Weekly eNews
Ross Featherston
Headmaster, Brighton Grammar SchoolWith the right guidance and encouragement, every young individual has the potential to lead in some aspect of their life. The values, skills, and principles instilled during their early years play a vital role in shaping their personal achievements and provide them with a strong foundation for future success.
Tomorrow our Junior School leaders will be inducted at St Andrew’s Church and I am grateful to these boys for putting themselves forward to take an active role in our school community. School leaders can help to create and maintain a positive school climate which supports the learning and wellbeing of all our students across the School.
A reminder that we are seeking parent participation for our Harmony Project, designed to help our young people develop a more harmonious relationship with technology. The School welcomes your important feedback on this issue by completing this short parent survey.
Finally, the Community Open Day of The Duigan Centre on Saturday 1 March from 2.00-4.00pm will be an opportunity for all to celebrate the opening of this wonderful new educational learning environment for our boys and I hope to see you there.
Simon Angus
Deputy Headmaster, Head of Secondary SchoolOur Parent Teacher Student Discussions begin today, with a second session scheduled for Monday. These meetings provide a valuable opportunity for students to engage in meaningful conversations with their parents and teachers, reflecting on their progress and setting academic goals for 2025. We encourage all students and their families to participate actively to help ensure a successful year ahead.
This Saturday we have the official opening of The Duigan Centre, an exciting opportunity for our community to explore this outstanding new facility. We look forward to welcoming families to see first-hand the exceptional learning environment where our students will be studying.
Next week, our Year 10 students head to Eumeralla for the Awake Program, a unique experience designed to support their mental and physical wellbeing. Mornings are spent developing skills in activities such as surfing, pottery, golf, mountain biking, trail running, and Jiu-Jitsu, while afternoons focus on strengthening House connections and engaging in wellbeing practices such as yoga, zine-making, journaling, and meditation.
Timed just before their transition into VCE, the program provides an opportunity for students to reflect on their experiences and develop valuable life skills in a picturesque coastal setting.
Meliora Sequamur.
Happenings & Reminders
- 27 February, 2.00 – 8.30pm – Parent Teacher Student Discussions
- 1 March, 2.00pm – Community Open Day – The Duigan Centre
- 3 March, 2.00 – 8.30pm – Parent Teacher Student Discussions
- 10 March – Labour Day Public Holiday
- 12 March, 4.30pm – Upper Strings Solo Soirée
Leadership Conference
Last week, School Captains and Vice-Captains from across Bayside attended the St Leonard’s College Leadership Conference, centred around the theme ‘Dare to…’. The conference featured inspiring keynote addresses exploring what it means to Dare to Inspire, Dare to Innovate, and Dare to Be Vulnerable.
Through collaborative workshops, student leaders shared insights and strategies to bring these values to life within their own schools. It was a valuable opportunity for students to connect, challenge their perspectives, and refine their vision for leadership in 2025.
Amy Atchison
Head of VCE Programs
Music Camp
Every year, around February, our students head off to the annual music camp at Rutherford Park Country Retreat in Blampied. This year, 99 students from 6 music groups (including Intermediate Big Band, Senior Big Band, Corelli String Orchestra, Secondary String Orchestra and Ten Tonners) gave up their Sunday and Monday to prepare for upcoming concerts.
Working tirelessly in rehearsals, all of the young musicians are determined to achieve the best in the upcoming performances. Read full report from Woody Wu, Year 8.
Outstanding Performances
Our School’s athletes delivered exceptional performances at the recent Athletics Championships, bringing home multiple medals and achieving outstanding personal bests.
Our athletes demonstrated incredible perseverance, skill, and sportsmanship, competing against some of the best in the country. A special congratulations to Leopold Reeve for setting two national records and earning a place in the upcoming Australian National Championships.
Read more from Lachlan Connell, Head of Athletics.
BGS & FGS Student Council
A Voice of Change, a voice of passion, a voice of the students.
Last Wednesday afternoon, both the Brighton Grammar and Firbank Grammar Student Councils met to collaborate and discuss ways of working, events, ideas and ways in which they could work together more effectively. With all students from Years 8 to 12 actively participating, it allowed the council members to not only learn about different administrative processes but also to learn of new leadership styles that each school embraces.
This collaboration of ideas and experiences helped both groups grow, broadening their understanding of how leadership and student involvement can vary, yet still be impactful in fostering school spirit and success. Nicholas Michele (Year 11) reports further.
Prioritising Student Safety
Ensuring the safety of students commuting on e-bikes, scooters, skateboards, or bicycles is a shared responsibility, and we ask parents to help prioritise their child’s wellbeing during their travels to and from school.
Please ensure your child follows these safety tips: wear a properly fitted helmet, follow traffic rules, use designated bike lanes, and stay mindful of pedestrians. Bright or reflective clothing is recommended for visibility, and distractions like phone use should be avoided while riding. Students are responsible for locking up their bikes, and we recommend using strong, durable locks for security.
We also ask parents to be mindful of students riding to school when driving on the road or in parking lanes. Thank you for keeping our community safe.
BGS Business Breakfast
Our next BGS Business Breakfast on 19 March features guest speakers Thomas Burns (OB 2016) and his sister Anabelle Burns, founders of Femmé Organic.
Owning and operating their small family business, Thomas and Anabelle are on a mission to inspire change and simplify the market by providing plastic free, organic, sustainable and biodegradable sanitary care products.
They are already making waves, stocking with large retail companies such as Priceline and partnering with businesses such as TLC Healthcare, Grill’d, KOOKAI, Cotton On, RACV and more.
Join us at the Royal Brighton Yacht Club to hear their story, from inspiration to concept, setbacks, criticism and now the thriving business that Femmé Organic is today.
The 2025 Ross Williamson Scholarship
The Ross Williamson Scholarship, provided and subsidised by the Anglican Diocese of Melbourne, is a bursary for boys whose parent/s are experiencing financial hardship.
The scholarship is open to boys over 13 years of age, who are baptised members of the Anglican Church and whose parents are in need of monetary assistance for providing their son’s education at an Anglican school in Melbourne or its suburbs.
To apply, parents need to complete this form and email it to headmaster@brightongrammar.vic.edu.au by 14 March 2025, marked Confidential: Ross Williamson Scholarship.
BGS Generations, including Uncles!
The BGS Generations program acknowledges boys with BGS heritage including sons, grandsons, great-grandsons and, more recently, nephews and grandnephews of Old Boys. In recognition of these ties, boys receive a pin to wear on their blazer.
The 2025 presentation of Generations pins is coming up soon so, please ensure we know all your family connections by completing this form here, if you haven’t already.
This includes brothers, fathers, uncles, grandfathers, great uncles, and great grandfathers.
The School is always delighted when an Old Boy enrols his son at BGS, especially if the Old Boy himself is a second generation BGS student.
Please note:
When determining third or fourth generations, there is no distinction between paternal or maternal grandfathers and great grandfathers.
Uncles and their nephews will receive a ‘Generations Family’ pin in the absence of any other Old Boys in their direct lineage.
If you have any questions, please email Alumni & Community manager, Kate Speirs
From Reverend Waterhouse
Last weekend, it was a treat to be able to attend the Secondary Music Camp for the two days at Rutherford Glen and hear the various orchestras and ensembles fine-tuning their craft. It’s this kind of hard work which ultimately leads to us enjoying the harmony of both voices and instruments at various musical events at school during the year.
We are blessed with a lot of talent at the school and I am especially partial to the Big Band jazz sound!
During the bus ride back to school, as I drifted into a state of semi-sleep in the hot afternoon, I was reminded of a delightful quote by the famous German reformer, Martin Luther: “Next to the Word of God, music deserves the highest praise. She is mistress and governess of those human emotions … For whether you wish to comfort the sad, to terrify the happy, to encourage the despairing, to humble the proud, to calm the passionate, or to appease those full of hate … what more effective means than music could you find?”
King David in Psalm 95:2 declares: ‘Let us come before the LORD with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song.’
God is indeed worthy of our musical praises in all its forms: hymns, songs, choruses, madrigals, concertos, ensembles, symphonies and even jazz solos.
