Have a crack!
At the Year 12 Prize Giving Assembly a few weeks ago, high-performing students in Years 11 and 12 were awarded books by School Council Chairman Peter Ickeringill and addressed by Gary McPhee, who has taught at BGS since 1985 (when there was only one female member on the Senior School academic staff!)
Gary marvelled at the changes that have occurred over the last 33 years, including the comprehensive Outdoor Education program based around the transition of boys into men, the implementation of Visible Learning and the teaching of goal setting. “None of this happens by accident and it is testament to the vision of the leadership team.”
Gary noted that the Class of 2017 will leave an indelible mark in the history of BGS, even though not all of them received an award at the Prize Giving. “Each and every one of them will leave Brighton with a strong sense of community, some degree of academic, cultural and social advancement, improved self-confidence and a feeling of belonging. Brighton boys look after each other.”
He challenged future Year 12 students: “So don’t just nod your head. Set a goal. Aim to do something new next year, try something, have a crack! If you are going to be a part of the BGS culture, then fully immerse yourself in it.”
Special prizes for 2017 went to the following students:
The 1967 Prefects’ Games Prize: Oliver Barden
The Wellbeing Ethics Belief Prize: Mitchell Dekker
The Peter Goodall Drama Prize: Steven Alesi
The Philip Kondelos Music Prize: Ned Wright-Smith
The H. V. Mitchell Essay Prize: Ben Durkin
The R. W. T. Cowan Prize for Public Speaking: David Lawlor
The Brighton Grammarians’ Lodge Prize (in memory of Ivan Stedman): Nathan Murphy
The G. D. Hird Memorial Prize: Elliott Ayers
The A. and H. Bottomly Citizenship Prize: David Lawlor
The R. M. Millar Prize (formerly the MASCO Prize): Lachlan McCormack
The Noel Thomas Memorial Prize: Zachary Warren (pictured above with Gary McPhee)
The W. A. Clarke Prize: Julian Ou
The R. F. Waring Memorial Prize: David Lawlor
The Jim Fraser Memorial Prize: Rob Tongs
The Selwyn Noall Memorial Rhodes Prize: Ben Durkin
The Prize for the Vice-Caption of the School: Branko Skocic, Oliver Barden
The OBGS Prize for the Captain of the School: Ben Durkin