Weekly eNews
Ross Featherston
Headmaster, Brighton Grammar SchoolAs with any successful organisation, our school has crafted a strategic roadmap to guide our focus for the coming years. We are sharing this document with our key stakeholders to ensure alignment around shared goals, so we can work collaboratively to support and inspire our students as they progress to adulthood.
A major initiative for 2025 in support of this is the Harmony Project, to help our boys reduce their overall screen usage and use technology in more healthy ways. For this project to be truly effective, I am asking for your input and support.
As a start, I encourage all parents to tune in to the Crowther Centre’s webinar, Boys and Screens, on 12 February to learn about the effects of mobile phones and social media on young people and how we can support our children to make good choices.
We also plan to survey parents, staff and student leaders over the next few weeks so that we have a clear understanding on where we stand on this issue.
Research by Commonsense Media shows that the average teenager now spends over eight hours every day on screens (for reasons other than schoolwork), far exceeding the Australian Government’s National Guidelines of no more than two hours on recreational screen use per day.
A total of 43% of children aged 8-12 years have a smartphone, rising to about 95% by the teen years. For many families, the decision about when to get a smartphone and the negotiations about rules and boundaries are frequent causes of stress and arguments.
The Federal Government introduced legislation in 2024 to ban social media for young people under 16, based on evidence from parents, educators, psychologists and child welfare advocates.
As a school, we cannot ignore the research regarding the negative impact of excessive screen time and exposure to social media. Our children have the fundamental human right to be protected from harm, need to learn how to socialise in real life, be protected from disturbing and age-inappropriate content and learn without constant distractions or disruptions.
As a cohesive community, we are in the privileged position to guide young people to find ways to create a more harmonious relationship with technology, and if we do it right, we will change lives. I look forward to your support.
Peter Tellefson
Deputy Headmaster, Head of Junior SchoolThank you to all Prep – Year 3 parents for attending our Parent Information evening on Tuesday, we look forward to your ongoing engagement and commitment, and to our Prep to Year 3 teachers for their various presentations. I appreciate those parents who forwarded an apology if unable to attend.
Our Year 4 – 6 Information Evening will be held tonight commencing at 7.00pm. Prep to Year 6 Parent/Teacher Discussions next Wednesday 12 and Thursday 13 February will also provide another opportunity to further develop relationships.
Our Junior Parents’ Group (JPG) plays such an important role in the life of the Junior School, not only through fundraising, but even more so by maintaining a sense of connection and community within the Junior School.
Thank you to Leigh Peckham (Parent Liaison), Alexander Dever (Secretary), Carli Stavrakis (Treasurer), Amanda Bryant (Year Level Rep Coordinator), Caroline Ottley and Iseeka Hering (Fundraising), Ross Stewart (Events), Sarah Suszko and Sarah Vautin (Hospitality) and Jacey Zhang (General Committee).
The JPG are seeking additional support in various class representative roles, if you are interested in assisting, please email the JPG. The JPG meets on the first Tuesday of each month and parents are more than welcome to attend.
Wilson House Happenings & Reminders
- Our Year 4 – 6 Parent Information Evening, Thursday 6 February, 7.00 – 8.30pm.
- I ask our Junior School parents to cooperate with the School policy and not include nuts or food containing a high concentration of nuts such as peanut butter in their boys’ lunches.
- BGS has a policy which requires parents who wish to assist or participate in any class activities or excursions to have a current ‘Working with Children Check’. Application forms are to be completed online.
- Parents are encouraged to access the 2025 Junior School Handbook which will answer many questions and assist with your son’s transition.
- When entering and exiting the Grosvenor Street car park the safety of our boys is paramount. The drop-off/pick-up zone is on the left-hand side of the driveway. Parents who use the drop-off/pick-up zone will need to approach this area via the northern (Oval) side of the tree at the far end of the car park. The exit lane is on the right-hand side; these areas are clearly marked. To assist with the flow of traffic in the car park we ask all boys from the ELC and Junior School not to play on the Adventure Playground after school. Read here for further directions. I would ask all parents to support this request.
- We are aware that some parents are not receiving Notices in the BGS app. To ensure you stay informed, please follow these steps to activate an interim solution. While some items may not be relevant to your son’s year level, this will ensure you don’t miss any important information. We are actively working with the app vendor to resolve the issue.
- Our Outdoor Education Program involves all Prep to Year 6 boys and is a compulsory component of our School’s curriculum. The diversity, skill development and range of opportunities our boys experience is excellent. In Term 1, our Year 5s will attend camp from 18 – 21 March. Year 5 parents are invited to attend an online Information Session to be presented by the Outdoor Education Team on Tuesday 25 February at 9.00am. Further details are available via the BGS app.
Liz Dendrinos
Acting Director of the Early Learning CentreKeeping boys active and engaged is integral in our ELC programs and we love coming up with new ways to get the boys moving and physically engaged.
As adults we plan our own level of activity such as organised sport or going for a walk, however physical activity for our young boys means a focus on movement and active play. So why is this so important?
Physical activity in children helps improve confidence and self-esteem as well as developing healthier social, cognitive, and emotional skills. It can also build muscle strength, concentration and coordination.
Outdoor nature play provides the boys with wonderful opportunities for creative and imaginative play with the avoidance of screens and predictive experiences.
Over the holiday break our ELC playground received a facelift with many strategic structures added to further enhance the boys’ physical skills and energy. After patiently watching and waiting, this week, the boys were finally allowed outside to enjoy their new environment.
Welcome to our new staff, Alicia Hoang (ELC3 Wombat Assistant Teacher) and Paula Ukratok (ELC3 Bilby Assistant Teacher).
Parenting Tips
Is it school reluctance or refusal?
Many students have butterflies in their stomach on the first day back at school, but some feel an overwhelming sense of dread. Knowing the difference can help parents support their child, say researchers. Read more below.
Olivia Tims
Junior School Psychologist
Early Years Literacy Parent Workshop
Learning to read is one of the most important things your son will learn at school. It is also one of the most complex. The human brain is naturally wired to speak, however, it is not naturally wired to read and write. Reading is a multifaceted skill, gradually acquired over years of instruction and practice. It requires two overarching abilities – correctly identifying words (decoding) and understanding their meaning (comprehension). An extensive body of research on reading instruction shows that there are five essential skills for reading:
- Phonemic Awareness: The ability to identify and manipulate the distinct individual sounds in spoken words
- Phonics: The ability to decode words using knowledge of letter-sound relationships
- Fluency: Reading with accuracy, speed and expression.
- Vocabulary: Knowing the meaning of a wide variety of words and the structure of written language
- Comprehension: Understanding the meaning and intent of the text
At BGS, we provide a high-quality literacy program that includes all five components. We place an emphasis in Prep to Year 2 on phonemic awareness and phonics in order to build foundational word reading skills. Our explicit, systematic phonics approach teaches boys how to “crack the code”. They learn that words are made up of sounds which are represented by written symbols and that there are rules which help us to read or write words correctly.
If you would like to find out more about how children learn to read and how you can support your son in his reading journey at BGS, I will be presenting an Early Years (P-2) Literacy Parent Workshop on Wednesday 19 February 9-10am held in the GBR Hall in the Junior School. Please click on the link to book.
Zoe Picton
Literacy Coordinator, Prep – Year 6
BGS App – Important Information
We are aware that some parents are not receiving Notices in the BGS app. To ensure you stay informed, please follow these steps to activate an interim solution. While some items may not be relevant to your son’s year level, this will ensure you don’t miss any important information. We are actively working with the app vendor to resolve the issue.
JPG News
Year Level Representatives and Volunteers
The JPG are looking for Year Level Representatives. For Year Level Reps, it is preferable we have one volunteer from each class, but 2 – 4 people per Year Level is great.
Representatives work as a team to co-ordinate social events within their year level and arrange volunteers for one event per year within their Year Level (i.e. organising 4 volunteers for end of term lunches or gift wrapping as required). Tasks are neither onerous nor time consuming and it is an opportunity to facilitate communication, connectedness and contribution within the school community.
Please email Junior Parents Group if you are interested in being involved, either representing your Year Level or any form of volunteering. The more the merrier.
FOM Secondhand Uniform Sales
BGS Friends of Music reminds the school community of our wonderful Secondhand Uniform Shop. If your son needs summer uniform (academic or sport), or you need to offload outgrown items from the wardrobe, please consider us!
Secondhand uniform donations are always welcome and can be left at any time during school hours in the blue, clearly labelled wheelie bin at the Secondary School Music Office.
For the first three weeks of this term to assist parents, extra donation tubs can be found at the Secondary School, Junior School and Urwin Centre reception areas.
Please note that all donated items must be wearable, clean and current uniform.
To purchase a secondhand uniform, please contact the SHUS team All funds raised support the work of the Music Department.