Schools should be intimate communities: gross principal of Scotch College Adelaide

The point of view was shared by Dr. John Newton with Vietnamese parents in the recent seminar Talk with Scotch AGS organized online by Scotch AGS Monolingual International School.

Dr. John Newton, gross principal of Scotch College Adelaide, poses for a photo with a student. Photo by Scotch College Adelaide

‘Village’ of knowledge

Scotch College Adelaide is a hundred-year-old school located on a hill in the state of South Australia with city views and many green patches. Students are able to study and live in a clean, environment-friendly atmosphere.

Many people liken the school to a village. In that village, knowledge is not only limited to the classroom, but also extends to extracurricular activities in many fields like sports, music, drama, science…

Scotch College students can participate in many extracurricular activities like sports, music, drama, and science. Photo by Scotch College Adelaide

For example, the school has just held a medical conference on campus with the participation of experts from many major universities to present their outstanding research. As a result, students can understand the practicality of the subjects, and contribute to the organization of events.

In the social – business modules, Scotch College Adelaide often invites politicians to exchange information or organizes talks with entrepreneurs about the business field, the market, entrepreneurship. Online seminars with many famous universities give students a space to receive up-to-date knowledge, said Dr. Newton.

The school also orients and encourages students to actively participate in social activities, both contributing to the community and creating a close bond among students. The quality of learning is thus improved, forming a lifestyle of study in a special village.

I believe every school should be a warm, welcoming community. We connect with young people through organizing such special events, said Dr. Newton. In the classroom, we teach a high standard curriculum combined with activities that help children increase their knowledge and prepare them for real life.

Mind-opening projects

Dr. Newton said many experiences are designed to expand thinking and evoke humanity in each student.

For example, 5th graders at Scotch College Adelaide have learned about topics like peace and many global challenges. Students will be given one week to complete project assignments related to the above topics. The results are surprising as many groups of students demonstrate an understanding of current world issues, and at the same time accumulate problem-solving and teamwork skills, said Dr. Newton.

In high school, the school designed a unique project called on-site learning. The school built an agricultural farm. There, many species of animals and plants are raised and grown not only for teaching agricultural subjects but also for subjects on nutrition and natural resources. The program on the farm also helps students practice to improve their physical and mental health.

We view mental health as one of the core values of the curriculum at Scotch College Adelaide. Mental health helps students enhance their sense of well-being and improve academic achievement through hard work through personal and positive attitude committed to accomplishing goals, said Dr. Newton.

At Scotch College Adelaide there is another valuable form of companionship. According to Dr. Newton, about 20 groups of parents are often invited to visit the school to promote sports, cultural activities or raise funds. Whenever there is an event, parents are actively involved even though they may be busy with their work as they are all successful businesspeople, doctors, and lawyers.

Parents drive to school to watch sports, see plays. Or parents visit the school for many other reasons. We always take the time to talk and listen to parents, Dr. Newton said. We appreciate their values and contributions to the school. This also contributes to building a knowledge village like I mentioned.

Scotch College Adelaide is about to appear in Vietnam, starting with the launch of Scotch AGS International School in 2022. The Scotch AGS training program for students in grades 1-12 includes the globally recognized Australian Baccalaureate – SACE.

With the orientation of training each student to become a global citizen, possessing leadership capabilities and lifelong learning capabilities, Scotch AGS focuses on exploiting the full potential of academic, cultural, musical and intellectual intelligence.

Students will develop in an environment where mental health is a priority, they are encouraged to learn, and community values are promoted. Scotch AGS will also empower students in self-study and prepare them for further study at top universities around the world.

For information on Scotch AGS, see more here.