in 1998 as a Politics and International Studies teacher at Scotch. On arrival she was a tutor in Littlejohn House for five years, before becoming Head of Davidson House in 2003.

For all of her 10 years at Scotch, Heather has been a stalwart of swimming and diving – becoming teacher-in-charge in 2000. Winter sport has seen her involved with cross-country running for four years and the Year 8A football team in 2002, as well as one season with water polo in 2000. Heather has also supervised our students at Broadmead Hostel as part of the Social Service Program for her 10 years here.

Heather lists among her most satisfying achievements her VCE results, Davidson’s wins in House Chorals (2003) and Debating (2003 to 2007), the APS Swimming and Diving premiership in 2001 and being runners-up in 2007. She leaves Scotch to take up a part-time History and International Studies teaching role at St Catherine’s School.

Sam a’Beckett

Sam was at Brighton Grammar School before being appointed to teach English at Scotch in 2001. He has taught English at all levels, English Language to Years 11 and 12, and Year 7 History.

Sam has been teacher-in-charge, Public Speaking (2002 to 2005), and teacher-in-charge, English Language, for the last five years. He was a Year 8 form teacher in 2001, before becoming a Fleming House tutor for 2002 to 2004. In 2002 Sam became a tutor in School House, and in 2005 was appointed Head of School House.

On arrival at Scotch, he became an officer of cadets with the Scotch Unit and is currently officer-in-charge, C Company. Sport has seen Sam working with Year 9 and 10 cricket teams and Year 9 football teams.

Sam has gained great satisfaction from the area of public speaking – the creation of Year 9 to 12 awards, becoming a cock-house competition and involvement in external competitions. The consolidation of English Language into the curriculum and excellent personal VCE results in the subject, as well as his leadership of School House have also been his rewards. Sam leaves Scotch to become Senior Leader of Coolock, the Year 10 to 12 campus of the Catholic College, Bendigo.

Bradley Wells

Bradley took up his appointment as Head of English in 2002 after coming from the position of Head of English at Hutchins School, Hobart. He was a boarding tutor in Arthur Robinson House in his first year at Scotch, a Year 8 form teacher during his first three years, and then became a tutor in Morrison House – acting as Head of House during most of 2005.

Bradley has been coach of the highly successful Year 10B VIII, and had two years with Under 14 and 15 rugby teams. He transferred from Hutchins School Cadet Unit into the Scotch College Cadet Unit as a company commander before becoming Bandmaster and OC of the Military Band in 2004.

For the past four years Bradley has been a member of the Common Room Association Executive.

The development of the English Department, rowing successes and the Military Band UK tour this year have provided his greatest satisfaction while at Scotch. Bradley leaves to become Head of Senior School at Scots College, Sydney.

Stuart Harridge

Stuart was at St Leonard’s School before being appointed in 2003 to teach History and Politics at Scotch, and has taught History from Years 7 to 12 and Year 11 and 12 Politics. He was a boarding tutor in Arthur Robinson House in his first three years at Scotch, and a Year 7 form teacher since 2005.

Sport has seen Stuart working with Year 8, 9 and open cricket teams and Year 9, 10 and open soccer teams. In Services he has been active in the Year 8 Hike Program, Year 10 kayaking and the Year 10 Leadership Program.

In 2004, Stuart took on the roles of teacher-in-charge, Satura, and Scotch staff representative on the VIEU, and in 2005 he accompanied the 8th Scotch Himalayan Expedition. This year he initiated the inaugural Scotch trip to the Garma Festival in the Northern Territory.

Providing pastoral support to Year 7 students and assisting VCE students, working with students on their own publication (Satura) and the Garma Festival visit have been Stuart’s highlights at Scotch. He leaves to complete his master’s degree in international politics and pursue interests in the political arena.

Madeleine Coulombe

After working in educational research at the J Paul Getty Trust, Los Angeles, Madeleine was appointed in 2006 to Scotch’s Language Department. She has taught French to Years 7, 8 and 10 and English to Year 7 and 10, and this year has been 7F’s form teacher.

In sport, she has worked with the junior swimmers, Year 7 basketballers and has been teacher-in-charge of the Cowes-based Years 7 and 8 basketball camps in both 2006 and 2007.

Madeleine has been involved in the Mews Aged Care Facility in Services, and has been backstage in five dramatic productions in her two years here. She has been a public speaking adjudicator at all levels and a Scotch Literature Festival Committee member. Her involvement in extracurricular activities including lunchtime French conversation classes has provided Madeleine with her greatest satisfaction while at Scotch. She leaves to teach English at Ivanhoe Girls’ Grammar School and also pursue higher academic studies.

Durga Kamte

Durga was appointed from private enterprise to the library staff in October 1999. In 2006 she was appointed to a teacher librarian position. Durga has taught information literacy and most recently, using her skills and past experience, to teach French to Years 7 and 8.

She has worked with the Year 8 tennis players and the Year 7 basketballers, and the Hawthorn Library and Refugee Tutoring Program in Social Service during the past two years. Durga regards her involvement with her sports teams, refugee tutoring, the Scotch Public Speaking Program and the Tuesday Book Club for staff and senior students as the highlights of her time at Scotch. She leaves to become Head of Library and also teach English at Marcellin College. GS