Weekly eNews
Ross Featherston
Headmaster, Brighton Grammar SchoolAs I often say, our greatest investment as a school is in the quality of our staff. Their ongoing development is key to ensuring the best possible outcomes for your sons’ academic and personal growth.
This week, I joined a number of senior staff at the IBSC Australasian Regional Conference, hosted by Hale School in Perth.
The theme ‘Leadership and Learning for Social-Emotional and Academic Wellbeing in Boys’ strongly aligns with our priorities at BGS including our Positive Masculinity (+M) and wellbeing programs and staff development focus.
Sessions explored strategies how to support boys’ emotional growth, academic motivation and sense of purpose, underpinned by insights from the latest IBSC global research.
It has been a valuable and affirming experience for our team, and we look forward to continuing these important conversations within our own school community.
A highlight was keynote speaker Ben Walden, who we’re very excited to welcome to BGS tonight for his presentation Creativity at BGS: Inspirational Leadership, which I strongly encourage you to attend.
Peter Tellefson
Deputy Headmaster, Head of Junior SchoolAt BGS, we have a strong relationship and connection with our sister school Firbank Grammar. We have 51 boys in the Junior School who have a sister at Firbank and all boys from the ELC to Year 6 enjoy a range of opportunities and learning activities, visiting each other’s campus and developing life-long friendships.
In recent weeks our ELC, Prep, Year 1, Year 2 and Year 4 boys have enjoyed a variety of activities with our friends from Turner House. These positive interactions with girls are an important aspect in the development of boys and we greatly value the benefits of the collaboration between both schools.
Over the last two weeks, our Year 6 boys and staff have enjoyed superb autumn weather in the Gippsland Lakes. Whilst on camp, our boys are certainly challenged, at times they are out of their comfort zone, but the support that their classmates, the Year 11 Outdoor Education Leaders and the staff provide is most rewarding to see.
The boys participate in a variety of activities; survivor course, bush walking, bike riding, night walk/games and an indigenous workshop. It’s remarkable to see our boys ‘ready to learn’ in the Outdoor Education environment with emphasis on skills such as time management, being responsible for their own gear, supporting each other and developing their resilience.
I’ve been really impressed with the positive impact and interaction our Year 11 OELP Leaders have had and seeing our buddy system playing out for our Year 6 boys.
Thank you to our Outdoor Education team, Rob Ogilvie, Braeden Hyland, Bianca Bell and Lucy Kervin-McDermott and our Year 6 Homeroom teachers, Rob Bater, Alannah Rowell, Jamie Cooney and Henry Jenkins for their commitment and level of care given to our boys whilst on camp.
Wilson House Happenings & Reminders
- There are a variety of photo days scheduled for this term. Please see information below, further details will be available on the BGS app.
Monday 2 June – Prep – Year 6 Class photos
Wednesday 4 June – Term 2 APS Year 5/6 Sport photos
- Our Junior School Instrumental and Choral Concert will be held on Thursday 12 June, 7.00pm at St Andrew’s Church. Wilson House String Orchestra, Wilson House Concert Band, Training Strings, Beginner Strings, Junior Percussion Ensemble, Junior Guitar Ensemble, Junior Voices, Junior Chamber String Ensemble, Borwick House Choir and selected Year 6 Soloists will be performing. Boys are to wear their full winter uniform and need to be seated in St Andrew’s by 6.30pm. Further details will be available via the BGS App.
- Our Prep – Year 2 boys look forward to hosting their Grandparents and Special Friends on the following dates from 9.45am to 10.40am:
Year 2 – Thursday 19 June
Year 1 – Friday 20 June
Prep – Thursday 26 June
- Parking inspectors are actively patrolling the area. Please ensure you follow parking signs to avoid potential fines.
Annual Giving Appeal
The BGS Annual Giving Day will take place next week on Tuesday 27 May. Parents are reminded that, for the cost of a gold donation, boys may wear casual clothes to school on that day.
Visit the Enriching Minds Appeal to learn more or to donate online.
Amelia Barrow
Director of the Early Learning CentreQuite often it is the unexpected and spontaneous conversations that surprise us the most. It is the morning conversations with the boys that we look forward to with great enthusiasm.
The unscripted and unrehearsed which prompts the most exciting topics and engagement from the boys. It is during these unconstructed moments when the boys feel calm and alert that they are most eager to share thoughts and ideas with their teachers and peers.
Although the art of open conversation seems a simple practice, it is a very important component to a child’s development, as it opens opportunities for using language and entering dialogues. It teaches children to construct a good understanding of reciprocal rights of others and requires both listening and contribution when participating within a group.
We thank our parents for their time this week, joining us in the beautiful Lower Primary classrooms for Parent Teacher Interviews. We value these open conversations about your son’s development and setting new goals for the rest of the term.
Parenting Tips
Helping your child succeed
We all want our children to live life to the fullest, wherever it takes them. There are four skills you can nurture that will help them along the way. Read more below from clinical psychologist and family therapist Andrew Fuller.
Olivia Tims
Junior School Psychologist
BGS Business Breakfast
Our next BGS Business Breakfast on 16 June features guest speaker Joshua Ball (OB 2013), co-founder of Farmers Pick.
Joshua will outline the journey of this subscription-based service that delivers unconventional yet fresh produce directly to consumers, promoting sustainability and reducing food waste. Since inception, Farmers Pick has saved over 10 million kilograms of produce and expanded to a team of 120 employees.
Join us at the Royal Brighton Yacht Club to hear how Joshua and Farmers Pick continues to have a positive impact on both the environment and the economy.
Extend School Holiday Programs
