Scotch College

Scotch stops for no one

Over the summer the School was a hive of activity as property, grounds and maintenance staff seized the opportunity to take on new works, make repairs and undertake annual maintenance.

Words: Bill Sciarretta • Property Manager Photography: Tim Shearer and Cloud 9

When staff and students leave for summer holidays, to all intents and purposes Scotch appears to doze – even to take a summer break of its own. All is calm. All is on hold, waiting for the deluge as the boys return for the new School year.

But that’s only an illusion. Scotch really stops for no one.

Scratch the surface during any summer break, and you’ll find that there is a hive of activity, as property, grounds and maintenance staff seize the opportunity to take on new works, make repairs or undertake annual maintenance.

And that’s not all. Out on the grounds and on the river, our facilities are also used for various sports’ summer camps such as tennis, cricket and rowing. Aspiring sportspeople are everywhere.

But busy though summer usually is, the summer of ’06–’07 was an exceptionally active and ambitious period, with a record number of projects taken on and completed before the start of the new teaching year. Among the more significant works were:

Boarding houses

• Arthur Robinson House – refurbishment, stage 1
• McMeckan House, including Year 11 and 12 wings – internal repainting
• McMeckan House and School House, Year 12 wings – completion of window replacements
• Boarders’ dining hall – installation of new coolroom
• Boarders’ laundry – sewer line renewal
• School House, including Year 11 and 12 wings – internal repainting

Senior School

• Senior quadrangle – reconstruction of concrete kerbs and asphalt pavement
• Senior quadrangle – renewal of 12 existing roof turrets
• Littlejohn Memorial Chapel – repairing cracked brickwork and steps
• Science laboratories – renewal of vinyl floor surfaces
• Glenn Centre – renewal of plumbing and tiling to boys’ changeroom showers; relocation of the Collegians office to create a second physical education classroom; internal painting of upper gym and pool surround walls; pool lighting upgrade
• Senior science building – installation of new bicycle racks under the building
• Various classrooms – audio-visual upgrades and installations
• Stormwater drains – cleaning
• Montgomery Field – reconfiguration to create a multi-purpose area for cricket, basketball and hockey
• Monash Drive – installation of an asphalt footpath
• James Forbes Centre – completion of the access road to the boarding house
• Library – alterations to and upgrading of reading room north

Junior School

• Throughout the Junior School – installation of new fire detection and security key systems
• Various classrooms – audio-visual upgrades and installations
• Prep areas – installation of new lockers
• Year 4 classrooms – new furniture

Other projects

Signs – installation of new perimeter and way-finding signage throughout the school

Morrison Street – new student drop off/pick up zone

New tanker trailer – over summer the School took delivery of a 4000-litre mobile watering tanker trailer, which is being used to distribute recycled water throughout our grounds.

As staff and students returned for the start of the academic year, the familiar, serene profile of the Mem Hall, the James Forbes Academy, the Chapel, the trees and the grounds (albeit a little drier as the drought continued) belied the feverish activity which had actually taken place over the summer, in property, grounds, maintenance and sport. Oh, and then there were the cleaners …