Weekly eNews

Thursday 13 August 2026

You may have seen last week’s media coverage highlighting the concerning decline in NAPLAN results across Victoria. 

Our own results, however, indicate that our boys remain well placed. Across the School, our boys performed strongly in Numeracy, Junior School Writing and Secondary School Grammar.

Just as importantly, we have seen significant growth in key areas. In the Junior School, students made gains in Reading and Writing, reflecting the impact of our revised timetable and deliberate focus on Literacy. Secondary School students also demonstrated strong progress, particularly in Reading, Writing and Spelling, reinforcing our teachers’ expertise and their commitment to high performance while supporting the individual growth of each student.

At a time of increasing pressure across the education sector and the wider community, we are especially grateful for the contribution of our staff. Their professionalism, care and commitment are central to the outstanding education and pastoral care we provide the boys.

Finally, there is a true sense of excitement as we head into a significant weekend of APS Winter Sport and VSRU Grand Finals. Our First V Basketball, First XI Soccer, First XV Rugby and First XVIII Football teams have all earned their place in this final round of the competition, with three Grand Finals being hosted at BGS.

I encourage all members of our community to come and support our boys. You can view the full schedule and event information on our dedicated Grand Final Day webpage.

Have a great week.

The House and Buddy systems are two key structures that provide experience for our boys to connect. 

Cross campus initiatives with our big buddies in Secondary School are highlights for our Junior School boys. Year 11 boys visit our ELC and Year 1 classrooms as part of their Psychology assessment tasks, while also attending Junior School Outdoor Education camps.

Year 8 boys adjudicate our Year 6 Debating program, and a number of Year 5 and 6 boys participate in an Academic/Pastoral Coaching program with Year 10 and Year 11 boys. We are also fortunate to have a number of Old Boys involved in our Year 3-6 Sport program.

These interactions with our big buddies enable our boys to see the bigger picture as they continue their journey at Brighton Grammar.

Over the last week we have celebrated NAIDOC week. Boys have participated in a variety of age-appropriate activities. We were fortunate to have Steve Parker, local Indigenous Boonwurrung man, lead a Welcome to Country and Smoking Ceremony for our ELC to Year 6 boys in the creek area.

Steve spoke of his mob, connection to country and the many indigenous languages used across Victoria. He introduced the boys to a variety of different types of indigenous plants and placed the branches on the fire creating smoke and showing respect to elders who passed away.

To conclude the ceremony, the boys walked past the fire and cupped the smoke in their hand, symbolising the letting go of bad thoughts and feelings whilst in the background the didgeridoo and clap sticks echoed.  It was captivating to see the engagement of our boys as they were immersed in indigenous culture.

Wilson House Happenings & Reminders

• This morning all boys from across the school who are competing in the Interschool Snowsports enjoyed breakfast in the Duigan Centre. Our boys were presented with their ‘bibs and passes’, best wishes to our Prep – Year 6 boys who will be competing next week. Thank you to Brittany Richards, Henry Jenkins and Nick Paton for their co-ordination of the team and organisation of the breakfast and to all parents for your continued support.

• Our Prep – Year 6 boys will welcome their dads into the classroom for activities and to celebrate Father’s Day from 8.30 – 9.15am as below:

Prep – Tuesday 1 September

Year 1 – Wednesday 2 September

Year 2 – Friday 4 September

Year 3 – Monday 31 August

Year 4 – Monday 7 September

Year 5 – Tuesday 8 September

Year 6 – Thursday 3 September

• This year’s Book Week theme is Symphony of Stories. The Book Week Parade will be held on Friday 28 August. See app for further details.

• As marked in the BGS Calendar, Monday 17 August is a mid-term break and the Junior School Office will be closed for the day.

• Save the Date – Year 6 Musical – Chitty Chitty Bang Bang JR. – Wednesday 9 September and Thursday 10 September from 7.00 – 8.15pm. We encourage all ELC to Year 6 families to support our Year 6s.  Booking information will be available soon. 

• To accommodate the school community attending the Grand Finals on Saturday, the BGS Uniform Shop in St Andrews Street will be open from 9.00am – 2.00pm.  Please note that the BGS Uniform Shop will be closed on Monday 17 August for the mid-term break.

Student Achievements

Year 6 Debating

Congratulations to the Year 6 boys who participated in a debate against Firbank Grammar students. They demonstrated self-confidence and critical listening skills, as well as being prepared for the roles assigned to them.

Christian, Matthew and Zac argued the affirmative side ‘That parents should provide their children with pocket money‘. Ollie, Harvey and Alex negated ‘That graffiti should be considered art not vandalism’. Stevie and Gus performed well as chairperson. Zac and Harvey were awarded best speakers.

The Year 4 and 5 boys enjoyed seeing a debate in action and gained insight for their upcoming Public speaking competition.

 Prime Minister’s Spelling Bee

Well done to the boys who were nominated for the Prime Minister’s Spelling Bee via Kids News website. The Spelling Bee allows students to complete 30 spelling words in a fun format where they have to aim for accuracy and beat the clock.

The year level champions are;

Year 3 – Finn D

Year 4 – Will R

Year 5 – Hanxin S, Baxter C, Joe W, Harry H and Elliott M – equal 1st

Year 6 – Loukas P and Ray C – equal 1st

Learning through play is always a winning formula and the boys embraced the opportunity to take part in an academic competition.

 Jane Lowe
Learning Support/Enrichment Teacher

 

This week kicked off with our Parent/Teacher Discussions, which, as always, provide a wonderful opportunity for our teachers to share their insights and discuss their observations regarding the boys’ progress and development so far. Thank you to all parents who took time out of your busy schedules to attend.

Our regular Pre-Prep music sessions with Jenni Thom offer a fantastic opportunity for the boys to enhance their confidence, literacy, and numeracy skills. The boys have very much enjoyed these sessions and eagerly look forward to their weekly visits in the Junior School music rooms where they can sing, dance, and listen to musical storybooks.

With Book Week fast approaching, the boys have started delving into the many finalist books and exploring various aspects of reading and writing. We are also thrilled to join the Lower Primary for a Meerkat performance of Dear Broccoli on Tuesday 25 August, and we can’t wait for pyjama day on Thursday 27 August, when we’ll enjoy a cosy day filled with reading and fun indoor activities to celebrate Book Week.

Save the date in your calendars for our Father’s evening on Wednesday, 2 September, for Pre-Prep and Thursday, 3 September, for ELC3 from 4.30-5.15pm, where we will have some very surprising experiences planned for our dads.

 

Parenting Tip

Your kids don’t trust you

The most important line in this article is this one: Trust is the belief that the other person has your best interests at heart.

In parenting, nothing matters more than that your child trusts you. Your child must believe that you want the very best for them. No matter what. But… most of our children don’t believe that.

Read more from Dr Justin Coulson on creating a trusting environment for your children.

Olivia Tims
Junior School Psychologist

 

JPG News

End of Term Lunch

The JPG will again be offering an End of Term lunch for the ELC and Junior School boys on Friday 18 September 2026. Lunch will include a pie, juice and a treat. 

The cost will be $10.00 (extra pie for $6.00). Online ordering is available through Flexischools online ordering system. Orders must be placed by no later than Friday 11 September at 5.00pm – no late orders will be accepted. Please note that normal tuck shop ordering will not be available on this day.

 

BGS Business Breakfast

Join us on Tuesday 25 August as we welcome Nicolas Cann (OB 2003), founder and CEO of Blobfish International and founder of Fur Media, as our Business Breakfast guest speaker.

What started as a simple idea in Australia in 2015 has grown into an international business operating across Australia, New Zealand, the UK and the US, with expansion into Japan and South Korea. Through Blobfish International, Nic helps some of the world’s biggest brands connect directly with consumers through targeted sampling, activations and partnerships.

Nic is also the founder of Fur Media, Australia’s pet-focused digital out-of-home media network, which reaches pet owners through more than 200 veterinary clinics nationwide.

Passionate about entrepreneurship and building scalable businesses from unconventional ideas, Nic will share insights into innovation, growth and creating memorable brand experiences.

Don’t miss this inspiring morning with one of Brighton Grammar’s entrepreneurial success stories. Book now.

BGS+ Swim Race Night

Whether it’s your first time racing or you’re looking to sharpen your race skills in a supportive and fun environment, this is a great opportunity to get involved, challenge yourself, and celebrate the progress you’ve made over the last term. 

Students from Years 2 – 6 are invited to compete at the BGS+ Swim Race Night on Friday 21 August from 6.00 – 7.30pm at the BGS Pool.  Warm up commences from 5.30pm.  Further details and booking information is available via the BGS app.

We’d like to see as many of you there as possible – it’s always a great night for swimmers, families, and supporters alike!

 

Diary Dates

• Monday 17 August Mid Term Break
• Friday 28 August Book Week Parade