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Issues from 1998
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In the Spotlight Pauline Westmore

Pauline Westmore, Head of Lawson House is the first Senior School interviewee in our new ‘In the Spotlight’ series. Pauline has been teaching at Scotch since 1996, when she was appointed for one year as a senior History teacher and was subsequently offered a permanent position.

She has taught history from Years 7 to 12 and coordinates the teaching of Australian History at Scotch. Mrs Westmore was the first female member of staff involved in football, and was assistant to Barry Price coaching the 7A football team from 1996 to 2010. She is now Teacher-in-Charge of Golf and is also involved in the social services programme.

What do you like most about your job?

Head of House combines teaching and a pastoral role with students and parents. I love the diversity of these roles. Arriving at Scotch each day and being surrounded by students who are often very amusing, occasionally confronting, but usually very interested in learning, is an enriching experience.

What are some memorable incidents in your career at Scotch?

In 2002, Mark Johnston, Bruce Brown and I accompanied a group of senior students to Gallipoli and the Western Front. At Gallipoli, we were taken to the scene of the attack at The Nek, which is depicted in the film Gallipoli. The view from this high point down to Suvla Bay was magnificent.

We read aloud Bill Gammage’s account of the battle from his book The Broken Years, and found it difficult to reconcile the slaughter of 1915 with the idyllic and peaceful scene of the surrounding hills, the deep blue of the Aegean Sea and the perfect sky.

Last year I accompanied a group of Year 10 and 11 footballers to Darwin and the Tiwi Islands. On Bathurst Island our boys played two of the local indigenous teams. The athleticism, enthusiasm, skill and speed of the local footballers, and the carnival atmosphere provided by the local schoolchildren and parents, ensured a wonderful afternoon’s entertainment, topped off by a meal of grilled buffalo that had been hunted and prepared the previous day.

Which student expressions of personal growth impress you?

Two relatively recent initiatives that give our senior students the opportunity to expand their understanding of the world outside Scotch, contributing to personal growth through their involvement are Refugee Tutoring and the Scotch Global Village Programme.

I am impressed with the number of students who have been involved in Refugee Tutoring as a Social Service. This is a difficult task that involves spending two hours each Thursday afternoon with primary school aged children who are refugees, mainly from Sudan. It is quite demanding, and the 20 Year 11 and 12 students involved have to draw on a range of skills to ensure that these young children remain focused and interested.

Last year approximately 24 students went to Cambodia during their vacation to build a house for an impoverished family.

During this year’s July holidays a similar number of students accompanied by Mr Michael Waugh, Ms Michele Linossier and Mr Matt Monaghan travelled to Vietnam to build a house for the underprivileged as part of the ‘Habitat for Humanity’ programme. The students raised the money needed for the materials and their trip.

I am always impressed that students would choose to become involved in this difficult initiative. However, their reward is that they learn much about themselves and life in the process.

How are you involved in student forms of leadership or challenging learning?

As Head of House, it is important to give many students the opportunity to develop their leadership skills by a variety of methods. Identifying specific traits and helping students to develop and gain confidence is imperative in developing leadership within year levels and across the House.

How do you make your ‘own space’ in the busy school week?

My home is my ‘own space’. It is where I relax and recharge. A 6 o’clock walk on most mornings is the time to think, plan and make decisions regarding approaches to difficult problems, and to decide on strategies to teach a particular topic. I play golf (inconsistently) and am a passionate Demons supporter. GS

Updated: Monday 24 June 2013