Weekly eNews
Ross Featherston
Headmaster, Brighton Grammar SchoolYesterday we celebrated the 142nd anniversary of Brighton Grammar, remembering Dr Crowther who opened the school gates at 163 New Street, Brighton.
At our Founder’s Day Chapel Service, Prefect House Captains helped us to honour our history by taking part in the Beat the Buzzer quiz, with School House claiming victory with their knowledge of the School.
Secondary School students and staff were joined by 33 members of the Pendennis Chapter (Old Boys of BGS 60 years on) and heard from Rev. Charlie Fletcher (OB 1990), Senior Minister of All Saints who, when asked what his advice would be for our current students, said ‘Be braver, make the most of your opportunities, be guided by love not fear. There is always hope’.
This annual celebration reminds us that we are all part of a larger narrative at BGS that extends beyond our individual experiences and reinforces our sense of community.
As I mentioned last week, a sense of engagement across all areas of the school, with reference to sport, supports the learning and wellbeing of our boys.
To that end, a strategic review of the APS Sport program is underway, to ensure that it remains relevant to the changing needs of students while respecting its heritage. As a member of the subcommittee that is managing the review, I will keep you informed as this important work unfolds.
Engagement will also feature in the first of the 2024 Crowther parent programs, the Year 7 Ready to Learn workshop which I highly recommend to Year 7 parents.
Simon Angus
Deputy Headmaster, Head of Secondary SchoolHappy Birthday to BGS! 142 years of teaching boys is certainly something to be celebrated and I feel honoured to be a part of the legacy of our great School.
Our Long Day Program recently commenced for the Year 12 students in the Hancock Wing. Year 12 boys can stay and are supported to work in the Hancock Wing each afternoon until 7.30pm. We continue to have strong numbers attending and I encourage the Year 12s to take advantage of this great program.
In Assembly last Wednesday we recognised the academic endeavours of our top performing and most improved students from 2023. Congratulations to these boys for their outstanding academic achievements.
Our newly appointed House Captains, who are also recognised as School Prefects, will have one of their calendar highlights tomorrow as they lead their respective houses at House Swimming held at MSAC.
With the introduction of two new Houses, we expect competition to be hot as they strive to get their Houses on the honour boards for their first ever House event.
Good luck Fairweather and Melville!
Meliora Sequamur.
Happenings and Reminders
- Please note academic classes commence at 9.00am on Thursday mornings.
- Parent Teacher Student Discussions will be held Thursday 29 February and Monday 4 March. School will conclude at 1.00pm on these days.
- House Swimming will be held Friday 16 February.
Academic Colours
Among the many opportunities and responsibilities our boys have, academics is first amongst equals. It is important to celebrate the effort, discipline and achievement of our boys.
Last week we recognised our top-performing academic students from 2023 with three separate awards, Half Colours, Full Colours and Academic Endeavour.
Half Colours are awarded to students in the top 10% of the cohort and Full Colours are awarded to the Dux of the year level and to students who are placed in the top 5% of the cohort for three consecutive years.
We also recognise that celebrating improvement is important, with our Academic Endeavour Awards recognising the top 5% of the cohort for improvement in their academic results.
Congratulations to all award recipients and to all students who contribute to the strong academic culture of the school.
Patrick Sanders
Associate Head of the Crowther Centre, Curriculum and Assessment
Music at BGS
It is great to hear music filling our corridors again across the School this week with instrumental lessons and ensemble and choir rehearsals! To top this off, we have one of the highest numbers of enrolments in instrumental lessons I’ve seen in my time at Brighton Grammar.
There is significant research available on the correlation between Music with academic success and emotional connection, and we look no further than three of our last four School Duxes – Jaikob Akinci, Jerry Chen and David Yang – all exemplars of Positive Masculinity, who continued with instrumental lessons and ensemble participation until completing Year 12.
For further reading and viewing, we encourage parents and carers to look into Dr Anita Collins’ work through her Bigger Better Brains programs.
To enrol in instrumental lessons, to join an ensemble or choir or for more information, please contact Music Administration or (03) 8591 2258.
Jared Furtado
Director of Music
SchoolPix Photography Orders
We have introduced a new online platform for purchasing photographs with SchoolPix.
Families now have the choice to buy individual, class and co-curricular team photographs of their sons.
An email containing further instructions and a unique ID code will be sent to parents from ‘BGS Secondary School’ next week.
From Reverend Waterhouse
Wednesday this week was called Ash Wednesday, which marked the beginning of the season of Lent, a period of forty days before Easter (excluding Sundays).
Christians have traditionally observed this time with fasting and penitence, where there is space for self-reflection, in preparation for the later commemorations of Good Friday and Easter Sunday.
In Luke’s gospel, we are told that Jesus resolutely sets out for the city of Jerusalem, where he knows he will be handed over to the Roman authorities: ‘They will mock him, insult him … and kill him. On the third day he will rise again’ [Luke 18:31-33].
Such events, while evil, were not outside of the control of God. In fact, the Son of God was destined to die as a suffering servant, fulfilling the promises made years earlier to Adam and Eve, that one of their descendants would one day crush the serpent’s head (representing the defeat of death).
This Lenten season, I encourage you to read a biblical gospel afresh and reflect on the remarkable love of Christ for us.