Weekly eNews
Ross Featherston
Headmaster, Brighton Grammar SchoolToday’s whole-school Premiership Celebration on the Crowther was an opportunity for our community to recognise the commitment, teamwork and school spirit on display across BGS over the past week.
There was certainly plenty to celebrate. Last weekend, four of our First teams competed in Grand Finals, an outstanding achievement in itself. Our students secured APS Premierships in Football, claimed the VSRU Rugby Premiership, while our Basketball and Soccer teams finished as APS Grand Final runners-up. Together with the APS Tennis Premiership earlier this year, these achievements reflect the high performance culture at BGS that values hard work, resilience and collective effort.
Just as importantly, ‘Super Saturday’ was a celebration of our wider community. The energy from the spectators and supporters across the day was fantastic, with students, families, staff and Old Boys coming together to proudly support our teams and our school.
This same spirit can be seen across the school. This week, our Year 8 students have impressed with their creativity and collaboration in iDesign, our dancers have refined their performances for their showcase, our STEM racers have been gearing up for tomorrow’s BGS Cup, and our Junior and Secondary School Snow Sports teams have enjoyed excellent results on the ski slopes.
What stands out across all of these activities is the way our students support one another and work towards a shared purpose, reminding us that the end result comes from individuals contributing their strengths to something bigger than themselves. We achieve more when we work as a team.
Peter Tellefson
Deputy Headmaster, Head of Junior SchoolOur Parent/Teacher Interviews over the past few weeks have provided an opportunity to strengthen links between home and school. I appreciate the time commitment from our Junior School staff and the support of our parents to ensure our boys’ learning and progress remain our main focus for Semester 2.
To raise and educate boys, parents and teachers need to have a significant understanding and appreciation of what makes boys tick. I believe that boys “learn teachers, not subjects”. Our staff work hard to build connections. Teachers must like boys, as approval is at the heart of working successfully with boys. Boys need a sense of connectedness and belonging, to feel a part of ‘the team’. If boys sense their teacher likes them, they will work hard for their teacher and respond positively to their learning environment and daily challenges. We are fortunate our teachers at Wilson House have a clear understanding of what makes boys tick.
Wilson House Happenings & Reminders
- 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.
- 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.
Student Achievements
Year 5 Maths Games Day
Congratulations to our champion mathematicians who competed in the Mathematics Association of Victoria Year 5 Maths Games Day at Penleigh and Essendon Grammar.
The boys enthusiastically took part alongside 84 students in a series of maths challenges including problem solving, automatic recall and strategy games. It was a close competition with Elliott, Will, Harry and George being awarded 9th place and Caleb, Baxter, Shaurya and Darren 11th Place.
It was a wonderful opportunity to represent BGS and showcase their skills in the subject.
Jane Lowe
Learning Support/Enrichment Teacher
Snowsports Results
Thank you to the boys who represented Brighton Grammar School throughout the Victorian Interschools Snowsport Championships. The way you competed, supported one another and represented the school was outstanding. Well done to all involved on a fantastic week of competition.
Congratulations to our JS boys in Divisions 4, 5 and 6 on an exceptional championship campaign. BGS finished 2nd overall in the Primary Boys Schools Championship! BGS finished on 67 championship points, behind Scotch on 152 and ahead of Haileybury on 58, with points scored across Cross Country, Relay XC, Snowboard, Alpine, Moguls, Snowboard Cross and Ski Cross. Second overall in the state which is an outstanding result. This achievement is highlighted by individual and team podium finishes, strong team performances and several National Championship qualifications.
Individual Podium Finishes
🥇 Division 4 Moguls – Felix L
🥉 Division 4 Snowboard Cross – Barry B
🥇 Division 4 Snowboard GS – Barry B
Team Podium Finishes
🥇 Division 4 Snowboard GS Team- Barry B, Hudson K, Jax U
🥈 Division 4 Moguls Team – Felix L, Jack L and Fred P
Division 4 (Year 5/6)
Moguls – A tremendous performance from our BGS athletes. Congratulations to Felix, who claimed Gold in the Division 4 Moguls event after an outstanding finals run. Felix was well supported by Jack and Fred, with the team earning Silver in the Team Moguls event. Jack also finished a very impressive 25th in a highly competitive field.
Snowboard Cross – Congratulations to Barry, who produced an excellent performance to finish Bronze in Division 4 Snowboard Cross. Jasper also produced an exceptional performance. Jasper made the final and finished 13th overall, securing his own place at the National Championships. Brilliant riding, Jasper!
Snowboard GS – Barry was joined by Hudson and Jax, who both performed exceptionally well to help BGS secure the gold in the team event. A huge result for the three boys and BGS.
Alpine GS – BGS athletes skied brilliantly throughout the event. Congratulations to Fred, Felix, Rory and Finn, who finished 6th in the Division 4 Alpine Team event and qualified for the Australian Championships.
Division 5 (Year 3/4)
Alpine GS – The Division 5 A Team of Patrick, Henry, Aleksander and Lewis finished an excellent 10th overall. A special congratulations to Patrick, who finished an outstanding 6th place out of 172 competitors.
Ski Cross – Patrick backed up his Alpine performance with another exceptional result, finishing 6th, just 0.58 seconds behind the winner. Patrick combined with Aleksander and Henry to help BGS secure 9th place in the team event.
Division 6 (Year P-2)
Alpine GS – For many of our Division 6 boys, this was their first Victorian Interschools experience. Congratulations to Ethan, Yuxiang, Hayden and Isaac, who combined to finish an outstanding 8th place in the team event against schools from across Victoria.
Ski Cross – A special congratulations to Ethan, who enjoyed a superb championship, finishing 20th in Alpine GS and 17th in Ski Cross, earning qualification to the National Championships in both events.
Thank you to all of our parent volunteers, team managers, families and staff for their support throughout the week. Your assistance helped make the championships a wonderful experience for all involved.
Congratulations again to all competitors on a fantastic Victorian Interschools campaign. We look forward to following the boys who have qualified for the Australian Championships and wish them the very best of luck.
Henry Jenkins & Brittany Richards
Snowsports Coordinators
Liz Dendrinos
Director of the Early Learning CentreThe impact of reading and sharing stories with children at this age is immeasurable. Switching off screens and opening books helps children explore their imaginations and assists in developing pre-literacy skills, not to mention sparking curiosity. The Junior School library also provides opportunities for the boys to develop good habits for reading and a love for stories. Each week the boys visit this space with excitement, looking forward to searching the shelves for that one magical book.
Our classroom couches are also laden with boys wanting, ‘ Just one more book!’, to be read to them as they snuggle in for comfort. This then leads to the boys wanting to create their own books with tales of adventure and mischief. We definitely have budding authors and illustrators in the ELC.
Whether it’s a childhood favourite, a funny picture book or an inspiring story, parental presence is always welcome within the ELC. Parents make a lasting impression when they take a moment and sit with their boys to read a book. You don’t need to be a performer, just bring your voice, your warmth and a story you love!
Parenting Tip
Navigating screen time
The right amount of screen time can depend on a range of factors such as
- your child’s age and maturity
- the kind of content they are consuming
- the type of activity
- their learning needs
- your family routine and context.
Read more below from the eSafety Commissioner on navigating screen time.
Olivia Tims
Junior School Psychologist
JPG News
Our Village Australia Coat Drive
The JPG are collecting clean, pre-loved children’s coats to help Our Village Australia (previously St Kilda Mums) support vulnerable families and children. To donate, please drop donations in the marked collection bin at Junior School Reception before Friday 28 August. The coats will then be taken directly to Our Village Australia. Please contact the JPG if you have any enquiries.
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!